Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

These are my favorites ...

THE LUCY SHOW: Together For Christmas
THE LUCY SHOW: Lucy, the Choirmaster
HAPPY DAYS: Guess Who's Coming to Christmas
LAVERNE & SHIRLEY: Oh, Hear the Angel Voices
LAVERNE & SHIRLEY: Oh, Come All Ye Burns
THREE'S COMPANY: Three's Christmas
MORK AND MINDY: Mork's First Christmas
THE BRADY BUNCH: The Voice of Christmas
THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: Christmas Story
BEWITCHED: Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here
BEWITCHED: Santa Comes to Visit and Stays and Stays
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW: Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW: Not a Christmas Story
THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW: The Alan Brady Show Presents
I LOVE LUCY: The 'I Love Lucy' Christmas Special
MISTER ED: Ed's Christmas Story
GREEN ACRES: An Old Fashioned Christmas
THE ADDAMS FAMILY: Christmas with the Addams Family
THE JEFFERSONS: All I Want For Christmas

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

THE AVENGERS episode "Too Many Christmas Trees". Plenty of suspense and humor, and there's a great inside joke in the scene where Steed and Emma are going through his Christmas cards.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

THE TWILIGHT ZONE - "Night of the Meek"
MOONLIGHTING - "It's a Wonderful Job"
THE X-FILES - "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas"

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Some of mine have been mentioned...

BEWITCHED- Vision of SugarPlums
HAZEL- Hazel's Christmas Shopping
ANDY GRIFFITH- Christmas Show
BEVERLY HILLBILLIES- Christmas With the Clampetts
PARTRIDGE FAMILY and BRADY BUNCH....and I LOVE LUCY.

I also like the Christmas episode of the JUDY GARLAND SHOW.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

The 1960 Jack Benny Program is an absurdist classic, reminiscent of the wild things Monty Python did later. The ending is a shocker- how did they pass the censor with that? Fortunately, it's freely available on DVD as it's a PD show. I recently discovered the Red Skelton Holiday Collection from Timeless, and it has the original color tape of his 1962 show with Cara Williams as Raggedy Ann in the "Freddie and the Yuletide Doll" sketch, as well as a 1964 color show with Greer Garson.

The Rankin/Bass shows still hold up, and the Garland show is a must-own (along with the rest of her variety show). However, the best holiday episode I've ever seen is available on DVD as part of the 3rd season of The Dick Van Dyke Show- they packed so much entertainment in a half-hour show! And when you consider that it was right after JFK was killed, it's even more amazing.

I've also gotta give props for the 1971 Gunsmoke episode "P.S. Murry Christmas" and the Honeymooners skit when all of the other Gleason characters show up at the Kramden's apartment.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

I always watch the original 1950s "Dragnet" episode titled "The Big Little Jesus" which I find poignant and true to the spirit of the season.

One of the most beautiful Christmas episodes that I've had the pleasure to watch is from "Amos 'n Andy." Unfortunately, this series will never likely see the light of day on any sort of official DVD release . . . . a real shame as it's a well written and acted episode.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Among my favorites are The Voice of Christmas (from The Brady Bunch); The Partridge Family episode (Keith had a couple of funny lines in this one; I also liked the 'old west' theme); and A Roswell Christmas (from Roswell).

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

One of my favorites is simply titled "Christmas," from "What's Happening!!" (at least, that's the way the episode guide in the #1 release lists it).

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Married with Children "It's a Bundyful Life"

Unfortunately, on the DVD, it's the edited syndication version in two part format as opposed to the original hour long format.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Since "Night Gallery" S2 came out in time, I was finally able to see Rod Serling's Emmy nominated "The Messiah on Mott Street" after all these years. Gentle episode featuring Edward G. Robinson in one of his last performances.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

"He's bluff-ing with a pair of SEV-ENS..."

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Michael,

Yep, that's one of them. And a couple of others (set to the same tune) are quite amusing.

Another I like is A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

MacGyver "The Madonna"
Early Edition "Christmas"
Home Improvement "'Twas the Flight Before Christmas"
Doctor Who "The Christmas Invasion"
Corner Gas "Merry Gasmas"
Touched by an Angel "The Violin Lesson"
Monk - I would put down "Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa" but this year's Christmas special "Mr. Monk and the Miracle" is hands down the best one yet, IMO.
Psych "Gus' Dad May Have Killed An Old Guy!"
Frasier "Miracle on Third or Fourth Street" (Currently, I only own the first season but this gets special mention for being a well done Christmas episode.)
Due South "The Gift of the Wheelman"

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Gary,

Good memory there! I also liked "Nothing beats a loaded pistol."

Chris,

I too loved Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa a lot. But Mr. Monk and the Miracle was very funny in parts, and a true gem of the series. I think Stottlemeyer was hilarious in his 'new found' role. And Disher with the 'stache--LOL!

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

At the risk of playing Scrooge, aren't Christmas episodes an excuse for otherwise sharp, witty shows to become all syrupy and bland? More often than not they tend to be among the weakest segments of a series.

As a very biased David E. Kelley enthusiast, though, I'll concede that I enjoy the inevitable holiday episodes of his series, especially the lighter ones, like ALLY McBEAL. Kelley's major theme is that of surrogate families (the ones we form among friends, not the ones we're born into) and the Christmas episodes are always about affirming the bonds among characters that run as threads throughout the whole series. So the sentiment rarely feels gratuitous.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

My favorite "inside" joke in that episode is the fact that the host, Brandon Storey, is played by Mervyn Johns, a "Dickens collector". Both Johns and MacNee were in the Dickens' film A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951) playing Cratchit and young Marley respectively.

Harry

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Favorite Christmas Episodes on DVD? What a wonderful topic – and something many of us probably program for ourselves anyway, so why not share?

My choices may be more offbeat than some, but all save one occurred when I was younger – and the Christmas holiday is never more special than when you are young. We begin with my favorite of all…

THE FLINTSTONES: “Christmas Flintstone”. (The Flintstones: The Complete Fifth Season) Yes, as a friend once pointed out, The Flintstones COULDN’T POSSIBLY celebrate Christmas, but who are we to question the genius of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, circa 1964. Years later, we could question PLENTY – but in ’64 there was no one better at the cartoon biz.

This is the “Fred Saves Christmas” (…long before every fictional character and their fictional brother began saving Christmas) episode from The Original Series – not to be confused with anything that may have come later.

LOST IN SPACE: “The Toymaker”. (Lost in Space Season Two, Volume Two) Explicitly mentions Christmas – and occurs at Christmas time. This charming tale of the Robinsons trapped in a fourth-dimensional toymaker’s shop manages to conjure up the feeling of the season, without directly dealing with the holiday itself.

LAND OF THE GIANTS: “The Night of Thrombeldinbar”. (Land of the Giants: The Complete Series). This is not a Christmas story… but SHOULD BE. It would seem to be how the holiday is celebrated on the Giants World. If you ever thought that GIANTS’ “Alexander Fitzhugh” and Lost in Space’s “Doctor Zachary Smith” were completely interchangeable, this episode will nicely illustrate the difference between the two!

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. “The Jingle Bells Affair”. (The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Season Three – of the Complete Series Set). Even a hard line Communist dictator can succumb to the holiday spirit, under the right circumstances. Some very nice footage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade circa mid-sixties.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ANIMATED: “Comfort and Joy” (Justice League Volume Two). Three separate tales of Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, Superman and Martian Manhunter, and Flash the The Ultra-Humanite. The latter two being the most effective. As a near-lifelong DC Comics fan, this has become a Neo-Christmas Classic for me – and managed to create the same feeling in me as the older shows above!

Maybe you never outgrow it, after all…

…Hope you all get the DVDs you want this season!

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

My favorite Christmas episode, believe it or not, was from "Alf" -- in the second season.

The special 1-hour episode contains a sweet friendship between Alf and a little girl who is dying. Really got me crying.

By the way, I believe the Christmas episode is the only episode on all of the ALF DVDs that is uncut! (not a syndicated version). And the video quality on it is crystal-clear, making Lion's Gate's claim that the original prints were "poor" a complete lie.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Does anyone remember an episode of the Beverly Hillbillies where Jethro is trying to take a Christmas tree into the mansion though the front door, and can't figure out how to do it until Uncle Jed tells him how. I think it has to be on a later season, because I have all the Christmas episodes released so far between MPI and Paramount and can't find the episode. Does anyone remember this particular episode or am I imagining it.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

I have two favorites:

AMAZONG STORIES -- "Santa." Santa gets arrested for breaking and entering by disillusioned sheriff Pat Hingle. My kids never failed to cheer when the reindeer and sleigh took off with Santa.

NEWHART -- "No Room at the Inn." The parallels to the first Christmas pile up. Newhart's expression is priceless in the tag when the guy whose car is stuck in the snow tells Newhart his name is "Wiseman. My two brothers are out in the car."

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

THE NEW TWILIGHT ZONE (Season One) - three episodes with a Christmas theme:

- a remake of NIGHT OF THE MEEK updated for the '80s
- BUT CAN SHE TYPE? - an overworked secretary finds herself in a parallel universe where secretaries are valued more highly (takes place at Christmas time
- THE STAR - a futuristic space mission discovers the true meaning of Christmas

Harry

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

+1

Also "Rich Little's A Christmas Carol" from HBO that played continuously through the 80's.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

Wait till you see my Signature after the Holidays!

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

if you like christmas epsidoes i recommed checking out holiday treats. it classic christmas epsidoes shows like ANDY GRIFFITH,I love lucy,the hooneymooners and family ties.

Re: Favorite Christmas episodes on dvd

I really like the "Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Mysteries" Christmas episode. It's entitled "Will the Real Santa..?". For years I had wanted a copy of this and it's in the S2 set of the series.

I would love to see some of the others mentioned.

Thanks for starting this thread.