# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/21 "2011-12-02T18:28:51Z")
I have watched [Christmas Eve on Sesame Street](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Eve_on_Sesame_Street) every year since probably 1982. I’ve got a copy on VHS and 3 copies on DVD. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/22 "2011-12-02T18:29:14Z")
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. It is based on a novel by L. Frank Baum that apparently ties in with the Oz mythos. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/23 "2011-12-02T18:32:19Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > There _are_ only two Christmas specials: Charlie Brown and the Grinch. Completely agree. The others are an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/24 "2011-12-02T18:33:45Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > There _are_ only two Christmas specials: Charlie Brown and the Grinch. Yup. **Olive, the Other Reindeer** is amusing, but no classic. I will confess to a slight affection for **Mickey’s Christmas Caro** l, if only for the pleasure of hearing Scrooge McDuck grumble, “bah”. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/25 "2011-12-02T19:10:35Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > You and the OP both forgot **Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol**. I give this a vote as well. I’m not sure I actually prefer it to CB, the Grinch, and Rudolph, but it’s close. Unlike those, it seems to be very hard to find on TV these days. ---
**Author:** ![expectopatronum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/expectopatronum/32/173_2.png) [@expectopatronum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/expectopatronum)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/26 "2011-12-02T19:34:24Z")
charlie brown is a must watch, and far and away my favorite. i have a soft spot for frosty the snowman, though. i really love [the snowman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Snowman), too, although i don’t think it’s as well known. i watch it every year, there’s something just chillingly magical about it. ---
**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, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/27 "2011-12-02T19:49:18Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think **DCnDC** is going for television specials, not theatrical releases. Dunno. Not really familiar with any of the poll options in this neck of the woods. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/28 "2011-12-02T19:57:22Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > There _are_ only two Christmas specials: Charlie Brown and the Grinch. These are favorites, but Rudolph is the absolute best. Mostly because I love anything by Rankin and Bass (hope I got that right). It’s my whole childhood on display! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/29 "2011-12-02T20:02:12Z")
[The Polar Express](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338348/) is becoming my new favourite Christmas movie. It’s an odd, beautiful, interesting animated movie that happens to be about Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/30 "2011-12-02T21:41:58Z")
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol by a long shot, but most of the ones on the list are great, too. ---
**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, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/31 "2011-12-02T21:55:39Z")
There’s a lot of original music in all of those, but I think that Rudolph is the only one that put a new, original song into the Christmas Carol canon. (Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.) Charlie Brown sorta kinda halfway did that. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/32 "2011-12-02T21:58:41Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I have watched [Christmas Eve on Sesame Street](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Eve_on_Sesame_Street) every year since probably 1982…! Oh my goodness, I haven’t thought of that in ages. I think I only saw it once but wasn’t that the one where Bert and Ernie had some O. Henry-esque moment? Something like Bert sold his paper clip collection to buy Ernie rubber duck polish and Ernie sold his rubber duck to buy Bert a box for his paper clip collection? Year without a Santa Claus/Nestor tie here. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/33 "2011-12-02T22:03:17Z")
None of the above. But I can’t claim to hate all this Christmas stuff when I make a point of watching the [Seoul Mates](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xcnvuc0nm8) episode of Northern Exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/34 "2011-12-03T03:08:54Z")
The grinch is my favorite, but followed closely by Charlie Brown. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/35 "2011-12-03T03:30:06Z")
Some of the ones in the poll are okay, and I do watch them, but my heart belongs to \*\*A Muppet Family Christmas \*\*(1987). It’s got the muppets _and_ sesame street characters _and_ fraggles. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/36 "2011-12-03T03:46:26Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > There’s a lot of original music in all of those, but I think that Rudolph is the only one that put a new, original song into the Christmas Carol canon. (Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.) . One of the reasons it’s not a favorite. Sorry Mr. Ives, I just can’t take it any more! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/37 "2011-12-03T04:24:50Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > The Alistair Sim _Christmas Carol_. That is all. Yep. This is it. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/38 "2011-12-03T06:11:05Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > Oh my goodness, I haven’t thought of that in ages. I think I only saw it once but wasn’t that the one where Bert and Ernie had some O. Henry-esque moment? Something like Bert sold his paper clip collection to buy Ernie rubber duck polish and Ernie sold his rubber duck to buy Bert a box for his paper clip collection? > > Year without a Santa Claus/Nestor tie here. A soap dish for his rubber duck but yes. Beautiful! ---
**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 3, 2011, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/39 "2011-12-03T07:12:59Z")
**Rahne** clams that the _John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together_ special was only shown once back in 1979 and never repeated, and I say it _has_ been shown since-who is right? ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853/40 "2011-12-03T08:22:51Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > A soap dish for his rubber duck but yes. Beautiful! LOL, oddly enough I _knew_ Ernie’s was Rubber Duckie-related but couldn’t remember if Bert’s was paper-clip or bottle-cap related! HAW! Important stuff, this! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-classic-christmas-special/604853.md?page=3)