Then of course, there’s the Ren & Stimpy Christmas special. While tame by today’s standards, at the time there were so many complants around the flatulence based storyline, that Nickelodeon fired the show’s creator.
Although I’m hardly religious, I saw a documentary about the making of this just before Charles Schultz died, and I really like how he stood up to the TV execs and said that there was no way to do the show without including the scene of Linus reciting that.
The network (CBS I believe) was hot for the franchise, so they had no choice. I keep waiting for some politically correct yahoo to try and get it edited out.
As good as Emmet Otter was, this happened to it. Some non-PC scenes were cut.
Dr. Seuss & Chuck Jones & Boris Karloff & Thurl Ravenscroft collaborting to create “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” There is no other challenger for the top spot.
Some other good ones:
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Charlie Brown Christmas
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Worst – probably Frosty the Snowman, or the one about the donkey.
:: sigh ::
I LOOOOOOVE this Christmas movie. My boyfriend has never seen it. I used to have it on tape, when I taped it off HBO long ago. Now I’m trying to figure out how to show it to him.
“don’t put a hole in the washtub!”
Does Adam Sandler’s “Eight Crazy Nights” count as a “special”? Because it sucks rancid goat parts. At least the first 20 minutes did before I walked out.
Rudolph and the Grinch are the best. Frosty and the Rudolph sequels are the worst.
Anybody remember a Claymation movie about Santa Claus growing up as a young boy in the woods, with The Great Akh or something - a guy in a robe with antlers on his head - and an elf type guy who spoke the languages of birds, and Santa’s first toy was a little carved cat that he gave to an orphan?
There was also a California Raisins Christmas special where they sang “The Wassail Song” as “The Waffle Song,” or something of that nature.
That would be The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, based on the story by L. Frank Baum, who also created the Wizard of Oz. You can see that and other animated classics on the Channel of Misfit Christmas Specials, ABC Family
Oops, here’s the full schedulae
Best: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Worst: Rudolph’s Shiny New Year.
Best: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and The Grinch.
The original Frosty special is watchable, but the sequel (Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, I think) and the remake (with John Goodman as Frosty’s voice) were horrendous, and even worse was Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July–which was even worse than Rudolph’s Shiny New Year.
I liked most of Rudolph, especially Hermey the dentist and the Island of Misfit Toys, but I cannot list it in the Best, as Santa really pissed me off in that special. Okay, sure to be true to the song, the reindeer all have to be anti-Rudolph, but why does Santa have to join in on the prejudice? 
The best I’ve seen was A Wish For Wings That Work, the Bloom County Christmas special that only aired once… It was good enough that I still remember it.
That would be Wil Vinton’s Claymation Christmas, (available on VHS) which is my vote for #1. With Grinch a close #2.
And Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol a close #2.5
(mmm…razzleberry dressing…)
Best:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, of course
After that:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer– how can you not love Herbie the misfit elf?
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – love that Winter Warlock
The Year Without a Santa Claus – as everybody else says
Bad:
Rudolph’s Shiny New Year – watched this the other night with the kids; it’s just weird and unpleasant
Really Bad:
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July – ABC Family has it on a lot this month (check out gobear’s link), and it must be seen to be disbelieved. It’s two hours long – a veritable epic of colliding Christmas characters and bizarre premises.
When Rankin-Bass was on, they were great. And when they were off…it was really something else.
Boy I forgot about that one. I hardly remember it, but wasn’t it about Opus wanting to fly? For some reason, I have a positive vibe from this one. It must’ve been good, but my memory is vague.
I also remembered last night something I need to be confirmed… in the Little Drummer Boy (or one of those Rankin-Bass shows) I remember the kid using a real nickel for trade… but the coin was hugh compared to the figure. Am I dreaming again?
I’ve never heard of The Year Without a Santa Claus - I’ll have to look for it. Rudolph is good, Santa Claus is Coming to Town is good, The Grinch is good, The Little Drummer Boy is tolerable. But Frosty makes me mad just watching it, it’s so bad.
But…didn’t it have the land of misfit toys?
The first one had the Island of Misfit Toys. The 2nd one had a bunch of crap. (It may have also had the Island of Misfit Toys, I can’t remember). Basically, then ran around trying to find “Happy”, the Baby New Year.
Although, it did have one funny line: “We’ve only got half an hour, so let’s get Happy!!”
Rudolph had the Island of Misfit Toys. Him and Hermie the Elf headed there after they busted loose from that tyrant Santa.
You know, what’s really getting annoying? At Target they are willing to sell you BOTH Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (the original one) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys. As any discerning Christmas-special-watching child of the sixties will tell you, they’re the same production.
What a rip-off.
Anyone remember one a live-action one from the early 90’s,
It was about these dolls on the night before christmas,and they all live in a kids bedroom.Then a different doll breaks free from her christmas wrapping and turns out to be some wierd,girl robot that picks a fight with everyone and almost ruins christmas,Does it ring a bell?