Subscribe to Listverse
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
December 14th, 2008 at 2:49 am
Is it sad that I’ve heard of all the good ones and not a single one of the bad ones?
December 14th, 2008 at 2:53 am
Charlie Brown…. hum… memories….
December 14th, 2008 at 3:14 am
haha… That star wars holiday special WAS pretty ridiculous. The guys from MST3k ripped that one up.
December 14th, 2008 at 3:23 am
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
December 14th, 2008 at 3:38 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 3:58 am
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!
December 14th, 2008 at 4:07 am
Seriously, is the star wars one a joke? Looks too cornily good to be true!
December 14th, 2008 at 4:15 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:06 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:22 am
# 8 Rudolf was one of my favorites in my teen years, Star Wars ? It might get some flak as the list gets longer.
December 14th, 2008 at 5:58 am
This list lacks serious Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman
December 14th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Under the “best” section, of course
December 14th, 2008 at 6:02 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:22 am
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
December 14th, 2008 at 6:23 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:41 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:00 am
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!
December 14th, 2008 at 7:04 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:06 am
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!
December 14th, 2008 at 7:27 am
What about “KISS Saves Santa”!?
December 14th, 2008 at 8:14 am
thuss – 10 thru 6 are the best and 5 thru 1 are the worst.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:15 am
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
December 14th, 2008 at 9:13 am
hahahaha this list is awesome!!
December 14th, 2008 at 9:26 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:42 am
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!
December 14th, 2008 at 9:48 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:54 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:26 am
So, the item that almost made it to number one, ended up being number six…? That no makey sense.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Is that Bea Arthur in the red dress? I knew she was tall, but ge’ez..
December 14th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I have been lucky enough to miss each and every one of these.
I plan on keeping it that way.
December 14th, 2008 at 11:00 am
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?
December 14th, 2008 at 11:42 am
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
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…
December 14th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Thats time of year already hmmmm
December 14th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
pee-wee’s christmas special is the BEST one on this list.
absolutely hilarious!
December 14th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
What, no A Colbert Christmas special : The Greatest Gift Of All
December 14th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
What about mickeys christmas carol? I love that one! Frosty made me cry:(
December 14th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
“A very Brady Christmas” anyone?
December 14th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
ZOMG! He-Man & She-Ra Christmas special?! How the heck did I miss that?! Awesome!
December 14th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
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!
December 14th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
wow….
wheres Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman??
December 14th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
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.)
December 14th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I had a deprived childhood. I’m too young for the 1960s shows, and too old for the 1980s shows.
December 14th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
For some reason, I have a feeling that the picture for number 7 is going to give me nightmares. lol
December 14th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
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 !
December 14th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
53. bigski: If it’s on this year, I promise, I’ll give it a watch!
December 14th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Lyrebyrd (52) It was mentioned. See Rufus 2911 (43)
December 14th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
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!!!
December 14th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
segue-if you watch the link on post#55 prepare to shed a tear !
December 14th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
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.
December 14th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
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 sexist it’s hilarious (as in, too sexist to be seriously offensive). “They wanted to stay, but realized they needed to get the women home.”
December 14th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Forgot to mention– “Olive the Other Reindeer” is a great little special as well as a charming book.
December 14th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer deserves a spot on the worst specials list.
December 15th, 2008 at 5:49 am
I have to concur with the other dissenters in the feedback section. Pee-Wee is pure glee. Otherwise, pretty good list.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:28 am
Its a wonderful life is the worst christmas special ever!!!!! God I hate that effing movie……and PeeWee the child molester? Come on!
December 15th, 2008 at 7:31 am
My favorite new special is “Olive The Other Reindeer” I think it was made in 2000? It’s hilarious though. My roommate and I stumbled on it two years ago and thought it would be really stupid and ended up missing half the jokes because we were laughing so hard. Kids would love it, and it has a ton of those “over kids heads” adult jokes that are perfect. Check it out.
December 15th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Great list! Now I just have to see the worst ones… Especially the He-Man and She-Ra one. And nothing says Christmas like Pee-Wee!
December 15th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I watched the Star Wars special just a few years ago.
I still wake up screaming.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Are Snoopy’s brothers (I assume that’s what they are) in #5 rolling around drunk in a huge puddle of beer… or their own URINE? Can’t say for sure, but if the latter, it’ll take a whole CASE of “Urine Be Gone,” I tell ya.
Disappointed not to see Brigg’s “The Snowman” on here… or for that matter, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.” On the bad end, a good one to add would have been “The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas,” which starred the voice of Dick Smothers.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Randall, I think it’s urine too.
It doesn’t look like they’ve reached the vomiting stage of inebriation yet. Although by the looks of the place, I would say soon enough.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:02 am
I’ve got to add Frosty Returns to the worst list. It looks like they ripped off a Peanuts cartoon and the story line is just absolute garbage! John Goodman voices Frosty, who is trying to get people to stop destroying the snow with some anti-snow spray or something. Awful awful awful.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:24 am
I’ve wanted to see the Star Wars Christmas Special ever since I heard it existed. That’s a hint in case anyone of you wants to buy me a Christmas present!
Every year, wrestlecrap.com does a write up of terrible Christmas movies. They touch on Star Wars and He-Man, and there was a Mexican movie that is just BIZARRE! I highly recommend the site!
December 15th, 2008 at 9:34 am
downhighway61:
I prefer to think it’s urine. Dogs’ll do that, especially when they’re drunk. Trust me on this one. “Experiments” in college related to this subject make me an authority. The apartment kinda looked like the room in the picture too. Ah, those where the days.
robneiderman:
Trust me, you don’t wanna see the Star Wars Christmas Special. I don’t remember any of the “plot” (except that it took place on the Wookie home planet, and starred Chewbacca’s family, including a very twisted-looking old “grandfather”) but even as a Star Wars-mad 13 year old kid back in 1977, I thought it was total crap.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Excuse me… those WERE the days. I have a cold.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:04 am
55. Mom424: Segue: How could you miss 30 years of Frosty the Snowman? You didn’t let your kids watch?
****
Basically.
I wasn’t raised with television. We got one when I was about 9, but it was rarely on, only being used for sports, the news, You Were There, Wild Kingdom, and the Mousekateers.
That was it.
When my kids were young, I was even more strict about the t.v. time. They did get Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Cosmos, National Geographic specials and the occasional educational special.
We did things. They helped me bake. We went to the zoo. We painted. We sculpted. We read every single day. They all were reading fluently before they were 4 and could do simple arithmetic before they entered pre-K.
Not one of them has ever said, “Gee, I wish we had watched more television.”
What I did worked for me. It wasn’t going to work for everyone. It wasn’t meant for everyone.
Yes, I’m not a fan of television. Odd, because it happened to provide much of my living for most of my life, but I found that the same was true of so many of my work mates it was astonishing!
The link you sent was lovely, it did bring a tear to my eye, but it didn’t change my mind.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:35 am
“The Small One” is a fantastic Christmas special. It tells the story of the little donkey who ultimately carries Mary to Bethlehem. The moment when Joseph tells the young boy he’s been looking for just such a gentle donkey…*sniffle*. So sweet. AND it brings in religion and caring and goodness without forcing it down your throat.
“The Christmas Toy” is great, too. It’s from the Henson company, about a toy tiger who feels replaced by the new “best toy.”
And where the heck are the Chipmunks?!
December 15th, 2008 at 10:56 am
One of my favourites in recent years has been “Mole’s Christmas”, from The Wind in the Willows. It’s got a lovely warm old-fashioned Christmas-y feel without being religious or condescending.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I have found that the worst christmas specials revolve around the theme of the main character being visted by three spirits (which are generally other characters of the show) so that the main character can learn the ‘true meaning of christmas’. What a cop-out way to make a token christmas show…
December 15th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
HAHAHA, a Starwars Christmas Special. I thought they believe in the Force as the higher power not Christ and God, lol.
I gotta see that!
On a side note, what about The Gremlins being added to this list? Wasn’t that filmed during Christmas time?
December 15th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I also I forgot to add, that picture of Star Wars Christmas
reminds me of Spaceballs where they capture the stunt
doubles instead of the real guys, hahaha!
December 15th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I know its not really a TV special but I would highly reccomend the movie version of The Polar Express. We watch it every year with our kids and its just great.
No one mentioned anything with John Denver and the Muppets. Those were fun also.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Great list. Garfield’s Christmas Special should have made honorable mention as well as the Claymation Christmas. Also, no one in here has mentioned the Berke Breathed Xmas special, “A Wish for Wings that Work”. Has anybody else but me seen that one? If you loved Opus, Bill the Cat and the rest of the Bloom County gang you should seek it out. I think it’s finally on DVD.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I must be one of the only people who hates the Charlie Brown Christmas special. However, it is much better than all of the other Charlie Brown holiday specials.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
segue- why would you come to a list about tv specials if you are allegedly trying to avoid tv altogether? perhaps you’ve finally run out of things to do to occupy your time without resorting to the idiot box?
December 15th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
just noticed that you’re the number one comment contributor on the site. i think that answers my question.
December 15th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
83. carospine: I’m a regular. I’ve been coming to LV daily for a year. I read every list, no matter what the subject. I offer my opinion on whatever the subject is whether I agree with it or not.
Do you have a life so boring that you only talk to people you agree with 100%?
December 15th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
84. carospine: just noticed that you’re the number one comment contributor on the site.
****
Yeah, and all told it takes up maybe 30 minutes a day.
Whoopee!
December 15th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
no, i don’t. hence my talking to you despite our disagreement on christmas specials. you’ll notice that i called it the idiot box, so maybe we don’t disagree as much as you’d like to think.
December 15th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
segue-I told you it would make you tear up.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Grandma got run over by a reindeer gor the worst?
That’s awful
December 16th, 2008 at 8:23 am
88. bigski: Your prediction did, indeed, prove true.
****
84. carospine: just noticed that you’re the number one comment contributor on the site. i think that answers my question.
87. carospine:…so maybe we don’t disagree as much as you’d like to think.
****
So, do you always throw verbal barbs at people you agree with? Is this your way of showing support? Making sport? Kind of a mixed signal. Yes, I did catch the idiot box ref. so I assumed you weren’t an addict either.
Maybe you need to decide whether you want to a friend or an enemy before you spout off. Luckily, it was just me.
December 16th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
What? No “Kiss Saves Christmas”? Nevermind, that wasn’t real. It existed only in Seth MacFarlane’s head. Damn…
December 16th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
What? Sheeeit, man! I never look at other people’s comments before posting my own. Looks like I made the “Kiss Saves Christmas” comment too late.
December 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
You should make a list of the top 10 Worst Christmas movies… and Top 10 Best ones… Greetings!!!!!!
December 16th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I’ve seen the Star Wars one it was HORRIBLE.
December 16th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
segue, i was going to let this rest after my last comment, but after seeing your response, i just can’t. that’s my weakness.
for someone who likes voicing their opinion so often, this can’t be the first time someone’s disagreed with you. i’m sorry if it was a “barb” in your eyes but i didn’t mean to offend you as much as you’ve obviously become. to be honest, i wanted neither friend nor enemy, and was only voicing my opinion as well, which is a right that you seem to staunchly uphold. stop being hypocritical. do not bother responding to this message, because i frankly have better things to do with my time than engage in a verbal bataille.
sorry to everyone else who had to see this immature exchange of comments. i won’t be lowering myself to this level again, as i have learned my lesson that no matter what the disagreement, name calling always seems to ensue.
December 16th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Hey, a lot of these sound pretty awful! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure the Star Wars Holiday Special was meant for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. Might be worth checking out!
December 16th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Segue: I too was careful what my kids watched on tv and how much time they spent at it. I’m a huge believer in tree forts, rafts, and all things outdoors. I just considered the Christmas specials in the same vein as say, taking the kids to see Sharon, Lois, and Bram. Albeit much less expensive, and in the comfyness of my own home. They are “specials” after all.
No worries Segue.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
segue (74) I used to love the Mouseketeers!! Thanks for bringing that back for me. And forget carospine-(less). Just another troll. I would make a comment using “that R word” but I don’t want to offend Muttley again.
December 16th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Plus how odd to bring this all up in the “Spirit of Christmas” Can we come together as a community and accept eachother. Differences and all? How hard is that? Isn’t that why SUR isn’t here anymore?
December 17th, 2008 at 7:20 am
97. Mom424: I know you were/are a careful caring mother. To be completely honest, the whole “Christmas Special” thing was something I didn’t grow up with, and so never really thought about when my kids were young. And I was very strict with t.v. time. I did take them to the Nutcracker ballet every Christmas. So I guess that was their Christmas special.
****
98. Vera Lynn: I used to love the Mouseketeers!! Thanks for bringing that back for me.
****
Wasn’t that a great children’s show? So much fun! I was out to dinner with my parents one night, I must have been 9, and at the next table Walt Disney and his brother Roy were dining. Walt drew me a Mickey Mouse on a napkin! What a nice thing to do for a kid, and I hadn’t even asked (my parents were strict about manners and how one behaved in public…something I passed along to my own children, and I see my daughter passing on to her daughter – manners!).
I’m not worried about carospine, but thank you anyway. Some people just have to poke a stick at any apparent anomaly, not understanding that others might be able to have opinions on subjects with which they don’t don’t agree 100%. I’ve run into it before, I’m sure you have, as well.
December 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Oh – I loved Claymation the Christmas Special from 1987!!! The California Raisins! And that stupid guy that kept singing all the carols wrong! I totally forgot that existed until it was mentioned in the comments . . . Also – Mickeys Christmas Carol, come on guys, that is classic goodness!!! It’s been YEARS since I’ve seen it, but I’m sure it’s still great!
December 17th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
how about the classic Christmas Story or A Wonderful Life for the best. Also Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase is really funny.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper? It’s a freakin’ excuse for a great movie. Besides, there’s only one episode, and it’s a huge waste of 15 minutes shown in Nickelodeon!
December 17th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
and that’s almost everyday! They cut off the last 15 minutes of some shows (which last 30 minutes btw) only for them to show those annoying penguins! Penguins WERE cute, but not anymore.
December 19th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Putting He-Man and Star Wars at the top of a worst list…. BLASPHEMY!!!!!
December 19th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I seem to remember seeing the ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ many many years ago, and what I remember is that it was an abortion and an abomination. It deserves that high place among the worst TV specials (or moments) of all time.
December 19th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
me thinks i have already stated my upbringing weary-eyed disdain for “A Peanuts Great effin Pumkin–blah blah blah Charlie Brown” special- on the Halloween tee vee list.
Soooo: I shouldn’t repeat for our precious childrens, of whom will never read this (untill it’s too late) …
but
it’s better to scrape clean the crud of blase repetivness early on.
Watch it if you must, and it will no doubt continue on into the hollographic microdigit/3d converter box/home entertainment, gov’ment g-spot regulator/ ect ect of the 31rst century.
Somethings gotta act as a deteriant from sledding down “in-door mall hills” and throwing “military issued acid snow balls” and sniffing packets of “evergreen scent” and roasting marshmellows (from the bygone 23rd cent.) off the simulated “personalized sun orb pets”
inversion hole puncher
December 19th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Diogenes- I enjoy trying to figure out WTF your talking about. Your deep man,very deep. Keep on rocking in the free world.
December 19th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
P.s.
oopsie:
typo was meant to be another made up word:
it is “hollowgraphic”.
for sum reason the “W” makes a difference. to me anyhow.
excuse: I have “type”hoid fever.
All else ilk is fine for how it may read out or be confussed.
somwhere someone asks, “what are these “”personalized sun orb pets “” you speak of?
its really far off and distant and bearly audible through the dark cold, yet the dog cocks it’s head
for the ear’s funnel reception cuts through the satellite beam of “)))))))))))” .
awaiting response signal
christmas tree-vee specials
what good have you done for me lately?
what tee vee canal is willing to show live births around the globe along side crucified sufferage?
maybe Whoopi , Oprah, Joanrivers, Zsa-Zsa and Charo
ARE the answer to all my holiday woes and weary tribulations
December 20th, 2008 at 10:46 am
You’ve got to be kidding, right? I’ll concede most every one of your other choices, but Pee-Wee’s Christmas Special is pure bliss and wackiness. It’s a CLASSIC, through and through.
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Never a fan of Frosty, but I’ll concede since everyone I know thinks it is great. Would have it trade spots with Pee-Wee, one of my family’s all-time favorite Christmas specials. You can’t beat Dinah Shore and her endless “Twelve Days of Christmas”, Pee-Wee’s gift of press-on toenails to Reba the mail lady (S. Epatha Merkesen), and the ever-so-lovely Del Rubio triplets (“Walkin’ Inna Wintuh Wunnuh-lan’)!!!!!!!!!!!
February 10th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
i own all the good christmas specials on video cassette except santa clause is coming to town (which is my favorite) other ones i like are, the little drummer boy and a very merry cricket. (that one is so old…and kinda creepy!! haha) another christmas movie i like, which isnt really a christmas movie is rudoloph and frosty’s christmas in july. (it scared me so much as a kid!! haha)
June 7th, 2009 at 10:27 am
is from England, how do I purchase ur book, and how much is it in sterling… help please anyone…
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
hoow the frich stole chritmas,a charle bown chritmas and santa cluase is comming to town are the best
June 27th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
The Star Wars Christmas special is so epically bad…suffice to say that my boyfriend and I sat through Pirates (the porn) without getting distracted, but this was so bad and ultimately tedious and boring…that we made up for paying attention to the porn.
July 9th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
My favorites have always been the old claymation ones. Along with those, it was tradition in my family to watch A Christmas Story and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. So those two forever have a special place with me.
August 21st, 2009 at 7:19 pm
“Opus and Bill, A Wish For Wings That Work” is the funniest, and most subversive Christmas special ever. By the way I taped it(yes I said “taped”)from TV the one and only time it aired. Still have the tape but it’s getting old. Anyone who knows how to get a better copy please enlighten me.
September 20th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I liked Mickey’s Christmas Carol.
November 14th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Why isn’t the Family Guy Christmas Special here? It’s awesome!