# Favorite Christmas Specials



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it might be interesting to discuss some of our favorite Christmas specials/movies..

Mrs. Fluffybear and I are big Rowan Atkinson fans and it just is not Christmas without 'Black Adder Christmas Carol'. A movie which I use to enjoy (have not seen it on in years) and always put me in the holiday spirit was "The man in the Santa Claus Suit' with Fred Astaire


----------



## cj9788 (May 14, 2003)

Blackaddder should be mentioned in the retro tv thread Great Show Loved Hugh Laurie in it. I cant belive the same actor plays that prick House. 

I love those oldies like Santa Clause is coming to town and Rudolph the rednose reindeer.


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

I still love A Christmas Story. I still smile every time a package comes that says, "FRAGILE."


----------



## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" - I recorded it and put it on DVD last time or two it was on, so I'll bring it to work on the 24th.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

cj9788 said:


> Blackaddder should be mentioned in the retro tv thread Great Show Loved Hugh Laurie in it. I cant belive the same actor plays that prick House.
> 
> I love those oldies like Santa Clause is coming to town and Rudolph the rednose reindeer.


Have not yet been able to find Rudolph in the program guide. Daughter watched 'Santa Claus is coming to Town' and 'The year without a Santa Claus' earlier this evening but still no go with Rudolph


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

fluffybear said:


> Have not yet been able to find Rudolph in the program guide. Daughter watched 'Santa Claus is coming to Town' and 'The year without a Santa Claus' earlier this evening but still no go with Rudolph


It was on November 30th. Here's a 2010 TV Christmas Holiday Schedule - Specials & Movies.

http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/christmas/whats-on-tv.htm


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

sigma1914 said:


> It was on November 30th. Here's a 2010 TV Christmas Holiday Schedule - Specials & Movies.
> 
> http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/christmas/whats-on-tv.htm


Thanks!

It never dawned on me that they would put it on that soon after Thanksgiving. This is one of those classics which really needs to be shown relatively close to Christmas...


----------



## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

For me it's A Christmas Carol (1984) with George C. Scott. I just finished watching it on Fox Movie Channel.


----------



## Polardog (Mar 5, 2008)

Babes In Toyland (March of the Wooden Soldiers) 1934 movie with Laurel & Hardy. Always watched this as kids during the Christmas season but haven't seen it on TV for many years now.


----------



## dmspen (Dec 1, 2006)

The original Miracle on 34th St has been my all time favorite classic Christmas movie. I do love The Santa Clause with Tim Allen though.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

dmspen said:


> The original Miracle on 34th St has been my all time favorite classic Christmas movie. I do love The Santa Clause with Tim Allen though.


The first Miracle on 34th Street which I ever saw was the 1973 version with Sebastian Cabot playing the role of Kris Kringle. It was not until I was an adult before I ever saw the original and I have to agree there is just something special about the original version.


----------



## trainman (Jan 9, 2008)

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"...

"Lights, please."


----------



## Casey21 (Sep 20, 2007)

Movies 
1938 A Christmas Carol (Great - most resembles the Dickens classic)
1942 Holiday Inn (singing White Christmas - using his pipe to tap bells on the tree - classic)
1944 Meet me in St. Louis (not totally xmas but i love the scene where Judy Garland sings Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - will always bring a tear to my eye - reminds me of family that is far away)!
1945 Christmas in Connecticut (always wanted to live on that farm)
1946 It's a Wonderful Life (another couple of tears to my eyes - "I want to Live")
1947 Miracle on 34th Street (BEST version)
1983 A Christmas Story (who doesn't like seeing a kid with their tongue stuck to a frozen pole - i grew up in the midwest so this is totally plausible)

Cartoons 
A Charlie Brown Christmas 
Rudolph (not happy in my work I guess - I can identify with Hermey the Elf)
The Grinch who stole Christmas
Santa Claus is coming to Town (obviously i'm a sucker for stop animation)
Hardrock, Coco, and Joe AND Suzie Snowflake (very old b&w cartoon from Chicago tv growing up - you can find a video of it on the internet)


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Does anyone remember a few years back (maybe 15 or so) when a station out out early on "Grinch who stole Christmas" (as memory serves, it was just after the grinch had stolen everything) for a weather break and the uproar that caused?


Another movie that I have not seen mentioned yet in this thread is 'Home Alone'


----------



## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

fluffybear said:


> ...
> 
> Another movie that I have not seen mentioned yet in this thread is 'Home Alone'


Ahhh...another of my favorites!


----------



## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

These are mine:
Christmas Story
Home Alone (only one please)
Grinch (original cartoon of course)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Alastair Sim's Christmas Carol
Charlie Brown Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life


----------



## DiSH Defector (May 4, 2008)

I always seem to be the only one of my friends who's ever heard of it, but growing up I always had to watch the cartoon "Santa and the Three Bears". It's about 2 young bear cubs who learn about Christmas from a Park Ranger and decide to stay awake instead of hibernating just to meet Santa Clause.

I believe it came out in the early 1970's, and was normally on syndicated tv a weekend or two before Christmas. I remember it being mostly animated with a few live-action scenes, but you can find it on Hulu in a shortened animation-only version.


----------



## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

For me its would be I'll Be Home For Christmas with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Great Disney movie. Me and the kids love watching it. Already pulled it out of the closet once this holiday season. Might have to watch Christmas Vacation again as well.


----------



## makaiguy (Sep 24, 2007)

Christmas episode of Spieberg's old Amazing Stories series, called "Santa '85".

Available on DVD, Amazing Stories Season 1, Disk 2.


----------



## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

trainman said:


> "A Charlie Brown Christmas"...
> 
> "Lights, please."


"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is one of the few, if not only, Christmas special/movies that mentions what Christmas is all about.


----------



## BubblePuppy (Nov 3, 2006)

Not in any particular order of preference:

Christmas Story 
How The Grinch - Animated 
Christmas Carol - Sims / GC Scott
Charlie Brown Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life
Miracle On 34th Street - Original
White Christmas
Holiday Inn
Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol
Trading Places
Hallmarks Amahl and The Night Visitors
Babes In Toyland -Disney


----------



## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

I know I will be grateful when the season is over and all my favorite series stop shoe-horning Christmas into the show in every awkward and maudlin way they can.


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

armophob said:


> I know I will be grateful when the season is over and all my favorite series stop shoe-horning Christmas into the show in every awkward and maudlin way they can.


It does get kind of annoying, doesn't it!


----------



## SayWhat? (Jun 7, 2009)

makaiguy said:


> Christmas episode of *Spieberg's old Amazing Stories *series, called "Santa '85".


Speaking of one for the Retro TV thread!



armophob said:


> I know I will be grateful when the season is over and all my favorite series stop shoe-horning Christmas into the show in every awkward and maudlin way they can.


Well, there was the Married With Children episode with Sam Kinnison.


----------



## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

Old SNL Christmas with Topless Martha Stewart Holiday Special and the Schweddy Balls (search for that one on YouTube if you've never seen it)


----------



## machavez00 (Nov 2, 2006)

A Freddy Krueger Christmas was good. It brought a whole new meaning to sleighing songs


----------



## koji68 (Jun 21, 2004)

A Christmas Story

Bad Santa

The Doctor Who Christmas Episodes

Elf

One of the Scrooge variations - We just watched Scrooged

The nightmare before Christmas

I always found Charlie Brown's Christmas thoroughly depressing so we don't watch it.


----------



## klang (Oct 14, 2003)

Lethal Weapon had a Christmas theme.... 

I actually tried to pass that off as a Christmas movie when my wife and I were dating. She was not amused. :lol:


----------



## Mavrick (Feb 1, 2006)

klang said:


> Lethal Weapon had a Christmas theme....
> 
> I actually tried to pass that off as a Christmas movie when my wife and I were dating. She was not amused. :lol:


So did Diehard I might have to try and pass that off as a Christmas movie this year.


----------



## mreposter (Jul 29, 2006)

*"Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho." *

sounds like Christmas to me!


----------



## TheRatPatrol (Oct 1, 2003)

So anyone else watching A Christmas Story on TBS?


----------



## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

TheRatPatrol said:


> So anyone else watching A Christmas Story on TBS?


First year that my kids decided to sit down and watch it with me.


----------



## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

My favorite Christmas special is:









Die Hard

And, of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, narrated by Boris Karloff.


----------



## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

scooper said:


> Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" - I recorded it and put it on DVD last time or two it was on, so I'll bring it to work on the 24th.


Which channel was it on? I watched it with my parents when I was a kid on KTVU channel 2. 4 Star movie!


----------



## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

dmspen said:


> The original Miracle on 34th St has been my all time favorite classic Christmas movie. I do love The Santa Clause with Tim Allen though.


The Santa Clause wasn't on STARZ this year.  I'm still waiting for Toy Story 1 & 2. Must be on Disney Channel.


----------

