Mrs. CaptMurdock has the idea of making a compilation videotape of the best Christmas-themed episodes of TV shows (e.g. WKRP in Cinncinnati’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol).
“So-Called Angel” from My So-Called Life. The best Christmas episode ever aired by any series. Original and achingly beautiful.
I’ve got a list of the Bob’s Burgers Christmas episodes ready to watch. What favorite Christmas television episodes do you recommend?
“Simpsons Roasting by an Open Fire”
She should make a separate mixtape of Dr. Who Christmas episodes.
And I understand that Blackadder had a good one. I was also charmed by both Christmas episodes of Ghosts (British version).
Family Guy’s The Road to the North Pole is not to be missed.
I would, except Mrs. CaptMurdock passed away in the intervening years since I started this thread (I don’t even remember starting this!)
Yes, something of a reverse Christmas Carol. It’s brilliant.
Speaking of British Christmas episodes, there’s a scene in Misfits that will stick with me forever…
The All in the Family where Mike invites his draft dodging friend to Christmas dinner was a good one. I remember watching as a kid and being really freaked out when Archie blew his lid. Like watching your dad explode in rage.
I enjoy the Gavin and Stacey Christmas episodes. Also, Call the Midwife.
The first Christmas episode of Happy Days, which aired during the show’s second season (Happy Days was a midseason premiere in January of 1974; it’s second season aired normally that September).
Richie Cunningham realizes that Fonzie does not have anyone to celebrate Christmas with and invites him to join his family. Fonzie is too proud to accept at first, but eventually relents.
The episode was a somewhat pivotal one for the show; it started the process of not only fleshing out Fonzie as a character, but also began Fonzie’s slowly becoming a de-facto member of the Cunningham family (which fully kicked into gear when Fonzie began living in the Cunningham garage apartment starting with the third season premiere). This also spelled the death knell for Chuck Cunningham; the producers got rid of him entirely when they realized that Fonzie had effectively become the older brother to Richie.
I like the Frasier episode where he works the christmas shift and goes
to a greasy spoon diner after.
The only Christmas Special that manages to hit all the correct notes without being corny in a show that is just wall to wall corny. This episode is the only caveat to a hill I will die on, ‘All Christmas Specials Suck’.
It’s a Bundyful Life Part 1 and Part 2 from Married With Children. This heartwarming story tells how Al Bundy is shown by his guardian angel (Sam Kinison in one of his last roles) what life would be like if he had never been born. Despite finding out his neighbors would be miserable if he was never born he is shown that his wife and kids would be incredibly happy without him so he decides he wants to live again.
The one I never get tired of: The Dick van Dyke Show.
Side note: I didn’t even know there was a Christmas episode of The Flintstones until something like 15 years after I started watching it. This is because pretty much everybody that aired it only airs that episode on Christmas Day (in addition to the obvious reason that it would stick out like a sore thumb at any other time of year, there is the really obvious reason that young kids might see it and think that it’s almost Christmas even if it airs in March), and I always spent that day away with relatives.
I can not attest for the whole episode, but the moment in The Office(US) where Michael is Santa Claus and has Kevin sit on his lap is one of my favorite Christmas episode moments. I think Steve Carrell said this was one of his all time favorite moments in the show in terms of just pure comedy.
“Well, I didn’t know you were gonna ask me that.”
Two decades later and I still get second hand discomfort from the White Elephant iPad Michael gave out.
Video iPod.
But at least Pam ends up with the Prism DuroSport, which is better than an iPod because it is chunkier and more solid.
Yeah, I think the Office did a good job tuning into stuff that happens. When I lived overseas, we did a Secret Santa, with a spending limit. One employee bought his person a huge stereo system that obviously went way over the price limit. Neat, but we all kind of felt like our gifts looked so much worse.
I hate when Michael gets a homemade gift from Phyllis and treats it like crap.
I have always been fond of Riptide’s. Yes, the cheesy helicopter-private eye show had a Christmas episode, and it was pretty good.
The boys have the Duty of returning a dead soldier’s body home to his father. Turns out, it isn’t the right body! They must break the cover up, and find what happened to the son. James Whitmore played the father. And it was one of the few times, maybe the only time, using John and Yoko’s Happy Xmas (War is Over) actually worked in a show.