Like eggnog, pumpkin pie, or holiday themed coffee, there’s always room for another list!
Christmas is a time not just for miracles, family and presents, but also television. Since the Golden Age of TV, the medium has embraced the idea of injecting Christmas magic into its programming. Often with varied results. Keeping up with Christmas themes, we here at Craveonline have combed through hours of TV to find 15 Awesome, Odd And Incredibly Bizarre Christmas Episodes.
What are your favorite Christmas Episodes? Let us know in the comment section below!
15 Awesome and Bizarre Christmas Episodes
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15. Emmanuel Lewis & Mr. T Christmas Dream
Original Airdate: December 1984
If you’re looking for something that sums up the '80s, look no further. Somebody in the halls of television power, decided to combine two titans of the decade into a message filled Christmas special.
Emmanuel Lewis (beloved as Webster) is a kid lacking Christmas spirit, and Mr. T is a sidewalk Santa who takes him on a tour through the city to ratchet up the spirit of the season.
Along the way David Copperfield does magic tricks in FAO Schwartz, Lewis sings “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, and it ends with a monologue on the birth of Christ, by Mr. T, that would send Linus home crying in his blanket.
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14. Happy Days
Episode: "Guess Who Is Coming To Christmas"
Original Airdate: December 17, 1974
As much fun as it is being snarky at Christmas episodes, sometimes one comes along that is just too good to make fun of. In this episode, Fonzie is alone on Christmas, and he is too proud to ask to spend it with anyone.
When Richie Cunningham finds out, he convinces his dad to allow Fonzie over for their traditional Christmas. Richie and his dad convince Fonzie to come with them for Christmas, and Fonzie puts the present Richie got him under his tiny tree. It’s an awesome episode, and a real tearjerker.
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13. Saturday Night Live
Episode: "Alec Baldwin"
Original Airdate: December 12, 1998
Chock full of funny Christmas sketches, there were two major accomplishments for this episode of "SNL." First, the fake NPR sketch “Delicious Dish” where Alec Baldwin debuted the savory “Schweddy Balls”.
The second was the opening monologue. John Goodman, portraying the Ghost Of Christmas Future, visits Baldwin during the monologue, informing him that Jimmy Fallon will host the show in 2011 and make fun of him.
When Fallon hosted in 2011, he did exactly that. You have to love a thirteen-year punch line set up.
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12. The Simpsons
Episode: She Of Little Faith
Original Airdate: December 16, 2001
"The Simpsons" might be famous for its Halloween episodes, but you can’t sleep on the Christmas offerings.
After Homer destroys their Church, the parishioners turn to Mr. Burns for the money to rebuild. Burns turns the Church into a commercial monstrosity, driving little Lisa away from her religion and into the arms of Buddhism.
This is not only a funny episode, but a great look at religion and the part it plays in the communal idea of the holidays.
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11. South Park
Episode: "Woodland Critter Christmas"
Original Airdate: December 15, 2004
You want proof of how mentally unbalanced Eric Cartman is? Then you have just hit the jackpot. Cartman tells a story of Stan meeting little forest creatures, who enlist him to help kill a mountain lion that is preventing the birth of the savior.
Stan agrees to help, but wouldn’t you know it, the little creatures are actually Satan worshipers and their savior is the anti-Christ. Kyle is asked to be the host for the anti-Christ, which he gladly agrees to do because, in Cartman’s world, Kyle lives to ruin Christmas.
The anti-Christ is removed thanks to a Santa led abortion, but Kyle dies anyway. Insane.
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10. Seinfeld
Episode: "The Strike"
Original Airdate: December 19, 1997
I was never a huge fan of "Seinfeld," but this Christmas episode is pretty spectacular. How can you not love the official arrival of a Festivus For The Rest Of Us.
It's a glorious time (as described by George's father, Frank Costanza) where the family celebrates around a bare pole and engages in an uncomfortable dinner where they air grievances.
Huzzah!!
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09. Community
Episode: "Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas"
Original Airdate: December 9, 2010
"Community" gets high points for this batch of Christmas absurdity. Abed sees the world as stop-motion animation, something the rest of his class finds disturbing.
In an attempt to “cure” Abed, the group plays along and the episode unfolds into a hysterical stop-motion animation look at Christmas and what it means to different people. Not just funny, but touching, which is always a plus.
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08. The Twilight Zone
Episode: "Night Of The Meek"
Original Airdate: December 23, 1960
Unlike the usual episodes, "Night Of The Meek" was a more uplifting "Twilight Zone." A serious alcoholic, Henry Corwin (played by Art Carney) is fired from his store Santa job for drinking.
Stumbling home, Harry finds a magic bag that always gives a person exactly what they want. Using the bag to spread happiness, Corwin is arrested by cops who figure he stole items from the store.
In the end, Corwin is released, cleaned up and brought to the North Pole by a magic elf.
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07. The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus
Original Airdate: December 18, 1985
Rankin and Bass decided to take a more mythological look into Santa Claus with this gem. The Great Ak calls a meeting of the Council Of Elders to convince them to grant Santa Claus immortality.
What follows is a look at Santa’s beginnings, and how he became the spirit of giving and charity. While sometimes thinking outside the holiday box got Rankin and Bass into trouble, "The Life And Adventures Of Santa Claus" was the exception to the rule. It's a clever and interesting look into Santa’s life.
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06. A Very Brady Christmas
Original Airdate: December 8, 1988
I absolutely love this because it is so far outside of the "Brady Bunch" comfort zone. Returning home for Christmas, the Brady family is filled with misery.
Greg is spending Christmas without his wife, Peter is banging his boss, Bobby has dropped out of college, Marcia’s husband lost his job, Jan is separating from her husband, and Cindy lies to her parents to go skiing in Aspen. Not to be left out, Alice has been jilted by Sam.
Think that’s it? Nope, Mike Brady gets trapped under building wreckage after an evil contractor cuts corners on a building. Merry F***in' Christmas, Brady Style Bitches!!
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05. Curb Your Enthusiasm
Episode: "Mary, Joseph and Larry"
Original Airdate: November 10, 2002
Larry David tends to screw everything up, including Christmas. Wanting a midnight snack, Larry inadvertently eats the bookies made into a Nativity Scene by David’s highly religious sister.
Now scrambling to find a replacement, David is thrust into a Christmas debacle involving a rogue pubic hair, Larry leering at an attractive Mary in a live Nativity Scene, lies, Christmas tipping, and so much more. Genius.
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04. South Park
Episode: Mr. "Hankey The Christmas Poo"
Original Airdate: December 17, 1997
There are no words to describe the genius involved in this episode of "South Park." Mr. Hankey is an invisible poo that only Kyle and Chef believe in.
Outside of the magical Christmas feces, the show deftly skewers everything wrong with both Christmas, commercialism, and the ridiculous idea of a “War On Christmas”. Amazing stuff.
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03. All In The Family
Episode: "Edith’s Christmas Story"
Original Airdate: December 12, 1973
Few shows in the history of TV have been as consistently outstanding as "All In The Family." Most of the time the genius came from watching the ignorance of Archie Bunker blanket any situation.
Sometimes though, "All In The Family"would hint at the humanity beneath the bluster. In "Edith’s Christmas Story," Archie’s beloved wife has a cancer scare, which she attempts to hide by making Christmas overly cheery.
When Archie finds out, he rushes to his wife’s bedside in one of the most touching moments in the run of the series.
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02. Frasier
Episode: "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz"
Original Airdate: December 17, 1998
For eleven years Frasier found new and inventive ways of attacking sitcom clichés. In "Merry Christmas Mrs. Moskowitz," Frasier begins dating a woman who believes he’s Jewish.
When the truth is revealed she’s fine with it, but begs Frasier to deceive her mother on the subject. What follows is an astounding combination of intelligent humor, and physical comedy, culminating in one of the funniest endings of any Christmas episode ever.
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01. The Simpsons
Episode: "Simpsons Roasting Over An Open Fire"
Original Airdate: December 17, 1989
Not only is this a stellar Christmas episode, it’s the series premiere of what would become one of the most iconic series of all time.
Homer discovers he’s not getting a Christmas bonus, leaving the family without money for presents. Homer tries earning money as a mall Santa, but when that fails he takes Bart to the track on Christmas Eve. After losing on a long shot named Santa’s Little Helper, Homer and Bart take the dog, left by his disgusted trainer, into their home and save Christmas.
Funny, bizarre and touching. The Simpsons know how to bring it with Christmas.
