When it comes to holiday classics, there's perhaps none as iconic as Frosty the Snowman. The beloved animated special about the magical snowman with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal will make its television debut in 2022 on CBS on Friday, November 25th at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT, one day after the network welcomes Santa Claus during the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. For many, Santa's arrival at the end of the parade marks the official start of the Christmas season.
If you happen to miss Frosty's return to television, you'll have some additional opportunities to catch the special throughout the holiday season. Following his CBS debut, Frosty the Snowman will be shown multiple times during Freeform's "25 Days of Christmas."
Here's the full schedule of when Frosty the Snowman will air on Freeform during the network's "25 days of Christmas" programming:
- Saturday, December 3, at 10:20 p.m. / 9:20c
- Sunday, December 4 at 5:05 p.m. / 4:05c
- Wednesday, December 21 at 8:30 p.m. / 7:30c
- Thursday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m. / 6:30c
- Saturday, December 24 at 6:50 p.m. / 5:50c
- Sunday, December 25 at 2:00 p.m. / 1:00c
Unfortunately despite the growing number of cord-cutters in recent years, Frosty the Snowman will not be available on any streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, or Apple TV+. However those with Hulu Live or Paramount+ are able to stream CBS live via those services, so you can still watch the special during the designated times.
Alternatively, another option is to simply purchase the animated special. Frosty the Snowman is available for purchase digitally for around $10 on a number of services including Vudu.
Frosty the Snowman is a 25-minute television special that first aired on December 7, 1969. Based on the popular holiday song from Walter E. Rollins and Steve Nelson, the special follows a group of school children who build a snowman and place a magician's hat on his head, making him come to life. With the temperate starting to warm, the children attempt to guide Frosty back to the North Pole before he melts. Here's the official synopsis from CBS:
Frosty, that “jolly, happy soul” whose old silk hat full of magic has turned him into a musical Christmas legend, once again demonstrates his unique showmanship.
Frosty Returns, a sequel to the original special, was released in 1992; although, it was not produced by Rankin/Bass and featured different characters, voices, and animation. Frosty Returns will air on CBS right after Frosty the Snowman on Friday, November 25th at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. This will likely be one of your only times to catch the sequel during the holidays as it's not included on Freeform's programming schedule.