I’m sure most people have their favorite Christmas specials, but did you know that most of the five best were made in the 1960s, and all of the worst of the lot weren’t? Did you also know that three of the top five were based on songs, the fourth on a book and the fifth on one of the greatest comic strips of all time? In other words, the best ones were adapted from cultural icons. Most of the worst were adapted from flavors of the month.
Please note that this list covers only TV specials, not movies. Also, this is highly subjective; so, if your favorite isn’t here, submit your own list or just add it to the comments!
The Best Christmas TV Specials:
A special built around a beloved Christmas song (written by J. Fed Coots and Haven Gillespie and first performed on the Eddie Cantor show), this stop-motion show starred Fred Astaire as the narrator and Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle/Santa Claus. It’s been a favorite for three decades.
Ah, Frosty. What a hokey special designed around a silly-but-great Christmas song. Yet, this lovable special actually works and has become a perennial favorite. At the very least, kids of future generations will be introduced to the great Jimmy “the schnoz” Durante thanks to this special.
Bumbles bounce! Did you know that? I didn’t—At least not until I first saw this terrific special, which has aired every year (several times, in fact) since 1964, making it the longest-running Christmas special. It’s based on the 1939 song written by Johnny Marks (Gene Autry turned it into a monster hit). Best parts: Burl Ives singing “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas,” and the Bumble attacks our heroes at the edge of the ocean. (Hey, when I was 7, that was scary stuff!)
I almost made this number one. The great horror icon Boris “Frankenstein” Karloff provided fitting narrative and the voice of the Grinch. Quite possibly the most memorable song from any animated special—or series or film—is the great ditty “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.” Best line: “The three words that describe you best are as follows and I quote: Stink. Stank. Stunk!”
It’s the granddaddy of all Christmas specials. You have to read the Wikipedia article to get a full understanding of the quirks and low production values that make this special so great. Selections from Vince Guaraldi’s brilliant soundtrack are features of Christmas music every year. And yes, the pinnacle is Linus reciting Luke chapter 2 as being the real meaning of Christmas.
The Worst Christmas TV Specials:
Merry Chri$$$tmas, Charlie Brown. This excuse for a Peanuts special is quite a long way from its magnificent predecessor. Its crass commercialism contrasts sharply—and drearily—with the original’s quest for the true meaning of Christmas.
Ah…um…yeah. Pac-Man and Christmas. This schlock-fest show was part of the annoying Hollywood trend of “it’s a successful video game/movie/song/catchphrase; so, let’s make a whole series around it!” Some worked (see the Best of list) but most didn’t—and still don’t.
Never mind the sordid off-camera antics of Paul “Pee-Wee” Rubens; this special has enough problems. Amid the guest-star turns of Whoopi Goldberg, The Oprah, Joan Rivers, Zsa-Zsa Gabor and Charo, Pee-Wee has to contend with the problem of his “mounting fruitcake collection” and Santa demanding that he shorten his wish list! Oh, how terrible.
You have got to be kidding. The king and queen of 1980s’ 30-minute toy commercials, He-Man and She-Ra saved Christmas from the evil forces of Skeletor and Hordak. (Man, I can’t even write that without losing IQ points.) Says Prince Adam at the end: “Though we celebrate it and get presents, Christmas is about caring, sharing and goodwill and its spirit is within all of us.” Translation: this hour-long special was designed to make you feel good about asking your parents to buy you more Masters of the Universe toys!
Jefferson Starship! Diahann Carroll! Art Carney! Harvey Korman! Bea Arthur! Don’t those names just scream “Star Wars”?? No? You’re right. Darth Lucas HATES this thing so much he never wants it released. But it is an absolute must-see—and not just for the first introduction of Boba Fett (nerd alert) but to see a what looks like an inebriated Carrie Fisher singing one of the most gag-inducing pieces of schlock ever made.
Contributor: STL Mo
Is it sad that I’ve heard of all the good ones and not a single one of the bad ones?
Charlie Brown…. hum… memories….
haha… That star wars holiday special WAS pretty ridiculous. The guys from MST3k ripped that one up.
Best one on there is Rudolph the Ren Nosed Reindeer…I remember watching it as a young’n…I hope it’s on this year
Being Jewish i think i can look at all of these and say that if you do not celebrate christmas then these are just boring stories with no real plots attached to them.
Great list! I love the Charlie Brown Christmas and watche it as much as I can every year. That and the Grinch, so good 1 and 2!
Seriously, is the star wars one a joke? Looks too cornily good to be true!
It's not a joke. I've seen it. Watching it, you'll actually feel like you're in a parallel universe. It is the most bizarre thing I have ever seen.
I dont celebrate christmas either Avi but i love christmas specials especially The Grinch. When he cracks a smile at the end and his heart grows three times bigger that must be the best moment in all of television history.
Great lists! I personally love the Claymation Christmas Special from 1987. It was probably one of the only decent specials to come out of the 80′s.
I also loved the Garfield Christmas. But, I was 7 years old at the time, so I have no idea if it was crap or not.
# 8 Rudolf was one of my favorites in my teen years, Star Wars ? It might get some flak as the list gets longer.
This list lacks serious Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman
Under the “best” section, of course
Avi: If you don’t celebrate Christmas you obviously can’t relate to its customs. You can’t understand how giddy and excited quality Christmas specials make people feel, and you definitely can’t understand or judge how good or bad they do at creating that distinct “Christmas mood” people get.
To me a dreidel is just at top and a menora is just a candle holder, to you these specials are just boring cartoons.
I was also expecting to see Raymind Briggs ‘The Snowman’ right up there. A great classic, I watched it the other day and it brought a a tear to my eye. It might be an English thing though, I grew up with it but no one over here in Canada seems to have ever seen it
I agree with your list completely except for “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Last year I was stuck waiting for my wife in a mall, & this thing was showing. It got to the scene where a young Kris Kringle is giving toys to the children of a totalitarian country, when I heard the verse, “If you sit on my lap today, a toy you’ll get, a kiss you’ll pay.”
I found myself thinking that a line like this has probably used by a large number of child molesters over the years. Now, the very thought of the movie makes my skin crawl.
Penguinball – Nope, the Star Wars one is no joke.
Look for it on YouTube or elsewhere. Make sure you’re drinking nothing at the time.
HeMan and SheRa? I never heard of this, but now I am eagerly awaiting the “Xena and Gabrielle Alternative Christmas/Saturnalia (for even more inclusion) Special” with spcial guests The Bacchae!
Great list, STL Mo! I whole-heartedly agree with your picks. The best part for me is sitting down with my kids now and watching them fall in love with the shows I grew up with and loved. There have been so many more over the years that could be added to the worst list. The only modern day Christmas special that I think could be added if you expanded the best part is Shrek the Halls. The kids and I missed the original airing last year and were so excited when they replayed it the next week. We made sure not to miss it this year.
Not only is the Star Wars Holiday Special very real; it’s actually so horrendous that George Lucas himself said he wanted every existing copy of it to be tracked down and burned.
By the way, happy Life Day!
That's right: I saw that piece of schlock back in the day when it first came out…
I thought it was schlock then, too; I was fourteen, then.
I got to see it again, or get a copy for my self. I need a good laugh or a good upchuck: whichever comes first.
What about “KISS Saves Santa”!?
thuss – 10 thru 6 are the best and 5 thru 1 are the worst.
haha i just watched the he-man and she-ra christmas special last night and my daughter (almost 3 years old) was GLUED to the tv… it is a pretty bad x-mas special
hahahaha this list is awesome!!
I saw the Star Wars Christmas special years ago, and thought it was a spoof film until I realized they were being serious! No wonder Carrie Fisher wants nothing more to do with the Star Wars franchise. I’m surprised the Smurfs Christmas special wasn’t on the ‘worst list’ though.
The format of this list is pretty confusing. It says the Top 10 Best and Worst Christmas TV specials… I was expecting 10 of each. Maybe it should be the 5 best and 5 worst specials?
That being said, I agree with all the choices on the “best” side of the list! (I had to read through the list twice to understand the concept, but don’t worry about me, it’s before noon on a Sunday here, I can’t be expected to think too much, right?) I’m glad it’s a lighthearted list today at any rate, anything more difficult than this and I might have just had to take a nap on my desk!
My mom bought Frosty for me as a child and we couldn’t finish it because we were crying so hard. Frosty melts in the end, what a way NOT to end a children’s movie.
Happy Birthday!
Surely one of the worst should be bumped to make room for the God-Awful “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” starring Jim Carrey.
So, the item that almost made it to number one, ended up being number six…? That no makey sense.
Is that Bea Arthur in the red dress? I knew she was tall, but ge’ez..
I have been lucky enough to miss each and every one of these.
I plan on keeping it that way.
I was about 9 when I saw the Star Wars Holiday Special. I was nuts about Star Wars, but that didn’t keep me from having a “what the hell is this!?” reaction. It was weird. It was a musical. One of the songs was worked into the story as some entertainment in a wookie’s virtual reality tank!
Has anyone mentioned the Year Without a Santa Claus? The concept of Santa calling it quits is a stretch, but who doesn’t love the “He’s Mr. White Cristmas/He’s mister snow” number?
I think Frosty Returns needs to be added to the worst list: there was nothing else on, and it was AWFUL. It had ripped-ff Peanuts animation and was just weird all over.
Nice list… I have a Christmas DVD that has all 5 of the top ones on it. Definitely shows you that modern day animation doesn’t necessarily mean better. I also have a version of A Christmas Carol on there, I don’t know which one, but it used to scare the hell out of me when I was little…
Thats time of year already hmmmm
pee-wee’s christmas special is the BEST one on this list.
absolutely hilarious!
avi, how do these not have plots? every single one of them has a plot. rudolph is picked on and then becomes the hero. frosty comes to life with magic and then has to escape the evil magician. kris kringle becomes santa claus. the grinch is mean but then learns that christmas isn’t materialistic, and that love is the important thing. charlie brown shows his friends that aesthetics and commercialization are not what the season is all about. characters grow and change, lessons are learned, and fun is had. that is plot. it’s sad that you can’t find the goodness in these cartoons because they teach messages of love and compassion and understanding, which last time i checked were also part of judaism. the secular aspect of christmas is what’s most celebrated in these cartoons with the exception of charlie brown’s christmas. so maybe you should lighten up a bit and try to enjoy them, because they’re not going away.
good choices all around. i think the grinch is the best, but its all good.
who remembers the catdog christmas special? they do the gift of the maji. cat sells his loofah to buy dog a mud wrestling sweater, while dog sells his mud to but cat a loofah carrying case. its a classic.
Avi – I don’t celebrate christmas, but I do appreciate a good story. And it helps that I grew up watching these, so there’s a nostalgic value to them as well.
I knew what number 1 for the worst would be. That is so totally crappy. Didn’t Chewbacca have a wife and kid or something? :/ I loved the Charlie Brown Christmas though, a true classic.
What, no A Colbert Christmas special : The Greatest Gift Of All
What about mickeys christmas carol? I love that one! Frosty made me cry:(
It’s hard to believe, but the Claymation Christmas Special Staring the California Raisins sounds like it should be awful, but it’s really good. I rank it up there with Charlie Brown and the Grinch. The music has a wonderful Motown sound, it’s funny, and it has a lovely part involving animation that begins with stained glass and merges into many beautiful images. The Raisins are only in one scene near the end and it’s pretty good, too. We watch it every year with my family. It’s worth checking out.
“A very Brady Christmas” anyone?
ZOMG! He-Man & She-Ra Christmas special?! How the heck did I miss that?! Awesome!
I think that “KISS Saves Santa” should be a bonus– that’s my sole favorite part of the Family Guy Christmas special. I laugh every time
Mainly because it reminds me of a bunch of these worst ever Christmas specials. How ridiculous can you get?
And I think Rudolph should be higher. Besides the Grinch, it’s definitely my favorite special.
Great list! Merry Christmas!
wow….
wheres Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman??
i’d never heard of the bad charlie brown one until i read about it on this list this morning. i just watched a commercial saying it will be on tv friday night. wow.
Sorry, but the Pee Wee Special is absolutely sublime and hilarious. There are dozens of others that should have been on the bad list. Rudoph’s Shiny New Year? Ugh. (I have to agree about the Star Wars special. I have a bootleg of it, and it’s impossible to sit through. Even my kids, who are Star Wars fanatics, were appalled.)
Then there are some other obscure specials that were awesome, like “A wish for wings that work” with Opus the Penguin and Bill the Cat, or “Olive, the other reindeer.” Funny.
All of the five best are great – I completely agree. My family watches them every year and they bring back so many memories. I also love Year Without a Santa Claus, The Little Drummer Boy (I have no idea what on earth that “goose is hanging high” song is about, but I still love the movie) and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (the one with the mice.)
I had a deprived childhood. I’m too young for the 1960s shows, and too old for the 1980s shows.
For some reason, I have a feeling that the picture for number 7 is going to give me nightmares. lol
How has no one mentioned the God-awful, but yet almost brilliant in that it just hedged in prior to the whole “retro” craze of the early 90′s, “A Very Brady Christmas”? Worst? Best? Your call. I’m gonna have to put it on my worst list, but maybe with glimpses of being a guilty pleasure.
Iv`e seen # 6-10 many times thru my childhood, there all classics.segue,if you have not seen any of these watch #8. I can personally guarantee you`ll love it.Or at least think it`s cute !
53. bigski: If it’s on this year, I promise, I’ll give it a watch!
Segue: How could you miss 30 years of Frosty the Snowman? You didn’t let your kids watch? Even The Grinch? It’s received much critical acclaim. Most of these have become part of our shared heritage/background here in North America, and if I’m to judge by the comments, in the UK too. Was it because of where you were living at the time? You’ve missed some fine TV, and there’s not too much of that. I tear up at the end of Charlie Brown to this day. Linus’ soliloquy about the true meaning of Christmas is beautiful. I suggest you watch this.
Lyrebyrd (52) It was mentioned. See Rufus 2911 (43)
Just so you all know, for your viewing pleasure, “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown” is on in the states tomorrow(Monday Dec 15) at 7:00 CST on ABC!!!
segue-if you watch the link on post#55 prepare to shed a tear !
I wouldn’t say that I want a dog for christmas charlie brown is awful, or that it even deserves a spot on the bad list. I just watched it. It was by no means good, it was lightyears away from the original in terms of greatness or moral, but I just saw the trails of our current era of animation in it. no real consumerism, just no soul, and for a Peanuts cartoon, that is unforgivable.
Replace it with “Grandma got run over by a reindeer” Funny song, terrible terrible animation, voice acting and writing, well it was just ridiculous.
What about the Garfield Christmas Special? Is that best-worthy?
I loved Rudolph as a child, but I watched it a year or two ago, and it’s so *****ist it’s hilarious (as in, too *****ist to be seriously offensive). “They wanted to stay, but realized they needed to get the women home.”