Christmas episode

[Ozzymandias]

Ozzymandias speaks: I know we may be beating these subjects to death and criss-crossing some, but how about Christmas episodes regular series. Currently I'm watching the Christmas episode of Have Gun Will Travel. Unlike the other shows, this one doesn't open with Paladin pointing his gun at the camera and uttering a 'tough' line from the episode. Instead, it opens with Paladin taking his gun belt and holster off and hanging it on the wall as "a present to you." THe plot is basically sort of Scrooge in the Searchers. The episode was written (like many) by Gene Rodenberry.

I also (being a radio guy) Liked the WKRP version of Christmas Carol, where Mr. Carlson doesn't give anyone a Christmas bonus. He eats some brownies Johnny Fever brought which cause him to have a Scrooge-like experience. The most scary part was the "future" in which Herb runs WKRP with a desk top automation computer. He is the only employee.

Any others?

Ozzymandias has spoken!!!

[Yaddo 42]

The X-Mas epsidoe of the Monkees. Nothing special other than the guys warming the heart of any uptight kid (played by Butch Patrick). The song is decent, would love to find a copy, and they do one of those pull back shots where they bring on the crew members that has been done a million times since. But I like it.

Of course, "Night of the Meek" from the original Twilight Zone. Still gets to me whenever I see it. The local ABC station used to air this on a Saturday afternoon during the holiday season for years and years before syndicated programs, network sports, and infomercials took over weekend programming (80s and early 90s). Never advertised it, rarely in the same time slot, rough worn out copy, and yet for years I would happen to run across it every year flipping channels. It was my own little holiday ritual. When they stopped I felt that I had lost something, after about three years I quit looking for it, since I could see it other places but it wasn't quite the same. No one I've ever asked IRL can ever recall seeing it there.

The holiday episode of "NewsRadio" where everyone wants to ditch work early to go home so Dave winds up doing all their work since he's a pushover. He and Lisa want to take a trip to to see his family as a couple, they keep rescheduling flights, cutting down the time they can actually spend there. When they finally go, they plan to only say "Hi" and come right back, but the family is having the party at another relative's house. So they take a Polaroid to show they were there as a sweet surprise. After they leave the family dog eats the photo.

[Jack]

Married with Children had some great Christmas episodes.  My favorite was when Al didn't get to the bank in time to cash his paycheck, so he didn't have any money to buy presents.  He and the guy he worked with ended up working in the Christmas village at the mall to make a few extra bucks.  Al drove a little choo-choo train and the guy he worked with ended up being an elf.  Then there was the one where Santa was doing some publicity stunt, jumping out of a helicopter, but his parachute didn't open and he went THUMP! in the Bundy's backyard.  And another one where Bud and Kelly stole the neighbor's statues of Joseph and Mary from their Christmas display and tried to hold them for ransom.  They were driving around with the statues in the car, but they drove too close to a bridge or something and knocked the heads off the statues.  In the end Bud and Kelly had to play the parts of Joseph and Mary, and someone commented that Mary looked kind of slutty.

[Ozzymandias]

Ozzymandias speaks: I was up late so I forgot a few others. The "Night of the Meek" episode of Twilight Zone is great. Also the Married With Children that pokes fun at It's a Wonderful Life is worth it alone for having Sam Kinison as an angel. Just Shoot Me is I believe the only show to pay homage in a Christmas episode to How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Ozzymandias has spoken!!!

[LilCerberus]

The Tick vs. Multi-Santa.
A bank robber steals the Santa costume from a Salivation Army bellringer.
Thinking it really is Santa, The Tick doesn't have the heart to apprehend him, so the real Santa shows up to set things strait.
Favorite quotes:
American Maid: "I've gotta hand it to you Tick, You've really dropped the ball this time."
Sewar Urchin: "Yeah. Definately some serious balldropping going on."

Santa: "Tick, you've kept the faith longer than any sane adult would!"

Security Guard: (watching a mechanical Santa display) "I know this sounds crazy, but that thing has become a recurring theme in my nightmares."

[Andrew]

The Tick vs. Multi-Santa.

That one is awesome!  I love the scene after Multi-Santa has electrocuted himself at the dam and the huge wave of Santa-clones and snow is rushing down the frozen river at Tick.

"It's a yuletide!"