# Your favorite "Classic Christmas Special" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 2, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853 "2011-12-02T16:30:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/1 "2011-12-02T16:30:13Z")
This is only for the perennial “Classic” Christmas TV specials, as in the ones that have been running every year without fail for at least 20-30 years (mainly the Rankin/Bass ones), not the one-year one-offs like the “Star Wars Christmas Special” or more recent stuff like “Shrek” or whatever else, and movies like “A Christmas Story” and the like are a totally different poll. I would consider the “Classic” specials to be, in no particular order: [ul] [li]A Charlie Brown Christmas[/li][li]How the Grinch Stole Christmas[/li][li]Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer[/li][li]Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town[/li][li]Little Drummer Boy[/li][li]Frosty the Snowman[/li][li]Mickey’s Christmas Carol[/li][/ul] I started to watch “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” last night and was once again reminded what a piece of shit it was. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/2 "2011-12-02T16:39:01Z")
There _are_ only two Christmas specials: Charlie Brown and the Grinch. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/3 "2011-12-02T16:42:14Z")
Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/4 "2011-12-02T16:49:44Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > There _are_ only two Christmas specials: Charlie Brown and the Grinch. You and the OP both forgot **Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol**. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/5 "2011-12-02T16:51:17Z")
Grinch, Charlie Brown, and Rudolph, but **Olive, the Other Reindeer** is second to the Grinch. It’s filled with sly and subtle humor that you have to pay attention to catch. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/6 "2011-12-02T16:51:47Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > You and the OP both forgot **Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol**. That I have never seen. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/7 "2011-12-02T16:52:50Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Grinch, Charlie Brown, and Rudolph, but **Olive, the Other Reindeer** is second to the Grinch. Too recent. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/8 "2011-12-02T16:54:41Z")
You forgot The Year Without a Santa Claus. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/9 "2011-12-02T16:57:09Z")
Die Hard. Run every Xmas for over 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/10 "2011-12-02T16:58:02Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > You forgot The Year Without a Santa Claus. I’ve never seen that one. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/11 "2011-12-02T17:01:50Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Die Hard. Run every Xmas for over 20 years. I think **DCnDC** is going for television specials, not theatrical releases. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/12 "2011-12-02T17:01:52Z")
Another vote for **Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol** – the first made-for-TV animated Christmas Special\*, and still the best. \*I don’t count the Disney “from all of us to all of you” specials, where they simply cobbled together pieces from old and forthcoming cartoons. Magoo’s was made for TV and wholly original. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/13 "2011-12-02T17:19:42Z")
Charlie Brown and the Grinch are my fav TV specials. For theatrical releases…_Die Hard_. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/14 "2011-12-02T17:22:57Z")
Mr. Magoo, of course, for TV. Die Hard for movies, and Hardrock, Coco, and Joe (don’t know if they’re spelled correctly!) for short feature. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/15 "2011-12-02T17:25:22Z")
The Alistair Sim _Christmas Carol_. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![smsaks2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@smsaks2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smsaks2000)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/16 "2011-12-02T17:49:57Z")
I can’t believe that Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas was forgotten!!! The Riverbottom Nightmare Band rules!!! ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/17 "2011-12-02T17:52:08Z")
Charlie Brown, and what **MLS** said. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/18 "2011-12-02T18:13:58Z")
Charlie Brown. I own it on VHS, laserdisc, DVD, and Blu Ray. My other Christmas traditions: formerly the Bozo Christmas special broadcast by WGN-TV Chicago, now a DVD from the Museum of Broadcast Communications that contains two of the creepy animated shorts shown on the Bozo special: “Suzy Snowflake” and “Hardrock, Coco, and Joe” as well as a really bizarre Christmas/Disco theme episode of Kukla, Fran, and Ollie. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/19 "2011-12-02T18:14:38Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > You forgot The Year Without a Santa Claus. > [@DCnDC](#): > > I’ve never seen that one. If you had, Heat Miser and Snow Miser would be haunting your dreams to this day. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/20 "2011-12-02T18:24:49Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I’ve never seen that one. That’s very surprising. It’s one of the “big three.” And where’s the love for Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853.md?page=2)