The Grinch is one of the most well-known, and well-loved, Christmas characters and no doubt people all over the world will be sitting down for a rewatch of his various films again this year.
He has been voiced and portrayed by numerous actors over the years but made his first appearance in Dr. Seuss' 1957 book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Since the hugely popular book was released, the story of the Grinch has been retold in three separate screen adaptations, the most recent being in 2018.
The Grinch starts his story as an extremely grump green creature who lives alone in a cave above the village of Whoville with a heart "two sizes too small."
Following a childhood trauma, the Grinch has a burning hatred for Christmas and Whoville's elaborate Christmas celebrations, so, one Christmas Eve, he takes matters into his own hands.
The Grinch decides to stop Christmas Day by dressing up as Santa Claus and, with the help of his dog Max who is dressed as a reindeer, steals all the presents, decorations, and symbols of Christmas in Whoville.
Feeling pleased with himself, the Grinch heads back to his cave with his loot but, after meeting a young girl named Cindy Lou Who, his whole perception on Christmas—and Whoville—changes.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about how to watch all the different adaptations of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! this festive period.
How To Watch the Original Animated 'Grinch' (1966)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) is the original animated TV special that still proves popular over five decades after it premiered.
Originally broadcast on CBS, the special was directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones and starred Boris Karloff as the Grinch and the narrator.
This year, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is streaming on Peacock and is also available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
How To Watch Jim Carrey's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' (2000)
Over 35 years after the first screen adaptation of the Grinch's story came the 2000 live-action movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The film featured comedian Jim Carrey in the titular role and boasted a star-studded supporting cast which included The Good Fight's Christine Baranski, Saturday Night Live's Molly Shannon and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's Deep Roy.
Playing the role of Cindy Lou Who, the young girl who manages to win over the Grinch and get him to see the magic of Christmas, is Taylor Momsen. The actress, who was just 7 when the film came out, would go on to play Jenny Humphrey on The CW's Gossip Girl.
This year the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie is streaming on HBO Max and Hulu.
It can also be rented or bought on Google Play, Apple TV, Redbox and Prime Video.
How to Watch 'The Grinch' (2018)
The most recent version of the story of the Grinch was the 2018 animated The Grinch.
This adaptation came from Illumination Entertainment, the same studio behind the Despicable Me and Minion films.
In The Grinch, Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch voiced the main character, while Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson and late Angela Lansbury also lent their voices.
Pharrell Williams, who has previously worked with Illumination on the Despicable Me films, narrated the story and the music was composed by Danny Elfman.
The film was the final Dr. Seuss film adaptation to be released during the lifetime of his widow Audrey Geisel.
Geisel served as executive producer of the film and died on December 19, 2018, just five weeks after the film was released in theaters.
The Grinch is part of Freeform's "25 Days of Christmas" programming this year and can be seen on the cable channel at the following days and times:
- Friday December 2 - 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday December 3 - 7:15 p.m
- Saturday December 17 - 6:55 p.m
- Sunday December 18 - 4:45 p.m
- Thursday December 22 - 9 p.m
- Friday December 23 - 5 p.m
It can also be bought on Prime Video.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Laura Donaldson is a Newsweek Film and TV Reporter (SEO), based in Edinburgh, U.K. Her focus is on reality TV. ... Read more
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