WHO Has SAVED Christmas? Also, who HASN'T, but SHOULD?

[kaylasdad99]

When one takes a moment to contemplate how many franchised beloved TV and movie characters have saved Christmas over the years, one might be forgiven for thinking it's a wonder Santa Claus ever managed to get out of bed and down to the workshop every morning without impaling himself on a bannister.

Just googling the term "saves Christmas," I am informed that Christmas has been saved by Elmo the red toddler Muppet, Ernest P. Worrell, Tomato the Tow Truck from Cars, a talking dog named Hercules (who probably doesn't count as beloved just yet), Steven Colbert, and somebody named NODDY.

I did some contemplation of that nature last night while I was at work (performing tasks that were not impeded by such wool-gathering, I assure you). It occurred to me to wonder if by any chance Christmas has been saved more than 2012 times (which, if this paradoxical number were achieved, would make Santa Claus the biggest goldbricker in history).

It's been saved by Rudolph, of course, as well as by a skeptical mouse who had an eleventh-hour change of heart, Mrs. Santa Claus (at least twice, IIRC), Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday, The Grinch, the heavy metal musical combo known as KISS, Lizzie McGuire, Brian and Stewie Griffin, Billy and Mandy, the Flintstones (I never quite understood how that came about), and Garfield the Cat.

Who else?


And for extra fun, whom would you like to nominate to ALSO save Christmas?

I was going to go with Darth Vader, but I suddenly remembered that last week in the Hallmark Store, I saw these guys, so i decided I'd let the palpitations subside before I nominate any Sith Lords.

So, I'll just say Sonny Wortzik and Sal Naturile* from Dog Day Afternoon.








*I know, some of you will quibble that Sal got his brains blown out in the getaway limo by the FBI. To which I respond: It's a Christmas MIRACLE!!!

[The Other Waldo Pepper]

Originally Posted by kaylasdad99

Who else?

Hanukkah Harry. "On Moishe! On Herschel! On Shlomo!"

[Hypno-Toad]

The FOX network thinks that it's saving Christmas all on its own.

[Intergalactic Gladiator]

The Ultimate Warrior?

[Leaffan]

I came here to say Fred Flintstone, but as usual my witty repartee is taken: in the OP no less.

This year, maybe Gary Bettman gets to save Christmas.

[Push You Down]

Originally Posted by Intergalactic Gladiator

The Ultimate Warrior?

Seconded!

[Hypno-Toad]

Didn't Jack Skellington save Christmas after almost screwing it up?

[Irishman]

Originally Posted by kaylasdad99

It's been saved by ... The Grinch,

To be fair, the Grinch first stole Christmas, so he was only undoing what he had done. So he doesn't really count.

Originally Posted by Hypno-Toad

Didn't Jack Skellington save Christmas after almost screwing it up?

Yep. That's the one I was going to post.

[Corcaigh]

Mythbusters. I want to see them prove reindeer can fly and have red noses that glow, and that santa can deliver all the toys, and elves and stuff.

*pouts*

[lost4life]

NORAD. Maybe they didn't technically save Christmas, but they didn't identify Santa as a hostile and blow him out of the sky, so that counts for something.

[LawMonkey]

Malcolm Reynolds and Jayne Cobb, in The Firefly Christmas Special.

Tyrion Lannister, in How the Imp Saved Christmas, or: Winter is Here.

Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, in Blue Christmas.

[Bryan Ekers]

Well, Homer Simpson saved three Christmases versus eight he ruined ... two were kind of a draw...

[That Don Guy]

Originally Posted by kaylasdad99

When one takes a moment to contemplate how many franchised beloved TV and movie characters have saved Christmas over the years, one might be forgiven for thinking it's a wonder Santa Claus ever managed to get out of bed and down to the workshop every morning without impaling himself on a bannister.

Just googling the term "saves Christmas," I am informed that Christmas has been saved by Elmo the red toddler Muppet, Ernest P. Worrell, Tomato the Tow Truck from Cars, a talking dog named Hercules (who probably doesn't count as beloved just yet), Steven Colbert, and somebody named NODDY.

I did some contemplation of that nature last night while I was at work (performing tasks that were not impeded by such wool-gathering, I assure you). It occurred to me to wonder if by any chance Christmas has been saved more than 2012 times (which, if this paradoxical number were achieved, would make Santa Claus the biggest goldbricker in history).

It's been saved by Rudolph, of course, as well as by a skeptical mouse who had an eleventh-hour change of heart, Mrs. Santa Claus (at least twice, IIRC), Dragnet's Sgt. Joe Friday, The Grinch, the heavy metal musical combo known as KISS, Lizzie McGuire, Brian and Stewie Griffin, Billy and Mandy, the Flintstones (I never quite understood how that came about), and Garfield the Cat.

Who else?

Keep in mind that some of the ones you mentioned - e.g. Joe Friday and "the skeptical mouse who had an eleventh-hour change of heart" - only saved Christmas for certain people, not for the entire planet. (Also, it's "Tow Mater", not "Tomato".)

Here are a few more:
The Powerpuff Girls
Robot XJ-9 (aka Jenny) from My Life as a Teenage Robot.
CatDog (although with an asterisk, as they were the ones that caused it to need saving in the first place)

[Annie-Xmas]

Ebenezeer Scrooge.

[Andy L]

According to Homer Simpson "Now, let's see... this'll make three Christmases I saved versus eight I ruined... two were kind of a draw... "

[bup]

I can't prove it, but I like to imagine Christmas Ape saved Christmas.

Buzzsaw Louie did in Veggie Tales.

Abraham Lincoln should save Christmas.

So should PSY. And Kobayashi - in a Robert Smigel cartoon.

[Hypno-Toad]

I wanna see Robocop save Christmas from OCPs corporate greed.

Or even better, Breakin' 3: Electric Christmas Lights.

[Scoobysnax]

The Doctor?

Every Christmas he saves the holiday for an individual, family, or entire planet.


On edit I see that you asked for people who have not saved Christmas but should.

[Freddy the Pig]

There will never be a saving-Christmas story to top Weed Delivery Guy Saves Christmas. I read it every holiday season and it never fails to warm my heart.

It's just begging for a movie or TV adaptation.

[Chronos]

Are we counting holidays that aren't actually Christmas but which are a clear analogue? Because Death has saved Hogswatch (and no, it wasn't his doing that it needed saving).

And of course, Santa himself has saved Christmas numerous times.

[Johnny Bravo]

Originally Posted by Irishman

Yep. That's the one I was going to post.

Wait, woah.

The Grinch doesn't count because he caused the problem in the first place, but JACK SKELLINGTON, who kidnapped Santa Claus and usurped his role, does?

This seems like a double standard to me.

[Sir Not Appearing In This Film]

Saved Christmas:
Steve Austin (the bionic one)
The Pevensie kids
Santa Paws & the Buddies (apparently they're doing it again this year)
The North Polar Bear and Father Christmas

Nominated:
The Firefly crew pre-Serenity, because any more Firefly is a good thing
The Vega Brothers save mother f'ing Christmas, with special guests Samuel L Jackson and Harvey Keitel

[Rubixcube]

Originally Posted by Intergalactic Gladiator

The Ultimate Warrior?

Well there's this...

[LawMonkey]

Originally Posted by Sir Not Appearing In This Film

Nominated:
The Firefly crew pre-Serenity, because any more Firefly is a good thing
The Vega Brothers save mother f'ing Christmas, with special guests Samuel L Jackson and Harvey Keitel

The rest of the crew can come along, but I think Jayne and Mal would be funniest for this particular mission.

Also: Ooh, ooh! You remind me of an excellent opportunity for a WWII Jewish analogue: The Bear Jew saves Hanukkah!

[The Hamster King]

Bender from Futurama saved Xmas.

Who I'd LIKE to see save Christmas:

Liberace
Starscream
Pikachu
Kratos
Katniss Everdeen

[Sir Not Appearing In This Film]

Originally Posted by LawMonkey

The rest of the crew can come along, but I think Jayne and Mal would be funniest for this particular mission.

Sure, send the boys into town for a little adventure. Just as long as I get scenes back on the ship of Book reading the Nativity story to River from the "fixed" Bible, Kaylee ambushing Simon under the mistletoe only to get a lecture on its medicinal uses, and Inara jetting off to meet a client in a Naughty Elf outfit.

[LC Strawhouse]

I'd enjoy seeing a movie where Christmas is saved as a result of Tilda Swinton and Suzanne Vega going on a sacred vision quest together.

[Johnny Q]

Mr. Spock(For extra points, in the middle of Pon Farr.)

Keyser Soze

[Lumpy]

In "Spinach Greetings", Popeye rescued Santa after he'd been kidnapped by the Sea Hag. Site also links to lots of "Christmas Special" cartoons.

Nominate: Mr. T

[Lute Skywatcher]

Jaclyn Smith.

[cochrane]

Manny the mammoth and his Ice Age crew saved Christmas in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, a special as inexplicable as the Flintstones saving Christmas.

[kaylasdad99]

Originally Posted by That Don Guy

(Also, it's "Tow Mater", not "Tomato".)

I'm correcting his pronunciation.

He's welcome.

[kaylasdad99]

Originally Posted by Scoobysnax

The Doctor?

Every Christmas he saves the holiday for an individual, family, or entire planet.


On edit I see that you asked for people who have not saved Christmas but should.

I asked for both, so the Doctor is acceptable.

[RadicalPi]

MacGyver.

[kaylasdad99]

On further reflection perhaps I should have requested that contributors specify if a character is already in the Saved Christmas Hall of Fame, or is being nominated for the opportunity to make the attempt.

On an unrelated note: Thanks very much, twickster!

[Sir Not Appearing In This Film]

Rudolph should get a special wing in the Hall of Fame for saving both Christmas and New Years Day.

[BigT]

The Ghostbusters are in that third hall of fame--people who saved Christmas after ruining it. Holiday ghosts should not be put in traps.

[Cinnamon Imp]

Did Buffy or Angel ever save Christmas? I can't recall them doing so, and you'd think they would have by now...

[robardin]

Originally Posted by Hypno-Toad

Or even better, Breakin' 3: Electric Christmas Lights.

They tried to make that, actually, but it never got green-lighted (greenlit?) because the plot was just too tangled.

Does Mr. Magoo count as having saved Christmas (at least for specific people), by dint of being Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol?

[LawMonkey]

Originally Posted by Sir Not Appearing In This Film

Sure, send the boys into town for a little adventure. Just as long as I get scenes back on the ship of Book reading the Nativity story to River from the "fixed" Bible, Kaylee ambushing Simon under the mistletoe only to get a lecture on its medicinal uses, and Inara jetting off to meet a client in a Naughty Elf outfit.

Yeah, I can dig it. If only we'd had someone to save Firefly so that they could save Christmas.

[KneadToKnow]

I think there should've been a Three's Company where Chrissy got to save Christmas.

Seeing as that's her name and all, it just seems apropos.

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by kaylasdad99

And for extra fun, whom would you like to nominate to ALSO save Christmas?

Satan. Though a clerical error, Satan is tasked with Christmas, while Santa is gets the job of tormenting sinners. On this Christmas, the naughty kids get some really interesting toys ("Daddy? What's a 'Necronomicon?' "). Meanwhile, Santa is faced with a dilemma; the naughty folk in hell all have plenty of coal.

[detop]

Cthulhu ? (Have yourself a very Cthulhu Christmas)

[Hermione]

How about The Avengers?

I thought it would be a cute, lighthearted idea for a Marvel cartoon show (it can't be Earth's Mightiest Heroes now; maybe the upcoming Avengers Assemble) where one of the characters, after a night of the team watching old Christmas specials, has an episode-length dream sequence that affectionately parodies those old specials. Done in stop-motion.

And you know how all those Rankin/Bass specials had a celebrity narrator of some sort, like Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman? What do you think of Stan the Snowman?

[Rubixcube]

There have been a ton of holiday set Marvel issues over the decades. Not all of them count, but at least a few feature the heroes stopping some world threatening villain, which would in turn save Christmas. First one that comes to my mind is Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #10, where Fury stops the Hatemonger from launching biological weapons on Christmas Eve.

[Zebra]

The Grinch and Ebeneezer Scrooge do not save Christmas.

Christmas saves them.


Is there a Venture Brothers save Christmas?

[astorian]

Lots of people mentioned Fred Flintstone, but where's Fred Claus? Or Buddy Hobbs, in Elf?

Let's see... Mickey Mouse and friends had to help Mrs. Claus rescue Santa, in an episode of The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Dore the Explorer's cousin Diego had to rescue Santa with help from a llama.

Jesus rescued Santa from Iraq, on South Park, thereby saving Christmas.

All the kids pitch in pennies to pay off Santa's mortgage in the godawful movie "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't."

The Labrador retriever puppy "buddies" had to save Christmas in Santa Buddies.



Now, since I already think Die Hard is the greatest Christmas movie of all time, I'd like to see John McLain (Bruce Willis) take out a bunch of terrorists who've taken over the North Pole and are holding Santa hostage.

[Yumblie]

Originally Posted by cochrane

Manny the mammoth and his Ice Age crew saved Christmas in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, a special as inexplicable as the Flintstones saving Christmas.

I'd like to see a special where Adam and Eve save Christmas. Can't get more nonsensical than that!

[Intergalactic Gladiator]

Lee Majors saved Christmas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb7wQdf5eB0

[Ulfreida]

Originally Posted by Cinnamon Imp

Did Buffy or Angel ever save Christmas? I can't recall them doing so, and you'd think they would have by now...

Buffy saves Halloween a few times.