BY CODY
HUMBLE
If you’re
anything like me, you might agree that Holiday programming should begin on
December 1st and play solid through to the New Year. Now, that’s a full
month of programming and Frosty and Rudolph can only get you so far. That’s why
I’ve compiled this list of holiday specials from the past 25 years that should
help you fill in the gaps of your holiday programming… and I must say it’s just
not Christmas without some of these classic Christmas stories.
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25. PORTLANDIA - Winter in Portlandia
(2012)
Not
specifically a Christmas special, but wintery, holiday-themed and funny enough
to still make this list. In this episode we catch Peter and Nance struggling to
keep off winter weight; Candace's son visiting the feminist bookstore during
the holidays, and artisan curators Bryce and Lisa offering a winter vacation at
their newly opened Outlet Hotel.
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24. KING OF QUEENS – Bakers Doesn’t
(2005)
Doug and Carrie run into
their Reverend who ropes Doug into standing guard duty for the Christmas
decorations at the church and Carrie into baking a cake for the church bake
sale. While Doug and Carrie are helping with the church Arthur and Spence
decide to try to write the next big holiday song.
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23. IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA – A
Very Sunny Christmas (2009)
After years of being
mistreated by Frank during the holiday season after he buys gifts for himself,
Dennis and Dee decide to teach him a lesson by contacting his old business
partner, Eugene, for a Christmas Carol inspired intervention. Meanwhile, Mac
and Charlie reflect on their twisted childhood Christmases. And I mean twisted…
This one’s not for kids.
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22. STILL STANDING – Still Avoiding
Christmas (2005)
Judy’s idea for reducing the
Christmas stress is for her and Bill to not worry about getting presents for
each other. Thanks to the beauty of a little miscommunication, Bill ends up magnifying
the Christmas stress and the kid’s fake jobs to get out of helping with the
Christmas decorating.
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21. EVERYBODY
LOVES RAYMOND – Christmas Present (2000)
Ray tries to get Debra a really great present for Christmas
so she'll agree to let him go golfing. Little does he know Debra got him a really great present. You may be
asking yourself “where’s the conflict?” It’s the Barone’s… There’s plenty of
conflict to go around, and then even some leftovers.
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20. SOUTH PARK – Black Friday (2013)
Also
not specifically a Christmas episode, though it does highlight the rampant
greed and horrible aspects of shopping around the holidays. While the children
of South Park form two battling parties to get either a PlayStation 4 or an
Xbox One during a Black Friday sale, Randy takes a temp job as a security guard
at the mall in order to make a little extra holiday money, and in true South
park fashion, things get a little gritty to say the least.
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19. FRIENDS – The One Where Rachel Quits
(1996)
After
accidentally breaking a little girl's leg, Ross tries to help her sell boxes of
Christmas cookies. Rachel does something that crosses just about everyone’s
mind if you work customer service during the holidays by quitting her job at
Central Perk, and after Joey takes a seasonal job at a Christmas tree farm,
Phoebe realizes just what it means for a Christmas tree to fulfill its
“Christmas Destiny”
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18. FRESH OFF THE BOAT – The Real Santa
(2015)
While Eddie and Emery
struggle to find the perfect Christmas gift for their mother, Jessica feels
that Santa could use some improvements. She and Louis then convince Evan that
Santa is a little different than the average believer might think - someone
Louis can look up to and aspire to be like. This makes for a modern Santa
that’s somewhere between Traditional Santa and a nightmarish Lo Pan.
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17. HOME IMPROVEMENT – It Was The Flight
Before Christmas (1995)
On their way to attend a
winter festival for Binford, Tim & Al become stranded at a tiny airport,
and everything is shut down due to snow. This leaves Tim’s annual Christmas
light display on the shoulders of the boys. Simultaneously, Al tries to
allocate his Christmas between his mother and his girlfriend from afar.
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16. FAMILY GUY – The Road To the North
Pole (2010)
When
Stewie's trip to the mall to see Santa goes poorly, he and Brian decide to head
to the North Pole to give Santa a lesson in Christmas cheer. This satirical and
at times overly graphic depiction of the current state of Santa’s workshop
provides a sobering view of the realities human greed still plays in a magical
world. This one’s definitely not recommended for kids (or even some adults for
that matter) but with that said it’s the statement that the episode makes about
not distancing yourself from the true meaning of Christmas that maintains its
relevance.
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15. THE SIMPSONS – The Fight Before
Christmas (2010)
This special Christmas
episode from the Simpsons consists of four short separate dream segments that
all take place during Christmas. In the first segment Bart is taken to the
North Pole in a parody of the Polar Express. In the second, Lisa has to cope
with Marge being deployed overseas as a soldier at Christmas time, during WWII.
The third segment sees Martha Stewart stop by Springfield to help Marge create
an inspirationally crafty Christmas, and in the final segment the Simpsons take
puppet form, and try to escape for a holiday vacation which features special
guest Katy Perry.
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14. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER – How Lily
Stole Christmas (2006)
Lily takes away her traditional,
larger than life Christmas display after she finds out that Ted called her a
“Grinch” while she was broken up with Marshall. It’s then up to Ted to make
things right and it’s up to Lily to embrace one of the underlying reasons for
the season – Forgiveness.. and for Marshal - just cookies.
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13. PARKS & RECREATION – Citizen
Knope (2011)
As
Leslie tries to keep herself busy during her suspension from the department by
doling out an especially personal round of Christmas gifts to the office, she
gets some bad news about her campaign. Back at the office the team is busy at
work attempting to make the perfect Christmas gift for Leslie when little did
they know, the perfect gift was right there all along.
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12. BOB’S BURGERS – Christmas In The Car
(2013)
After killing two Christmas
trees since Halloween, the Belchers must go out on Christmas Eve to find a new
one. But when Bob cuts off a giant candy cane truck, they are forced to outrun
the crazed truck driver and spend the night together stuck on the side of the
road in the car, showing that Christmas isn’t so much about where you are but
who you’re with.
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11. THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR – Twas
The Night Before Christening (1993)
Will’s cousin, Nicky is being
christened on Christmas Eve. After finding out about all the incredible gifts
Nicky is going to be getting from the family, Will tells everyone he is going
to get Boyz II Men to perform at the christening.. Which proves to be more
trouble than expected. Nevertheless Will’s tenacity prevails and this episode features
some classic Boyz II Men Christmas tracks so fire, you’ll forget just how cold
it is outside.
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10. MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE – Hal’s
Christmas Gift (2004)
Not even clever budgeting can
make this Christmas a fiscal possibility, and with Francis coming home for the
holidays, Hal and Lois decide that this Christmas shall be all handmade. When
Hal is presented with the thoughtful, quality gifts the boys made, he feels bad
about his shoddy attempt and panics to create some Christmas memories for the
whole family.
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9. MODERN FAMILY - Undeck the Halls
(2009)
In a
display not seen since a particular Dr. Seuss classic, Phil and Claire (to
their own dismay) cancel Christmas for the kids, to persuade one of them to
confesses to burning the couch. Jay is hesitant to celebrate Gloria and Manny's
Columbian holiday traditions while Mitchell and Cameron take Lily to meet a
Mall Santa that might just be able to show them the true meaning of Christmas.
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8. 30 ROCK – Ludachristmas (2007)
The staffers get ready for
their super-raunchy holiday party, but Kenneth hijacks the party to teach
everyone about the true meaning of Christmas. Jack gets attached to Liz's
visiting parents because they provide a polarized love and support than that he
receives from his own mother. Once families get together however, in typical
holiday fashion, you can always expect at least a little crazy.
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7. THAT 70’S SHOW – Winter (2004)
When Kelso takes the police
department’s donated gifts for needy kids, Eric begs to keep some because Red
had never given him any toys for Christmas, and opening 'just one' leads to all
the presents being opened. Meanwhile Donna and Jackie help Kitty out with the
annual 'Ladies of Point Place Christmas party’ where the gifts were intended to
be given away by Santa ‘Bob’.
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6. LAST MAN ON EARTH – Secret Santa
(2015)
A virus has wiped out normal
traditions and holidays, not to mention most of the life on planet earth. As
Christmas approaches, Carol spearheads a "Secret Santa" gift exchange
to spread some festive cheer among the last known survivors, making for one
extravagant Christmas - where money is no option. What would you gift to your
friends and family if the material world was basically at your disposal? The
group definitely go above and beyond, showing that even with a billion dollar
spending cap it’s still the thought that actually means the most.
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5. BIG BANG THEORY – The Santa
Simulation (2012)
Sheldon is gifted A holiday
themed quest of Dungeons and Dragons to rekindle his Christmas spirit. While
the girls take Raj out to a nightclub to find him a date, back home the quest
takes the guys to the North Pole where they’re tasked with saving Santa Claus.
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4. COMMUNITY – Abed’s Uncontrollable
Christmas (2010)
When Abed begins to see
everything in stop motion animation, Professor Duncan and the study group help
him try to discover the true meaning of Christmas. This Christmas adventure
takes a journey through the clay-mated winter wonderland of Abed’s mind. Making
for some wild Christmas surprises and a big steamy mug of holiday magic.
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3. SEINFELD – The Strike (1997)
When you’re protesting the
commercial and religious aspects of Christmas, what do you celebrate? December
23rd, Festivus of course! When Jerry and Kramer become fascinated
with Frank Costanza’s spin on the holidays - Festivus is on. Meanwhile, In true
cynical Seinfeld fashion, George is upset when his Christmas gift from his boss
turns out to be a charitable donation made in his name, which gives George an
idea to selfishly swing the holidays back in his favour.
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2. THE OFFICE – Secret Santa (2009)
When
Jim promises Phyllis that she can be the Santa for the office Christmas party
(essentially creating one of the most beautifully heartwarming Christmas
moments ever witnessed through a television screen) Michael becomes combative
while trying to maintain the holiday spotlight. Nevertheless the true meaning
of Christmas is realized thanks to a Christmas miracle and
The 12 Days of Christmas.
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1. MR. BEAN – Merry Christmas Mr. Bean
(1992)
While Christmas shopping, Mr.
Bean gets into some of his typically outrageous antics, and in this special
creates too many iconic ‘Christmas-style-Bean-moments’ to count. In one of the
best/worst Christmas’ we have ever experienced, Bean covers all the traditional
holiday staples. From the Nativity and the carolers, to the turkey and the
tree. Not to mention topping it off with an unforgettable Christmas dinner with
Irma – it’s got it all, making this specific episode one for the ages.
Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright
