Let’s “Make Some Noise”, Christmas-time style as I offer my favorite holiday movies and shows of all time!
I learned a couple lessons from last year’s “Top 20 Christmas Songs” list that I wrote for this column. First, that it would be much more difficult than I had expected to narrow the list down to only 10 titles so this time I started out knowing I was shooting for 20. It was still hard. Second, that I’d need to convey accurately and appropriately not only the descriptions of each film or show on the list but also why I feel like it qualifies and deserves inclusion.
Sure, I like warm, fuzzy feel good Holiday flicks as much as the next guy I guess, but make no mistake, I am not a traditionalist with this sort of thing so if you’re looking for “I’s a Wonderful Life”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, or “Holiday Inn” you’ve found the wrong list and are probably in for some disappointment. However if you like comedy, action, horror or animation, you’re in the right place!
Please keep in mind that this is a completely non-scientific study. Where these movies and shows fall in the list does come with some consideration but literally by me only. (And maybe some influence from my kids.). Their placement on the list has absolutely nothing to do with box office scores, home video sales, wholesome, warm feelings of Christmas joy, or even overall popularity. It’s very simply my list of holiday favorites-that and nothing more. I’m sure you’ll find some familiar films here that you and yours also enjoy during the holidays and hopefully some that you’ll discover for the first time, seek out, and appreciate.
I’ve tried to mix my favorite “family favorites” together on the list with some not so kid-friendly films that I enjoy as well so please note that this list includes plenty of entertainment for gown ups to watch after the little ones are in bed. So, with all that in mind and without any further ado, here’s the first installment of my top 20 holiday features. Hang on and enjoy the ride!
#20 “Die Hard”: 1988, Rated R
This Summer blockbuster action film directed by John McTiernan stars Bruce Willis as police detective, John McClane who becomes entangled in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife during a Christmas Eve party.
Upon its release expectations for “Die Hard”were low with the role of McClane being turned down by a host of the decade’s most popular action movie actors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone before eventually landing Bruce Willis who was known mainly for work on television.
After scoring big at the box office and receiving four Academy Award nominations, it elevated Willis to leading-man status and made co-star, Alan Rickman a celebrity.
“Die Hard” has been critically re-evaluated and is now considered one of the greatest action films of all time and to have revitalized the action genre. The United States Library of Congress has deemed the film as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” leading to its selection for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2017.
The success of “Die Hard” spawned four film sequels, beginning with Die Hard 2 in 1990, “Die Hard with a Vengeance” in 1995, Live Free or Die Hard (also known as “Die Hard 4.0”) from 2007 and the fifth and final film in the series, “A Good Day to Die Hard” in 2013.
Due to its Christmas setting, “Die Hard” is often named one of the best Christmas films of all time, although its status as a an actual Christmas film is often disputed.
This film is certainly not a Christmas movie by traditional standards but as far as I’m concerned, if it takes place on Christmas Eve, that’s good enough for me but as previously stated, I’m a bit of a non-traditionalist so take that for what it’s worth. I’m a fan of the entire series with “Die Hard Hard 2” co-starring Samuel Jackson being my favorite.
#19 “The Polar Express”: 2004, Rated G
This animated Christmas fantasy adventure film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with William Broyles Jr., based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The film stars Tom Hanks in multiple roles, along with Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen. The film depicts human characters using live action and motion capture computer animation.
Set on Christmas Eve, it tells the story of a young boy who questioning his belief in Santa Claus, travels aboard a magical train called The Polar Express bound for The North Pole guided by its conductor (Hanks). On the journey the boy meets other children in the same predicament and while they travel are met with various obstacles including a lost ticket, a broken headlight, a near miss with a herd of caribou, a lost throttle pin, and a trip across a frozen lake among other difficulties.
They eventually arrive at the North Pole and meet Santa who gives the boy the gift of a reindeer’s bell which he loses during the trip back home. On Christmas morning the bell is returned along with a note from Santa but only those who truly believe can hear it ring.
“The Polar Express” is a favorite around our house even though my youngest daughter has said for years that she thinks, “The characters all look kinda creepy”. It seems that they also watch the movie at her elementary school every year so maybe we’ll give it a rest moving forward as she moves to middle school next year.
#18 “Bad Santa”: 2003 Rated R
In this Christmas comedy crime film directed by Terry Zwigoff, and co-produced by Ethan and Joel Coen, Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, John Ritter, and Bernie Mac.
Willie T. Soke (Thornton) and his dwarf assistant Marcus Skidmore (Cox) are professional thieves who every year, get jobs as a department store Santa Claus and an elf to rob shopping malls on the night of Christmas Eve, with Marcus’ wife Lois (Tom) as their getaway driver. Marcus takes his job seriously, but Willie, a sex-addicted, cursing, alcoholic and drug addict, is steadily unable to perform the task.
Willie’s vulgarity continually shocks the prudish mall manager Bob Chipeska, (Ritter) who brings them to the attention of security chief Gin Slagel (Mac) who discovers their plans and blackmails the duo for half the score of their heist.
Much absurdity, vulgarity and in my opinion, hilarity ensues as the criminals along with their rag-tag group of accomplices, execute their plan with its various flaws.
Rotten Tomatoes calls Bad Santa, “A gloriously rude and gleefully offensive black comedy. Adding that, “‘Bad Santa’ isn’t for everyone, but grinches will find it uproariously funny.”
I’d say that sums it up pretty well especially if you watch the unrated cut released on DVD from 2004 and on Blue-Ray in 2007 as “Bad-der Santa”. A sequel, “Bad Santa 2” was released in 2016, but failed to match the critical or commercial success of the original film.
I think it’s a hilarious movie and I would recommend it to those who enjoy a good laugh around the holidays. Just DON’T watch it with your kids, your parents, or anyone else who may be easily offended.
#17 “The Santa Clause”: 2004 Rated PG
This Christmas fantasy-comedy film directed by John Pasquin and written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, a divorced marketing executive who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his death on Christmas Eve, inadvertently agreeing to a contract that forces him to take over the job as Santa.
After a night long trip delivering of toys and a visit to the North Pole Scott learns that, by wearing the suit, he is subject to a legal technicality known as “the Santa Clause,” and has accepted all of the late Santa’s duties and responsibilities. The head elf, Bernard, (David Krumholtz) gives Scott 11 months to get his affairs in order before reporting back to the North Pole on Thanksgiving.
Over the course of that year, despite his resistance Scott slowly begins taking on the physical traits and characteristics of Santa while his son, Charlie is being lead to believe that Santa isn’t real and that his dad is crazy by his Mother, Laura (Crewsen) and her psychiatrist husband, Dr. Neil Miller (Reinhold).
The next Christmas Eve, Scott delivers the toys with Charlie, is accused of kidnapping him, broken out of jail by elves, and eventually restores the belief of his ex-wife and her husband by giving them the gifts they never received as a child once they stopped believing in Santa. With that, all is right in the world and Scott remains as Santa Claus for what would become “The Santa Clause Franchise”.
The film was a huge hit at the box office, earning over $190 million dollars and becoming a holiday staple among viewers. The franchise includes sequels, “The Santa Clause 2” from 2002, and “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” in 2006 and eventually two seasons of the TV series, “The Santa Clauses” which premiered on Disney in 2022.
I’ve not seen the series and have only watched the sequels once each. They are good, clean holiday viewing for the whole family but the original (as is usually the case) is definitely the best in my opinion.
#16 “A Charlie Brown Christmas”: 1965 Rated TV-G
This animated television special produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez premiered on the CBS network as the first TV special based on the “Peanuts” comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, and features the voices of Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Kathy Steinberg, Tracy Stratford, and Bill Melendez. In the special, Charlie Brown (Robbins) finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. After Lucy Van Pelt(Stratford) suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his friends when he chooses an underwhelming Christmas tree as a centerpiece.
At only 30 minutes in length this wonderfully short Christmas special still manages to perfectly capture the heart of the holiday season. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” remains an enduring classic with its charm lying in its simplicity. The scrawny Christmas tree with a single drooping bulb has become an iconic symbol of the story’s deeper message about the true meaning of Christmas.
The beloved “Peanuts” characters are brought to life, with a balance of humor, warmth, and subtle distinction investing the audience in their interactions throughout the story. I’ve seen it countless times over the years and truly believe that “A Charlie Brown Christmas” conveys valuable lessons particularly for younger viewers to connect with both the festive cheer and the underlying reflection on materialism versus the actual meaning behind the season.
Even decades later, its legacy is well-earned, and I consider it a must watch for anyone seeking a timeless, heartfelt holiday narrative that resonates across generations. The simple-yet-expressive animation retains a pleasantly transportive power, taking the viewer to simpler times.
I am also a big fan of the Grammy Award winning soundtrack to, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” which features The Vince Guaraldi Trio playing cool, upbeat jazz instrumentals along with accompaniment from a children’s choir from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on a couple Christmas standards and has sold over 5 million copies. The three-piece jazz sound of piano, upright bass and light drums became the signature sound for all Charlie Brown television specials that followed.
The special ends on a joyous note, when Linus recites the Biblical passage of the annunciation to the shepherds as Charlie Brown and the other kids look on. Touched by the simple message, Charlie Brown walks home while the other kids, remorseful for their teasing, quietly follow him to decorate the tree leaving it looking beautiful and healthy while singing, “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” and shouting, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!”
#15 “A Muppet Christmas Carol”: 1992 Rated G
This Christmas musical film features the directorial debut by Brian Henson and is the fourth theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Adapted from the 1843 classic novella “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens the film of course takes artistic license to suit the aesthetic of the Muppets, but still follows Dickens’ original story-line closely.
Often listed as one of the best Christmas films of all-time, “A Muppet Christmas Carol” stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge alongside Muppet performers Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, and Frank Oz. and is the first Muppet film to be produced following the death of creator Jim Henson.
The Muppet performers bring the classic cast of characters to life in their Dickens roles such as The Great Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat as co-narrators, Waldorf and Statler as Robert and Jacob Marley, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cratchit, Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim, and Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit.
I’ve been a fan of The Muppets ever since “The Muppet Show” premiered in 1976. I fell in love with the members of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem including; Janis, Animal, Floyd Pepper, Zoot, Lips and of course Dr. Teeth. The band makes their appearance in “A Muppet Christmas Carol” as the entertainers at Fozzwig’s (Fozzie Bear) rubber chicken factory company Christmas party during a scene from Scrooge’s Christmas past where The Swedish Chef is also present as the cook. More of my favorite characters from “The Muppet Show” are seen in the film as well with roles as charity collectors played by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his faithful assistant Beaker and Sam Eagle as the schoolmaster.
As I mentioned, the storyline follows Dickens, “A Christmas Carol” closely so the film resolves as you would imagine with Scrooge, after realizing the err of his greedy ways in the past and present and knowing his grim forecast for the future, sees the light, finds his deeply hidden Christmas spirit and shares his wealth and newfound outlook with the Cratchits and the community.
I think it’s a great way for kids and adults alike to reminisce in the positive message of Scrooge’s 180 degree turnaround in a fun and colorful way. I much prefer it to the traditional, dreary, black and white view of nineteenth century London seen in the original movie that we used to have to watch on the last day of school before Christmas break.
#14 “The Ref”: 1994 Rated R
This Christmas black-comedy, crime film directed by Ted Demme, written by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss, stars Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey in a plot centering on a burglar named Gus (Leary) who, while evading capture from the police, is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve. Gus finds himself having to act as a de-facto marriage counselor, or “referee”, between the continual squabbling of husband, Lloyd (Spacey) and wife, Caroline (Davis) in a situation that further complicates when Lloyd’s relatives drop by for Christmas dinner.
The plot continues to thicken as does the absurdity when Gus is faced with additional obstacles like the couple’s son Jesse arriving home early from military school where he is blackmailing his commanding officer, Siskel, a couple of visits from George the drunken neighbor, police officers conducting a door-to-door search, and the inevitable arrival of Lloyd’s entire family including his wealthy, domineering mother, Rose. Gus eventually pretends to be Lloyd and Caroline’s marriage counselor, Dr. Wong under the pretense that he is conducting an experimental therapy technique with the couple.
Lloyd eventually snaps, standing up to his wife and mother while everyone discovers that Gus is actually the burglar and a full on melt down ensues before Lloyd instructs Jesse to take Gus wearing George’s Santa suit through the woods to the docks and make his escape by boat with his partner, Murray. Meanwhile, the couple’s bickering drives away the police and having aired out their grievances with Gus’ help, they ultimately decide to stay together.
And they all live happily ever after, I guess.
“The Ref” didn’t do particularly well at the box office upon its release even though positive reviews praised its dark humor, dialogue, and performances. Later the film found a wider audience through home video and cable television airings, becoming a cult movie and an alternative to traditional Christmas movies during the holiday season.
Personally, I enjoy humor a little on the darker side and like I said back at number 20, any movie that takes place on Christmas Eve is by default is a “Christmas movie” in my opinion. They can’t all be feel good flicks for any list of mine.
#13 Gremlins: 1984 Rated PG-13
Another black-comedy, horror film makes my list as “Gremlins” with Steven Spielberg as executive producer, directed by Joe Dante, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain, with voice character work by Howie Mandel. The film draws from legends of folklore going back to World War II about mischievous creatures known as gremlins that cause malfunctions in machinery.
The story follows Billy Peltzer (Galligan) who receives Gizmo the mogwai as a pet from his father (Axton) as a Christmas gift. The small, furry, adorable creature named Gizmo (voiced by Mandel) comes with some basic but unusual rules concerning its care: 1. Keep him out of the light, especially sunlight, which will kill him. 2. Do not let him come in contact with water; and above all, 3. Never let him eat after midnight.
The rules are broken when Billy’s friend, Pete accidentally spills water on Gizmo, causing five mogwai to spawn from him. These being a more mischievous sort led by the aggressive Stripe, named after the white, mohawk-like tuft of fur on his head. Matters worsen when the new creatures sabotage Billy’s alarm clock, causing him to feed them after midnight.
The group then form cocoons, which soon hatch, emerging as destructive and reptilian-like monsters called “gremlins”. After destroying Billy’s home and assaulting his mother, Lynn (McCain), and torturing Gizmo, the leader Stripe is able to escape to the local YMCA where he jumps into the swimming pool, spawning an army of gremlins that wreak havoc on the town of Kingston Falls. Many locals are injured or outright killed during their rampage, and leaving the local police helpless.
Eventually Billy rescues his girlfriend, Kate (Cates) and the they find the Gremlins at the local movie theater trying to escape the coming morning daylight. After they are killed with a gas explosion, Stripe escapes and again tries to multiply himself in a fountain but Is killed by Gizmo who opens a skylight, exposing him to the sun and thereby saves the day.
I saw “Gremlins” in the theater when I was 13 years old. The violence didn’t bother me and I wanted nothing more than for a mogwai to be a real creature that I could have as a pet. I even have a “Gremlins” lunch box with original thermos which is proudly displayed in my kitchen to this day. The movie is also credited as the reason behind the invention of the PG-13 rating.
Released in June of 1984, to critical and commercial success, “Gremlins” was criticized for some of its more violent sequences. In response to this backlash and to similar complaints about “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, Spielberg suggested that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) alter its rating system, which it did within two months of the film’s release, creating a new PG-13 rating.
Forgetting that the rating was changed from PG, I watched “Gremlins” with my youngest daughter who was nine years old at the time. She was unaffected by the violence and as is often the case when I attempt to show my kids movies from my youth, she was largely unimpressed and fell asleep before it was over. Maybe I should have chosen a Christmas movie that was a little more traditional but either way, I guess you can take the rating as simply a suggestion as individual results may vary.
It was followed by a sequel, “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” in 1990 and an animated prequel series in 2023 subtitled, “Secrets of the Mogwai”, which was renewed for a second season, subtitled “The Wild Batch” in 2024.
I’ve not seen any of these sequels or prequels but maybe I will watch them before the release of a third film in the series, “Gremlins 3” which is set to be released in November of 2027.
#12 “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” 2018 Rated PG
This animated Christmas musical-comedy film based on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss” is the third screen adaptation of the book, following the 1966 television special and the 2000 live-action film. This most recent version was directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney, written by Michael LeSieur and Tommy Swerdlow, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, with Rashida Jones, Kenan Thompson, and Angela Lansbury in supporting roles, and Pharrell Williams as the narrator.
As in previous versions, the plot follows the Grinch, who plans to stop Whoville’s Christmas celebration by stealing all the town’s decorations and gifts, with the help of his pet dog Max. This most current version gives way to some more modern complications during the holiday season like 6-year-old Cindy Lou Who noticing that her single mother Donna (Jones) is overworked and overwhelmed with trying to take care of herself and her twin infant brothers, Buster and Bean.
Another example is seen following a failed attempt to sabotage Whoville’s tree-lighting ceremony, when the Grinch experiences several negative flashbacks to his unhappy childhood. Overwhelmed, he resolves to steal Christmas from the Whos to alleviate his distress and the loneliness that the holiday brings him.
I’m a lifelong fan of Dr. Seuss and particularly of all 3 Grinch films but this one seems a little more introspective in the development of the Grinch’s inner sadness and I when I watched it the first time in the theater with my kids, I found myself feeling genuinely sorry for the guy, even tearing up at times.
From here the plot continues as expected with the Grinch disguised as Santa bounding down Mt. Crumpit to sneak into the homes of Whoville, stealing all of their gifts, decorations and as we all know, “He even took the roast beast!” After returning back up the mountain where he lives, the Grinch awakens Christmas morning to the sound of The Whos singing, “Welcome Christmas” in the town square. Upon hearing this the Grinch realizes the true meaning of Christmas and heads back down the mountain to return all their stolen loot.
Feeling sorry for the Grinch, who would still be spending Christmas alone despite his heart growing three sizes, Cindy Lou invites him along with Max to celebrate Christmas at her house which he awkwardly attends. There he realizes that it was never really Christmas that he despised, but rather his solitude and bitterness over being neglected. With this, the Grinch finally accepts the Whos’ friendship and enjoys a Christmas toast with them.
Although it received mixed reviews from critics, “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” still managed to gross $540 million, at the box office becoming the highest-grossing Christmas film of all time, as well as the highest-grossing of any Dr. Seuss film adaptation.
If you’re a fan of either of the other two Grinch movies, I’d recommend watching it for a fresh take on the classic Dr. Suess story. It’s a family-friendly, crowd favorite at our house and will likely become one at yours as well.
#11. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: 1989 Rated PG-13
This Christmas slapstick comedy film is the third installment in “National Lampoon-magazine’s Vacation” film series. “Christmas Vacation” was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, written and co-produced by John Hughes, and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid. The film tells the story of Clark Griswold’s (Chase) efforts to have a good old-fashioned family Christmas while his plans take hilarious turns for the worse.
The comedy of errors starts with Clark, his wife, Ellen (D’Angelo) along with their kids heading out to the country to get the biggest Christmas tree they could find, only to discover that they had no tools to cut it down so they decide to uproot it instead. Ironically the tree later goes up in flames when accidentally ignited by Uncle Lewis’ cigar.
The ridiculousness continues with other obstacles such as; escalating chaos with their neighbors, both sets of Clark and Ellen’s bickering parents arrival, a city-wide power outage caused by Clark’s over zealous Christmas light display, a burnt turkey, and the unexpected arrival of Cousin Eddie (Quaid) in his motor home with young children, Rocky, Ruby Sue and their Rottweiler, Snots who later has an indoor battle with a squirrel that once lived in the Christmas tree.
Clark remains positive through it all with the hopes that his company Christmas bonus check will arrive soon to cover the cost of a swimming pool he has prepaid for with the money he expects to receive. His hopes are shattered when a courier delivers his bonus in the form of a membership to the jelly-of-the-month club, leading Clark to finally snap and spew out a profanity laden tirade.
Eventually after Cousin Eddie kidnaps Clark’s boss forcing him to reinstate the canceled Christmas bonuses, an appearance from the SWAT team, and another cigar related fire that this time leads to a massive sewage gas explosion, Clark and Ellen share a Christmas kiss and he is finally satisfied that he has provided a great Christmas for his family.
To say that this movie is silly would be an enormous understatement but “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” has become a holiday standard and is practically considered as required viewing at households across the country during Christmastime.
I mean who can deny the popularity of a movie that’s given us such iconic quotable lines as:
“Hallelujah! Holy S___!, Where’s the Tylenol?” – Clark
“Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.” – Cousin Eddie
“If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am right now.” – Clark
“I don’t want to spend the holidays dead.” – Ellen
“I don’t know what to say, but it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.” – Ellen
And everyone’s favorite,
“We’re gonna press on, and we’re gonna have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tapdanced with Danny-f_____-Kaye.”- Clark
Released by Warner Bros. In December of 1989, “Christmas Vacation”performed well at the box office, grossing $73.3 million but initially received mixed reviews from critics, however the film’s critical reception improved over time, and is now viewed as a Christmas classic.
That concludes the first half of my top 20 Holiday movies & shows countdown. Hopefully you saw some of your favorites on the list or maybe some that you’ll add to your holiday viewing this season. Tune in next time for the top 10!
If you made it through the first half of my “Top 20 All Time Favorite Holiday Movies and Shows” list and have still managed to come back for the final 10, I appreciate that you’ve made it this far and still chose to read the rest of my long-winded holiday ramblings so thank you. I sincerely appreciate your interest. I’m sure the last 10 gave you some surprises but also found some of your family’s favorites. Hopefully that trend will continue into the remaining 10.
#10 “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: 1964 Rated TV-G
This classic Christmas animated television special featuring stop motion animation was produced by Videocraft International and was originally broadcast on NBC under the umbrella title of “The General Electric Fantasy Hour”, sponsored by General Electric.
The special narrated by snowman, Burl Ives, first aired on December 6, 1964 and was based on the 1949 Johnny Marks song “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” which was itself based on the poem of the same name written in 1939 by Marks’s brother-in-law, Robert L. May, published by Montgomery Ward Department Store.
As we all know the plot-line of the TV show follows the story of Rudolf, a specially gifted reindeer with a glowing red nose that is only appreciated by his peers once he is called on to lead Santa and the other eight reindeer on one foggy Christmas Eve. As an hour long show, the story is expanded a bit further than as told in the lyrics of the original song and poem. Other characters are introduced and developed like the Abominable Snow Monster, Hermey the misfit elf who wants to be a dentist and my personal favorite, Yukon Cornelius a prospector searching for silver and gold. They all spend some time on the Island of Misfit Toys and after some self discovery return back home in time for Santa to procure Rudolf’s services guiding the sleigh in the fog.
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” now airs several times during the Christmas and holiday season and has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest continuously running Christmas TV special in the United States. Celebrating its 60th Anniversary last Christmas (2024), it is often regarded as one of the best Christmas films ever made, and has most definitely earned its top ten slot on my list.
This animated classic has become widely popular among both young children and adults alike when celebrating the Christmas season. I’ve watched it countless times over the years of my life and have not gone through a single Christmas without viewing it at least once in the 15 years I’ve e been a parent making it “Dad tested, daughters approved”.
#9 “Scrooged”: 1988 Rated PG-13
This Christmas fantasy black-comedy film directed by Richard Donner and written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O’Donoghue is inspired by Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A “Christmas Carol”. “Scrooged” is a modern retelling that follows Frank Cross, (Bill Murray) a cynical and selfish television executive who, while prepping for an extravagant, live broadcast adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”, is visited on Christmas Eve by a succession of ghosts with intent of helping regain his Christmas spirit.
The “Scrooged” version of the ghosts include; John Forsythe as the ghost of Franks’s mentor, Lee Hayward similarly to the Jacob Marley character from Dickens’ original story, David Johansen (AKA Buster Poindexter) as The Ghost of Christmas Past, Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Chaz Conner as the particularly creepy Ghost of Christmas Future. Other supporting roles are played by a host of actors including; Bobcat Goldthwait, Karen Allen, Robert Mitchum, Michael J. Pollard and Alfre Woodard.
By now you know how this story ends. Just as in the the classic Dickens, ”A Christmas Carol”, “A Muppet Christmas Carol”, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” or any other adaptation, the Scrooge character (Frank in this case), having experienced a profound transformation, jubilantly returns to the present, changes their ways and makes amends with those he’s wronged through acts of kindness and generosity.
I was 17 years old when I first saw, “Scrooged” at the movie theater on a date with my high school girlfriend, Leslie. Even back then I was not the type to get really hyped up for the holidays. I do however have a crystal clear memory of stepping outside of the theater that night to discover it had started snowing while we were inside. It was the first snow of the year and giant flakes were falling slowly and shimmering in the parking lot lights.
I don’t know if it was the movie’s uplifting ending, the fresh snow, or Leslie snuggling close to me to stay warm as we walked to my Buick but that night it hit me hard, like a fistful of Yuletide spirit whacked me right upside the head. We were all smiles and singing Christmas songs for the whole drive back to her house. To this day, when I feel the holiday blues kicking in or someone accuses me of being a “Scrooge” or a “Grinch”, I think about that night and remember that feeling as a way to pull myself out of it.
Since its release, “Scrooged” which grossed over $100 million worldwide has become a regular television Christmastime feature. While some critics have called it an alternative to traditional Christmas films, others argue that the film was ahead of its time, making it relevant in the modern day.
Even though I really enjoyed “Scrooged”, for whatever reason I haven’t rewatched it for a few years but now having written about it, I plan to revisit the film and the memories this week for sure.
#8 “Elf”: 2003 Rated PG
American Christmas comedy film directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It stars Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, a human raised by Santa’s (Ed Asner) elves, who learns about his origins and heads to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan).
It all started one Christmas Eve, when a baby from an orphanage crawls into Santa Claus’ sack and is unwittingly taken back to the North Pole. When the infant is discovered back at the workshop, the elves name him Buddy, and Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) adopts him. Growing up, Buddy believes that he is an elf, but discovers in adulthood that he is actually a human.
With that in mind, Buddy makes the trip and finds his dad working as a children’s book publisher at the Empire State Building, meets the rest of his family including his supportive step-mother (Mary Steenburgen) and falls in love with Gimbels Department Store employee, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel).
Along the way Buddy is involved in such antics as brawling with a department store Santa, using his snowball throwing prowess to fight off a group of bullies to rescue his half-brother Michael (Daniel Tay) and eventually saves Christmas when Santa’s sleigh crashes in Central Park due to a faulty engine caused by a lack of Christmas spirit.
I’ve been a fan of Will Ferrell since his days on “Saturday Night Live” and have seen most of his comedies many times. Films like, “Old School”, “Talladega Nights”, “Step Brothers”, and “Anchor Man” are all in heavy rotation and highly quoted around my house and “Elf” is no exception.
Buddy’s iconic lines like, “I’m a cotton-headed ninny muggins.”, “You stink. – You smell like beef and cheese.”, and of course, “We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup.” allow his man-childlike naïveté to shine through in a way that is both innocent and hilarious. These lines are jokingly quoted around my house during the holidays probably even more often than “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”! Why is it that we can faithfully recite nearly all of Buddy’s dialogue verbatim but we can’t remember “The 12 Days of Christmas” past five golden rings? It’s a mystery, I guess.
“Elf” became a major critical and commercial success, grossing $228.9 million worldwide. Ferrell’s performance was praised by critics hailed by many as a modern classic that is often listed as one of the best Christmas films of all time.
#7. “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas”: 1999 Rated G
This family-friendly, direct-to-video animated Christmas anthology fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and released by Walt Disney Home Video includes three features: “Donald Duck: “Stuck on Christmas” (featuring Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Daisy Duck, and Scrooge McDuck), “A Very Goofy Christmas” (featuring Goofy, Max, and Pete) and “Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi” (featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Pete, Daisy Duck, and Mortimer Mouse). Other Disney characters also make cameos in the film.
The segments take their inspiration from much older literary works with “Stuck on Christmas” being inspired by the 1892 short story “Christmas Every Day” by William Dean Howells while “Mickey and Minnie’s Gift of the Magi” is based on the 1905 short story “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry.
Without expanding on the plots of the three sub-stories, I need to clarify that when I asked my 14-year-old daughter what her favorite Christmas show was so that I could include it on my list she answered, “The Mickey Mouse one”. When I replied, “Which one?”, she followed with, “All of them!”
To be fair, she’s not wrong as I’ve noticed over the years that when the Disney Christmas shows are played in our house, they tend to run back-to-back for a multi-hour, super-Disney, mega-marathon that lasts all day.
If you like Mickey Mouse or Disney in general, they’re all pretty good in my opinion and I enjoy watching them with the girls but mostly that’s just because I enjoy their company. Spending quality time with them, especially during the holiday season is really what it’s all about so I actually chose, “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” as a placeholder that could have just as easily been filled with, “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” (2004), “Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas” (2021), “Mickey’s Magical Christmas” (2001), “Mickey Saves Christmas” (2022), “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983) or even, “Pluto’s Christmas Tree” (1952).
In all reality, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is probably the one we’ve watched the most but after already writing about, “The Muppets Christmas Carol” at #15 and Bill Murray’s, “Scrooged” at #9, I’m frankly running out of creative ways to describe the true meaning of Christmas through Charles Dickens’ eyes as
a heartwarming tale about how the rich must be traumatized by ghosts in the middle of the night to be persuaded into sharing or paying their employees.
So, “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” it is, then! They’re all good, clean family viewing with positive messages about the Christmas spirit. Make some hot cocoa and watch a couple of them with your kids or grandkids. You won’t be disappointed.
#6. “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” (2000) Rated PG
This comedic take based on the classic Dr. Seuss children’s Christmas book from 1957 was directed by Ron Howard and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. It was the first Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel) book to be adapted into a live-action feature film, and the second adaptation of the book, following the 1966 animated TV special. Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, the film stars Jim Carrey as the Grinch, with Jeffrey Tambor as Mayor MayWho, Christine Baranski as Martha May Whovier, Bill Irwin as Lou Lou Who and Molly Shannon as Betty Lou Who. Lou and Betty are the parents of Cindy Lou Who, played by Taylor Momsen.
The story revolves around a grouchy, green recluse living on Mount Crumpit, who despises Christmas and the joyful residents of Whoville so he sets out to sabotage their holiday celebration.
The Grinch befriends young, Cindy Lou Who and she nominates him to serve as the towns, “Holiday Cheer Meister”. The Grinch reluctantly agrees but is faced with more ridicule from his former childhood bully and now Mayer, Augustus MayWho. After the torment from and embarrassment caused by the Mayor, the Grinch wreaks havoc on their festivities, returning to his home on Mt. Crumpit to plan the Who’s demise.
As the story goes, The Grinch along with his dog, Max disguise themselves as Santa and a reindeer and head down the mountain on the night of Christmas Eve to steal all of the Who’s gifts, toys, decorations and even their food. On Christmas morning the Grinch hears the Who’s gathered in the town square singing “Welcome Christmas” despite having all their holiday goodies stolen. He then realizes the true meaning of Christmas, his heart grows three sizes, and he goes back down the mountain to return all of their belongings to celebrate Christmas with them.
In my opinion, Jim Carrey absolutely nails this roll. I’ve been a fan of his work since he first appeared on, “In Living Color” in 1990. As a character actor he completely submerges himself into his roles and has given fantastic performances as Andy Kaufman in “The Man on the Moon”, The Riddler in, “Batman Forever” and Doctor Eggman in the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series as well as many other great rolls in films like, “The Mask”, “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective”, “The Cable Guy” and, “Dumb and Dumber”.
The way he brought the Grinch character who had only been previously seen as simple animation to life was nothing short of amazing. We love this movie around our house during the holiday season and in fact we’ve already watched it twice so far this year.
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” premiered and was released in November of 2000, receiving mixed reviews from critics but still grossed $350.2 million, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2000 domestically.
#5. Home Alone (1990) Rated PG
This Christmastime comedy directed by Chris Columbus, and written and produced by John Hughes is the first of six films in the “Home Alone” franchise. “Home Alone” and its sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” (1992) both star Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, before moving on to other actors in the role as necessary to maintain an eight-year-old boy as the main character. In the first film Kevin defends his suburban Chicago home from a home invasion by a pair of robbers known as the “Wet Bandits” (Joe Pesci as Harry and and Daniel Stern as Marv) after his family accidentally leaves him behind on their Christmas vacation to Paris. The cast also features John Heard, as Kevin’s father, Peter and Catherine O’Hara as his mother, Kate.
As the not-so-clever bandits plan their break-in of the McCallister home, Kevin overhears them and therefore rigs a series of elaborate, handmade booby traps that are sprung by the robbers causing various slapstick style reactions and injuries.
Meanwhile, mid-flight the family realizes Kevin is not with them and immediately upon arrival in Paris, Kate makes a return trip to the US that leaves her stranded in Pennsylvania until she accepts the help of Gus Polinski, (John Candy) the lead member of a traveling polka band, who offers to let her travel with them to Chicago in their rental van.
Back in Chicago, Kevin with the aid of his neighbor Marley manage to capture the bandits and hand them over to the police. Kate eventually arrives back home as does the rest of the family and all is again right again with the McCallisters.
In “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York the similar theme returns with Kevin, now 10 years old being separated from his family during their Christmas vacation. The difference being that in the sequel Kevin accidentally boards a plane bound for New York City while the rest of the family goes to Miami.
While there Kevin again encounters the “Wet Bandits” who have broken out of jail and have plans to rob a toy store. As you might expect, Kevin again thwarts their plans with a series of traps eventually leading to their capture just in time for him to be reunited with his family and once again, all is well for the McCallisters.
Yes, I’m fully aware that I just write about two different movies under the same #5 slot but it’s my list so it’s also my rules. The fact is that I never really paid any attention to either of these movies when they were released back in 1990 and 1992. Somewhere over the last decade my daughters discovered them and enjoy watching both “Home Alone” and “Home Alone 2” as part of their annual Christmas viewing. Watching with them, I’ve learned to enjoy both films as well but I highly doubt I’ll venture any further into the franchise.
Both films scored well at the box office with “Home Alone” grossing $477 million worldwide and making Macaulay Culkin a star. “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” capitalized on that fame and with the same writers, director, producer and cast managed to gross over another $359 million worldwide.
#4. NFL Christmas Game Day (2025) Not Rated
What’s that you say? “Now he’s gone too far” – “I guess I can get on board for some of his non-traction choices for Christmas programs but how on Earth does he justify NFL Football as a Christmas show?!”
To that I say, “Is it not called ‘Christmas Game Day?” – “Will it not be watched by millions of Americans on Christmas Day?” I rest my case.
Here’s a popular holiday tradition that I enjoy. on Christmas Day – After all the presents have been opened, after everyone has stuffed themselves with ham, six different types of starchy foods, and still managed to save some room for pie, cake and maybe just one more cookie, the kids turn to their new toys and electronic gadgets while the grown-ups stretch out on the couches and easy-chairs to let their meal settle while napping their way through an afternoon of football games on TV. It’s literally my favorite part of the day.
Scheduling games on Christmas Day was not always an annual occurrence for the NFL before 2020. For most of the league’s 105 year history, an occasional game would be played on Christmas Day if the holiday happened to fall on a typical NFL game day like Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Fortunately, as of five years ago, the league has made a point of putting at least one game on December 25th. This year, fans will be treated to a tripleheader offering a mix of heated rivalries and high-stakes playoff implications.
Hopefully your Grandma has a smart TV and her streaming service subscriptions up to date because two games will air on Netflix, with the third airing on Prime Video.
The action kicks off at 1:00 p.m. EST when the historic rivalry of Commanders vs Cowboys rivalry adds another holiday showdown to the books after 10 Thanksgiving Day faceoffs.
Before kickoff, Kelly Clarkson is scheduled to perform her Christmas smash “Underneath the Tree” on Netflix immediately followed by the game from Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD.
The second game of the day features the NFC North’s Detroit Lions vs the Minnesota Vikings rivalry from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN at 4:30p.m. EST, also on Netflix. During the game stream, Snoop Dogg, will perform and host, “Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party” with special guests, Lainey Wilson, “KPOP Demon Hunters‘“ HUNTR/X trio of Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami, with more guests to be revealed during the show.
For the final game of the NFL’s Christmas Day slate, the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Denver Broncos rivalry will play out over primetime with kickoff set at 8:15 p.m. ET. from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Prime Video.
Somewhere between game two and three is probably your best opportunity to head back into the kitchen and get another plate of the lunch leftovers for dinner. It’s a Christmas miracle.
#3. “A Christmas Story” (1983) Rated PG
This standard-viewing Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark is based on the 1966 book, “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash” by Jean Shepherd, with some elements taken from his 1971 book, “Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters”. “A Christmas Story” stars, Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, as well as Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin as his parents, Mrs and Mrs. Parker as it follows their family’s misadventures during Christmas time in December 1940. Author, Jean Shepherd serves as the film’s narrator and it is the third installment in his “Parker Family Saga” consisting of books, radio programs, films, a stage play, and a musical adaptation.
The film is presented in a series of vignettes, with narration provided by the adult Ralphie Parker. The primary story-line centers around Ralphie, a 9-year-old boy living in Northwest Indiana in the early 1940s, whose only Christmas wish is for a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. He is continually rebuffed by all adults insisting that he will shoot his eye out.
The several other vignettes woven throughout , “A Christmas Story” provide even more equally relatable comedic moments including, Mr. Parker (the old man) having to constantly repair the unreliable furnace, Ralphie’s friends arguing over whether or not a tongue will stick to a cold flag pole, leading to a triple-dog-dare, the old man’s delight after winning a table lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg wearing fishnets as a “major award” from a newspaper contest, Raphie’s gift of a pink bunny, footed sleeper from his Aunt Clara, and of course my personal favorite, Ralphie dropping an F-bomb while changing a flat tire with the old man and later using foul language when confronting a bully.
On the foul language that Ralphie learned from listening to the old man he describes it as, “My father worked in profanity like other artists worked in oil or clay. – It was his true medium; a master”. Adding, “In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan”.
Widely considered a holiday classic in the United States and Canada, it has been shown in a marathon annually on TNT since 1997 and on TBS since 2004 titled “24 Hours of A Christmas Story”, consisting of 12 consecutive airings of the film from the evening of Christmas Eve to the evening of Christmas Day. I think this is what has cemented its position as a holiday viewing standard with so many people. I know I watch the entire film every year but never all at once, just catching a segment or two here and there between other Christmas activities.
In 2012, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
I can’t imagine how there could be anyone out there reading this list who hasn’t already seen it, but if so I’d highly recommend checking it out this Christmas.
#2. Yule Log (1966) Not Rated
The term “Yule log” refers both to a custom of burning a large log during the winter solstice and a traditional Christmas dessert.
The custom of an actual burning log is from ancient European winter solstice practices of burning a large log for good luck with accompanying rituals where families would select the log, adorn it with holly salt, wine and keep embers for good fortune. As time passed and large hearths became less common, the tradition evolved into the Yule Log cake. The dessert, known in French as a Bûche de Noël, is a popular Christmas dessert tradition in Europe and North America and is typically a rolled sponge cake with buttercream, decorated to mimic the log’s appearance and to preserve the symbolic ritual in a new form.
Yeah, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
This isn’t a food column or an educational platform about worldly traditions. I’m of course referring to the “Yule Log” that is shown on TV in long segments, typically on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The show, which has run between two and four hours in duration, is a film loop of a yule log burning in a fireplace, with a soundtrack of Christmas music playing in the background; and is broadcast without commercial interruption.
That version of the “Yule Log” also has its own story. It started in 1966 on by Fred M. Thrower, president and CEO of WPIX, Inc. Inspired by an animated Coca-Cola commercial from a year earlier that showed Santa at a fireplace, he envisioned the program as a televised Christmas gift to those residents of New York who lived in apartments and homes without fireplaces. This also provided time for employees of the television station to stay home with their families, instead of working for the usual morning news program.
The program was both a critical and ratings success, and by popular demand, it was rebroadcast for 23 consecutive years. The cost of broadcasting the program without commercial interruption prompted Michael Eigner, who had been appointed as the station’s new general manager upon Hughes’s retirement, to cancel it in 1990. The show returned in 2000 and by 2001 had grown in popularity and the digitally restored program was the most-watched television show in the New York metropolitan area on Christmas Day that year. It has continued to be broadcast annually ever since as a result.
The program made its national debut in 2004 on cable channel Superstation WGN finally reaching a nationwide audience.
Today there are many versions of the “Yule Log” format broadcast on various media outlets and it is available on DVD and Blue-Ray disc formats as well as streaming services. It can be seen with many different themes, with fires burning at other significant locations and with a variety of holiday music playing.
ESPN has a version where the fire is accompanied by the fight songs of college athletic teams, Disney+ released “Arendelle Castle Yule Log” in December of 2019 based on the “Frozen” franchise and actor Nick Offerman released his own version in the style of his character Ron Swanson, from the television series “Parks and Recreation” where he pours a glass of scotch as the yule log fire plays and stares at the camera for 45 minutes.
Whatever the version, I’m glad it exists. When I first saw it in the early 2000s, like a lot of folks who didn’t grow up watching it in New York City, I thought it was silly. I said to my mom, “Who would want to have their TV showing a fireplace for hours on end?” She then enlightened me that the answer was probably, “Anyone who doesn’t have a fireplace, like us”. With that said it was the featured TV entertainment of our Christmas routine.
Now it’s as much a part of my Christmas traditions as leaving milk and cookies for Santa or wearing loud Christmas pajamas. Sure, your not going to be roasting any chestnuts on “Yule Log’s” open fire but it still provides a little warmth (albeit visually) when you’re sipping coffee and opening gifts on Christmas morning.
#1. “Dr. Suess” How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” 1966 Not Rated
My personal favorite Christmas show of all time is the original 1966 animated television special, “Dr. Suess’” How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones. Based on the 1957 children’s book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, (Theodore Geisel), the TV special features the voice of Boris Karloff who narrates the the story of the Grinch, (also voiced by Karloff) who tries to ruin Christmas for the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway.
Since I’ve already summarized the plot of this Dr. Suess classics twice on this list, at #12 with the feature length, animated version starring Benedict Cumberbach as the Grinch from 2018 and at #6 with the live action theatrical theatrical version starring Jim Carrey in that role from 2000, I’ll keep that part short.
The Grinch is a green, cranky, anti-social creature, living in a cave atop Mt. Crumpit who hates Christmas and the noisy celebrations of the townspeople below known as the Who’s. He dresses as Santa and along with his dog, Max heads down the mountain on Christmas Eve stealing all The Who’s Christmas items.
On Christmas morning, he finds them celebrating Christmas anyway, his heart grows three sizes and he goes back down to the town to return their belongings and celebrate Christmas with them. Roll credits.
Obviously at #1, and with three versions of it appearing on my list, it’s my favorite Christmas show ever. I did consider making all three adaptations a 3-way-tie for the #1 slot but decided against it because I like them all a little bit differently and thought they each deserved their own recognition. Like I keep saying, “My list – my rules”.
With only a 26 minute running time the original television short still captures the viewer’s attention and packs just as much punch as the much longer theatrical re-makes. I’ve watched it during the holiday season every year of my life, going back as far as I can remember. I think it piqued my interest even as a young kid because it was so much different than the other Christmas TV shows of the era. It allowed me to see a different side of the whole image usually portrayed in children’s shows about Christmas. In this case the Grinch actually despised the day so much that they didn’t want others to enjoy it but even they could turn that around under the right circumstances.
Plus, it was kind of a big deal just to even get to watch it. You see, back then we didn’t have internet streaming services, hundreds of channels, DVDs or even a VCR to record programs. In modern times we have unlimited opportunities to view a program at our convenience but back then we simply had to watch things when they aired live. I’d look through the TV guide magazine to see what day and time it would run and plan around it because there was only one chance until the next year. Maybe that memory of yelling, “Mom, it’s starting!”- which cued her to bring in a big bowl of her homemade popcorn to the living room is part of the magic for me.
Maybe it’s more than that. As I’ve said I’m a lifelong fan of Dr. Suess and have loved reading his books not only as a k but also with my own children when they were younger. Here’s a fun fact; I have exactly one tattoo and it’s the Cat in the Hat that I got on my arm 22 years ago so I guess I’m Suess for life.
With all that said, I still know the original “Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” has withstood the test of time because my own daughters still like to watch it every year and that’s good enough for me given that it was first released over 40 years before either of them were born. We like all three versions and have collectively agreed there’s no bad version of the Grinch except for that weird “Dr. Suess’ The Grinch Musical Live!” which was poorly received by critics as well as the Vickery family.
So, there you have it. That concludes the top 20 list of my all time favorite holiday programs and I hope you’ve found it at least mildly interesting. I would appreciate it if I don’t get any hate mail about some of my unusual non-traditional choices like “Die Hard”, “Gremlins”, NFL Football and, “Yule Log”. At least I didn’t get too weird and include full on horror movies like, “Silent Night, Deadly Night” or “Krampus”.
Even though I’ve featured Christmas shows spanning seven decades, for some reason the 1970’s which is when I was an actual child have gone under represented in my list. I’ll remedy that with a quick mention of, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” (1974), “A Flintstone Christmas” (1977) and “The Year Without a Santa Claus” (1974) for the Heat and Cold Misers alone.
My apologies to my friend and fellow columnist, Blaise (The Baker) Doubman for ignoring his suggestion to include, “ A Smoky Mountain Christmas” (1986) starring Dolly Parton and Lee Majors in a made-for-TV musical fantasy film despite his insistence.
I’ll admit that I did let my kids preferences influence me a bit but watching while spending time with them is really what it’s all about anyway so in some cases, I’ve simply learned to like what they do. I’d advise you to do the same because for all the many holiday traditions that we all have, all the hustle and bustle of the season, all the self imposed obligations we think we have to accomplish under the heading of, “It’s just not Christmas without…”, one thing I’ve learned over the years is that Christmas is for the children. It’s really that simple so we should do our best to do right by them. After all, Christmas all started with the birth of a child, right?
Make Some Noise 