Your Top-Ten Christmas Specials from TV

The idea for this thread is simple (I didn't find a similar thread when I searched)---list your Top Ten favorite Christmas (or Hannukah) television specials of all-time.

Just a few rules: They have to be "specials"; no theatrical movies, no episodes of regular weekly television shows. The specials can be live-action, cartoons, or even variety specials (i.e. Bing Crosby). I'd like to avoid listing made-for-television movies, too, but if you must, you must.

Here's my list. Except for number one, which was not in doubt, it was tougher than I thought for me to rank them:

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
3. Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas
4. The Year Without a Santa Claus
5. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
7. Olive, the Other Reindeer
8. Santa Claus is Coming To Town
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
10. Frosty the Snowman

I'm short of time right now so I can't go into details of why I chose 'em, but I'll try to add to the post later, but feel free to elaborate on the reasons on why they're your top ten~!

 

I gotta say that you pretty much hit my "must watch" list spot on.

 

Was Christmas Story originally a theatrical release?

 

Here goes ....

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
5. Jackie Gleason's Honeymooners Christmas Carol (1977 reunion special)
6. A Claymation Christmas Celebration (used to have it on VHS taped from the broadcast but lost the tape in a move)
7. A Flintstone Christmas
8. A Christmas Carol (1954 special)
9. Frosty the Snowman
10. A Garfield Christmas

I must say that A Charlie Brown Christmas never seems right without starting with this old standby, the "CBS Special Presentation" followed by the slight jump in the soundtrack as the special started. To this child of the 80s THAT is how the show should always start:

 

Dude I totally agree! I use to get so excited when that intro came on!!

 

1. A Christmas Story
2. A Christmas Carol - B&W 1951
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. Santa Claus is Coming To Town
6. Frosty The Snowman
7. Scrooged
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
9. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
10. A Flintstones Christmas Carol

 

I completely forgot about Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas! Does it ever come on TV anymore?

 

that pretty much sums it up...I'll add Sunshine Christmas! sure wish I could get this on DVD.

 

I do know the both DVD editions are edited. The original HBO showing never made it out of TV!

 

Maybe this makes me a Scrooge, but this is about it for me.

1. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
2. Frosty the Snowman
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

Yes.

 

I'm a nut for Christmas music & TV. Here goes...

1. The Snowman (from the Raymond Briggs book)
2. Ziggy's Gift
3. A Pink Christmas (with the Pink Panther)
4. Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas
6. The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus
7. Frosty the Snowman
8. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
9. A Chipmunk Christmas
10. Singer presents Elvis*

* making me leave out episodes of TV series made me dig deep. This was technically supposed to be a Christmas special. The fact that only 1 holiday song made it in shouldn't exclude it. This had to make at least one list so I decided to bite the bullet.

 

1. A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
2. The Little Drummer Boy
3. Frosty the Snowman
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
6. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
8. A Chipmunk Christmas
9. A Garfield Christmas
10. Jack Frost

 

Thanks! I had totally forgotten about this gem until it was mentioned here. I might check to see if it's available on HBOGO, as they seem to have quite a lot of stuff.

 

The Blackadder one.

 

+1.

 

Bozo, Gar & Ray-WGN TV A great treat for this Chicago born baby boomer. Memories of a simpler, happier life, warm, and protected by parents that loved my sister and I, above all else.

 

cool! let me know if it's unedited if they have it.

 

Any with Kathie Lee Gifford. Google her name, Christmas and Tom Shales and you'll see why.
Sample: what's the difference between the 24 hour flu and a Kathie Lee Christmas special?
23 hours.
Classic stuff.

 

I just checked, and no luck. Maybe they'll put it up in December. I really would like to see it again.

 

well then just get the DVD it's still great! $7.22 at Amazon!

 

Thanks for the tip, Michael. I think I will go ahead and order if from Amazon for $7. I was planning on picking up the Motown box set on Saturday for $23, and needed something to add for free shipping.

How edited is the DVD edition anyway? If I recall correctly, the original special was only an hour, and the product description on Amazon says 100 minutes. I know that includes special features, and whatnot. It's been so long since I last saw it, that I scarcely think I would notice anything missing, but it still bugs me nevertheless.

 

this will help you...
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Emmet_Otter's_Jug-Band_Christmas

 

My favorite is the special "JT," about a kid who takes care of a stray cat around Christmastime. I remember seeing this in 1969 as a kid myself and finally tracked down a copy last year. I showed it to my wife on Christmas and I have a feeling it will now be traditional viewing. It is based on a book by Jane Wagner and was only available on VHS for a short while through an educational service. It's been OOP for years and is evidently quite a popular "gray market" item.

 

Some of my favorites:

A Pinky And The Brain Christmas
Opus 'n' Bill-A Wish For Wings That Work
Mystery Science Theater 3000- Santa Claus Conquers The Martians
A Christmas Flintstone (1964)

The closest thing to the HBO version of "Emmet Otter" is the 1983 Muppet Video VHS/RCA Videodisc release. Still differed slightly from the original ABC/HBO/CBC airings.