I'm spinning this off of Mountain Ref's movie thread, so apologies for being unoriginal. But TV series' have put together some great Christmas episodes. Many were better than some Christmas movies IMO, because we already know the characters.

 

Not looking for Christmas specials on TV, or made for TV Christmas movies, but rather series' that have had a good Christmas episode or extended episode during the holiday's.

 

Normally, I would list my top five to get the conversation started, but I can't name only five yet. I have some shows in mind, but would like to see what the BGP world thinks.

Andy Griffith Show's "The Christmas Story" where Ben Weaver insists that a moonshiner be jailed. Andy complies, but they have an impromptu Christmas party at the jail.

Andy Griffith Show's "The Christmas Story" where Ben Weaver insists that a moonshiner be jailed. Andy complies, but they have an impromptu Christmas party at the jail.

 

Great choice.

All in the Family; Edith has breast cancer.

Two of my favorites are MASH episodes.

 

I can't remember which seasons but there's the one where Father Mulcahey is writing a letter home about feeling particularly useless around the camp but eventually has this "Wonderful Life"-type epiphany about realizing the good he does for the unit. I also love "Death Takes a Holiday" about everyone working furiously to keep one soldier alive for a whole day so that no one dies on Christmas. It's a nice look at the emotional toll that death takes on doctors and not just the families back home.

Fifth series Doctor Who Christmas Special, a retelling of The Christmas Carol (which is always a good place to start) in which Michael Gambon plays an old miser who's own past is changed as The Doctor attempts to warm his heart and have him save a group of people crashing toward Earth. It also features Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins who is not only quite nice to look at, but has a great voice too. There's a rendition of "In the Bleak Midwinter" featured in the episode that I really like.

The Twilight Zone episode where Art Carney plays an old, drunk, department store Santa Claus, who finds a bag in an alley on Christmas Eve which appears empty but, as it turns out, has the ability to produce the Christmas wish of anyone the holder is speaking to.

Mr. Hanky the Christmas pooh.

Cheers episode with Sam trying to find a gift for Rebecca to try to make it with her while Frazier is in a bah humbug type of mood.

 

All in the Family episode where Mike invites a draft dodger home for Christmas dinner.

Bonanza even had a Christmas episode with a blind girl trying to reunite with her grandfather. Since it's Bonanza it has to be on the list because, well Bonanza was the greatest show in the entire universe.

Festivus

Oh I can't believe I forgot this until now: one of the best episodes from one of the best series ever made, The West Wing.

 

"In Excelsis Deo": First season Christmas episode. Toby gets a call from the DC police because they found his business card in the pocket of a dead homeless man in the park. It turns out he had given the coat to Goodwill and that's why the card was there. Toby notices a naval tattoo on the man's arm and is horrified not only that he's homeless, but that the body was still there in the park four hours after discovery and nobody even knew he was a vet or seemed to care. He spends the rest of the episode trying to obtain a military funeral for the homeless vet and tracking down his relatives.

 

There. That's my five. Only took me four posts.

 

#postinflation

Little House on The Prarie had a good one where they all got snowed in and did a remember episode.

Honorable mention:

 

Saturday Night Live with Alec Baldwin (sometime in the late 90s): Luciano Pavarotti was the musical guest and it was the premiere of the "Schweddy Balls" sketch.

 

The OC: Christmukkah - So sweet it hurts. What happens when a family is half-Jewish and half-Christian? This episode, that's what.

 

South Park: Woodland Critter Christmas - maybe the strangest episode of television I've ever seen.

Lot's of nice picks. I'm trying to come up with others that haven't been mentioned but many of my favorites are already out there. Really enjoyed the MASH episodes.