Top 5 Holiday TV Episodes

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Chanukah, etc, etc

 

Here’s a Top 5 Holiday TV Episode list for everyone to enjoy this Holiday Season. These will be regular episodes of TV series and not episodes produced as one off specials. I’ve also included where you can stream the TV show (via Can I Stream It?)

 

A word to the wise to all the children of the twentieth century [and those of any century], whether their concern be pediatrics or geriatrics, whether they crawl on hands and knees and wear diapers or walk with a cane and comb their beards. There’s a wondrous magic to Christmas and there’s a special power reserved for little people. In short, there’s nothing mightier than the meek. – The Twilight Zone Season 2 Episode 11, The Night of the Meek

 

1. Rugrats – A Rugrats Chanukah (“Chanukah, you have to ‘hauck’ when you say it!”) — It’s not often that cartoons address anything other than Christmas for the major world holidays, but Rugrats did it not once but twice! Episode 1 Season 4, features Tommy, Chucky and the rest of the Rugrats learning the story of Chanukah from Tommy’s Grandpa Boris while visiting a synagogue. As of the time of this writing, Rugrats is available on Hulu.
2. Amazing Stories – Santa ’85 — There was a TV show in the 80s, it was an anthology show created by Steven Spielberg. Amazing Stories proves that we never recognize genius until it’s too late. The episode Santa’85, Season 1 episode 11, tells the story of Santa Claus (Douglas Seale) who has been arrested for Breaking and Entering by a hard nosed unbelieving police sheriff played by Pat Hingle. For me the best part is that Santa Claus signed a present “Santa ‘85”. If we only watch Amazing Stories then it’s an obvious reference to what year it is, 1985. However, Douglas Seale also played Santa Claus in Ernest Saves Christmas (1988), where Santa is looking to retire. Are these the same Santas?! As of the time of this writing, Amazing Stories does not appear to be available on a streaming service.
3. Flintstones – Christmas Flintstone — This was the 15th episode in season 5 and originally aired in 1964 and featured Fred singing multiple songs including, Dino The Dinosaur’s Christmas Tree. Fred is working at Macyrock’s department store as their Santa, when on Christmas Eve two of Santa’s elves ask Fred to take Santa’s place because he is sick and won’t be able to deliver the presents. Interestingly, a later (1977) Flintstones Christmas Special would also have Fred take on the role of Santa because Santa was sick. As of the time of this writing, Flintstones does not appear to be available on a streaming service.
4. Futurama – Xmas Story —  Futurama was a show cancelled before its time, twice! On Season 2, episode 8 Fry is feeling nostalgic for home and Planet Express crew decide to cheer him up by celebrating Xmas while running from a murderous robot Santa. As of the time of this writing, Futurama does not appear to be available on a streaming service.
5. Twilight Zone – The Night of the Meek — The Twilight Zone was not generally known for its uplifting stories, but not so with Season 2 episode 11. Corwin, a drunk department store Santa, thinking of his “dirty rooming house on a street filled with hungry kids and shabby people”, wishes to see the meek inherit the earth.  and the Twilight Zone obliges by providing him with Santa’s magic sack. At midnight the magic of the sack runs out and the last person he gave a gift to remarks that Corwin never received a gift, to which he replies, “I think I’d wish I could do this every year”. As of the time of this writing, Twilight Zone is available on Netflix.

Contributed by William W. William’s nerdy credits include having parted out and built over seven computers.