This year, decades-old holiday specials have performed well, often wining their time periods. So here's a question to ponder this Christmas Eve: which holiday special is the best of them all? Vote then make a case for your favorite in the comments. Happy holidays!
The best Christmas special was the “V” christmas episode (1984)that I air in my Livingroom every Christmas!!
Charlie Brown is supreme. All who disagree w/ my judgment shall pay!!!
Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The forgotten Rankin Bass special.
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (First and best)
2. Peanuts Christmas
3. Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town
After that, most have moments but are hardly memorable. Including Das Grinch.
You forgot Help for the Holidays! Even after you posted this PR blurb about it!
From Summer-Glau.net:
From TvByTheNumbers:
“Help for the Holidays” was the #1 cable program of Sunday and the #1 cable movie of the week. Among the core demographic of W25-54 rating, “Help for the Holidays” ranked as the #2 cable movie and the #5 telecast of the Sunday in addition to the #3 cable movie of the week. In the Sun 8-10p time period, the movie placed in the top 5 for HH and key demo ratings, including #1 in HH (3.0 rtg), #1 in P2+ (1.7 rtg), #2 in W25-54 (1.8 rtg), #2 in A25-54 (1.3 rtg), and #3 in W18-49 (1.3 rtg). In household and total viewer impressions, “Help for the Holidays” delivered #1 in HH (2,617,000), #1 in P2+ (3,639,000), #3 in W25-54 (828,000), and #3 in A25-54 (1,189,000). The Sunday premiere of “Help for the Holidays” boosted Hallmark Channel to be the #1 rated cable network in prime time among households (2.7 HH rtg) and the #1 rated cable network for day among households (1.5 rtg), W25-54 (.8 rtg), and A25-54 (.7 rtg). The film now claims the distinction as Hallmark Channel’s most watched original movie of the year among W25-54, A25-54, and total viewers, and the 2nd highest-rated original movie of the year among households.
Hey, it had Summer Glau with ELF EARS! What could possibly beat that?
A Charlie Brown Christmas is my sentimental favorite. I grew up collecting all things Peanuts. And I realized early on the one thing that made this show stand out was it was brave enough (especially these days) to quote the Bible and state that’s what Christmas is all about. Mind you I’m not saying it has to be what it’s about for everyone, I’m just pointing it out.
Rudolf, the original Grinch, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Fred Astaire) are also part of my yearly classics I still watch at age 54.
my favorite is The Year Without a Santa Claus, never miss it.
My favs arenot listed: CMA Country Christmas & vYes, Virginia. I especially liked the Christmas Specials of yesteryear like Bob Hope’s Christmas Show, Andy Williams, or Bing Crosby.
The Year Without a Santa Claus. No question and it isn’t close. Heat Miser/ Snow Miser. Classic actors: Mickey Rooney, Shirley Booth. Can’t get any better than that, love the music.
Finally! The Year Without a Santa Claus getting some support.
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. Shown this year — after a long absence — a a heavily-edited version. Humbug.
Muppet Family Christmas should be on this list–and on the air–but I chose Charlie Brown.
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All
I agree with Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol. An all-time favorite. I thought the colors were way too saturated, but maybe that’s because I remember it in B&W. My must sees for the season are: Nightmare Before Christmas and Hogfather (from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld). For the poll, though, I went with the Grinch!
“Those shows are for babies.”
Jack Benny goes Christmas Shopping
How is The Year Without a Santa Claus not one of the options? Sure, there are some good ones, but none are even close to this.
1. Charlie Brown
2. The Grinch
3. Mr. Magoo
4. Frosty the Snowman
5. Yes Virginia
It was a crime what NBC did to Mr. Magoo. That’s why I got the DVD and enjoyed it uncut.
BTW I am 59 and still enjoy each of these immensely.
There are many cute Christmas specials but none pack an emotional wallop like Charlie Brown and The Grinch do. Those two are for adults as well as kids. That said, Rudolf has wonderful music and the heat/snow miser song is cool.
Honorable mention to Kiss Saves Santa.
A Christmas Carol, of course! The original version.