Review written by Christian Garcia
On the 7th Day of Christmas, good CG gave to me: SEVEN SITCOM SPECIALS!!
Today I have decided to share some Christmas specials from seven of my favorite sitcoms!
Background:
Growing up in the 90s, my favorite shows were the likes of Full House and Family Matters. As I grew up, I binged the likes of That 70s Show, Friends, Scrubs, and of course, The Office. I have always had a love for the classic sitcoms and especially their Christmas specials and today I’m going to share my favorites!!
My Thoughts:
Ted Lasso
(S2 Ep4) – Carol of The Bells
While the rest of this list will be looking back at older shows, I did want to mention a Christmas special from the current era of TV. Ted Lasso is arguably one of the best comedy shows on TV right now and their Christmas episode has already become a favorite of mine and one that I intend to keep in my lineup every year.
The episode follows three stories: Rebecca helping to raise Ted’s Christmas spirits, Roy Kent trying to make his niece feel better about her breath, and the rest of the team gathering for a holiday party at the Higgins’ home. I won’t go into too much detail as this show is still currently running and I do not want to spoil anything for anyone who has yet to watch it. But this holiday special is a nice detour from the season arc and packs that feel-good joy that Ted Lasso brings to us all. I will say that the party at Higgins’ house is a Christmas party that I wish I could attend, and the final scene of the episode is a wonderful celebration that will get even the biggest scrooge in the Christmas spirit.
If you have yet to check out Ted Lasso, this Christmas special is another of many good reasons to give it a watch!
Scrubs
(S1 Ep11) - My Own Personal Jesus
Scrubs is a comedy (yes, it is in fact a comedy) that also has its fair share of drama given its hospital setting. It is a show that many have said accurately captures the experiences of those in the medical field. Given that the holidays are not always an easy time of year, especially in hospitals, it can be difficult for one to keep their spirits up. This Christmas episode explores that as Turk’s faith is tested after a rough night on call. Meanwhile, JD witnesses a Christmas miracle, Carla tries to cheer Turk up, and Elliott searches for a pregnant patient who needs to deliver on Christmas Eve.
This is special has a nice lesson about how important is for one to keep their faith during troubling times and how having that faith can lead to miracles. The episode has the comedy that makes us laugh but also carries with it the heart and the feel-good moments that make Scrubs more than just a silly comedy. If you’re a fan of Scrubs, this is a good special to check out.
Friends
Friends was the biggest hit sitcom of the 90s and its incredible 10-year run made way for so many holiday specials. For this list, I decided to pick my two personal favorites:
(S2 Ep9) – The One with Phoebe’s Dad
The first Friends Christmas special started off hot with a story that had laughs and heartwarming moments. In the episode, Phoebe tries to track down her long-lost father. Meanwhile, Monica and Rachel deal with a broken radiator and a less than positive reception to their Christmas tips of homemade cookies. Also, Joey and Chandler are forced to Christmas shop at the gas station after waiting til the last second.
The Monica and Rachel story is fun to watch as we see the different ways people destroy her homemade cookies. The comedy heightens when a broken radiator forces her and Rachel to transform their holiday party into a Tropical Christmas party. Seeing their party guests melt before their eyes creates great laughs.
The story of Phoebe’s long search for her father starts with this episode. After finding out that the picture of her father she held for years was merely a picture model, Phoebe tracks down her father and tries to get the courage to knock on his door. She brings Joey and Chandler along for the ride. In the end, she doesn’t meet her father, but she did take an important step in her journey.
The final credits scene is a funny moment seeing Chandler and Joey hand out their gas station Christmas gifts. It was a fun first special for the show and would make way for more classic Christmas moments.
(S7 Ep10) – The One with the Holiday Armadillo
This special is a Christmas/Hannukah special that created another holiday icon, with the Holiday Armadillo!!
Ross is determined to teach his son, Ben about their Jewish heritage and when he cannot find a Santa suit, he finds the next best thing. However, before the Armadillo can explain the traditions of Hannukah, he is interrupted by the unexpected arrivals of Santa Claus and even Superman.
This special is not as Christmas focused as others but it is one of my favorites because of the bits between the Holiday Armadillo and Chandler Claus. At first, Ben is not interested in learning about his Jewish heritage, but in the end, thanks to some encouragement from Chandler Claus, he sits down with Holiday Armadillo, and they even light the menorah. It is a nice ending seeing Ross and Ben lighting the menorah in the company of their friends as well as Superman and Santa. Phoebe’s line tops off a hilarious holiday special that I cannot recommend enough.
That 70s Show
That 70s Show is one of my favorite shows to binge watch. I have watched the show so many times that I have lost count. Christmas came early for me earlier this year when the show made its way onto Peacock. In that time, I have gotten my girlfriend into the show, and she has already binged it as many times as I have, maybe even more! The show has given me many laughs and these two Christmas specials are no exception:
(S1 Ep12) - The Best Christmas Ever
The first Christmas episode features Eric chopping down a Christmas tree off the side of a highway and using the money his father gave him to buy beer for his own Christmas party.
While trying to plan his party, his sister Laurie plays a little trick and spikes his holiday punch which leads to some funny and disastrous results for Jackie and her friends. Meanwhile, Red works at Bob’s store on Christmas Eve but makes a sale when the clueless Kelso comes by. Also, the love triangle between Eric, Hyde and Donna hits its peak as the two look to wow her with their Christmas gifts.
It continues the story of the season arc while also having some funny Christmassy moments. Like in the beginning when the gang is watching the Grinch and they make observations that only teenagers would notice. The show was always good at mocking the culture of the era. It was fun to see the gang get into some hijinks on Christmas and the way things turn out make for a funny ending.
(S4 Ep12) – An Eric Foreman Christmas
This special is one of my personal favorite Christmas specials on any sitcom and is one that I put on every year. It parodies a lot of holiday classics including Charlie Brown, Rudolph, and the Little Drummer Boy with That 70s Show’s own mix of frankincense, myrrh, and Led Zepplin 4.
The two scenes that make this special one of my favorites are the fantasy Christmas play scene and Kelso’s trip into the Rankin/Bass Christmas classics.
The story of the episode centers around Eric attempting to put on a Christmas pageant and of course his friends make his job more difficult with their insane demands for unicorns, spacemen, and lifeguards. Eric’s imagination of the play is hilarious to me as it has nothing to do with the holidays and seeing the gang in their ridiculous costumes (especially Spaceman Keslo) always makes me laugh.
The other scene that always makes me laugh is when Kelso dreams about being in the classic Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. Having also grown up with those specials, I loved watching them be spoofed here. Seeing Rudolph talk about kicking people in the face cracks me up and the message of watching what you like despite what others think is a nice message.
A misunderstanding lead to Eric getting fired and his Christmas spirit is left in shambles. In the end, Leo sets the gang straight and they go out of their way to make it up to Eric. The final scene is a touching one as we see the gang finally all together embracing the Christmas spirit. It’s a very funny episode and one that will have you laughing many ho ho ho’s as you watch.
Full House
Before getting exposed to other shows like That 70s Show and Friends, the show I watched the most was Full House Most 90s kids grew up with this classic show, and while it is not a show that I watch as much anymore, it still has left an impact on me and holds a place in my heart. With the passing of Bob Saget earlier this year, I found myself going back and rewatching the show and it still holds up for me. I remember the times when I’d come home from school for Christmas break and watch the Christmas episodes on ABC Family and Nick-at-Nite. They still hold up for me now and I wanted to look back on them:
(S2 Ep9) - Our Very First Christmas Show
The very first Christmas episode is a sweet and funny time. The Tanner family gets stranded in an airport on Christmas Eve and young Stephanie is worried that Santa Claus won’t be able to find them. To make matters worse, the Tanner’s gifts get lost and it seems that Christmas is ruined. However, Jesse steps up and reminds everyone what Christmas is about and rallies everyone to make the most of their situation and they wind up having a wonderful Christmas in the airport. Santa makes an appearance and raises Stephanie’s spirits and makes another miracle happen as the Tanner’s gifts magically appear on the belt. It matches the cheery and at times cheesy theme of the show and has a nice message that as long as you are surrounded by the people you care about, you can make the most out of any situation.
(S5 Ep16) – A Very Tanner Christmas
One thing I loved about Full House was watching the family grow from the three adults and 3 girls into an even larger family with the additions of Aunt Becky and Nicky and Alex. I also loved DJ’s boyfriend Steve who I found to be another welcome addition. I enjoy this special because we get to see the full Tanner family for the holidays.
Jesse tries to teach Michelle and Stephanie about what really matters on Christmas, while DJ and Steve get into an argument over Steve’s choice of colleges. Along with that Becky is homesick in Cali longing for a white Christmas and Danny is upset over not getting to see his girlfriend Vicky for the holidays. Stephanie and Michelle learn a valuable lesson about the true meaning of Christmas and of giving to others before yourself. Jesse also comes through on his promise to Becky and gives her the white Christmas she always wanted. The ending also features three Santa’s and DJ and Danny being reunited with their loved ones to make a for a heartwarming Tanner family Christmas.
Family Matters
Another TGIF classic that I grew up with was Family Matters. I loved watching the Winslow family’s antics, especially when Steve Urkel was involved. While the chaotic antics of Urkel got a lot of laughs, what I loved most about Family Matters was the feel-good and emotional moments which made the show one of my favorites. Their holiday specials packed both the heart and the humor that made the show so great:
(S2 Ep13) - Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas
In this episode, Steve Urkel has only one wish for Christmas and after another Urkel accident, he is banned by Laura from the Winslow home. Meanwhile, Carl is out on the hunt for the elusive Freddy Teddy for Little Richie. After finally tracking down the last one, it turns into mayhem.
Later, Laura visits Steve and sees that he is spending Christmas alone. She lifts her ban and invites Steve to spend Christmas with her family. In a very heartfelt moment, Steve reveals his wish to Santa was that he could spend Christmas with the Winslow’s.
It’s a heartwarming episode that shows how much the Winslow’s mean to Steve and how much he means to them. It’s a touching Christmas episode that packs the heart and feel-good moments that Family Matters was known for.
(S4 Ep10) - It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel
I mentioned before that both these specials pack heart and humor. The previous special focuses more on the heart, this one focus more on the humor. In this special, Laura once again tells Steve to get out of her life after another one of his Urkel incidents. After her blow up, she is visited by her guardian angel who shows her what her life would be like if the roles were reversed between her and Steve. We get to see Laura go full-Urkel and it is hilarious to watch. Kellie Shanygne Williams is hilarious in her portrayal of Laura Urkel and its nice to see the roles reversed for once. Laura Urkel ends up having one of her own accidents and it results in her getting kicked out by Steve.
Laura learns that everyone has feelings and that people make mistakes and decides to be nicer to Steve going forward. Her angel sends her back to the moment before she blew up at Steve and after he destroys her gift again, instead of yelling, she invites him to spend Christmas with her family. It’s a touching story about being empathetic and what it’s like to be in another person’s shoes and it is also hilarious to see when those other shoes belong to Steve Urkel.
The Office
The Office is one of the most beloved shows and is credited with kickstarting the streaming binge era of TV. The show is also very beloved for its Christmas specials. Every year on Instagram, I always see a posting of which episodes to watch. While all of them are very enjoyable (before Steve Carrell’s departure) I have chosen to share my two favorite ones:
(S6 Ep13) – Secret Santa
This episode features Secret Santa’s, feuding Santa’s and even an appearance from Jesus. Michael is shocked to find that Jim has appointed Phyllis to be Santa for their annual Christmas party. In typical Michael Scoot fashion, he doesn’t take the news well and acts in the way that only Michael Scott is known for.
In the side plot, Andy has been selected to be Erin’s secret Santa and his gift her is the 12 Days of Christmas. Sadly, the first six days haven’t gone as he’d hoped and after Erin asks her secret Santa to please stop with the gifts, Andy tries to keep his identity a secret.
This episode is one of my favorites because of Michael’s antics which include dressing up as Jesus and being a grump. After learning about the company’s uncertainty, Michael puts his petty differences aside and steps up to give his employees a great Christmas. He and Phyllis make up and in the end the Office has one of their best Christmas parties.
(S7 Ep11&12) Classy Christmas
This is the last Christmas special to feature Michael Scott and he goes out on a high note. When Michael discovers that his ex-girlfriend, Holly is returning to Scranton, he goes all out to prepare a Classy Christmas Party to celebrate her return. Things don’t go as he planned and in a classic moment of Michael pettiness, he destroys a gift of hers from her boyfriend. When confronted about it, Michael admits his feelings to Holly and storms out. Pam comforts him revealing an ultimatum between Holly and her boyfriend and gives Michael hope that he may still have a chance to win her back. It sets up the final story arc for Michael’s eventual exit and it’s great to see Michael and Holly reunited.
The side plot is hilarious as Jim and Dwight engage in a never-ending snowball war. It is great to see the roles reversed as Dwight becomes the one to pull a fast one on Jim. Dwight’s taunting of Jim with snowballs leads to some great moments. By the end Jim goes full Dwight even shouting “Damnit Dwight” seeing the switch complete. Having watched Dwight be the victim of so many pranks throughout the series, it is nice and refreshing to see him get the win for once.
The final classic Christmas special packs the humor and heart that made The Office the hit that it was. These specials pack the Christmas spirit with the funny antics of the Dunder Mifflin staff to make some of the best holiday specials on TV.
Final Thoughts:
Sitcoms have been a crucial part of my childhood and I have loved going back and seeing how they tackle the holidays in their own unique way. These specials make for great background noise while you’re wrapping gifts or resting after a long day at work. I highly recommend them all for your TV and Christmas viewing pleasure!!
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