Page 4 - 2015 Holiday TV Guide

HolidayTV | Favorite Christmas Episodes
Our favorite Christmas episodes by Cassie Dresch
Christmas is a time for family, and don’t get me wrong, family is fantastic. Sometimes, though, you need a break from all the action (read: drama), and what better way to do that than turn on the tube and binge watch some of the best holiday episodes TV has to offer. This list should help get you started.
I Love Lucy — “I Love Lucy Christmas Special”
Originally aired: Dec. 24, 1956
CBS has been spoiling us of late, re-airing this Christmas classic (in full color!) — and with good reason. With Lucy (Lucille Ball), Ricky (Desi Arnaz), Ethel (Vivian Vance) and Fred (William Frawley) telling stories while trimming the Christmas tree, it seems almost absurd that it’s been neglected by broadcasters for years.
The X-Files — “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”
Originally aired: Dec. 13, 1998
Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin join David Duchovny and Gillian Ander- son in this Christmas-themed installment, and the four of them are the only people to appear on screen in the entire episode. Asner and Tomlin play two ghosts who are trapped in their home after following through on a suicide pact, and are bent on luring other couples to a similar fate. Mulder (Duchovny) and Scully (Anderson) investigate the house on Christmas Eve, kicking off a spooky Christmas adventure.
Seinfeld — “The Strike”
Originally aired: Dec. 18, 1997
Festivus, an alternate to Christmas observed on Dec. 23, was intro- duced in this episode and has its own traditions — a plain aluminum Festivus pole, the airing of grievances and feats of strength. Festivus may seem like a nice work of fiction for a TV show, but the holiday is actually based on real events. Author Daniel O’Keefe — whose son, Dan, wrote for “Seinfeld” — invented and celebrated it with his fam- ily as early as 1966.
Doctor Who — All of the Christmas specials
Originally aired: Dec. 25, 2005-present
The long-awaited revival of “Doctor Who” came to fruition in 2005, and with it came a new tradition: Christmas specials. The “Doctor Who” Christmas specials are more than just jolly Yuletide episodes — they’re important plot devices. Often, the specials introduce a new companion or even a new Doctor.
Call the Midwife — 2014 Holiday Special
Originally aired: Dec. 25, 2014
As with many BBC imports, this series
features a yearly Christmas special, and the
2014 episode proves to be an important part
of the show’s overall story. The special marks
the first episode without Jessica Raine, who played series protagonist Jenny, and it also marks the first time in three seasons that Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave appears on screen (she narrates the series as “Mature Jenny”).
The West Wing — “In Excelsius Deo”
Originally aired: Dec. 15, 1999
In the darkest storyline of this Christmas-themed episode, Toby (Richard Schiff) has discovered that a homeless Korean War vet- eran has died wearing a coat Toby donated to Goodwill. In the final, emotional scene, underscored by a choir singing “Little Drummer Boy,” Toby, Mrs. Landingham (Kathryn Joosten) and the dead man’s brother attend his funeral in Arlington National Cemetery. Writers Aaron Sorkin and Rick Cleveland brought home Emmys because of this episode.
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“I Love Lucy Christmas Special” photo courtesy Screen Grab/CBS. “Call the Midwife Holiday Special” photo courtesy Laurence Cendrowicz/© Neal Street Productions
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