The holiday season is about jolliness, enjoying time with family and friends, and celebrations. This also often equates to time off from work and school. After filling bellies with indulgent meals, drinks, and desserts, shopping way too much, and either traveling to visit others or hosting, relaxing in front of the TV is a great way to unwind.
The best types of shows for the holidays include reality shows. They are “turn the brain off,” watch passively types of shows. They don’t require a lot of brain power to figure out complex plot points or recall pertinent details of an ongoing story. It’s bubble gum entertainment, and some reality shows, in particular, are perfect for the holidays.
10 ‘The Great Holiday Baking Show’ (2015-)
Hosted by Nia Vardalos, Ian Gomez, Et al.
Adapted from the hugely popular reality competition show The Great British Bake Off, also known as The Great British Baking Show and one of the best baking shows on streaming right now, The Great Holiday Baking Show follows the same premise except it’s focused entirely on festive treats. Competitors are home bakers wanting to show off their skills. Each episode consists of three challenges: a signature challenge, a technical bake, and a showstopper. At the end of each episode, one person goes home until a winner is crowned.
The Great Holiday Baking Show provides wonderful inspiration for dishes to make at the next holiday event, like cream puff characters, meringue holiday wreaths, sandwich cookies, and more. Competitors often share memories from their own childhoods, and incorporate nostalgic recipes and elements into the bakes, making the show sweet in more ways than one.
- Release Date
- August 17, 2010
- Cast
- Mary Berry , Paul Hollywood , Prue Leith
- Directors
- Andy Devonshire
Watch on Netflix
9 ‘Nailed It! Holiday’ (2018-)
Hosted by Nicole Byers
If ever there was a baking show designed for people who can’t bake and just want to enjoy a good laugh, this is it. Nailed It! has aired seven seasons to date, plus three special seasons, two of which were holiday-themed ones in 2018 and 2019. The concept behind the show is that amateur bakers are shown an elaborate cake or confectionary item, and they must replicate it to the best of their ability to win. Naturally, the cakes end up looking like people’s post online, poking fun at their failed attempts at recreating everything from Cookie Monster to a simple turtle.
Nicole Byer’s hilarious commentary on the show and with the contestants is a large part of its charm, which is why she earned two Emmy nominations for hosting, making her the first Black woman to receive a nomination in the category. The two holiday editions focused on, of course, holiday themed desserts and included some funny guest judges as well, like Lauren Lapkus, Maya Rudolph, Jillian Bell, and Ron Funches.
Nailed It!
- Release Date
- March 9, 2018
- Cast
- Nicole Byer , Jacques Torres
- Main Genre
- Game Show
- Seasons
- 7
Watch on Netflix
8 ‘Love is Blind’ (2020-)
Hosted by Nick Lachey, Vanessa Lachey
What better way to spend relaxing time at home during the holidays than to curl up to a totally binge-able show like Love is Blind? Now with seven seasons under its belt along with a U.K. version (and plenty of other country adaptations), the show has singles meet in pods where they can only talk to one another from behind a wall. If two people build a deep, emotional connection, they can decide to take the leap and get engaged. From there, they finally meet in person, go on vacation, live together back at home, and plan a wedding that they either go through with or not.
The premise might seem ridiculous, but it clearly works because the show has spawned several successful marriages. With that said, there are a lot of unsuccessful relationships as well. This makes for juicy drama throughout each episode and plenty of WTF moments. The show is structured, not surprisingly, to end every episode on a cliffhanger. It’s one of those shows that viewers say “just one more episode” and end up powering through five. So, rather than get stuck in this lack of sleep predicament when there’s work or school the next day, binge freely during the holiday season and let it all digest while sleeping in.
- Release Date
- February 13, 2020
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 7
- Story By
- Chris Coelen
- Writers
- Chris Coelen
- Directors
- Chris Coelen
- Showrunner
- Chris Coelen
7 ‘Sugar Rush Christmas’ (2018-2020)
Hosted by Hunter March
Sugar Rush Christmas is a special episode within the baking reality competition show Sugar Rush. Two specials are available, including one from 2019 and one from 2020, both with six episodes each. As with the standard show, four professional teams of two people each compete to win the final cash prize. They tackle some of the most popular dessert items – cupcakes, confections, and cakes – putting their own unique spin on each.
Produced by the same company behind Top Chef and Nailed It!, Sugar Rush Christmas is a feast for the eyes. Seeing the delicious holiday-themed treats will inspire viewers to try and replicate the same ones at home, or at least steal some ideas. The Christmas episodes also feature notable guest judges, including Tiffani Thiessen, Jordin Sparks, and Abigail Breslin.
Sugar Rush
- Release Date
- July 13, 2018
- Seasons
- 0
Watch on Netflix
6 ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ (2023-)
Based on Squid Game by Hwang Dong-hyuk
The actual Korean show Squid Game is bloody, terrifying, and deeply troubling. But the reality game show version, Squid Game: The Challenge is much lighter, though still thought-provoking in its own way. The show replicates the same process from the series, whereby a record-breaking 456 players compete in a variety of challenges to be the last one standing to win the also record-breaking $4.56 million single cash prize. Every challenge is different, many based on childhood playground games. There are other psychologically manipulative games and tests that occur throughout as well.
A fun study of human nature, kindness, gratitude, and honor, no one’s life is actually at stake in this game show: the worst “deaths” come in the form of a paintball shot to the chest. But there are the same themes tackled in the main show about coming together; leadership, trust, and greed. With the second season of Squid Game coming this holiday season, it’s a good time to watch the reality show in preparation, and see competitors fans believe deserve a second chance.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2023
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 1
5 ‘Is it Cake?’ (2022-)
Hosted by Mikey Day
Everyone has seen those videos online of professional bakers creating cakes that look identical to other inanimate objects, like a turkey, a pair of shoes, a remote control, a flower, even a dartboard. These types of cakes became popular on YouTube and TikTok, and that inspired the show. The premise is simple: contestants make cakes and try to trick celebrity judges into thinking they really are the items they look to be and not indulgently sweet and delicious fakes. Fittingly, players win money by identifying real stacks of cash versus ones made of cake.
Enjoy the three seasons to date in preparation for the upcoming Is It Cake? holiday edition, which will be released on November 28, 2024. It features star bakers from previous seasons who made some of the best Is It Cake? creations.
Is It Cake?
- Release Date
- March 18, 2022
- Creator
- Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz
- Cast
- Mikey Day
Watch on Netflix
4 ‘The Masked Singer’ (2019-)
Hosted by Nick Cannon
A fun show for the whole family, celebrities don elaborate costumes on The Masked Singer and deliver a series of cryptic clues (in a disguised voice) about their identity. Then, they perform songs in front of the live audience and celebrity judging panel, singing with their real voices. The goal is to guess who the masked celebrity is before the person is unmasked. The show is silly, taking the concept of cornyness to new heights. But as it grew and became more popular, the show started attracting bigger and bigger stars. Some celebrities participate simply to do something out of their comfort zones. Some want to face fears or feel vindicated about their singing abilities. Others want to delight a child or grandchild who watches the show at home.
With everyone from Dick Van Dyke to Sarah Palin, Gladys Knight, and Lil Wayne appearing on the show, The Masked Singer has become a huge phenomenon. While younger kids might not know all the celebrities behind the masks, they’ll have fun guessing anyway. Parents and grandparents, meanwhile, will enjoy listening intently and grabbing a notepad and paper to jot down clues to analyze.
- Release Date
- January 2, 2019
- Creator
- Craig Plestis
- Cast
- Nick Cannon , robin thicke , Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg , Ken Jeong , Nicole Scherzinger , Rita Ora , Joel McHale , Niecy Nash-Betts , Tori Kelly , Leslie Jordan , T-Pain , Brian Austin Green , Mickey Rourke , Bret Michaels , Chloe Kim , Elvis Francois , Bob Saget
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 10
- Cinematographer
- Tim Murphy
- Creator(s)
- Craig Plestis
- Distributor
- Propagate Content, Fox Entertainment
3 ‘The Traitors’ (2023-)
Hosted by Alan Cumming
With a third season coming in January 2025, The Traitors is delightful, campy fun. Players enter a lavish estate in Scotland to compete in mental and physical challenges. The catch: a few are secretly named traitors, sending someone home each episode. They meet in secret black capes where they decide who the next victim will be. But they must agree and work together strategically to avoid being caught. In the end, if no traitors are left, the remaining players win and split the prize pot. If even one traitor remains, that person wins the whole thing.
While the first season had a mix of unknown players and celebrities among its cast of the best players (and the worst), the focus has shifted in recent seasons to include all celebrity players. These are known names from other reality shows like Big Brother, Survivor, and The Real Housewives franchise, as well as athletes, even political figures. It’s fun to see how the strategy plays out, how the different personalities clash, and why they end up working together or being the most perceptive (or cunning). Plus, Alan Cumming’s over-the-top personality and equally quirky outfits make the show entertaining.
The Traitors (US)
- Release Date
- January 12, 2023
- Seasons
- 2
- Creator(s)
- Stephen Lambert , Marc Pos
- Writers
- Lee Grant , Christine Rose
- Showrunner
- Stephen Lambert
Watch on Peacock
2 ‘Catfish: The TV Show’ (2012-)
Hosted by Nev Schulman, Max Joseph, and Kamie Crawford
With nine seasons to go back on, there are lots of stories and episodes of Catfish: The TV Show to follow to entertain through the holidays. Developed following the documentary Catfish about host Nev Schulman’s own experience falling in love with a woman online who turned out to be someone else, Catfish: The TV Show sees the hosts travel across the U.S. to meet with people who need their help. They (or one of their loved ones) feel like they are conversing with someone online who is not who they claim to be.
Each case is different, sometimes resulting in the person coming clean with the truth, sometimes the individual not being a catfish at all, but dealing with other insecurities. There are more twists and turns then viewers probably think, in some cases more unbelievable than others. But it’s all about healing as the hosts try to help both parties find closure, move on, and become better versions of themselves. Catfish: The TV Show is a solid option to consider for those who hate the reality show genre. Every episode as a different flavor and where they’re relatively formulaic in nature, every ending is satisfying.
Catfish: The TV Show
- Release Date
- November 12, 2012
- Creator
- Ariel Schulman, Nev Schulman, Max Joseph
- Cast
- Max Joseph
- Seasons
- 7
1 ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ (2009-)
Hosted by RuPaul
Be thoroughly entertained watching aspiring drag queens learn the ropes from one of the most well-known drag queens around in RuPaul’s Drag Race. They compete to show their talents while they are mentored and judged through various rounds and challenges.
Winning numerous awards and inspiring spin-offs around the world, RuPaul’s Drag Race has brought visibility to the drag queen and LGBTQ+ communities and earned RuPaul eight consecutive Emmy Awards. The show has introduced the world to famous drag queens like Bob the Drag Queen, Trixie Mattell, Sasha Velour, and Alyssa Edwards.
- Release Date
- February 2, 2009
- Cast
- RuPaul
- Seasons
- 15
- Producer
- Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, RuPaul, Steven Corfe, Mandy Salangsang, Chris McKim
- Production Company
- World of Wonder
Watch on Paramount+
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