When: Mondays in December, 8:00pm C.S.T.
Channel: ABC

There’s no shortage of holiday programming on TV right now—from ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas” to the requisite Christmas episodes of all your favorite shows, there are myriad ways to get in the holiday spirit just by vegging on the couch. One genre that has mostly stayed out of the Christmas programming fray, though, is reality TV. Lucky for us, ABC decided to address this problem with “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” a new reality competition miniseries about—you guessed it—Christmas lights.

Each episode of this niche reality show spotlights four families that put up over-the-top holiday light displays every year. As you can probably imagine, we’re not talking tasteful, classy decorations—we’re talking massive, choreographed-to-music, I-can’t-imagine-what-their-electricity-bill-looks-like spectacles. In each episode, we learn a little about each family’s motivation for putting on these huge shows and see how it approach its decorating. Then, judge Michael Moloney—whose day job involves regular appearances on various interior design shows—evaluates each display and decides which family will win the $50,000 prize.

Not surprisingly, the show’s contestants are a bit wacky. The Holt parents enjoy dressing up as elves year-round. The Goffs seem like the epitome of a stereotypical Southern family. The Lynches enthusiastically babble about Christmas lights in their thick New York accents. And the Blounts, with their bleached-blonde hair and orange-tinged tans, seem a tad out of place as they cover their Southern Californian home with wintery decorations. ABC eschews the typical reality TV formula, though, by focusing on the impressive light displays themselves more than the eccentric families behind them.

And the lights certainly are impressive. Each family takes a slightly different approach to the displays. The Holts’ home features flashy lights, loud music and fake snow. The Goffs’ is much more toned-down and traditional, with lots of light-up figurines and religious decorations spread throughout their 3-acre property. The Blounts’ was my personal favorite, featuring a grid of more than 11,000 LED lights that Mr. Blount programs with custom animations and choreographs to his wife’s original music. Finally, the Lynches’ display entails countless individual pieces—from modern, animated lights to vintage toys and figurines—that transform their home into an immersive winter wonderland.

Moloney is quite the character, beaming his chemically whitened smile as he makes goofy exclamations like “Shut the front door!” and occasionally points out flaws in the designs. (I’m not sure what qualifies someone to be a Christmas light judge, but Moloney seems to have taken on the job with gusto.) He evaluates the displays based on three broadly subjective categories: use of lights, Christmas spirit and overall design. All four displays are incredible, but (spoiler alert!) the Lynches ultimately take home the prize for their meticulously decorated home.

“The Great Christmas Light Fight” is nothing revolutionary; it could easily fit in on TLC or HGTV alongside other kitschy reality shows like “Four Weddings” and “House Hunters.” However, by spotlighting ordinary Americans with extraordinary holiday spirit, the series allows viewers to live vicariously through these Christmas-obsessed families. So, if you’re bored over break and looking for an alternative to watching “Frosty the Snowman” or “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” for the millionth time, flip to ABC on Monday nights to get both your holiday programming and reality TV fix.