The best Christmas TV episodes and specials on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock and more
The all-time Christmas Boob tube episodes and specials on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock and more
The time-honored tradition of a Christmas TV episode or special always brings the feels this time of the year (or in the stop of the summertime if you're Ted Lasso). Yeah, the best Christmas movies are only one one-half of the holiday streaming tradition.
The all-time part of these episodes is that they often tend to work out of context. Certain, Idiot box shows ofttimes fit in a flavor-long arc, only the medium is often written for maximum accessibility. No need to know what was happening on Seinfeld before we learned nigh the Festivus pole, merely bound right in and watch.
Similarly, album shows thrive in this season, as Black Mirror's "White Christmas" requires zero context (though it does have some easter eggs for previous episodes). And considering we know not everyone has every service (oh if they were all every bit affordable as Hulu), we're organizing the best Christmas TV episodes and specials by platform.
Best Christmas Telly episodes and specials on Netflix
While Dan Harmon's Community looked similar a traditional sitcom on newspaper, it was often truly inventive with episodes such every bit "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas." A stop-movement animation spectacular, this episode uses the style of a Rankin/Bass special to dive into Abed'due south depressing Christmas memories that he's repressed over the years. Memorable for many reasons, and not just the phrase "Christmas pterodactyl" and a riff on how disappointing the prove LOST was, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" is a heartfelt and funny slice of the Greendale Community Higher written report group's life, and how I choose to call back Customs (let'due south all repress season half dozen). – Henry T. Casey
Sentry it on Netflix
Seinfeld: The Strike
"The Strike" may or may not be the best episode of Seinfeld, simply it's arguably the almost influential. That'due south because nosotros got a brand-new, real-world holiday out of information technology. Kramer learns that George's father, Frank, made up his own December holiday called Festivus. At first, Kramer wants in, and George wants out — just the younger Costanza changes his tune when he realizes he tin use Festivus equally an excuse to avoid giving Christmas presents at work. As Festivus proceeds, we learn virtually honey traditions, such every bit the Ambulation of Grievances and the Feats of Forcefulness. We also learn about the Festivus Pole: a plain aluminum rod, as Frank finds tinsel "distracting." While "The Strike" isn't technically a Christmas episode, you can celebrate Festivus yourself on December 23. — Marshall Honorof
Sentry it on Netflix
GLOW: A Very GLOW Christmas
Memorable just for its pro wrestling — it's a perfect medium for a retelling of A Christmas Carol — GLOW's Christmas episode is a winner for the emotional drama at manus. While the cast of Las Vegas's best (and likely merely) all-female wrestling show enters the episode about at each other's throats, Carmen does her best to save the mood with a Hush-hush Santa, which really helps mend fences. Meanwhile, Debbie realizes her relationship with Tex is a farce, and decides to use what she'south learned for the good of the gals — working with a despondent Bash to purchase a new home for GLOW: the Orange County TV station KXN. And while the render of Keith to reunite with Cherry gave folks reason to cheer, the episode ends on a downwards note, as Ruth declines Debbie's offer to direct the revived GLOW — and leaves. A bloodshot goodbye for the serial, which would have its 4th flavour greenlit and so canceled. – Henry T. Casey
Watch it on Netflix
Downton Abbey: Christmas at Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey's get-go Christmas special ends with a magical moment between Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Matthew (Dan Stevens), one that fans had been hoping to see for 2 seasons. Simply before y'all get to that, the special starts with a miserable Mary stuck in an engagement to Sir Richard Carlisle. The upstairs aristocrats and downstairs servants are also feeling glum because Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle) is on trial for murder. The result leads Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) to push his daughter to find true happiness, and Mary leaps at the take chances to be with the homo she loves. - Kelly Woo
Watch it on Netflix
Blackness Mirror: White Christmas
You can block people online, just have you lot ever wanted to block them in person? That's merely one of the delicious twisted premises in the core of Black Mirror'south 3-act special "White Christmas." Information technology all begins with Joe Potter (Rafe Spall) and Matt Trent (Jon Hamm), sitting in a cabin on a snowy Christmas Solar day, going over how their lives went horribly incorrect. Humans are existence cloned and put inside "cookies" (digital eggs, not the files in your web browser). The behemothic twist at the terminate of the episode is too good to spoil, but safe to say this is a must-come across edition of the tech-focused anthology series. – Henry T. Casey
BoJack Horseman: Sabrina'southward Christmas Wish
BoJack Horseman is a dark, weird, and unsettling meditation on depression and habit, wrapped upward in the bright colors and clever ane-liners of a traditional animated sitcom. If you guessed that the testify's alone Christmas special, "Sabrina'southward Christmas Wish," would be as bizarre, yous guessed correctly. In this standalone episode, BoJack and his roommate Todd lookout an quondam episode of BoJack's sitcom, "Horsin' Around," in which the immature orphan Sabrina wants a very special present from Santa Claus.
Information technology's fun to see BoJack and Todd skewer some of the '90s sitcom tropes we took for granted, from cheesy express mirth tracks to worldbuilding that cracks under the slightest scrutiny. But toward the end, the special takes a melancholy plough, when a conversation about Santa Claus slowly morphs into a meditation on surveillance, morality and the nature of God. If yous desire a hilarious Christmas special that still asks some large questions, this is the one. — Marshall Honorof
Sentry it on Netflix
Best Christmas Tv episodes and specials on HBO Max
Friends: The Ane With the Holiday Armadillo
Friends' Thanksgiving episodes are more famous, only the sitcom's Christmas installments are too some all-timers. The One With the Holiday Armadillo is ane for the Ross highlight reel, right aslope "PIVOT!" and the leather pants incident. Ross dresses upwards in the hilarious outfit to show his son, Ben, that the holidays aren't just about Christmas. He invents Santa'southward friend, the Vacation Armadillo, to teach Ben about Hanukkah and Jewish traditions. Watching them light the candles is sweetness, and seeing David Schwimmer's hangdog confront in the armadillo costume makes me cleft upward every single time. And let's not forget Joey showing upward in a Superman costume, considering … he'due south Joey! - Kelly Woo
Watch it on HBO Max
Fresh Prince of Bel-air: Twas the Nighttime Before Christening
One matter you don't discover in most streaming shows is the "result" episode, which brings in a large celebrity or musician as a guest star, like Fresh Prince'southward season 4 Christmas episode. Information technology's told via flashback, from the advanced year of 1998, when Phillip tells his younger son Nicky nearly the origin of his four heart names. Five years prior, his cousin Volition (Will Smith) panics afterwards seeing the expensive gifts the family got for the baby's christening. As a event, he goes over the height, promising a functioning past Boyz II Men. Will sneaks into a radio station to invite them, simply things go awry. It looks similar the christening and Christmas are ruined — but, luckily for Will, that's not the finish of the road. - Kelly Woo
Watch it on HBO Max
The O.C.: The Best Chrismukkah Ever
The O.C. season 1 episode introduces the world Chrismukkah, the bi-religious holiday created by Seth Cohen (Adam Brody). It's a genius way to combine the traditions of his Jewish begetter and Catholic mother. As Seth tells foster brother Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), there'southward no need to cull betwixt a menorah and a processed cane — yous can take both on Chrismukkah! Of class, information technology doesn't solve all of Seth's problems, like the fact that he'south ii-timing Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Anna (Samaire Armstrong). Getting them the same gift? Bad look, dude. And and then not in the Chrismukkah spirit. - Kelly Woo
Watch it on HBO Max
Medico Who: A Christmas Carol
Who doesn't love Doctor Who Christmas specials? They're a adventure to cut loose and tell standalone holiday stories with our favorite time-traveling alien and his cast of kooky companions. Every in one case in a while, though, the Christmas specials lean into the show's darker, more than dramatic side, which is precisely what happens in "A Christmas Carol."
The Dr.'s companions, Amy and Rory, are stuck on a doomed spaceship, and only wealthy industrialist Kazran Sardick can salve them. The merely trouble is that Kazran is a bitter, miserly old man with no friends or family, and doesn't especially care what happens to the young couple. The Doctor hops into the TARDIS to explore Kazran's by, present and future, in predictably Dickensian style. Romantic, heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure, A Christmas Carol is one of the finest episodes of Matt Smith's run as the Doctor. — Marshall Honorof
Sentinel it on HBO Max
S Park: Woodland Critter Christmas
A notable difference for South Park, Woodland Critter Christmas swaps the gang's usual foul-mouthed antics for a delightful, kid-friendly tale of… No, of course not. What did you await? Actually it's a very, very un-kid-friendly tale of Satanism, ballgame, blood orgies and a shotgun-toting Santa. Information technology's also incredibly funny. Just don't permit the kids lookout information technology with you or they'll never wait at Christmas the aforementioned way again. – Marc McLaren
Watch it on HBO Max
Best Christmas TV episodes and movies on Hulu
Pinky and the Encephalon: A Pinky and the Brain Christmas
Fifty-fifty as a grown man with a healthy grip on his emotions, A Pinky and the Brain Christmas makes me tear up every year. Similar near episodes of Pinky and the Encephalon, this Christmas special is full of creative slapstick and slightly subversive "kids, ask your parents" jokes. But unlike most episodes of Pinky and the Brain, the Christmas special has an absolute gut punch of an ending. It'southward sentimental, merely not sappy.
Only as they do every dark, Pinky and the Brain want to take over the earth. Their plan this time effectually involves tricking Santa Claus into distributing mind control devices forth with his usual Christmas presents. The genetically altered lab mice gear up out for the North Pole, and get up to all sorts of mischief in Santa'southward workshop. But when Pinky'south quest to deliver a letter to Santa goes awry, Encephalon has to choose between his ambitions and his best friend. — Marshall Honorof
Watch it on Hulu
The X-Files: How the Ghosts Stole Christmas
Corking though The X-Files' conspiracy-focused 'mythology' episodes were, the monster of the calendar week episodes were always more fun, and season six standout How the Ghosts Stole Christmas is proof of that. At a loose end on Christmas Eve, Mulder persuades Scully to investigate a supposedly haunted house with him and the paid presently find themselves trapped in a creepy old mansion with a couple of mischievous spirits played by Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin. What follows is a glorious encapsulation of everything that made The 10-Files so special at its peak, perfectly blending comedy and horror and throwing in some thoughtful meditations on loneliness into the mix too. There'south a distinctly Dickensian Christmas feel to it — and there's not higher praise than that. – Marc McLaren
Watch it on Hulu
Lost: The Abiding
Calling loved ones during the holiday flavor is ever emotional, just Desmond Hume's long distance dial in Lost'south episode The Constant takes the cake. Stuck on the island, Des has been mentally unhinged, and this episode shows us exactly why he'south like that. He'south without his "constant," the lovely Penelope Widmore, who he's been separated from for far likewise long. While Sayid, Minkowski and Desmond chase down answers on the freighter, we see more of her male parent Charles Widmore up to no good. The happy holiday ending, at least in the moment, does come for Des and Penny, when she gets a call from him on Christmas Eve. By this bespeak, Lost had needed a big reason to stay interested, and their relationship helped keep the isle drama adrift. – Henry T. Casey
Sentinel it on Hulu
My So-Called Life: Then-Called Angels
One of the best teen dramas ever, My And then-Called Life didn't shy away from tackling serious problems, from sex to drugs to guns. The Christmas episode focuses on runaway teens and homelessness. A concerned Angela (Claire Danes) goes looking for Rickie (Wilson Cruz) when he's forced onto the streets after a fight with his abusive uncle. Aided past a mysterious homeless girl (vocaliser Juliana Hatfield), Angela finds him and wants to invite them both for Christmas dinner. But when her mother refuses, Angela herself runs away — causing Patty (Bess Armstrong) to reconsider her ideas of right and wrong. - Kelly Woo
Watch information technology on Hulu
Veronica Mars: An Echolls Family Christmas
Veronica Mars' first season is ofttimes remembered equally perfect long-form modern noir storytelling, and An Echolls Family unit Christmas is role of why. The episode begins with a poker party going wrong for rich child Logan Echolls, who loses $v,000 to Weevil — or at least he did until the money wasn't in the pot. These being angry high-schoolers who want to prove their adulthood at every moment, things go very incorrect very fast, and a laptop is stolen. Of course, it falls upon high schooler / wanna-exist P.I. Veronica Mars to solve information technology all, every bit the episode spirals into a adept tale of "who's conning who?". Extra points awarded for the usage of The Bang-up Warhols' encompass of "Little Drummer Boy." – Henry T. Casey
Watch it on Hulu
Best Christmas TV episodes and movies on Disney Plus
"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" wasn't just a Christmas special; it was a proof of concept for America's favorite animated sitcom family. Up until this episode, The Simpsons comprised shorts on the Tracey Ullman Evidence. "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Burn" would have to evidence that the show could stand every bit a total half-60 minutes one-act. Thankfully, information technology succeeded with flight colors. When Homer'southward Christmas bonus doesn't come through at work, he takes a second chore as a mall Santa to buy presents for the family.
While the animation and voices are still a footling rough, this Christmas special has the Simpsons' signature mix of sense of humor and heart. "Information technology doesn't seem possible, but I judge Idiot box has betrayed me" encapsulates the show's love/hate relationship with sitcom tropes. When Homer brings dwelling a family dog as a Christmas present it feels sweet, but not cloying, just like all the best Simpsons episodes. — Marshall Honorof
Watch it on Disney Plus
All-time Christmas Television episodes and movies on Peacock
The Office: Christmas Party
The Office made something of a speciality of festive episodes with 7 in all, but flavor'due south two's Christmas Political party just pips season 3's A Benihana Christmas as the funniest. The plot revolves around the Dunder-Mifflin Secret Santa, simply really (as always) information technology's about Michael's ham-fisted attempt to get his own style and the event it has on the rest of the team. There are archetype lines ample, some prissy developments in the Jim'n'Pam plotline and i of the all-time endings of any Office episode. Buy yourself 15 bottles of vodka and an iPod and enjoy. – Marc McLaren
Watch it on Peacock
All-time Christmas TV episodes and movies on Apple TV Plus
If you're going to see one Christmas special during the vacation season, brand information technology A Charlie Brownish Christmas. Originally airing in 1965, it yet remains a classic — and its bulletin still resonates today — equally Charlie Brown searches for the true meaning of Christmas among all the capitalism surrounding the vacation. It's both melancholy and heartwarming, and has one of the best soundtracks for the season, too. We expect forward to watching information technology every yr — sometimes even more once. — Mike Prospero
Watch it on Apple TV Plus
Ted Lasso: Carol of the Bells
Divisive in a weird mode — the folks who don't like Christmas episodes didn't expect one to go far smack-dab in the eye of August — Carol of the Bells is a pretty groovy outing for the folks at AFC Richmond. The episode hits all the correct notes nigh the spirit of the flavour: Higgins opening his doors to the squad'south international players who aren't going dwelling house for the holidays, Rebecca making certain that Ted isn't alone wallowing in his depression and Roy puts in the piece of work to help his niece Phoebe to fight her bad breath. – Henry T. Casey
Sentinel it on Apple tree TV Plus
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks/the-best-christmas-tv-episodes-and-specials-on-netflix-hbo-max-hulu-peacock-and-more
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