Back in the day, most series included at least one holiday theme episode and it was usually Christmas. Some of my personal favorites were the Dragnet episode where Joe and Bill are looking for a statue of the infant Jesus taken from the parish Nativity on Christmas Eve. There was the Beverly Hillbillies where Granny was missing her mountain Christmas and Mr. Drysdale brought in wind machines and fake snow. So what are your favorite Christmas episodes?
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Christmas Episodes
- Thread starter ricksegers
- Start date
Actually, that episode of the Beverly Hillbillies wasn't a Christmas episode. Granny got homesick for snow because she got a new calendar from the Bank Of Bugtussle in the mail and it feature a picture of fresh fallen snow on the front. And the bank's president was the grandson of Jesse James. The Beverly Hillbillies had a number of Christmas episodes of the years, but that wasn't one of them. Granny just said she misses the snow from back home, Christmas was never mentioned in this episode.ricksegers said:
...mine is probably the one from The Monkees -- both for the a cappela version of "Riu Chiu" they performed, and their bringing the crew members on-camera so that they could wish their loved ones in distant locales from L.A. a Merry Christmas during the closing credits...
I loved the early Bewitched episode where they took in an orphan (played by that little kid from "Lost in Space") who was disagreeable and showed him life could be nice. It was really sweet.
I like the Green Acres Christmas where Oliver wanted to cut down a tree on his land and couldn't due to a regulation. And all the Hootervillians (Hootervillites? Hottervillagers?) were getting plastic trees, that squirted out fake pine scent.
Did All In The Family ever have a decent Christmas? I remember when Archie didn't get his bonus 'cause of a screw up. He sent a package to London, England instead of London, Ontario. Another Edith's crossdressing friend Beverly was killed. Mike And Gloria were pretending to be married when Archie, Edith and Stephanie visted them in California.
I like the Green Acres Christmas where Oliver wanted to cut down a tree on his land and couldn't due to a regulation. And all the Hootervillians (Hootervillites? Hottervillagers?) were getting plastic trees, that squirted out fake pine scent.
Did All In The Family ever have a decent Christmas? I remember when Archie didn't get his bonus 'cause of a screw up. He sent a package to London, England instead of London, Ontario. Another Edith's crossdressing friend Beverly was killed. Mike And Gloria were pretending to be married when Archie, Edith and Stephanie visted them in California.
The one that makes no sense: "The Flintstones." They live
in the Stone Age, hundreds if not thousands of years before
the birth of Christ, yet they celebrate Christmas. As I understand
it, Joe Barbera did it because every other show had a Christmas
episode and he didn't think "The Flintstones" should be left out.
in the Stone Age, hundreds if not thousands of years before
the birth of Christ, yet they celebrate Christmas. As I understand
it, Joe Barbera did it because every other show had a Christmas
episode and he didn't think "The Flintstones" should be left out.
Normally I consider Christmas episodes to be the worst of any season, pure humbug.
There are a couple, however, I am partial to:
The original Dragnet Christmas episode. A kid gets a gun for Christmas with a fatal outcome.
The WKRP in Cincinnati "A Christmas Carol" episode in which we get to meet the station staff in the 50s, when Arthur Carlson was just starting out as salesman.
There are a couple, however, I am partial to:
The original Dragnet Christmas episode. A kid gets a gun for Christmas with a fatal outcome.
The WKRP in Cincinnati "A Christmas Carol" episode in which we get to meet the station staff in the 50s, when Arthur Carlson was just starting out as salesman.
Though not for the youngins, I still consider the "...Married with Children" episode with the parachuting Santa to be an absolute classic.
That episode produced one of Oliver's best "American Farmer" speeches, too.
Mark said:
There was also an AITF Christmas episode (1976 IIRC) with a Vietnam draft dodger (defended during the tense dinner by Mike) having dinner with the Bunkers and Stivics.
One of my favorites is from "Happy Days". Titled. "Guess Who's Coming To Chirstmas", it was first used in December, 1974 and then repeated each year with an up-dated opening and then flashes back to the original. Rather than admit that he has no one to spend Christmas with, Fonzie tells everyone he is going to spend it with relatives in Waukesha (Wisconsin - remember the series was set in Milwaukee). It soon becomes obvious that he is making that up. At the insistence of the Cunningham family, Fonzie agrees to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with them at their house. That moment makes for what I think is the most poinent moment in the series:
Mrs. Cunningham - "Fonzie you're staying here and I don't want to hear another word about it" .
Fonzie - "Hey, Mrs. C. My mother used to talk to me like that; the only one used to get away with it, too - until you. I accept your invitation".
At the end, Fonzie gives the prayer before Christmas dinner - as only he can.
It's a very heartwarming show.
Mrs. Cunningham - "Fonzie you're staying here and I don't want to hear another word about it" .
Fonzie - "Hey, Mrs. C. My mother used to talk to me like that; the only one used to get away with it, too - until you. I accept your invitation".
At the end, Fonzie gives the prayer before Christmas dinner - as only he can.
It's a very heartwarming show.
MattParker said:
This would be supplanted by a later Christmas episode, which featured a little child who stolen a baby Jesus from a nativity scene, so he would take care of it until Christmas Eve. This episode was later redone for the 1960s version, which featured Barry Williams (before "The Brady Bunch") as one of the choir boys.
azumanga said:
Jack Webb caught a lot of !@#$ from the gun lobby and caved in.
bpatrick said:
Maybe this might help.......When "The Flintstones" became popular on TV, there was also a comic strip that ran for several years in many newspapers. At Christmas, perhaps in 1961 or 1962, the strip showed Santa Claus flying into Bedrock. Fred and Barney are startled by this and Santa explains to them that many years from then, a baby will be born in a far-off land who will be called, "The Prince of Peace" and that event will be celebrated far into the future and called Christmas.
Remember the "Married with Children" episiode when Al Bundy was visited by hia guardian angel, played by the late Sam Kinison, who showed him what life would be like if he had never been born? There's a classic for you.
I remember the 1963 Christmas episode of Petticoat Junction when Homer Bedlow(played by Charles Lane), a high ranking executive for the local railroad...the fictitions C&FW (making one wonder if it stood for Chicago and Fort Wayne since the series had a midwestern flavor)wanted to send the steam locomotive "Hooterville Cannonball" to the scrap heap....an ongoing storyline which proved successful in the series' first season. Eventually Bedlow slowly beckons down when the railroad's CEO orders VP Bedlow to cease his threat. The Christmas episode followed that same pattern. When the series switched to color,the Christmas episode was re-filmed using "tinted" clips from the B&W epsode of the Cannonball spewing out multil colred steam and smoke while the Bradley sisters sung traditional Christmas carols near the end.
Was a delightful series in its day and was obviously geared to the older people,but I watched it for two reasons..One:I was a romantic for trains as a kid ...Two:I had a crush on Lori Saunders who played Bobbie Jo.
Was a delightful series in its day and was obviously geared to the older people,but I watched it for two reasons..One:I was a romantic for trains as a kid ...Two:I had a crush on Lori Saunders who played Bobbie Jo.
"Lost In Space" had a Christmas episode in the first season. It involved the boy, Will Robinson - played by Billy Mumy, somehow returning to earth and being in a backwards rural community in, I think, Vermont. The rural community was quite ridiculous when you consider this was supposed to be happening in the latter 1990s, and they were still using the old style telephones associated with the 1930s, and had a General Store.
My favorite gag on a "Married With Children" Christmas episode was when Al Bundy was complaining that everything on TV sucks on Christmas Eve.
He stumbles upon the Black Entertainment Television cable network, and an announcer says... "Stay tuned, next on B.E.T. it's a Malcolm X-mas".
My favorite gag on a "Married With Children" Christmas episode was when Al Bundy was complaining that everything on TV sucks on Christmas Eve.
He stumbles upon the Black Entertainment Television cable network, and an announcer says... "Stay tuned, next on B.E.T. it's a Malcolm X-mas".
I love the Beverly Hillbillies Christmas episode from 1963 which was their first Christmas in California since the first season Christmas episode was where they went home for Christmas. Mr. Drysdale bought them all gifts which included a TV which Granny thought was a washing machine when she turned it on and saw Niagara Falls and then later a picture of a desert after Jed turned it on again and a boat which Jed thought that a flood sent the boat along with a monkey as captain.
I also love the Beverly Hillbillies Christmas episode from 1966 where they want to give Mrs. Drysdale a gift and Granny tries to find out what she wants. Mrs. Drysdale wants to give them a vacation but it consists of a couple of clippings from a magazine. They find out that many of Mrs. Drysdale's things are going to a rummage sale and though they have $60 million dollars, they all get jobs at a department store with Jethro being Santa Claus, Elly Santa's helper, Granny working in the nightgown department where she runs into Mrs. Drysdale and Granny stuffs a whole bunch of gowns in her purse and Jed working in the gun department. Later on both Granny and Jed switch departments and Jed gives away the nightgowns. At home, everyone gets together at the end with everyone singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" with Jethro as Santa stuck in the chimney.
I also love the Beverly Hillbillies Christmas episode from 1966 where they want to give Mrs. Drysdale a gift and Granny tries to find out what she wants. Mrs. Drysdale wants to give them a vacation but it consists of a couple of clippings from a magazine. They find out that many of Mrs. Drysdale's things are going to a rummage sale and though they have $60 million dollars, they all get jobs at a department store with Jethro being Santa Claus, Elly Santa's helper, Granny working in the nightgown department where she runs into Mrs. Drysdale and Granny stuffs a whole bunch of gowns in her purse and Jed working in the gun department. Later on both Granny and Jed switch departments and Jed gives away the nightgowns. At home, everyone gets together at the end with everyone singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" with Jethro as Santa stuck in the chimney.
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