James Webb Space Telescope launched
After well over a decade of development (and setbacks as the project fell in and out of favor with successive administrations of the U.S. government), the international James Webb Space Telescope is launched aboard an Ariane V rocket from the European Space Agency’s Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. Constructed and operated by NASA, the Webb Space Telescope is the larger successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, and its intricate, origami-like construction is expected to take a full month to deploy as the telescope travels to the L2 LaGrange point, well beyond the orbit of the moon. Its multi-segmented mirror is expected to see much more distant objects than Hubble was capable of resolving, possibly including the first galaxies to form in the history of the universe.
Vera Rubin, astronomer, dies
Pioneering astronomer Vera Rubin, whose research led to the discovery of dark matter, dies at the age of 88. In the 1960s and ’70s, Rubin found that the rate of galaxies’ rotation could not be accounted for unless galaxies contained, on average, ten times more mass than could be distributed among the visible stars in that galaxy. This research led her to propose the theory of dark matter in the 1970s, though she tried for many years to find – or at least rule out – any other possible explanations to the galaxy rotation problem.
Doctor Who: The Return Of Doctor Mysterio
The 829th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 130th episode since the series’ revival). This Christmas-themed episode closes the ninth season, and reintroduces Nardole (Matt Lucas) as a new regular companion for the Doctor in a story that pastiches American superhero comics (and their media spinoffs). Justin Chatwin and Charity Wakefield guest star.
Michu Meszaros, actor, dies
33-inch-tall actor Mihaly “Michu” Meszaros, who donned the furry suit of the title character in the late ’80s sci-fi spoof Alf, dies at the age of 76. In any instances where the character was shown from head to toe, Meszaros wore a full-body suit, though in many cases the character was a puppet shown only from the chest up, operated and voiced by show (and character) creator Paul Fusco. To maintain the illusion, Meszaros was credited as a “personal assitant” to Alf for his appearances. A circus performer since the early 1970s, Meszaros also appeared in Big Top Pee-Wee, Waxwork, Warlock: The Armageddon, and the TV series Dear John.
Doctor Who: Last Christmas
The 815th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 116th episode since the series’ revival). This Christmas-themed episode closes the eighth season, and is the first Christmas special during Peter Capaldi’s reign as the twelfth Doctor. Nick Frost and Michael Troughton guest star.
Doctor Who: The Time Of The Doctor
The 802nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 104th episode since the series’ revival). This Christmas-themed episode sees the exit of Matt Smith as the eleventh Doctor (revealed during the story to actually be the thirteenth and final Doctor), but bends the long-standing mythos surrounding regeneration in time to introduce Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor. The production staff behind the scenes will remain largely intact for the transition into the Capaldi era.
Doctor Who: The Snowmen
The 792nd episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1 (the 94th episode since the series’ revival). This is the series’ 2012 Christmas special, guest starring Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I) with a voice-over appearance by Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord Of The Rings trilogy).
Doctor Who: The Doctor, The Widow…
The Doctor, The Widow, And The Wardrobe, the 786th episode of Doctor Who (the 88th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. This Christmas special guest stars Claire Skinner, Alexander Armstrong (The Sarah Jane Adventures), Bill Bailey, and Arabella Weir.
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Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
The 772nd episode of Doctor Who (the 74rd since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1, the first Christmas special under showrunner Steven Moffat’s reign. Michael Gambon and Katherine Jenkins guest star.
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Doctor Who: The End Of Time, Part 1
The 757th episode of Doctor Who (the 59th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. This is the first part of the final story of David Tennant’s era, with an unusually grim storyline for its Christmas Day airdate. Bernard Cribbins, John Simm (Life On Mars) and Timothy Dalton guest star.
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Doctor Who: The Next Doctor
The 754th episode of Doctor Who (the 56th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. David Morrisey (David Tennant’s former co-star on Blackpool) guest stars as a man who claims to be another incarnation of the Time Lord, sparking speculation that Morrisey may also be Tennant’s sucessor in the role of the Time Lord.
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Doctor Who: Voyage Of The Damned
The 740th episode of Doctor Who (the 42nd since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. This Christmas-themed episode guest stars pop star Kylie Minogue and Russell Tovey (Being Human), with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo by Bernard Cribbins in his first appearance as Wilfred Mott (later revealed to be Donna Noble’s grandfather). At over 70 minutes, this is the longest Doctor Who special since the revival of the series.
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Doctor Who: The Runaway Bride
The 726th episode of Doctor Who (the 28th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1, continuing the revived series’ tradition of including a special Christmas episode. Comedian Catherine Tate makes a guest appearance as Donna Noble, a hapless bride whose wedding is called off by extraterrestrial events beyond her control. David Tennant’s former Blackpool co-star Sarah Parish guest stars as the Empress of the Racnoss, and this marks the first time in the new series that the Doctor identifies Gallifrey as his home planet. The Doctor begins and ends the episode without an ongoing companion.
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Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion
The 712th episode of Doctor Who (the 14th since the series’ revival) airs on BBC1. David Tennant spends much of his first episode portraying an unconscious tenth Doctor, recovering from his regeneration; Penelope Wilton guest stars as Harriet Jones. This is the first episode of Doctor Who intended to be a Christmas special since 1965.
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Lexx: Lyekka
Sci-Fi Channel premieres the seventh episode of Lexx. Louise Wischermann guest stars as Lyekka, a hypnotic humanoid manifestation of a carnivorous plant. Xenia Seeburg makes her debut as Xev, a reincarnation of Zev (now with red hair instead of blue hair). Despite the airdate of the episode, it does not feature a Christmas-themed storyline.
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Lexx now streaming on Amazon Prime
Darkroom: Episode 5
NBC airs the fifth episode of Darkroom, a horror anthology hosted by James Coburn. The series features multiple stories per episode; this installment includes The Partnership, guest starring David Carradine (Kung Fu), Daisies, guest starring Rue McClanahan (The Golden Girls), and Catnip, guest starring Karin Argoud (Mama’s Family).
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Wonder Woman: The Pluto File
The seventh episode of Wonder Woman airs on ABC, starring Lynda Carter and Lyle Waggoner. Robert Reed (The Brady Bunch) guest stars. 
It’s About Time: The Mother-In-Law
The 16th episode of the time travel sitcom It’s About Time, created by Sherwood Schwarz (I Dream Of Jeannie) and starring Frank Aletter, Jack Mullaney, and Imogene Coca, is broadcast on CBS.
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Thunderbirds: Give Or Take A Million
UK broadcaster ATV Midlands airs the 32nd episode of Gerry Anderson’s Supermarionation science fiction series Thunderbirds, featuring the voices of Shane Rimmer, David Graham, Sylvia Anderson, Ray Barrett, and Peter Dyneley. This is the final episode of the series, as well as a Christmas special.
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Doctor Who: The Feast Of Steven
The 97th episode of Doctor Who airs on the BBC. Though this is part seven of the mammoth 12-part story now collectively known as The Daleks’ Master Plan, it is completely disconnected from the ongoing Dalek plotline and is a standalone with comedy elements; this is the first Doctor Who Christmas episode, and the only episode in the series’ history in which the Doctor completely breaks down the fourth wall and addresses the viewer, wishing “a happy Christmas to all of you at home” (!).
This episode is missing from the BBC’s archives.
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Pathfinders To Mars: The Hostage
British broadcaster ABC airs the third episode of Pathfinders To Mars, a follow-up series to Pathfinders In Space, produced by future Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman. George Colouris and Gerald Flood (City Beneath The Sea) star; the script is written by Malcolm Hulke (Doctor Who) and Eric Paice (Star Maidens). Though the original master tape of this episode was later wiped for reuse, film recordings of all six episodes would be recovered and released on DVD in the 21st century. Despite being scheduled on Christmas Day, the episode is not holiday-themed.
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Twilight Zone: What You Need
CBS airs the 12th episode of Rod Serling’s anthology series The Twilight Zone. Serling himself adapts the darkly humorous (but not specifically Christmas-themed) script from a Lewis Padgett short story.