Lifetime
The newest film in the 2021 “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” slate is “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas,” which premieres Saturday, December 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
If you don’t have cable or don’t have Lifetime, here are some different ways you can watch “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” streaming online:
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Philo TV
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 60-plus other TV channels on Philo TV, which comes with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for Philo, you can watch “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” live on the Philo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast (compatible on Android mobile), any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. You can also watch on your computer on the Philo website.
If you can’t watch live, Philo allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. And even if you forget to DVR something, Philo also comes with a 72-hour rewind feature, which lets you to watch most shows on-demand if they have aired in the last three days.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 30-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest streaming service with Lifetime, and you can get your first month for just $10:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream (formerly AT&T TV) has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” Lifetime is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free 14-day trial.
Note that the free trial isn’t advertised as such, but your “due today” amount will be $0 when signing up. If you watch on your computer, phone or tablet, you won’t be charged for 14 days. If you watch on a streaming device on your TV (Roku, Fire Stick, Apple TV, etc.), you will be charged for the first month, but you can get still get a full refund if you cancel before 14 days:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which you can try out for free with a seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch “Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most shows after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
‘Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas’ Preview
From renowned gospel singer Kirk Franklin comes “A Gospel Christmas,” the story of a young woman who takes over as the lead pastor at a new church.
The Lifetime press release reads:
When Olivia (Demetria McKinney), a young assistant pastor, gets assigned to be a lead pastor at a new church a month before Christmas, she’s fearful she can’t manage the transition, including getting the choir ready to open the town’s annual Winter Jamboree. Banding together with her new congregation, Olivia discovers a new home for herself, and even finds a little Christmas romance along the way! Featuring a special appearance and songs written and arranged by Kirk Franklin.
The film co-stars Chaz Lamar Shepherd, Jen Harper, Shacai O’Neal, Steven Reddington, John Mullins, and Kendra C. Johnson.
In an interview with Urban Bridgez E-Zine, McKinney said that what she loves most about this film is that it celebrates all different types of voices within the world of gospel music.
“The thing that drove me to do this project was Olivia … she does not sing like the traditional gospel singer … Olivia does not sound like that. I love the story. I love the fact that there were gonna be all these amazing singers and this music, but the thing that made me feel humbled in doing it was that they celebrated the differences and the beauty of voices that we have,” said McKinney.
She added, “You have this other element that people will get to see in there and it’s OK and it’s good and it’s a blessing too, so I think that was a thing that related and resonated with me because I went through that for a long time … it was terrifying for me because I didn’t sound like everybody else, I wasn’t doing what everybody else was doing, so I think that was what drove me [to do the film].”
The rest of the “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” holiday slate includes:
December 5: “My Favorite Christmas Melody”
December 6: “Secretly Santa”
December 7: “Christmas Movie Magic”
December 8: “Christmas With a Crown”
December 9: “A Fiance For Christmas”
December 10: “Holiday in Santa Fe”
December 11: “The Holiday Fix Up”
December 12: “People PResents: Blending Christmas”
December 13: “Maps and Mistletoe”
December 14: “Ghosts of Christmas Past”
December 15: “The Enchanted Christmas Cake”
December 16: “Christmas By Chance”
December 17: “Mistletoe in Montana”
December 18: “Toying With the Holidays”
December 19: “Under the Christmas Tree”
December 20: “Candy Cane Candidate”
December 21: “The Christmas Ball”
December 22: “It Takes a Christmas Village”
December 23: “Rebuilding A Dream Christmas”
December 24: “Hot Chocolate Holiday”
December 25: “Writing Around the Christmas Tree”
“Kirk Franklin’s A Gospel Christmas” premieres Saturday, December 4 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on Lifetime.