Favorite Christmas Episodes (1 Viewer)

[Jack P]

I couldn't be paid a million dollars to ever see "The Draft Dodger" or any other Christmas episode of AITF again. It always seemed like Norman Lear reserved his most obnoxious political commentary for Christmas episodes.

Work has slowed down the pace of episodes I've seen but since my last entry these have been watched.

Bob Newhart Show, S1-2-3 (still have the S4 Christmas episode to do with its hilarious moment "And now sit back and listen to a Conelrad alert" that always puts me on the floor)

Six Million Dollar Man-"A Bionic Christmas Carol".

Kojak S3

Barney Miller, S3 and S8.

Jack Benny Program, 1960 (Christmas Shopping episode) and 1961 (Recent Shout release)

Christmas In Washington Specials (1983, 1984 and 1985)

My own 1985 recordings of Charlie Brown Christmas and Twas The Night Before Christmas with the old "A CBS Special Presentation" intro that to me was always synonymous with these programs.

Night Gallery "The Messiah On Mott Street".

Holding the best in reserve for the moment with Dragnet and Dr. Kildare.

 

[JohnMor]

I have discovered a new favorite XMAS episode from just the other evening.All In The Family--The Draft Dodger. I was so surprised at how well done and performed this episode is that I have decided to place this one in permanent TV XMAS Eve rotation...on XMAS Eve itself!!!!! I've seen it before...and I look forward to seeing it again in a few days!!!!!

Great episode. Carroll O'Connor was magnificent in it.

 

[Gary OS]

Great episode. Carroll O'Connor was magnificent in it.

For my money the 3 best Carroll O'Connor Christmas on TV appearances were "Blessings" and "My Name is Hank" from his days as Gillespie on In the Heat of the Night, and "Long Live the King" from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Those are the ones I think are good Christmas episodes.


Gary "more Christmas viewing tonight" O.

 

[Lee Smith]

Tonight is Dragnet night. And, a newer one, Santa in the Slush from Bones.

I agree on the In the Heat of the Night episodes.

 

[Gary OS]

Watched Naked City, Green Acres, The Lucy Show (S1 ep) and the second Dr. Kildare Christmas episode from Season Four. It's not nearly as good as the first one, but the bar was set so high after "Season to be Jolly" it was going to be impossible to match it. For my money, that's the single greatest Christmas episode of all time and I'll be watching it on Monday or Tuesday. Now I've got to get serious with my favorites before time runs out on me. I've got episodes from shows like Lassie, Fury, Dragnet, and Ozzie & Harriet to watch - just to name a few. And I've yet to watch It's a Wonderful Life, which is my favorite Christmas film of all time.


Gary "happy viewing to all" O.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I posted this a month ago in "Christmas Challenge 2012", but I guess you'd all migrated here. It's all movies, but I can add that the Carol Burnett "Christmas With Carol" DVD was very enjoyable. They certainly worked hard in the 60's and 70's to entertain - original music and arrangements, choreography, costumes, scripting, all of a standard nobody on TV even attempts anymore.

Anyhow, here's my Christmas Blu-Ray round-up (so far):
Here's a few new Christmas-related Blu-Rays released this year. I've checked them out for general quality, but I'm saving some of them to watch later:
- "All Is Bright", a new dark comedy (nobody gets killed) with Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd. I think it went direct to video, but I thought it was excellent, with only the tiniest bit of hard-earned holiday uplift, though it is certainly there.
- "The Bells Of St. Mary's", the Bing & Ingrid classic, with better quality than has previously been available. No trailer though, which is on the old DVD. You do get an interesting essay in a booklet.
- "A Christmas Story", a "30th Anniversary Edition" as it turns out, in a steelbook with a DVD (Disc 1 of the old 2-disc DVD in fact) and Digital Copy. The audio is now DTS-HD Master Audio instead of the previous Blu-Ray's Dolby Digital (which was at a higher bitrate than the DVD), and they've added the Jean Shepherd radio broadcasts from the DVD, and one new featurette (in HD) about the house the production used for exteriors. I think it was worth getting.
- "The Nativity Story", which finally is on Blu-Ray. There's a "Making Of" featurette that was not on the original DVD, and the transfer greatly improves on the DVD (it's included, so you can see for yourself).
- "Surviving Christmas", which I suppose was released on Blu-Ray due to the unfortunate passing of the great James Gandolfini. I have a high tolerance for anything Christmassy (I'll defend "Deck The Halls", but only on Blu-Ray) but although the entertaining bits of this one are definitely there, they're few and far between.
- "The Bishop's Wife", which I believe has been recalled due to a video glitch (a few frames of a later scene pop up at a transition about half an hour in), though it's otherwise well worth getting. I'm sure Warner Home Video will make replacement discs available in time for next Christmas.
- "Stalag 17", which is not usually thought of as a Christmas movie, is entirely set at Christmas, so this terrific new Blu-Ray of a great movie qualifies for me as first-rate alt-Christmas viewing.
I'm glad to have all of these (even "Surviving Christmas") on Blu-Ray.

 

[Tina_H_V]

Great episode. Carroll O'Connor was magnificent in it.

Yes, John, he sure was. Maybe that's why those AITF XMAS episodes are so compelling, IMO, Jack. And I am very much amiss to forget mentioning another TV XMAS DVD debut this coming XMAS Day: Naked City!!!!!! (Thanks for reminding me of that title, Gary!!!) Yes, that box set is, indeed, such a beaut. I look forward to getting into it on that great getting-up morning...and beyond!!! Also making a TV XMAS DVD debut on XMAS EVE: Night Court, S1--the only year in which the lovely and talented Paula Kelly appeared on the show!!!! I've been waiting nearly a year to view this particular episode!!!!

 

[Lee Smith]

I usually watch a movie after the TV episodes. I like the idea of an alt-Christmas movie. So, I'll watch Lethal Weapon tonight.

 

[Tina_H_V]

For me, Lee, that film will be Good Morning, Vietnam, the morning of XMAS, before I begin opening up my gifts!!!!

 

[Ejanss]

Is this the Nightmare Fuel version seen on HBO?

If he means the weird artsy-sketchy one, then probably.
(Unless you mean Robert Zemeckis' NITRO-Nightmare Fuel from '09. )

Me, I always grew up with the 70's Hanna-Barbera version (nope, no Mickey Mouse or Mr. Magoo for my first one), that wanted to show kids how "cool" it was that there was a really scary ghost in the story, that Marley was depicted a little....differently from the established DIckens

Spoiler

When I later found out that Marley was just an old British guy with a toothache bandage...oh, man, that stinks.

As for me, I'm down to the wire on my last Christmas specials:
I always save "Bells of Fraggle Rock" for Christmas Day--also an old HBO tradition--and save "Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean" until after I've finished my shopping and picked up the turkey.
(First time we showed the Mr. Bean episode at our house, we all literally had to pause it for five minutes after this scene to catch our breaths and stop laughing: )

 

[Gary OS]

Finished off the night with a few more important, high-ranking Christmas episodes, for my household:

Gilligan's Island - personal rank #28
Amos & Andy - personal rank #18
Lassie S5 - personal rank #5


Gary "much more tomorrow" O.

 

[JohnMor]

Will be spinning two Dick Van Dyke Show eps this week: "The Alan Brady Show Presents" (naturally) and "The Life and Love of Joe Coogan," which, while not an actual Christmas episode, in many ways has the season written all over it. Great script by Carl Reiner.

 

[Ron1973]

Finished off the night with a few more important, high-ranking Christmas episodes, for my household:

Gilligan's Island - personal rank #28
Amos & Andy - personal rank #18
Lassie S5 - personal rank #5


Gary "much more tomorrow" O.

I've been too busy recording Christmas LP's to my computer. Call me a perfectionist but I upgraded my stylus/cart and it sounds better than the last one, so I'm in a mad rush to get that done! Next year I'll have time to get some TV time in

 

[Jack P]

Today I took care of the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim which is the best movie version of the story. TV wise, I did these:

"The Odd Couple" S1 with it's takeoff of the Dickens classic.
"Bob Newhart Show" S4 (the Conelrad alert moment again put me on the floor as it always does)
"Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea" S1
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" S3

I also transferred a batch of consecutive episodes of "I've Got A Secret" from late 1957 to early 1958 that also included their Christmas show. The Van Dyke Show episode in many respects was riffing on what IGAS and other shows in that era did in having Christmas be the time for behind the scenes people to appear on camera and show their talents.

 

[davidmatychuk]

Does anyone else really like the Christmas episode of "The Man From UNCLE", or is it just me?

 

[Bob_S.]

Just watched Moonlighting Christmas episode. Enjoyed it.

 

[Bob_S.]

My own 1985 recordings of Charlie Brown Christmas and Twas The Night Before Christmas with the old "A CBS Special Presentation" intro that to me was always synonymous with these programs.-Quote from Jack P (I guess I don't know how to use the quote feature right.)



Does anyone have Perry Como's Christmas show? I was happy to see the "CBS Special Presentation" logo in front of the show. As an extra feature it also has the GTE sponsor commercial.

 

[Garysb]

The film "Remember the Night" with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray is my current favorite Christmas movie. I also like a Lifetime movie from 1997 "On the 2nd Day of Christmas" with Mark Ruffalo. Interesting both involve female crooks and redemption.

 

[Lee Smith]

Just watched the Adam-12 episodes including one of my favorites The Yellow Dump Truck. And, for a change of pace, Blackadder's Christmas Carol.

 

[Gary OS]

Watched another enjoyable, albeit "non-essential", episode this afternoon. CHiPs "Christmas Watch" is always fun, although the ending is a bit abrupt and strange.


Gary "maybe the Dick Van Dyke Show and a Lassie episode later" O.