How, When and Where to Watch 'A Christmas Story' This Christmas

As Christmas Eve approaches, the annual A Christmas Story marathons are set to air on TBS and TNT. TBS starts the movie at 8 p.m. ET on December 24, and runs it over the next 24 hours, the final showing starting at 6 p.m. on Christmas Day.

TNT, meanwhile, gets things going an hour later, with the movie starting at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and running for 24 hours.

After the final showing concludes at 9 p.m. Christmas Day, TNT shows the sequel A Christmas Story Christmas.

A Christmas Story came out in 1983. Set in the '40s, it sees Ralphie desperate to get a BB gun for Christmas, ideally a Red Ryder, carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. But mostly everyone else in his life thinks it’s a bad idea for a gift, fearing he may shoot his eye out.

Peter Billingsley plays Ralphie. Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin play his parents.

Bob Clark directed the film, based on Jean Shepherd's books.

A Christmas Story Christmas sees Billingsley play Ralphie as an adult. He returns to his boyhood house on Cleveland Street to give his kids a memorable Christmas.

The sequel debuted on Max last November. 

TNT began the Christmas Story marathon in 1997, and TBS took it over in 2004 when TNT shifted to drama programming. Starting in 2014, both TBS and TNT began airing A Christmas Story marathons.

Streaming channel Max has A Christmas Story, A Christmas Story 2 and A Christmas Story Christmas. 

TNT, TBS and Max are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.