Where To Watch Every Grinch Movie In 2024: How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) & The Grinch (2018)
“Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we.” 🎄
Last updated: 8 Nov. 2024
Watching one (or all) versions of The Grinch is the easiest way to get into the Christmas spirit. But with so many streaming services floating around, how can you be sure you have the chance to watch all of them? If you don’t want to miss any Grinching this year, then keep reading!
Whether you’re a die-hard traditionalist who loves the 1966 animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, like to laugh at Jim Carrey’s rendition of the Grinch in Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas from 2000, or fancy a more modern take with the animated Dr Seuss’ The Grinch from 2018, we know exactly where you need to tune in.
These are all the places where you can watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas online this year, from Amazon, Peacock, YouTube and Apple TV, so pop on your ugly Christmas sweater and settle in for a Grinchy movie night.
Jump to:
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
- Dr Seuss’ The Grinch (2018)
How To Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Where is How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) with Jim Carrey streaming?
To watch Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), you’ll have to rent or buy the movie on streaming platforms if you want to watch it right now. You can rent or buy it with prices starting at $3.99 on Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV, Vudu and Google Play Movies.
You may also be able to watch it if you have cable TV on TBS or TNT. In previous years, you could stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Netflix, but only once it got closer to Christmas (i.e. December). So, keep checking to see if other streaming services add this title to their list!
Where Is The Original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) Streaming?
The original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) is currently only available for streaming on Peacock, Hulu and Sling TV if you have a premium account. You can also stream it on TBS or TNT, although you have to log in with your cable or satellite TV provider in order to do so.
Since this version of the Grinch is nationally broadcast every year (similar to A Charlie Brown Christmas), it’s unlikely it will be available for streaming on other platforms but that does mean you should be able to catch it on regular TV.
Where Is The Grinch (2018) Streaming?
The latest animated version of The Grinch from 2018 is currently available to stream on Peacock and Sling TV. You can also rent or buy it from $3.99 on Amazon, YouTube, Apple TV and Vudu. The closer it gets to December, the more likely other streaming services will acquire the rights to The Grinch (2018), so we might see this one pop up on Netflix too.
How To Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas! On TV
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) is one of the few Christmas movies broadcast on national television every year, without fail. The special is broadcast only twice every year — the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas night. The 2000 version (How the Grinch Sole Christmas) is also aired immediately after the original on Christmas night.
NBC acquired the rights in 2015, which is likely where How the Grinch Stole Christmas! will air.
As part of Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular, How The Grinch Stole Christmas will air on Thursday, Dec. 5, 8-8:30 p.m. with an encore on Dec. 25 at 8 p.m.
Where to watch The Grinch movies for free
We’ve mentioned above some times where you can watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas for free on NBC, however, you’re unlikely to be able to watch all of the Grinch movies for free unless you have access to a streaming platform that it’s on.
As a reminder, you can watch The Grinch (2018) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) for free if you have access to Peacock, Sling TV or Hulu but right now you’ll have to pay to rent or buy if you want to stream How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).
How Many Grinch Movies Are There?
As far as classic depictions of the original Dr. Seuss story How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, there are three movies:
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) — an animated movie that features Boris Karloff as the Grinch (and the narrator)
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) — a live-action movie starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch and Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who.
3. The Grinch (2018) — a modern animated movie with Benedict Cumberbatch playing the Grinch.
There have been other depictions of The Grinch in film, though. In 1982, there was a crossover special featuring both the Grinch and the Cat in the Hat, titled The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat. It even won an Emmy!
There is also a Christmas slasher movie adaptation that came out in December 15, 2022. The film is called The Mean One, and since it is unauthorized, it does not use any of the original terminology seen in the Dr. Seuss book.
Which Version Of The Grinch Is Best?
While it all comes down to personal preference, the films are generally ranked as follows:
#1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
#2. The Grinch (2018)
#3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
The original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Grinch currently sits at 59%, while How the Grinch Stole Christmas has a 49% rating.
It seems you can’t argue with the 1966 version of The Grinch being the best, though!
Check out these other unmissable Christmas movie options.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Character List
Depending on which version of the Grinch you watch, the characters will vary slightly. These characters, however, are in every version, cementing themselves as the main cast of characters:
- The Grinch, whose main goal is to steal Christmas from the residents of Whoville.
- Cindy Lou Who, a little girl who witnesses the Grinch stealing Christmas and still shows him kindness.
- Max, the Grinch’s pet dog who (unwillingly) assists him in stealing Christmas by dressing up as a reindeer.
- A narrator, describing events in the story, often in the form of quotes from the original book by Dr. Seuss.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Common Questions
What Is The Grinch’s Name?
The Grinch’s name is just that—Grinch!
While it’s now known colloquially as describing someone who doesn’t like Christmas or have any Christmas spirit, Dr. Seuss originally coined the term in a different book, titled Scrambled Eggs Super!, published in 1953.
The Grinch as we know him didn’t make his big debut until the book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, which came out in 1957.
Where Was The Grinch Supposed To Go As A Baby?
The original 1966 version doesn’t mention the Grinch’s backstory at all, saying, “no one quite knows the reason” for why the Grinch hates Christmas. The 2000 version of the story, however, does provide a bit of insight.
In How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch was abandoned as a baby, eventually being raised by two Who sisters. While no version of the film ever explains exactly he was supposed to go, it’s clear that the Grinch was always an outsider since birth.
But if you really want to dive into the lore, you’re going to want to check out The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat. In the TV special, it’s revealed that the Grinch had a mother at some point, but passed away in years prior. She was depicted as being a good influence on the Grinch, and her loss is what turned him bitter.
What Species Is The Grinch?
It’s unclear just exactly what the Grinch is supposed to be. Some media depictions portray him as being a Grinch, in both name and species. Other version allude to the fact that the Grinch actually is a Who, although his time alone has changed his appearance.
One cardiologist even said that due to the Grinch’s rapid heart growth, his physiology is most similar to a Burmese python!
What Song Does The Grinch Play On His Organ?
Another mainstay throughout all forms of Grinch media is the inclusion of the song the Grinch is often seen playing on his organ. The song is titled, “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and was portrayed in the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) by Thurl Ravenscroft.
Jim Carrey performed the song in the 2000 version, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. For the 2018 version The Grinch, Tyler the Creator sang the iconic number.
