10 Best Christmas Shows of All Time

Amazon.com: The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town/Frosty the Snowman/...


When you are Ranking the Best Christmas Shows of All Time you always have to include some from the masters, Rankin & Bass. These two claymation geniuses, along with writer Romeo Muller, raised the bar for Christmas specials back in the '60s and early '70s and no one's been able to touch them since. I would love it if someone would make a special that even comes close to their brilliance, but it doesn't happen. Their best always combined four essential elements: great songs, good stories, tight scripts and a fun time. The bad guys are real bad, but never overwhelm the fun and spirit of the stories, and Rankin & Bass never rely on corniness.
I do not include holiday episodes of regular TV shows, because they should have their own list. For the record, the early Happy Days episode when Fonzie lies about visiting relatives might be my favorite.
As for the specials I've picked: I love them all, own some of them, try to watch all of them at least once a year and quote them with friends from time to time.

1-Santa Claus is Coming To Town--First time I saw this I was probably 4 and I remember my parents got my brother, sister and I bathed and dressed for bed before the show, so we could relax and watch it before we went to sleep. My father put us up on the top bunk of me and my brother's bunk beds and propped the 13-inch Black and White TV against the pillow so we could all watch together. Favorite Quote--"A yo yo, I love a yo yo."

2-Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer--Came out in 1964, two years before I was born, so obviously I don't remember a time when this wasn't on TV. The first of Rankin & Bass' oeuvre and some would say the greatest. But I've always had a problem with the depiction of Santa as a grouch and essentially a terrible user. He discards Rudolph until he can use his malady to his benefit. Like using a deaf person's lip reading skills to win a football game. The outsider that children wouldn't play with always resonated with me and made me feel a special kinship with Rudolph. This show has the best songs of any Christmas special. Favorite Quote---"Whoever heard of a skinny Santa."

3-Frosty the Snowman--This show is so short that barely after the credits roll, the little girl, the magician's rabbit and Frosty are already on the train to the North Pole. Jimmy Durante (a native of my hometown of Ridgewood, NY) is the narrator and I love his croaky voice. Favorite Quote---"and when I melt, I get all wishy washy."

4-A Charlie Brown Christmas--According to Saturday Night Live, this is Jesus' favorite Christmas special, which figures because it's one of the few that actually pays homage to Him and His birth and not the paganism that we've attached to the holiday. It's the most beautiful of all Christmas specials, but so serious. The Vince Guaraldi music is so warm and classy that listening to it feels like watching snow fall from inside a window with a blanket and cocoa. Favorite Quote---"Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!"

5-Year Without a Santa Claus--Mickey Rooney does his second special as the voice of Santa Claus, but this time he's depressed and he tells his wife, "Ma, I'm canceling Christmas." But we don't see too much of Santa for this special anyway, the true stars are the immortal Heatmeiser and Freezemeiser. Their two songs are probably the most fun to sing of any of the shows on the list and always cause some adults to dance in a kickline. Favorite Quote---"Vixen, why she's just a baby."

6-How the Grinch Stole Christmas--Who better to play a despicable, scary creature like the Grinch than Boris Karloff. Just one of many inspired choices for this classic. So poetic, so letter perfect, so dark. The story demands it, but this show is too dark to be any higher on my list. I feel so bad for the little dog, of course it all comes out in the wash, but there's a lot of weight to carry before the beautiful pay off. Favorite Quote---"Little Cindy Lou Who, who's no more than two."

7-Rudolph's Shiny New Year--Rudolph hooks up with a caveman and a whale to find the Baby New Year and save said year. One of my father's favorite comedians, Red Skelton, narrates it and does a number of voices in the show. I love the special, but don't remember as much of it as the others, except for my favorite part, when the Baby sneaks into the Three Bears' house. The baby bear is one of my favorite characters in history as voiced by Mr. Skelton. With the cutest lisp, he says my Favorite Quote---"You can be my fwend."

8-Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol--Oh Magoo, you've done it again. Our nearsighted Broadway star portrays Scrooge on stage and the story is told in the form of a show, with curtains and acts and all. Weird way to handle it, but still a treat. Favorite Quote, as with any Christmas Carol---"Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?" LOL, How mean.

9-Frosty's Winter Wonderland--Frosty is lonely up at the North Pole and finally gets married to a snowwoman named Crystal. Every one of the best of these Rankin & Bass specials has a great narrator and this show might have the best, Andy Griffith. His voice is like warm honey and he delivers this special with remarkable ease. Can't a remember a favorite quote.

10-House Without a Christmas Tree--Takes place during the Depression I believe, or at least some poor time in the 20th century. Watched this made for TV movie every year when I was kid and then it disappeared. Definitely the most depressing show on this list, but has a wonderful ending. 1972 movie stars Lisa Lucas as Addie Mills, a 10 year old girl who lives with her very grumpy widower father, Jason Robards. Actually he'd have to smile more to be just grumpy, he comes across as downright mean to a little kid. But he's just really sad and angry over the loss of his wife and doesn't know how to deal with it. So instead of making things better, he makes them worse by hiding away any happiness the woman left behind. Like her Christmas ornaments. Addie doesn't know they exist and tries to make a nice Christmas by making handcut ornaments for a tree that she sneaks home. But mean old Jason Robards drags the tree out to the curb. The first three-quarters of this film are hard to watch, but the last 30 minutes make up for it. Not sure how I'd react to this movie if I saw it now. Don't remember any quotes.

The Freditor

Oh my god, is this awful--The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

*** (out of 5)

Netflix: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special



My friend Harry warned me, but I had to see this 1976 car wreck on my own.

I gave it 3 stars because, a--it was good for what it was, a horrid '70s variety show;
and b--it had 3 songs by KISS.

But I would have thought with all the B-wattage star power that this would be a camp classic, but instead it was just bad.

Betty White, Pinky Tuscadero, Tim Conway, Florence Henderson---singing disco, Donny and Marie Osmond, Witchy Poo, The wicked witch of the west (Margaret Hamilton from the Wizard of Oz), apparently none of these people had any shame. And it was co-written by one of the biggest hacks in Hollywood, Bruce Vilanch, the man who writes all those awful Oscar jokes each year and is Whoopi Goldberg's main writer.

I remember loving Paul Lynde as a kid, but maybe my memories are misplaced. One lame joke after another. He plays the Easter Bunny, a rhinestone trucker, a Sheik. I looked up Wikipedia, under the phrase Gay Mistrel Show, it had a picture of Paul Lynde.

One tremendous douche chill after another, but what's worse is it made me sleepy.

The entire cast finishes the show with a Halloween disco scene where they all sing and dance to a made up song, Disco Boogie. Excuse me, I have to shower now and wash all the bad thoughts away.

The Freditor