RSK, Opinionated son of a Spy & Over-All Intellectual

Thanksgiving is almost here and with it comes the start of the Christmas season. Now Christmas is pretty fantastic on it’s own but one of my favorite things that leads up to Christmas are all those TV Sitcom Christmas specials.

Let’s face it, as a Generation X’er I was pretty much raised on tv and especially cartoons so you’re going to find that a large portion of my favorite Christmas episodes will be cartoons.

I’m certain that the Generation Y and I kids are/were also raised on tv shows+the Internet. This will result in them being even more media minded.

I wouldn’t be all that surprised if in ten or fifteen years these types of Top 10 lists will not only contain TV shows but YouTube clips as well.

Since we’re not at that point just yet I think it’s safe for me to go ahead and post my Top 10 Sitcom Christmas Special’s list. I would say that this list is different from other nostalgia/TV lists and is bound to pull at your heartstrings. So remember, you’ve been warned.

Even though our first show has probably made it into many “Christmas Specials” lists it was probably listed at number one or two. On this list The Simpsons comes in at number 10 for the very reason that it’s been mentioned so many times.

10. The Simpsons Christmas Special/PilotThe Simpsons Christmas deserves to be on this list because of it’s place in television history, it is the longest running episodic animated show and is still going strong. The funny thing about The Simpsons Christmas Special is that it was also the pilot episode as a stand-alone TV series. As many will recall, The Simpsons was a series of shorts on The Tracy Ulman Show.
The Christmas Special/Pilot episode of The Simpsons saw Homer finding himself in desperate need of money when Mr. Burns didn’t give him a bonus & Marge had to use the funds from the families Christmas money jar to pay for Barts tattoo removal.
Homer learns from Barney that he can earn extra cash as a Mall Santa and hilarity ensues. In the end, Homer and Bart end up betting the meager paycheck at the dog track and at this point the “Christmas Miracle” takes place when Homer and Bart acquire Santa’s Little Helper as the Simpson families new pet.

No Christmas is complete without The Grinch and his plan for stealing Christmas from those ever joyful “Whos’”. This show suffers from the same pains that The Simpsons do, that being that “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is at the top of every other list on the internet. Don’t get me wrong, I love this cartoon but I would feel as if I wasn’t doing a good job if I just placed it at the top of the list and thus

9. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Our number nine on this list if the saga of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”. I feel almost silly recounting the story as everyone has seen this Christmas special every year for over 9000 years or since 1966.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas is really a very heartwarming tale that starts out with the evil Grinch. Now, the Grinch is a green, jealous creature that is below contempt. His hatred of the Who’s is only outdone by his hatred of their happiness and their celebration of Christmas.
The Grinch cooks up a plan in which he goes down to Whoville and steals all items related to Christmas, among these are naturally presents but also Christmas tree’s, ornaments, food and most likely countless other items that aren’t shown. Along with his little dog, which is dressed like a Reindeer, the Grinch hauls all these stolen Christmas goodies out of Whoville and perches himself outside his mountain cave so he can hear the cries of the Who’s as they wake to find all their Christmas goodies stolen.
As he stands there, his hand cupping his ear, a strange thing transpires as the cries he expected never happen. Rather, instead of cries he hears the Who’s singing a joyful song in the town square as they celebrate Christmas.
This is where the Christmas miracle takes place as all at once the Grinch comprehends the true meaning of Christmas. He is so overcome with emotion that his heart grows three sizes right then and there. So the Grinch, still dressed like Santa, hops back on the sleigh where the stolen present still reside and with a little bit of trouble here and there he returns all the ill-gotten goodies back to the Who’s and celebrates Christmas with them.

I apologize, I’m certainly no Dr. Seuss and I didn’t do the story justice, there was no rhyming but you didn’t come here to read the whole story second hand. I would suggest you buy the DVD or rent it or just wait till Thanksgiving because I’m certain it will be shown on TV.

But it’s time for the number eight spot on this Top Ten list and if you think picking a show for this illustrious list is easy you would be mistaken but my choice for the next slot would have to be none other than “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Special

8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Specialeveryone is familiar with, is told from the point of view of “Sam the Snowman” who happens to be the narrator of the show. Sam tells us the famous tale of the young Reindeer with the red nose who is constantly teased by all the other reindeer, they make his life miserable by constantly making fun of his glowing nose or shunning him all together. Poor Rudolph finally finds a friend in the form of an elf whose greatest wish is to be a dentist named Hermey. Rudolph also befriends a prospector named Yukon Cornelius.
I don’t think I need to recount every little aspect of the story as to not ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. Oh wait, EVERYONE has already seen it. So Rudolph and his two friends happen upon the Abominable Snowman, they soon discover an entire Island of strange toys that can best be described as a motley crew or misfits. Rudolph makes it his personal mission to find if he can convince Santa-clause help the misfit toys at which point he goes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.
The worst of the worst possibilities befalls Santa as it is too dangerous to take the sleigh out due to very sever fog. As everyone knows and very predictably Rudolph saves the day as he takes the lead position amongst Santas Reindeer using his glowing red nose to shine through the fog allowing Santa to deliver all the Christmas present to the children of the world. Now honestly, who doesn’t love this story and the song that it sprung from?

Let’s continue to our number seven TV Show Christmas episode. I’d like to go off the beaten path and throw everyone a bit of a curve-ball because my choice for the number seven spot on the list is one of my favorite shows from the late 1970’s and 80’s and that show is “WKRP in Cincinnati”.

7. “WKRP in Cincinnati” Jennifer’s Home for Christmas (1979)
In my opinion, WKRP in Cincinnati is one of the most underrated shows of all time. The writing was funny and quirky, the characters were over the top but believable and the episode entitled “Jennifer’s Home for Christmas” has everything anyone could ever want from a sitcom Christmas episode. Funny, zany comedy which leaves you with that heartwarming tingle when all is said and done.
In true blue sitcom fashion, Christmas is just a day away and everyone at the station are eager to get on with their Christmas travels when Jennifer Marlowe, in a seemingly holiday slump mentions that she has nothing special planned for Christmas, in fact she doesn’t even have a Christmas Tree. What follows next is that all of Jennifer’s friends and coworkers start showing up one by one at her apartment. Her apartment soon starts resembling a forest as everyone of her co-workers brings Jennifer a Christmas tree. By the end of the episode, Mr. Carlson seems to get lost in the forest of Christmas trees in the middle of Jennifer’s living space.
An extremely funny episode that every fan of the show will applaud and love. If you’re not a fan of WKRP or haven’t ever seen it, I highly recommend that you give it a chance. It recently started coming out on DVD.

Coming in at number six, for some reason those first five words were in Casey kasem’s voice. Nevertheless the next TV Show Christmas episode has some big shoes to fill considering the heavy hitters on this list so far but I think that A Garfield Christmas can deliver.

6. A Garfield Christmas:
Jon, Garfield and Odie go to visit Jon’s family on the farm, much to the dismay and discomfort of Garfield. He’d much rather stay home in his comfy bed with his teddy bear at his side and sleep. Jon’s parents are the typical loving, if a bit old-fashioned parents, while Jon’s brother Doc-Boy is the nuisance and friend only a sibling can be. The only person Garfield seems to take to is Jon’s Grandmother, who has a penchant for motorcycles, loud music and thinking she knows better about cooking than Jon’s Mom. She regales Garfield with a story of her husband, who she dearly misses, and how he sent her love letters when they were courting.
Meanwhile Odie is taking odds and ends for a mysterious reason. Garfield follows him into the barn and comes across some old letters addressed to Grandma. When Christmas morning comes, Garfield gives Grandma the letters he’s found and she’s so grateful it brings tears to her eyes. It is the best gift she could have received. When Odie gives Garfield his gift, Garfield is amazed to see Odie’s ingenuity at making him a home-made back-scratcher, which Garfield adores.

Well, it looks like we’re at the halfway mark and the competition for the top slots is going to be hot and heavy. The first five Christmas shows are going to be tough to outdo but I think I can come up with one or two or five. So, without further adieu lets go to the number five TV Show Christmas episode and this one is very “old-school” and a blast from the past. So the number five slot goes to “Bedtime for Sniffles”.

5. Bedtime for Sniffles, Theatrical Release (1940)
Sniffles is a little mouse who, in his sardine-can home, desperately wants to stay awake so that he can see Santaclaus as he delivers presents on Christmas Eve.
Sniffles prepares his home for Santa by sweeping and cleaning all the while whistling the tune “Jingle Bells”. Santa is only an hour away from arriving and Sniffles decides to make himself a large cup of coffee to help his efforts to stave off sleep. In an absolutely adorable scene he reads a magazine, while drinking his coffee, entitled “Good Mousekeeping”. In the end, inspire of all his efforts to stay awake, the inevitable happens and Sniffles falls asleep and thus misses seeing Santa.
This is just such a lovely cartoon from an era that produced the most wonderful animated shorts ever. It is not a stretch to call the cartoons, from this era, works of art. I really hope that you’ve all seen this cartoon and that it brought back some wonderful childhood memories and if you haven’t seen it, please be sure to.

Well, we’re slowly approaching the number one TV Show Christmas Episode of all time but first lets focus on the fourth entry on this list. Honestly, what list would be complete without a certain snowman, more specifically “Frosty the Snowman”

4. Frosty The Snowman, Aired on CBS (1969)
Once again, if you haven’t seen this cartoon or don’t know the story of Frosty The Snowman, I’d have to wonder just how shelted you must have been as a child. By the way, I’m only joking about the shelted child thing.
When the children place an old top-hat on their snowman something amazing happens, he comes to life. As it turns out, the top-hat belonged to a stage magician. With the realization that Frosty will melt away come Springtime. Frosty and a young girl he befriended become stow-aways on a train destined for the north pole. What they don’t realize is that the magician, who’s top-hat brought Frosty to life, wants the top-hat back. I’m certain that many children were in tears when Frosty ended up melting, but Frosty wasn’t dead and gone for he would return next year.
Just remember one thing, “If the first snow of the season is also Christmas snow, something magical is bound to happen.”

I’ll be honest with you, I had tears in my eyes as a kid when I watch Frosty The Snowman. Though, now that I think about it, I also had tears in my eyes when I watched the number three entry in this Top Ten list, but these tears were from laughing so hard. To change things up a little bit I wanted a little bit of international flavor and so I proudly present the number three pick, from clear across the “pond” the hugely successful British comedy; “Are You Being Served”

3. Are You Being Served? The Father Christmas Affair (1976)
If you’ve never seen the British sitcom “Are You Being Served?” then you’re missing out. With dry English humor paired with some Benny Hill overtones the series was side splittingly funny. Every episode takes place at “Grace Brothers” department store on the Mens & Womens Apparal floor.
In the Christmas episode the staff have a problem as the Christmas Display is “inappropriate” and faulty. Old Mr. Grace (one of the owners of the department store) proclaims that whichever member of the staff that can portray a friendlier and “appropriate” Father Christmas will receive
50 pounds as a bonus. Both the male sales associates on the floor are very eager to try out for the part. Not to be outdone the female sales associates from the ladies counter also desire a tryout and a chance at the 50 pound bonus. Feeling that the sexes are now equal the ladies department believes they should be given and equal chance.
The very flamboyant Mr. Humphries and his subordinate, Mr. Lucas, attempt to instruct the senior sales associate, Mr. Granger, how to perform a dance while he mimes to a song.
If you’ve never heard of “Are You Being Served?” then you’re sitting there and shaking your head at this selection. However, if you’ve watched the show and know the characters then you already have tears in your eyes from laughter as the whole episode is now playing in your minds eye.

I’m certain that the comments to this article will either support my decision to place “Are You Being Served?” so high on the list or I will be flamed without mercy by those who’ve never heard of the show. One thing though, the show has been playing on every PBS station for many years, so if you get the chance I highly recommend it.

Now we’re close to the finish-line, there are only two contenders left and this is for all the marbles. Having said that, I present to you the runner up TV Show Christmas episode and an all time favorite of millions of people all around the world. So, you’re runner up and number two show is M*A*S*H !

2. M*A*S*H ~ Death Takes a Holiday, December 15, 1980
I realize that many of you are already replaying this episode in your mind and you’ve already got tears in your eyes at it’s beauty and real human feelings it portrays.
“Death Takes a Holiday” Christmas time has come to the 4077′th and Father Mulcahy does his best to motivate the MASH unit to organize a Christmas Party for the kids of a near by orphanage. There are several stories being told in this episode and they are all heartwarming and poignant. Charles Emerson Winchester receives several boxes of fine chocolates from a top confectioner in Boston. His family facilitates the delivery by arranging transport. When the boxes arrive, Hawkeye and B.J. start question Charles about the content of the boxes and he soon tells them that it’s chocolate. They ask him to share but Charles refuses, leaving everyone to believe that he is selfish and uncaring for his fellow man. In reality, Charles tries to secretly deliver the boxes of chocolate to the Orphanage where he is met by the man who runs it. Upon being confronted, Charles admitted that it was his families tradition to anonymously leave the finest chocolates available for the orphanage to brighten the childrens’ lives. He states that for it to be a truly selfless act, the gift must be completely anonymous.
As the Christmas Party begins in the mess-tent, Hawkey and B.J. discover that a wounded soldier had just been brought in. Hawkey, B.J. and Margerate examine the soldier and realize that no matter what they do will be for not as there is not chance of saving the mans life.

They are about to leave when they find a picture of the soldiers family in his pocket, the young man has a beautiful family with young children. At this point the two surgeons and the head nurse decide that they will do everything within their power to prolong the soldiers life as many hours as they can so that he doesn’t die on Christmas. So the family and especially the children don’t forever remember Christmas as the anniversary of their fathers death.
Despite all their efforts, the wounded soldier dies at 11:45 PM. December 25. Hawkeye walks over to the wall clock and moves the minute hand to 12:01 and the three of them agree that they will falsify the death certificate and the time of death will read 12:01 AM. December 26.

When I saw this episode it moved me, I felt it all they to my soul and thought it was such a beautiful episode. It could easily be developed into a stand-alone movie and it would probably win the Academy Award.

As much as I loved the MASH episode there is only one Christmas Television Episode that moves me even more deeply. The TV Show Episode of which I speak may not be all that well known as it is very old but it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the number one pick.

1. “Peace on Earth” 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Cartoon Short
The story starts out in a little hollowed out log, the Grandfather Squirl is approached by his two young nephews on Christmas Eve. They ask him “what are men” in reference to the lymric “Peace on Earth, good will to men.”
You see, this all takes place in a post-apocalyptic world populated only by animals.
Their Grandfather considers the question for a second and regales them with the rotoscoped history of the humans. How they built bigger and bigger guns with which to kill each other with. As the grandfather talks, the audience is shown imagery of grotesque creatures with long faces, in silhouette, hiding in burrows, foxholes and everywhere imaginable as bombs are falling and the sounds of war are everywhere.
The creatures with the long faces are actually people wearing gas masks and the war scenes depict the horrors of World War One.
As the grandads story approaches the end, the audience is shown a soldier in a foxhole (his face is not shown) being hit by a bullet but he is able to fire his rifle and he kills the opposing soldier, he then proceeds to slowly sink to the ground as he clutches himself and eventually dies. These two were the last humans on earth.
Shortly after the shooting stops, the animals of the forest find a book, a bible to be more exact, amongst the ruins of a church. The animals start reading the book and it’s teachings and are inspired to rebuild and create a society that is based entirely on peaceful coexistence. The helmets they found scattered around the old battlefields are used in constructing houses.

I can not watch this cartoon without having tears in my eyes, it’s simply impossible for me to not cry tears. The tears are for two reasons, the first being for the stupidity of war and senseless violence. The second reason is for the beauty that follows as the animals discover “Some very good teachings” and rebuild the world. The phrase “Good will to men” takes on a haunting quality. Unless you have a heart of stone, you will be deeply moved by this cartoon and for that reason, “Peace On Earth” is in the #1 spot for best Christmas TV Show special.

I wish you a merry Christmas along with Peace on Earth and Good Will to men.

By: Robert Korczak

Post Published: 19 November 2009
Author: RSK
Found in section: Just For Fun

Tags: Garfield, Grinch, MASH, Peace on Earth, Rudolph, Simpsons, Sitcoms, Sniffles, WKRP
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