10 Christmas Episodes From Classic Sitcoms
Celebrating the holidays with your virtual family is an annual tradition for TV junkies like myself, but this year was sorely lacking in new Christmas episodes, especially in the sitcom world. so I had to go digging in the vaults.
Here are ten Christmas episodes from classic sitcoms of yesteryear, to remind us how good Yuletide sitcom episodes used to be.
1. 3rd Rock From The Sun- Jolly Old St. Dick (1996)-
What could be wackier than a bunch of aliens pretending to be a normal human family? How about a bunch of aliens pretending to be a normal human family at Christmastime! It's 3rd Rock, it's a Christmas episode, it's hilarious!
2. Married With Children- You Better Watch Out (1991)-
Remember how amazing it was to see real life Santas doing amazing stunts and tricks when you were a kid? This episode of Married...With Children will show you how one minor mishap in a Santa stunt will scar you for life!
3. Square Pegs - A Child's Christmas In Weemawee (1982)-
Do you remember that totally radical sitcom from the early 80s called Square Pegs? If not don't worry, because Square Pegs only lasted for a season, and is probably best known for launching the career of Sarah Jessica Parker, but it was a real gem of a show.
Watch this Christmas episode and, like, let those nostalgiac holiday vibes flow, man!
4. Newhart- No Room At The Inn (1982)-
Dick and Joanna can't wait to celebrate their first Christmas in Vermont, but a snowstorm leaves them, and all their guests, stuck indoors. Can deadpan Dick keep from cracking a smile at the absurdity of it all when a guy named Joseph and his pregnant wife show up looking for a room?
5. Alf- Alf's Special Christmas (1987)-
Aside from the lyrics to Alf's Christmas carols this two-parter is pretty darn uplifiting, and a real tear jerker. Alf and the fam head to a cabin in the woods for Christmas, and during their that mischievous alien life form wanders off and finds himself face-to-face with a lesson in what it means to be human.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll believe an alien can disguise himself as a doctor simply by wearing a face mask!
6. The Facts Of Life- Christmas In The Big House (1984)-
The girls and Misses Garrett find themselves with a captive audience for Christmas, as they head to the local prison and put on a holiday show for the inmates. If you like singing, dancing and snappy one liners this is the episode for you!
7. TAXI- A Full House For Christmas (1980)-
The TAXI theme song has always sounded rather sad to me, and the show's introspective, and often downright dark, perspective was a breath of fresh air in a world full of sappy sitcoms.
However, this is one of the only times when sadness is actually the episode's theme, which really works for a Christmas episode, because everyone can relate to someone having a case of the holiday humbugs.
8. Laverne & Shirley- O Come All Ye Bums (1978)-
Laverne and Shirley are nothing if not kind and caring, and in this special Christmas episode they prove how far they're willing to go to lend a hand to those in need when they agree to help some of Milwaukee's less fortunate. Plus, we get to see Lenny and Squiggy dressed up like elves!
9. NewsRadio- Xmas Story (1995)-
Dave and the crew at WNYX aren't your typical sitcom family, so it goes without saying that their Christmas episode would be a bit unusual. Bill is being stalked by a killer Santa, Mr. James is in a mighty generous mood, and poor little Matthew is left out of all the fun.
10. Punky Brewster- Christmas Shoplifting (1985)-
Punky and her friend Cherie learn a valuable lesson about the price paid for shoplifting in this very informative episode that co-stars a slightly more grown up Peter Billingsley, aka Ralphie from A Chrismas Story! Punky learns a lesson, Santa is behind bars, and 80s kids were warned against the seemingly easy crime of shoplifting.
We at Neatorama hope you have a fantastic Christmas, and if you can't be with the ones you love then tune in to the ones you love to watch!
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