Christmas episodes of your favorite TV shows are the best; the reality is most of us will, at some point during our (regular) family Christmas weekend, want to rip our hair out due to spending so much time with our "loved" ones. There’s nothing better to do in those situations than watch another family, even a fictional one, be even more dysfunctional than your own. This kind of escapism is probably healthier than trying to win arguments with your parents or drink until you can’t remember everyone’s names, so you should definitely consider it.
This year? Your squad might be smaller, but that just means you'll have more time to lounge around and indulge in some of television’s best Christmas specials.
Here are the best Christmas specials to watch this holiday season.
What would Christmas be without TV’s biggest morons engaging in some holiday cheer? This holiday episode contains not one but two hysterical spoofs on Christmas classics as well as a fun interlude where Santa Butthead and his Reindeer Beavis answer fan letters. The first segment involves Beavis stepping into the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, who faces three spirits in hopes of changing his ways. The last segment is based on It’s a Wonderful Life, where Butthead is shown how much better life would be had he never been born.
Only Ren and Stimpy could create a touching holiday story all based around, well, farts. One night, Stimpy farts (seemingly for the first time), and this convinces him that something important has left his body. Lo and behold, Stimpy’s Fart becomes sentient, and much to the chagrin of Ren, Stimpy embarks on a journey to find his “son”.
It's Christmastime in the year 3000, and Fry is eagerly awaiting his favorite holiday, but the rest of the Planetary Express team doesn't seem to share his excitement. To Fry’s horror, he learns that Christmas is a time of terror in the future as a renegade Santa Claus robot terrorizes the planet every year due to his super strict interpretation of the Naughty/Nice list. Can Fry and his friends restore Christmas to the way it used to be, or will they be forced to duck and cover every season?
A tried and true holiday classic based on the legendary song about Frosty the Snowman. One Christmas season, a group of children build a snowman and use a magicians hat to top off their creation. Little did they know that the Magic hat would bring the snowman to life and thus Frosty was born. The journey becomes a race to get Frosty to the North Pole before he melts, all the while avoiding the evil Magician who wants his hat back.
It's Christmas Eve in Townsville, and Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup are all getting ready for Santa. Mojo Jojo convinces the girls that they have actually been naughty this year, and they soon come to believe they are unworthy of gifts. Then HIM arrives and manipulates the girls into going to the North Pole, where the villains follow. It’s up to the girls to save Santa and Christmas altogether.
At the local mall, Chuckie tells Tommy what to expect on his first Christmas. He tells the 1 year old to fear “the scariest guy in the world,” Santa Claus. Tommy attempts to convince him that Santa is nothing to be afraid of. Angelica pulls a cruel prank on Phil and Lil, but starts to regret her actions when she learns that naughty children get lumps of coal.
The Banks family take a family trip to a ski resort for the holidays. A man shows up at their cabin asking to use the phone, which Carlton, Hilary, and Ashley convince Will is a good idea. The man turns out to be a criminal, tying up the kids and stealing the Christmas gifts. Now, it’s up to Will and his family to salvage what’s left of their Christmas.
Rocko isn’t feeling the holiday spirit and the lack of snow sure isn’t helping. Rocko decides to throw a Christmas party for all his friends; meanwhile, a team of elves moves in across the street. Rocko invites the elves to his party, which upsets his other neighbor, Ed Bighead who hates Elves. Ed decides to sabotage Rocko’s party by spreading a rumor that elves carry foot fungi, which causes everyone to avoid the party.
Stewie and Brian head to the North Pole to confront Santa Claus after being scorned by a mall Santa. Now, Stewie vows to kill Santa. Brian hitches a ride along with him to try and stop the baby. To their horror, they find a Santa’s Workshop in ruins, there’s pollution, overworked, inbred elves, feral reindeer, and an overly exhausted, sickly Santa Claus. Brian and Stewie take it upon themselves to make things right in the world and deliver the toys themselves.
On a visit to Sandy’s Treehouse, SpongeBob witnesses his Squirrel pal putting up Christmas decorations. Sandy teaches him about Christmas traditions and Santa Claus. SpongeBob decides to get the whole town involved and spreads Christmas cheer throughout Bikini Bottom. Squidward, of course, chooses not to participate as he doesn’t believe in Santa.
Michael Scott is confronted by his then-girlfriend, Carol, for taking family photos, cutting out her ex-husband's photo, and inserting himself. Michael becomes depressed after Carol threatens to end the relationship. Andy Bernard tries to cheer his boss up by taking him to Benihana. Dwight Schrute tags along for the ride, dragging Jim Halpert with them, and the chaos begins.
Mickey and co’s take on A Christmas Carol instantly became a classic for years to come. Scrooge McDuck, perfectly cast as Ebenezer Scrooge, spends Christmas Eve being taught the error of his ways.
If you want to get that immediate hit of Christmas Joy, you can’t go wrong with the Rankin/Bass movies. One of the studio's better animated specials is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, based on the classic Christmas song. Rankin/Bass took a straightforward story and made it epic. Ostracized for being different and having a glowing red nose, Rudolph is expelled from Reindeer training and embarks on a journey of finding his true self, along with characters such as Misfit Toys, an Abominable Snow Monster, and Yukon the prospector.
Ross is concerned about his son Ben during the Holidays, in that he is only being exposed to Christian ideals and thus learning nothing about his Jewish heritage. Ross attempts to find a Hanukkah symbol, and, for whatever reason, it turns out to be an armadillo. Ross shows up in the costume, only confusing and slightly terrifying his son. Ross does eventually get through to his son, but not before making the holiday Armadillo a thing of legend.
Every Christmas, the Hill family and friends look forward to the holiday, but every year also comes the unwanted job of making sure their friend Bill doesn’t off himself due to the anniversary of his wife Lenore leaving him a few Christmas Eves ago. Bill’s seasonal depression starts to take a toll on the Hills as he delves deeper and deeper into his psychosis. This episode carries a lot of weight due to its handling of topics like one’s mental health taking a hit during the holidays and the ways you can rely on friends when things seem their darkest.
There are many legendary episodes of Seinfeld, but this particular episode gave us everyone’s favorite imaginary holiday, Festivus. Every December 23rd, Frank Costanza celebrates his made-up holiday, which forgoes gifts but allows airing of grievances, feats of strength, and an undecorated pole. Of course, the holiday chaos isn’t limited to just one person, as George tries to manipulate his old boss into giving him a Christmas bonus. Meanwhile, Elaine is being forced to eat subpar bagels because her favorite shop is closed.
South Park residents are upset with the yearly holiday celebrations, as they don’t feel they are non-denominational, lean too far into Christmas, and don't represent other religions. While the town argues what is and isn’t acceptable, Kyle suggests Mr. Hankey, the magical poo that comes out of the toilet every year and spreads holiday cheer. Kyle’s friends and the rest of the town don’t see Mr. Hankey and think Kyle is losing his mind, and thus have him committed. Kyle is declared insane just for trying to instill the holiday spirit, and it’s up to Stan, Cartman, and Kenny to rescue their friend.
12.The Simpsons: "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire"
The Simpson family goes to the mall for some holiday shopping, meanwhile Bart sneaks into a tattoo shop and gets a tattoo, which infuriates Marge. They go to get the tattoo removed, but unfortunately, the cost depletes the Simpsons' Christmas savings. Marge is hopeful because Homer always gets a Christmas bonus, but his boss, Mr. Burns, denies them that year. Down to his last dime, it’s up to Homer to figure out a way to make Christmas happen for his family.
Since debuting on HBO Max this month, Mad Men has been making a resurgence on peoples must-watch lists. Although the show’s brilliance was never in question, accessibility on streaming services hampered its relevance in recent years, especially compared to its peers. What better time to go back and revisit Mad Men’s best Christmas episode, Christmas Comes But Once a Year, than now? Without the proper context, the episode can fall a little flat, but when viewed chronologically, Christmas Comes But Once a Year offers a sober, mature look at the holiday season rather than a strictly sentimental one.
Family Guy might be a cultural phenomenon, and the show most closely associated with Seth MacFarlane, but for serious cartoon connoisseurs, American Dad is the crown jewel of MacFarlane’s animated empire. Similar to The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror series and Halloween, American Dad uses its Christmas episodes to tell offbeat and darkly horrific stories about the Smith family’s continued misadventures with the holiday. While a separate list could be made about each episode, as they’re all brilliant, “Rapture’s Delight” is the pinnacle. After missing the biblical rapture, despite being a proud Christian, Stan has to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
An orphan is found by a group of toymaking elves who raise him as one of their own. As the boy grows older, he learns the ways of the elves and becomes a master toymaker himself. The problem is they have all these toys and nobody to give them to, as the local Burgermeister (not sure what that is exactly) has banned toys. The newly dubbed Chris Kringle decides to take it upon himself to sneak the toys into the town.
When Arnold and his neighbors at the boarding house draw names for Secret Santa, Arnold gets Mr. Hyunh. Arnold can’t think of what Mr. Hyunh could possibly want, but after having a one-on-one conversation, he discovers a secret he has been hiding for a long time. Turns out Mr. Hyunh is from Vietnam and was separated from his baby when escaping the country. Hyunh tracked his daughter to the city she currently lives in, but is not sure what address she has. Arnold takes it upon himself to attempt to reunite Mr. Hyunh and his daughter before Christmas.
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is both the definitive Christmas tale and the most overexposed story in the entire holiday genre. There are as many iterations and parodies of A Christmas Carol, as there are cells in the human body, which is why it isn’t faint praise to say that Doctor Who’s version of A Christmas Carol is one of the best variants of the story ever created. Utilizing the show’s time-travel conceit to reveal a blackhearted, rich miser’s tragic origins and potential lonely death, Matt Smith’s 11th
Doctor serves as a stand-in for every ghost in Dickens’ beloved holiday classic.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s impact on television can’t be understated. Aside from employing a host of talent that would define the medium during its golden age, including Shawn Ryan of The Shield and Drew Goddard of Lost, Buffy knew how to weave holiday episodes into the broader arc of its season-long narrative. As a result, Buffy episodes aren’t just fun holiday one-offs but essential parts of the series, prompting viewers to revisit the whole season. With Amends, the tenth episode from the show’s third season, Buffy the Vampire Slayer channels the holiday spirit of forgiveness while reinforcing pre-existing character dynamics.
During the holidays, Finn and Jake discover a box of tapes at the Ice King’s castle. Curiosity getting the best of them, the duo decides to have a watch party to view all Ice King’s secret VHS tapes. Originally hoping to find out secrets that could aid them in their battles against the Ice King, Finn and Jake discover through the tapes that the King wasn’t always the way he was, but was a normal human who discovered a cursed crown that eventually deforms him and drives him insane.
The Bear provided us with a Christmas episode full of chaos and toxicity, only fitting for Carny’s World. This flashback episode centers around a Christmas Eve dinner at the Berzatto’s, where everything can, and does, go wrong. The acting in this episode is incredible, particularly from a very game Jamie Lee Curtis, which showcases the entire cast at their peak.
The production house behind the previously mentioned Christmas specials, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rankin/Bass, is synonymous with the holiday season. The company’s signature brand of stop-motion animation was groundbreaking for its era and is now remarkably nostalgic for Christmas fans of all ages. During the 11th episode of Community’s second season, Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas, the subversive and brilliant comedy series homaged the classic Rankin/Bass productions with a holiday episode constructed in their iconic stop-motion animation style.
The Jim Carrey reimagining may go down as one of the best interpretations of this Dr. Seuss classic, but there’s no denying the everlasting impact of the original TV special. Narrated by the incredible Boris Karloff (Frankenstein’s Monster), who also voices the Grinch himself, perfectly tells the tale of the creature from Mt. Krumpit who hates Christmas and all the Whos who celebrate it. The Grinch and his dog Max hatch a plan to steal Christmas itself, but the duo soon learn stealing a holiday isn’t as easy as it seems.
Every Christmas season, poor Charlie Brown grows more and more depressed as he sees that everyone is happy but him. Charlie begins a journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas and his place in it. Lucy suggests making him the director of the school Christmas play, which of course, only goes haywire when Charlie is tasked with finding a Christmas Tree. The Peanuts' specials always bring a lot of heart and soul, and this one is them in their prime. This is often the first special this writer puts on when the holiday season arrives, and it is guaranteed to put you in the right mood.
