I do enjoy how in Bones the Christmas episode is usually about Grisly Dead Santa. Kind of a palate cleanser.
The Futurama Santa episode was great, too.
Least favorite for me was the Simpsons one where a corporation turned the school into market research to create “Funzo”, and they had Gary Coleman as the security guard for the company’s headquarters. The Coleman appearance was terrible stunt-casting, I felt uncomfortable every time they put him on screen.
Though it did have Homer recounting, “Okay, that makes five Christmases I’ve saved, verses four I’ve ruined…two were kind of a wash…”
You see, I have about the opposite reaction- I love the Mr. Hanky eps, but the “killing Jesus again” part of the Santa in Iraq ep just about crossed my line (doesn’t mean I didn’t laugh, but I felt bad doing it).
But the greatest SP C’mas ep- Woodland Critters! Hail Satan!
Ooh, forgot about South Park Critter Christmas! And Futurama.
And I agree with the Gary Coleman Simpsons one. That one was a bit creepy.
I liked the “How the Finch Stole Christmas” episode of Just Shoot Me.
Not a Christmas episode per se, but the finale of *Monk, *when he finally opens the gift that Trudy had left under the tree.
Doctor Who, “The Next Doctor”: because Christmas isn’t complete without a 500 foot steam-mecha Cyberman laying waste to Victorian London. And “The Runaway Bride”, for both the best Tardis scene ever and the line “This time - it’s Personnel!” And “The Christmas Invasion” for alien robot mercenary Santas with machinegun trombones and flamethrower tubas. Actually, all the Doctor Who Christmas specials except the stupid one with Kylie Minogue.
Agreed. I remember my jaw just about falling off my face the first time I saw that episode, and then I think my husband and I nearly laughed ourselves into passing out due to lack of oxygen. Every now and then I’ll chirpily quote the Critters’ lines when I see something cutesy on TV that looks close enough to jog my memory of the show.
The West Wing’s episode “In Excelsis Deo”.
Bartlet: Toby, If we start pulling strings like this don’t you think every homeless veteran will come out of the woodwork?
Toby: I can only hope so, sir.
I stopped watching SP for years after the first Mr. Hanky episode. Beyond the “talking turd” thing, it just wasn’t remotely funny. More like painfully unfunny in a “We’re trying too hard” way. Plus it took up valuable time from the actually amusing B Plot with Kyle being upset about being Jewish at Christmas.
Eventually I just said “Huh” and turned it off and didn’t bother coming back.
For a serious look, the best by far is “So-Called Angel” from My So-Called Life. It will bring tears of joy to your eyes. Here is it at Hulu.
Oh, this is by far my favorite. I love that Supernatural would have a Christmas season.
I like South Parks woodland one as well. 
Second the South Park Santa in Baghdad episode; that was one of the funniest things I have ever seen on television and it was funny on so many different levels.
This. The hubby and I both love West Wing (especially the earlier seasons when Sorkin was still writing. But for both of us, this is one of our favorites, ever.
I always found that one a bit too schmaltzy. The two eps of So Called Life I didn’t like were the supernatural/ghosty/angel-y ones–that one, and the Halloween one with the ghost of the guy who is meant to be like Jordan Catalano.
Big Bang Theory. Napkin DNA. 'Nuff said.
I really enjoyed the Corner Gas Christmas special, “Merry Gasmas”. Great story, good jokes. Everything I expect out of an episode of Corner Gas.
Yes, I thought of that one last night. That was a fun episode.
Favorite is “The Office” from S1 or 2 when they do an office gift exchange and everyone ends up getting offended. Michael brings in a $250 (and we know this because he keeps telling everyone) iPod for Ryan, despite the $20 limit, then gets openly disgusted when he opens his gift, which is handmade by Phyllis. “I spend $250 on an iPod and what do I get? An oven mitt.” So he turns it into a Chinese gift exchange which results in Dwight getting Jim’s tea pot (with a personal message inside) intended for Pam, which Dwight refuses to give up.
Most hated are the shows that come up with some contrived reason why a bunch of co-workers end up spending Christmas or Thanksgiving together sans their families. It’s such an unrealistic premise that it takes me right out of the story.