Favorite Christmas Episodes (1 Viewer)

[Gary OS]

Gonna watch the cleaned up "Miracle on Main Street" tonight on TCM. At least I'm told it's cleaned up and should be looking good.

 

[JamesSmith]

Well tell us what they are and I'll be happy to look at 'em.

Question if anyone knows. When The Honeymooners did their Christmas episode, Gleason stepped out of character to speak with the audience and brought out Carney and Meadows so they can all say Merry Christmas. But it ends before anyone gets to say anything...



Was it always like this or was the rest of it cut for syndication?

The Night the Animals Talked. Early seventies animated cartoons that aired on ABC. Overseas production.
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. Mid seventies half hour special staring the voices of Tommy Smothers and Barbara Feldon.
Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Clause. Earlier version of the famous story. Jim Backus provides voices.
The Great Santa Clause Switch. Art Carney and the Muppets. Haven't seen it in its entirety yet.
Mr. Magoos Christmas Carol. Worried that this not-so forgotten classic might become forgotten if it doesn't gain some notoriety.
A Christmas Carol. The Kenner/CBS seventies version. Touted as the worst version. I don't think it's that bad.
A Christmas Carol. The Richard Williams 24 minute version that has been declared as the best animated version by those who've seen it. Chuck Jones worked on it, the animators based the animation on Leech's original illustrations for original text.
The Tiny Tree. Not sure about the exact title. Buddy Ebsen narrated it. It's about a small tree in the woods, that the anthromorphized animals take a shine to.

There are more. Perhaps later. This year, a blue ray came out on 18 Rankin Bass Christmas specials. Felt bad that these other specials haven't gathered the attention.

 

[Jack P]

I cleared out some more animated stuff, and got my toes wet in the movie realm.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas/The Tiny Tree
-These two were from a back-to-back December 16, 1978 CBS recording I found on YT. I wanted to recapture the sense of what it was like to see these shows with their "CBS Special Presentation" intros and sponsor plugs even though I'd watched the commercial DVD of "Grinch" earlier. It was interesting. I have a dim memory of watching "The Tiny Tree" when it aired in this period but seeing it as an adult it's so easy to see why this didn't become a Christmas staple. The story is very slight with a largely incidental Christmas trapping. Only for audiences under ten at best.

Charlie Brown Christmas (1978 broadcast)
-Also found was the airing of this from December 18, 1978 with commercial spots for Peter Paul and Coke (with of course the classic "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" spot that was a staple for so many years). I also got an amusing reminder of how when shows were pre-empted, sometimes we'd get a staff announcer saying "Because of the special program, so and so will not be seen tonight" but sometimes there would be promos done by the cast to say they weren't on that night. In this instance I get to see the cast of "The White Shadow" saying they won't be on due to a special Christmas program (I'm sure they had no way of knowing which one it would be!)

Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976)
-I know I saw this sequel to "Frosty The Snowman" when it first aired. I know why I never saw it again until last night as it's really devoid of the charm of the original despite efforts to copycat it with Jackie Vernon returning as Frosty's voice, having Andy Griffith as the narrator and caricatured in an animated style just like Jimmy Durante was in the original, and also recycling the gag of the Policeman swallowing his whistle (yet curiously the little girl Karen doesn't return from the original!). Christmas is never mentioned as this is all about Frosty coming back for the winter and getting a snow-wife (improbably voiced by Shelley Winters) and having to deal with jealous Jack Frost. This seemed more like an attempt to just capitalize on the giant volume of Christmas specials that were all over the map back in the 70s and really wasn't necessary IMO.

Twas The Night Before Christmas (1974)
-This was the only Rankin-Bass special that I kept watching every year into adulthood largely because of a 1985 CBS recording I made (along with "Charlie Brown Christmas"). I always liked the songs and its overall charm even though the story has a serious problem in that it's basically all about Santa being a thin-skinned jerk who has to be placated into still showing up on Christmas Eve!

Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
-I gave this film a viewing for the first time in two years. Barbara Stanwyck did this right after "Double Indemnity" and effortlessly switches to comedy here. And I can't believe that when I got "21 Beacon Street" that I'd forgotten Dennis Morgan was the leading man in this film!

Star In The Night (1945)
-I love this "Nativity parallel" short film that's part of the Blu-Ray release of "Christmas In Connecticut" (for the first time I realized one of the motor court customers is the same actor who was in "Connecticut" as the judge!) and I never miss it even when I choose to bypass "Connecticut" during the season.

Wagon Train, S2-"The Mary Ellen Thomas Story"
-Sort of but not really a Christmas story even though it aired Christmas Eve 1958. It's about the incorrigible Patty McCormack's (a case of pure typecasting after "The Bad Seed") friendship with a terminally ill girl who ultimately gets a big Christmas party two months in advance because she won't live to see Christmas. The basic story idea of this episode was remade a decade later in a "Family Affair" episode in which Buffy befriended a terminally ill girl who gets an early Christmas party (which incredibly was the only time anything Christmas ever intruded in the five year run of that show. You would have thought they would have had a traditional Christmas episode at some point). To me, the true Christmas episode of this series came the following year with the wonder "Saint Nicholas Story" which is part of my top tier of Christmas episodes.

 

[DaveHof]

"A Piano For the Fraternity" - The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. This long-running series produced several wonderful holiday shows, but this one is now my favorite, just edging out "Busy Christmas." It has joyful Christmas carol singalongs, as well as a poignant portrayal of how, when one reaches a certain age, we are sustained by the happier memories of Christmases past, now that our whole family can no longer gather together over the holidays.

 

[Gary OS]

"A Piano For the Fraternity" - The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. This long-running series produced several wonderful holiday shows, but this one is now my favorite, just edging out "Busy Christmas." It has joyful Christmas carol singalongs, as well as a poignant portrayal of how, when one reaches a certain age, we are sustained by the happier memories of Christmases past, now that our whole family can no longer gather together over the holidays.

It's a fantastic O&H Christmas episode, Dave!!! Right up there with "Busy Christmas" for sure!

 

[JamesSmith]

"A Piano For the Fraternity" - The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. This long-running series produced several wonderful holiday shows, but this one is now my favorite, just edging out "Busy Christmas." It has joyful Christmas carol singalongs, as well as a poignant portrayal of how, when one reaches a certain age, we are sustained by the happier memories of Christmases past, now that our whole family can no longer gather together over the holidays.

Bless you, David. Afraid that's true.

--jthree

 

[JamesSmith]

OK. I mentioned about 6 known so well known Christmas specials. Can anybody help with some more?

--jthree

 

[Gary OS]

OK. I mentioned about 6 known so well known Christmas specials. Can anybody help with some more?

Are you talking about Ozzie & Harriet Christmas episodes?

 

[timk1041]

"A Piano For the Fraternity" - The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet. This long-running series produced several wonderful holiday shows, but this one is now my favorite, just edging out "Busy Christmas." It has joyful Christmas carol singalongs, as well as a poignant portrayal of how, when one reaches a certain age, we are sustained by the happier memories of Christmases past, now that our whole family can no longer gather together over the holidays.

Aired right after The Girl At The Emporium. Did anyone notice in that episode Wally's (Skip Young) last name was Dipple, instead of Plumstead? Any relation to Lloyd Corrigan's character name Wally Dipple from earlier seasons?

 

[JamesSmith]

Are you talking about Ozzie & Harriet Christmas episodes?

Fraid not, Gary. I was talking about not so well known Christmas specials.

--jthree

 

[jbirdp]

I’m a huge Flintstones fan but always chuckle about the Christmas celebration in 10,000 B.C.!

 

[Jack P]

The next round finishes off all remaining versions of "A Christmas Carol" and I also break the ice with a couple upper tier items.

A Christmas Without Snow (1980)
-I love this TV-movie about the members of a San Francisco church choir being whipped into shape by choir director John Houseman for a performance of "The Messiah". I have never seen a more authentic portrayal of a church community anywhere else where the people deal with the travails of life yet they know how to come together as friends. It believably doesn't resolve every person's storyline but it shows in the end that even with some things settled and others not, they all deliver a worthy performance of the great work that says so much about the meaning of the Christmas season.

Wagon Train, S3-"The St. Nicholas Story"
-My first upper tier episode watched. This was written by Jean Holloway who also wrote the great Dr. Kildare "Season To Be Jolly" episode and is just as effective.

Christmas In Washington (1982)
-The first in what became a 32 year tradition on NBC (later TNT). Dinah Shore, Ben Vereen, Diahann Carroll and Debby Boone perform along with US Naval Academy Glee Club. President Reagan is seen reading the moving "One Solitary Life" to a group of children and delivers closing remarks.



Christmas In Washington (1983)
-For the second year, the format that would endure for the next decade was locked into place with the US Naval Academy Glee Club opening with a specially written carol "Christmas In Washington." The US Army Herald Trumpets also became a regular fixture with their fanfares and "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" became the closing number. Musical guests Andy Williams, Leslie Uggams and Julio Iglesias.




A Christmas Carol (1984)
-The George C. Scott version is the last great filmed version IMO.

Bah, Humbug! (1990)
-PBS special in which which Martin Sheen and James Earl Jones do a dramatic reading in the Dickens era style while Robert MacNeil provides some documentary context to the writing of the story.

Also, two audio versions of the story. A 1995 BBC production of the "Scrooge" musical starring Anthony Newley that was done on stage in this era. A chance to hear how the 1970 movie was repurposed for the stage with some new songs added. The other, a 1996 production by Focus On The Family Radio Theatre (who put out some truly outstanding audio dramas for over 15 years) that received permission to draw from the 1951 Alastair Sim movie version script.

Time to start working in some more upper tier episodes!

 

[JamesSmith]

Great selection Jack P. Wish I could get the Dr. Kildeer episodes without buying the whole season. Seems like a great many feel that Dr. Kildeer had some great seasonal stories (which I've never seen), but I get in the mood to see them when I hear reviews like this.

--jthree

 

[Tom.W]

I generally search for either new Christmas episodes or ones that I haven't watched in recent years. I watched the Ozzie and Harriet episode Late Christmas Gift this week and will probably watch the Fruitcake and another in the next few days. The Girl in the Emporium and A Piano in the Fraternity are exceptional and I've viewed them in recent years.

Wagon Train, S3-"The St. Nicholas Story"

-My first upper tier episode watched. This was written by Jean Holloway who also wrote the great Dr. Kildare "Season To Be Jolly" episode and is just as effective.

I watched this one last night and was pleasantly surprised at how good it is. Dealing with traveling through hostile Indian territory (Ute) in Colorado in a very realistic way (although having the Indians speak perfect English was a bit of a fantasy) and trying to celebrate Christmas was truly moving. Great work by Jean Holloway.

Also watched Dobie Gillis Deck the Halls. Typical lighthearted approach to the season, but the customers to Dobie's dad's store made it fun. Also interesting to see Dwayne's real life brother Darryl playing that role.

Some others I'm planning to watch are Man from U.N.C.LE. The Jingle Bells Affair (not sure how much this really deals with Christmas), Meet Corliss Archer Christmas Show, and at least one of the Hitchcock Presents Christmas episodes (always great).

Aired right after The Girl At The Emporium. Did anyone notice in that episode Wally's (Skip Young) last name was Dipple, instead of Plumstead? Any relation to Lloyd Corrigan's character name Wally Dipple from earlier seasons?

I've noticed that years ago and for a time thought that his name was Wally Dipple.

I'd also recommend a couple of movies, Holiday Affair - great performance by Janet Leigh and Desk Set, with a hilarious party scene.

 

[MartinP.]

I watched the Happy Days episode "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas" which I hadn't seen in I don't know how long. I liked Happy Days first two seasons before it was filmed in front of a live audience.

I'd also recommend a couple of movies, Holiday Affair - great performance by Janet Leigh and Desk Set, with a hilarious party scene.

Wholeheartedly agree with these choices! I love Holiday Affair and I've often watched Desk Set around Christmas. The holiday scenes in Desk Set run around 20 minutes.

 

[KPmusmag]

Tonight I watched:

Two and a Half Men - S4 E11 Walnuts and Demerol
This show is surely in questionable taste, however, I resonate with that sense of abandon I sometimes had on Christmas Eve when you realize you don't have to go back to work for a few days, so you have an extra drink or two and act a little more reckless than usual. This episode captures that feeling.

Roseanne - S5 E12 There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
This episode is very real IMO. Darlene learns that there are far worse Mothers out there compared to Roseanne. A few family members trying to hold the holiday together. Other family members would rather be anywhere else. And that was me sometimes.

WKRP - S2 E11 - Jennifer's Home for Christmas
I love the kindness in this episode; in my view, it really captures the Christmas spirit. All the gang are not really in the mood for all the sweetness and light, but when they perceive that one of the gang is in need of fellowship they show up. Perhaps my favorite Christmas episode ever.

The thing all these episodes have in common is Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve has long been my favorite part of the holiday.

Going back to when I was a kid, we would go to Disneyland on Dec 24, and I especially enjoyed the parade. Mary Poppins was a big deal when I was a kid, and one year, one of the Chimney Sweeps in the parade put me up on his shoulders and danced around a bit and I was absolutely thrilled. I doubt they can do such a thing now due to liability, but it is a treasured memory. Another time, when I was younger than that, Santa was tossing out plush toys from his sleigh and he gave me a bloody nose by bonking me in the nose with a stuffed Rudolph.

Later, Christmas Eve was that gateway to a few days off, no cares, and happy times. One of my early jobs was for a family-run business, and the boss was like Mr. Fezziwig - catered food, a nice cash bonus, early release, and great conviviality on Dec 24th. There was that time when I went drinking with my cousins and we barely made it to the family Christmas the next day. A midnight screening of T2. A Southern California Christmas Eve that was so warm that I sat on the porch swing in short sleeves at midnight listening to Christmas music on the radio. The business trip when my colleagues and I were stuck in a hotel due to bad weather and the bar was closed - but there was one big bottle of rum that was not locked up and we went back to the room and made hot tea to mix with the rum, with Nick at Night on in the background showing Christmas episodes of Bewitched, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Taxi etc. with hurricane force winds and rain battering the windows.

Anyway, the Christmas Eve focused episodes take me back to those times, which make them my favorites.

(The photo is my Mom comforting me after Santa gave me a bloody nose. I was a bit peeved with Santa for a few days. Christmas Eve 1966)

 

[Jack P]

Two westerns and then I revisit all the specials I remember watching and taping in 1984-85.

Daniel Boone, S2-"The Christmas Story"
-I've reduced my holdings of this show to just the first two seasons. This Nativity parallel story is a good one, and I appreciate the fact that it bucks the trend by having the wild religious fanatic (Morgan Woodward) reform at the end.

The Big Valley, S1-"Judgement In Heaven"
-The only Christmas episode of the series uses the holiday just as a backdrop in a tale of Jarrod taking charge of the fiery Lynn Loring, who is facing trial for her role in the crimes committed by her boyfriend. Hadn't seen this in a few years so it was okay to revisit this time out.

Perry Como Christmas In England (1984)
-This was the first Christmas special I ever had recorded on a VCR. Ann-Margret guest.

Bob Hope Christmas Special (1984)
-Guests are Shirley Jones, Brooke Shields, Joey Lawrence and Mary Lou Retton (who almost passed away earlier this year but made a miraculous recovery).

Christmas In Washington (1984)
-This was the first year I saw one of these specials and fell in love with them. Guests Hal Linden, Nell Carter, the Osmonds (whole family), Frederica Von Stade. Linden and Von Stade recreate the "Little Drummer Boy" duet Bing Crosby and David Bowie did on Bing's final special.

Perry Como Christmas In Hawaii (1985)
-Marie Osmond, Burt Reynolds. Try as Perry does to sell the virtues of celebrating Christmas in this locale, it just doesn't seem quite right.

Bob Hope Christmas Special (1985)
-Guests are Barbara Eden, Emmanuel Lewis, Brooke Shields.

Christmas In Washington (1985)
-Tom Brokaw hosts (thankfully he doesn't sing!). Musical guests are Pat Boone, Amy Grant, Natalie Cole.

Charlie Brown Christmas/Twas The Night Before Christmas (1985 airings)
-And even though this is my third viewing of CB and second of Twas, this is from my personal recording in 1985 complete with ads. Twas the Night Before Christmas has those CBS "We will return after these messages" bumpers (and whenever the program was over and you only had credits left, the final outro would just have the annoucer say "And now.....these messages").

 

[ScottRE]

Charlie Brown Christmas/Twas The Night Before Christmas (1985 airings)
-And even though this is my third viewing of CB and second of Twas, this is from my personal recording in 1985 complete with ads. Twas the Night Before Christmas has those CBS "We will return after these messages" bumpers (and whenever the program was over and you only had credits left, the final outro would just have the annoucer say "And now.....these messages").

You sound like me. Even though I don't have original recordings form my youthhood, I find commercials from 70's or 80's broadcasts and edit them in (along with the CBS Special Presentation intro). There's no other way for me to watch these things.

It's not Christmas without these!

 

[Jack P]

There were a couple items I'd watched I neglected to put in previous listings so I'm including them here. In addition to 1986 specials, I decided it was time to get to the Big Three.

Father Dowling Mysteries, S3-"The Christmas Mystery"

Loretta Young Show, S3-"Christmas Stopover"

Loretta Young Show, S4-"Three And Two, Please"
-I always catch these two shows every year. I just can not bring myself to revisit the first Christmas show she did because the kid actor in it is just hard to watch.

Perry Como Christmas in San Antonio (1986)
-This was Como's last network TV special (he did one final one in 1994 that aired on PBS and he admitted later he wasn't up to snuff in that one). San Antonio is again not the most ideal of locales for a Christmas special but Perry makes the most of it. Guests are Angie Dickinson (who warbles one number; she'd also been on his 1982 special and she said later those were the only two times she ever sang in public), Julia Migenes and George Strait.

Christmas In Washington (1986)
-Mac Davis, gospel singer Sandi Patti, opera singer Clamma Dale perform. John Forsythe hosts. Another from the great specials in the Reagan years.

And now we come to the big three.

Have Gun Will Travel, S1-"The Hanging Cross"
-I am a Star Trek fan, but Gene Roddenberry wrote more words of wisdom in this one episode than all the episodes of Star Trek put together.

Have Gun Will Travel, S6-"Be Not Forgetful To Strangers"
-While not as strong as the S1 episode, this is probably IMO the best "Nativity parallel" Christmas episode of any kind I've seen (the "Star In The Night" short film from 1945 is a different category).

Dr. Kildare, S1-"Season To Be Jolly"
-The brilliance and power of this episode has been reported many times in this thread. The industry would never dare permit an episode like this to be written today. But what makes it so exceptional is how Dan O'Herlihy's return-to-faith moment is done with absolutely powerful understatement. No emotional breakdown. No long mawkish speech. Just the way he looks upward and with light shining in his eyes.......you know this is the moment when he has decided to finally come home.

Dragnet, S2-"The Christmas Story"
-I get a chill every time I hear Friday's line, "Are they, Father?" to the entry of the choral score that then rises to the glorious fade-out centered on the Christmas candles as Friday and Gannon leave.

The 23rd to the 25th will be devoted to more Christmas specials covering 1987-88 plus a couple additional ones and the 25th I think I will turn over to some movies only. A few episodes I've watched in the past missed the cut this year but I think sometimes you have to do that with a few to prevent your mind from becoming over-exposed to certain ones. I'll probably also do my usual encore viewings of Kildare and Dragnet on the 26th-27th since watching them a second time just after Christmas is always my time to then ponder what changes in my life will take place before its time to start the Christmas viewings again next year.

 

[Gary OS]

I've taken advantage of the longer time period between Thanksgiving and Christmas to watch more this year than probably any other year in recent memory. But I've not been reporting, so my apologies for that.

One interesting tidbit is the 4th season episode of Lois & Clark that I watch annually. This year I decided to watch my digital download instead of the DVD. The picture was wonderful and I was thoroughly enjoying it as usual... until the ending.

A bit of backstory about me and my viewing. Backscores and even simple music cues are absolutely H-U-G-E in my viewing. I never fast-forward opening credits and never stop watching until the final note of the ending credit is played.

So back to the story. As I was finishing up the episode something was way off. It wasn't hitting me 'in the feels' like it always does at the close of the episode. I quickly deduced, to my shock and horror, that the musical cue was completely different! It was an underwhelming, generic music-only version of 'Joy to the World' that just didn't pop at all. I quickly grabbed my DVD and jumped to the end and heard a wonderful rendition of 'White Christmas' (vocals included). It made the biggest difference in the world. I was saddened at the thought of all the folk who would watch this currently released digital version and miss out on such a key piece of the episode. Glad I've held on to the DVD!!!

Doubt I'll be able to post tomorrow on Christmas Eve, and I generally stop watching on Christmas Day so there won't be much to report on going forward. But I must hurry to get in all the 5 star episodes I generally save till the 23rd and 24th.


Gary "hoping everyone has a wonderful and very Merry Christmas" O.

P.S. Hoping we'll have at least one new to DVD/Blu Christmas episode to talk about next year if TV series with such episodes are released in 2024. Or if someone posts a long-lost episode of some obscure TV series on YouTube.