Don’t say pigf***er in front of Jesus. (The Spirit of Christmas)
If the condemed soul of a long-dead Roman emperor shows up at your house intent on murdering you as part of a conspiracy cooked up by Haman, Ivan the Terrible, Caligula, Simon Legree, and Lucretia Borgia, he can be turned into a lifelong friend with the offer of food, drink, and a thoughtful present. (The Plot to Overthrow Christmas)
If you’re a poor, neglected, but warm-hearted little kid, you can almost guarantee someone will somehow make all of your Christmas dreams come true.
(I’ve always wondered how many impoverished kids watch these shows and expect their own Christmas Miricle, and are embittered when one doesn’t manifest.)
I wouldn’t necessarily say this is specific to Christmas specials. I consider this one of the rules of comedy physics.
No matter how nasty and mean spirited you are you have to act nice simply because it’s Christmas Eve and/or Christmas. (A Christmas Carole and every stupid pastiche based on it.)
No matter how noble minded your production, how scintillating your plot, how skilled your writers and actors, just about anyone can make a movie or TV special that is unwatchable crap.
Chinese restaurants in small midwestern cities are open on Christmas day, presumably because their owners are too culturally ignorant to realize that 99% of their potential customers will be having dinner at home that day (and it would thus be unprofitable to open). (A Christmas Story)
2nd-graders have significant portions of the King James Bible comitted to memory. (Charlie Brown)
When adults speak to children, they sound like off-key trumpets. (Charlie Brown)