Christmas is a prime time for families to gather on their time off to watch holiday programs on TV. Outside of TV specials featuring Charlie Brown and the Grinch, countless other shows have mastered the art of delivering exciting, festive stories to audiences.
From sitcoms like Friends and Community to animated shows like Futurama and South Park to even comic book franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, viewers have been treated to hilarious, heartwarming, and fantastical Christmas specials. Now that the holiday is just around the corner, audiences should catch these shows to ensure they have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
American Dad! (2005 t0 present)
The Smith family can never seem to have a happy, normal holiday. Throughout this long-running animated series, American Dad! has presented some hilarious and fantastical Christmas episodes. There’s one where Stan goes back in time to assassinate Jane Fonda, another where Stan magically switches lives with Principal Lewis.
There are also episodes when the Rapture occurs, and Jeff and Hayley unknowingly adopt the Antichrist as their child. The show even had Steve kidnapped by the demon Krampus and an evil Santa trying to rule the world by awakening a sleeping giant. Each holiday special is like something out of The Twilight Zone, and they’re all something only the minds behind American Dad! can create.
Watch American Dad! on Sling TV, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube TV, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video, or TBS.
The Office (2005 to 2013)
Dunder Mifflin Scranton is notorious for hosting Christmas parties with some sort of gimmick where something dramatic and over-the-top happens, usually because of Michael, and it’s nothing short of pure holiday entertainment.
There’s Michael’s gift swap gone wrong, the Moroccan Christmas with Meredith’s intervention, the Benihana Christmas with the two battling office parties, and the infamous Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas with Dwight as Belsnickel. Each of these specials is different, but they all have the cast dealing with deep personal issues that lead to some hysterical holiday hijinks.
Watch The Office on Peacock, FuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video.
Community (2009 to 2015)
Every day at Greendale Community College seems like a holiday, as everyone seems to have some kind of wacky, fantastical adventure instead of working or studying. However, Christmas is especially wild for the school’s students, particularly for Jeff and his friends. Throughout their time at Greendale, there have been Christmases in which the study group gets brainwashed into joining the school’s cult-like glee club.
There’s the holiday where Abed sees everything as stop-motion animated. Oh, and there’s that time the study group holds one of their professors hostage. The cast of Community can never seem to get a break from their own ridiculousness, making this show the gift that keeps on giving.
Watch Community on Peacock, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, or Amazon Prime Video.
Friends (1994 to 2004)
To celebrate Christmas, this iconic sitcom didn’t just introduce the world to Ross’s friend, the Holiday Armadillo. It also had Ross and Monica perform their ridiculous but captivating New Year’s dance routine. Monica had that tropical Christmas party after her radiator broke. And don’t forget Phoebe’s holiday song, which is up there with Smelly Cat.
This show is full of funny and heartfelt holiday episodes that present the titular group of pals at their best and also their wackiest. For those who can’t spend time with family this Christmas, why not spend it with Friends?
Watch Friends on FuboTV, Max, YouTube, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, or TBS.
Futurama (1999 to present)
Only Futurama could take Christmas and turn it into The Purge. A recurring storyline in this acclaimed sci-fi cartoon is how an evil robot Santa (voiced by John Goodman) terrorizes the people of Earth every Christmas (or “Xmas”), and the gang at Planet Express usually has to put up with this homicidal St. Nick as they try to survive the holiday.
No matter how many times and ways this show tackles Christmas, Futurama never fails to fill its audience with laughs and holiday cheer with its lovable cast of oddballs and hooligans.
Watch Futurama on Hulu, FuboTV, Disney+, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, or Amazon Prime Video.
The Twilight Zone (1959 to 1964)
The Twilight Zone has an annual TV marathon that starts on New Year’s Eve, but it’s never too early to watch this show. Rod Serling’s groundbreaking anthology remains a timeless collection of fantasy, science-fiction, and horror stories, including one Christmas-themed episode starring The Honeymooners star Art Carney.
This show might not be the first thing one thinks of when they think of Christmas. However, its black-and-white visuals, stirring music, cheap effects, and overall lack of violence and gore make it a family-friendly series that invokes a feeling of warmth and nostalgia, which fits perfectly with any holiday celebration.
Watch The Twilight Zone on Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, YouTube, Sling TV, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
South Park (1997 to present)
Since its first-ever episode, South Park has given audiences a good time as it presented them with several wacky and line-crossing holiday episodes. What other show has featured Christmas episodes with Jesus Christ, Santa, Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo, a sentient hologram of Michael Jackson, Saddam Hussein, and Charles Manson?
Truly, South Park unleashes its own brand of Christmas chaos, with episodes showing Jesus rescuing Santa from Iraq, the four main boys traveling through an Oz-inspired version of Canada, and evil woodland critters trying to birth the Antichrist. It’s definitely not a family show, but it does make for more unique holiday entertainment.
Watch South Park on Max, Philo, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
Saturday Night Live (1975 to present)
Every year since its debut, Saturday Night Live has delivered several classic holiday-themed sketches that have become fixtures of many fans’ Christmas celebrations. There’s NPR’s Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls, Broadway’s adult production of Charlie Brown, Eddie Murphy’s holiday party, and Alec Baldwin’s Santa Claus in Glengarry Glen Ross.
The show has also gifted audiences with iconic holiday songs like (Do It On My) Twin Bed, The Chanukah Song by Adam Sandler, and I Wish It Was Christmas Today, bringing comedy and Christmas cheer to late-night audiences everywhere.
Watch Saturday Night Live on Peacock, NBC, FuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Hawkeye (2021)
Hawkeye’s solo miniseries shows the sharpshooting Avenger celebrating the holidays by taking on the Tracksuit Mafia and assassin Yelena Belova with his new protégé, Kate Bishop.
This show presents a fitting story about one of Earth’s Mightiest-But-Most-Underrated Heroes as it blends thrilling action, lighthearted comedy, and heavy character drama in one Christmas TV blockbuster. It’s the perfect gift for those looking for an entertaining and emotional superhero series to enjoy with their families this holiday season.
Watch Hawkeye on Disney+.
Family Guy (1999 to present)
Like South Park and American Dad!, Family Guy goes all out with its festive episodes to celebrate the holidays like no other show. Fans have seen a vengeful Stewie traveling to the North Pole to kill Santa, Peter getting stalked by St. Nick for dressing as him, and the cast appearing in a comedic retelling of Jesus Christ’s birth.
There was also that time when Stewie went back in time to prevent Brian’s death. Even during the holidays, Family Guy holds nothing back as it presents more of the Griffin family’s shocking, inappropriate, high-concept adventures.
Watch Family Guy on FOX, Hulu, FuboTV, Disney+, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, or Amazon Prime Video.
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