Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The 10 best songs of 2022

      The 10 best songs of 2022

      From disco-trap to deconstructed techno to Dolly-style country, we rank our favorite tracks this year. Read More
    • The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      Let there be Mavericks, Bollywood magic, and a Cate Blanchett maestro on the loose. Read More
    • The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      A look back at the crazy true story of Chippendales founder Somen "Steve" Banerjee and the murder and murder-for-hire plots at the center of the Hulu series. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. 27 Classic Holiday TV Episodes

27 Classic Holiday TV Episodes

Christmas with Abed and friends, Stephen Colbert, and the Bluths; Valentine's Day with ''The Simpsons''; Festivus with the ''Seinfeld'' gang; and other stories we'll always celebrate
By Alynda Wheat Updated December 25, 2009 at 04:00 PM EST
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

1

27. COMMUNITY It was a strange, yet magical, winter wonderland inside Abed's head when he transformed his environment (and friends) into stop-motion animation. Their journeyÂ…
Credit: NBC Photo

27. COMMUNITY
It was a strange, yet magical, winter wonderland inside Abed's head when he transformed his environment (and friends) into stop-motion animation. Their journey to find the meaning of Christmas brought as much heart as laughs when we saw Abed's friends step up to the plate for the strange young man whose mother canceled her Christmas visit to be with her ''new family.''

1 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

2

Stephen Colbert | 26. A COLBERT CHRISTMAS Yes, Stephen Colbert puts current events into proper perspective on his Emmy-winning Colbert Report , but the dude can also singÂ…
Credit: Kristopher Long/Comedy Central

26. A COLBERT CHRISTMAS
Yes, Stephen Colbert puts current events into proper perspective on his Emmy-winning Colbert Report, but the dude can also sing. On this new classic special, he gets into tune with the holiday spirit with help from Willie Nelson, John Legend, Feist, and — a Christmas miracle! — Jon Stewart.

2 of 27

3 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

3

Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan, ... | 25. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER ''Slapsgiving'' (2007) Admittedly, Slapsgiving is better conceptually than in execution. But what a concept! After waiting 115 days (accordingÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

25. HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
''Slapsgiving'' (2007)

Admittedly, Slapsgiving is better conceptually than in execution. But what a concept! After waiting 115 days (according to the CBS Slap Countdown) to receive the third of five slaps from Marshall as a result of the first Slap Bet, Barney finally gets what's coming to him. And while it was nice that he begged, lost his mind, and composed a song for the event, the slap really was more about the anticipation. Still, HIMYM gets cruelty points for holiday violence; Slapsgiving certainly gave us a reason to be thankful.

3 of 27

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

4

Married... With Children, Ed O'Neill | For 10 years he ruled his roost (not really) as the crass but lovable Al Bundy. Yet no matter how many yucks he delivered, EdÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

24. MARRIED... WITH CHILDREN
''Hot off the Grill'' (1989)

Why include this Labor Day episode? One simple, never-to-be-repeated TV stunt: Marcy's dead aunt's ashes end up in the barbecue. Not to cook the burgers — in the burgers. Yeah. Moving on...

4 of 27

Advertisement

5 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

5

Jeremy Piven, Entourage | 23. ENTOURAGE ''Return of the King'' (2007) Send Ari (Jeremy Piven) back to Hebrew school! The Day of Atonement does not mean you scheme toÂ…

23. ENTOURAGE
''Return of the King'' (2007)

Send Ari (Jeremy Piven) back to Hebrew school! The Day of Atonement does not mean you scheme to woo your cash-cow ex-client by fronting as his agent and for the movie he isn't even in. It does not mean you manipulate everything so that by the end of the night, ex-client's lost his new agent/girlfriend, not to mention the movie. And holy of holies, it does not mean that ''As long as you apologize by sundown, it doesn't matter what you do.'' Unless you're in L.A., then all's fair.

5 of 27

6 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

6

Arrested Development, Will Arnett | 22. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT ''Afternoon Delight'' (2004) The Bluth family Christmas is a special recipe. You'll need: ·2 parties (Party No. 1 to humiliate the attendees,Â…
Credit: Everett Collection

22. ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
''Afternoon Delight'' (2004)

The Bluth family Christmas is a special recipe. You'll need:

·2 parties (Party No. 1 to humiliate the attendees, Party No. 2 to humiliate the Bluths, thereby appeasing the partiers from Party No. 1)
·1 damaged frozen-banana stand
·1 unskilled crane operator/fake army recruit
·1 creepy teenage girlfriend
·2 morally questionable twins
·1 granny high on pot brownies, in possession of a vehicle
·3 inappropriate duets of Starland Vocal Band's ''Afternoon Delight.''

Combine ingredients with arrogance, entitlement, and a splash of incest for flavoring, then retreat to a safe distance.

6 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

7

Family Guy | 21. FAMILY GUY ''A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas'' (2001) Peter donates all of the family's presents to charity, Brian accidentally burns the houseÂ…

21. FAMILY GUY
''A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas'' (2001)

Peter donates all of the family's presents to charity, Brian accidentally burns the house down, and Lois snaps. Only Stewie, starring as baby Jesus in the nativity, has any real idea what Christmas is all about: appeasing the omnipotent god Santa, so that he might judge him worthy and bestow gifts upon him — in this case, plutonium.

7 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

8

Northern Exposure | 20. NORTHERN EXPOSURE ''Fish Story'' (1994) Give this one credit for thinking big. When Maggie wants to make a Passover Seder for Joel, he balks.Â…
Credit: Landov

20. NORTHERN EXPOSURE
''Fish Story'' (1994)

Give this one credit for thinking big. When Maggie wants to make a Passover Seder for Joel, he balks. Later, while fishing, he hooks local Cicely legend, Goony, a sturgeon said to weigh half a ton. While following the fish in a rowboat, Joel has a dream in which he and his rabbi from New York have a serious chat inside the belly of the beast. By the time his Jonah moment is over, Joel realizes he's been pushing Maggie away. In a lesser show's hands, a mid-stream biblical allegory might've sent fans fleeing.

8 of 27

Advertisement

9 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

9

My So-Called Life | 19. MY SO-CALLED LIFE ''So-Called Angels'' (1994) So-called, because while Patty (Bess Armstrong) seems like a nice mom, what with her always struggling to doÂ…

19. MY SO-CALLED LIFE
''So-Called Angels'' (1994)

So-called, because while Patty (Bess Armstrong) seems like a nice mom, what with her always struggling to do the right thing, she often has trouble figuring out what that is. Enter singer Juliana Hatfield as an angel who brings Patty toward her faith, and away from her Scroogey ways. By the time the angel gets through with her, Patty's taking Angela (Claire Danes) up on her plea to help her bruised, homeless friend Rickey (Wilson Cruz), and seriously counting her blessings.

9 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

10

Roswell | 18. ROSWELL ''A Roswell Christmas Carol'' (2000) For Max (Jason Behr), the holidays mean coming face to face with a moral conundrum: when to bustÂ…

18. ROSWELL
''A Roswell Christmas Carol'' (2000)

For Max (Jason Behr), the holidays mean coming face to face with a moral conundrum: when to bust out the superpowers. While Christmas shopping, he sees a father sacrifice his life to save his daughter from a car accident. Dead Dad then haunts Max, Dickens style, demanding to know why he didn't use his alien skills to help him. In the end, Max does use his gifts — at a children's hospital ward. It's all sweet and touching...and would almost be cloying if Katherine Heigl weren't spinning around in a holiday dervish as Isabel, the ''Christmas Nazi.''

10 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

11 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

11

Curb Your Enthusiasm | 17. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM ''Mary, Joseph and Larry'' (2002) It's bad enough that Larry eats the Christmas cookies meant for Cheryl's family's Nativity scene. ButÂ…

17. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
''Mary, Joseph and Larry'' (2002)

It's bad enough that Larry eats the Christmas cookies meant for Cheryl's family's Nativity scene. But since when is ''bad enough'' ever good enough for Larry, who's made a career out of adding insult to injury? To atone for confusing baby Jesus with an animal cookie, he hires actors to do a live Nativity — then makes one of his usual tasteless remarks about the Virgin Mary. Stay classy, Larry.

11 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

12 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

12

Mischa Barton, The O.C., ... | 16. THE O.C. ''The Best Chrismukkah Ever'' (2003) It's probably best to ignore the drama, i.e. Marissa's (Mischa Barton) drinking and Caleb's (Alan Dale) shadyÂ…
Credit: Justin Lubin

16. THE O.C.
''The Best Chrismukkah Ever'' (2003)

It's probably best to ignore the drama, i.e. Marissa's (Mischa Barton) drinking and Caleb's (Alan Dale) shady land deals, and just focus on the interfaith holy alliance that is Chrismukkah. How powerful are the heavenly forces of good when they combine to form one delightfully long-lasting, present-laden holiday? Put it this way: For one brief moment, Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) has two hot chicks after his scrawny bod.

12 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

13 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

13

Greg Germann, Jane Krakowski, ... | 15. ALLY McBEAL ''Blue Christmas'' (1999) The whole series was practically a musical, so it's no surprise that they boogied through the holidays. The best?Â…
Credit: MPTV.net

15. ALLY McBEAL
''Blue Christmas'' (1999)

The whole series was practically a musical, so it's no surprise that they boogied through the holidays. The best? Season 3, when Ally (Calista Flockhart) and Renee (Lisa Nicole Carson) put up $1,000 that they can ''out-sex'' each other at the office Christmas party. Ally, naturally, picks the flirtiest of carols, ''Santa Baby,'' outfitted with a Santa suit and her trademark itty-bitty skirt.

13 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

14 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

14

Will & Grace | 14. WILL & GRACE ''Lows in the Mid-80s'' (2000) Flashback: Columbia University, 1985. An unfortunately coiffed Grace (Debra Messing) wonders why her boyfriend Will (EricÂ…

14. WILL & GRACE
''Lows in the Mid-80s'' (2000)

Flashback: Columbia University, 1985. An unfortunately coiffed Grace (Debra Messing) wonders why her boyfriend Will (Eric McCormack) seems so reluctant to take their relationship to the next level, i.e., see her naked. Of course, that annoying little gnat of a new kid named Jack (Sean Hayes) thinks it couldn't be more obvious: Will's queer as folk. It all comes out when Will does — at Grace's parents house over Thanksgiving break. Oh well. At least he really did want to just be friends.

14 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

15 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

15

Felicity | 13. FELICITY ''Thanksgiving'' (1998) Behold, a Thanksgiving miracle built on disappointment! Noel (Scott Foley) breaks up with long-distance girlfriend Hannah (Jennifer Garner), who's headed offÂ…
Credit: mptvimages.com

13. FELICITY
''Thanksgiving'' (1998)

Behold, a Thanksgiving miracle built on disappointment! Noel (Scott Foley) breaks up with long-distance girlfriend Hannah (Jennifer Garner), who's headed off to art school. Meanwhile, all of Felicity's friends realize that their own families are giant emotional voids, so they all end up back in the dorms to eat a hastily procured turkey with their new college family. Awww.

15 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

16 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

16

South Park | 12. SOUTH PARK ''Mr. Hankey the Xmas Poo'' (1997) The kind version is that Mr. Hankey is the modern equivalent of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree,Â…

12. SOUTH PARK
''Mr. Hankey the Xmas Poo'' (1997)

The kind version is that Mr. Hankey is the modern equivalent of Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, helping to bring the town's Jews and Christians together to realize the true meaning of the season. The gross version is that Kyle is besties with a talking piece of crap who likes smearing himself on people, and taking baths in their coffee.

16 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

17 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

17

Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 11. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER ''Halloween'' (1997) Sure, the costume shopkeeper seems creepy now . But when Buffy (Sarah Michelle Geller), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), andÂ…

11. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
''Halloween'' (1997)

Sure, the costume shopkeeper seems creepy now. But when Buffy (Sarah Michelle Geller), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) got their Halloween togs, no one had any idea that he was plotting a spell to fuse everyone's identities with their costume. Thus, Buffy becomes a 19th century lass, Willow disappears into her ghost sheet, and Xander morphs into a general, which — clever show! — serves him well later in the series when the united slayers need a field commander. It's so much fun, we don't even need all the gooey love stuff between Buffy and Angel (David Boreanaz) at the end...but we'll take it.

17 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

18 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

18

Futurama | 10. FUTURAMA ''Xmas Story'' (1999) ''Xmas Story'' feels so right because it is so very wrong. Christmas is now officially Xmas, palm trees replace firsÂ…

10. FUTURAMA
''Xmas Story'' (1999)

''Xmas Story'' feels so right because it is so very wrong. Christmas is now officially Xmas, palm trees replace firs (which have been extinct for centuries), and the list-checking is done by Robot Santa. Only this Santa thinks everybody's guilty and deserves the death penalty — which means that all the good little boys and girls who value their lives stay home and pack heat. Sure, there are probably less trigger-happy ways to unite families, but isn't forced togetherness what Xmas is really about?

18 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

19 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

19

Friends | 9. FRIENDS ''The One with Chandler in a Box'' (1999) Chandler's string of crappy Thanksgivings (see: comically painful childhood) hits a peak after he's caughtÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

9. FRIENDS
''The One with Chandler in a Box'' (1999)

Chandler's string of crappy Thanksgivings (see: comically painful childhood) hits a peak after he's caught kissing the woman Joey's crushing on, Kathy (guest Paget Brewster), and Joey makes him stay in a wooden crate in the living room as punishment. Cringeworthy enough? No, that requires Kathy coming by and dumping Chandler...while he's still in the box. It's funnier to pretend it ended there, and not with Joey letting Chandler out and Kathy taking him back.

19 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

20 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

20

The Office (TV Show - 2001) | 8. THE OFFICE (U.K.) Christmas special (2003) It's almost unbearable in the beginning: David Brent (Ricky Gervais) whores his D-list ''celebrity'' judging contests in clubs,Â…

8. THE OFFICE (U.K.)
Christmas special (2003)

It's almost unbearable in the beginning: David Brent (Ricky Gervais) whores his D-list ''celebrity'' judging contests in clubs, while Tim (Martin Freeman) pines for Dawn (Lucy Davis), who's living most unhappily in the U.S. — and still not married to her jerky boyfriend. But all it takes is a reunion Christmas party in Slough to bring everyone together: David with his promising new date, Dawn with her self-esteem, and Tim (at long last) with Dawn. Series finales are rarely this satisfying.

20 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

21 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

21

The Cosby Show | 7. THE COSBY SHOW ''Cliff's Wet Adventure'' (1989) Ostensibly, Thanksgiving is about families coming together, like Denise (Lisa Bonet) inviting her husband's stranded ex (guestÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

7. THE COSBY SHOW
''Cliff's Wet Adventure'' (1989)

Ostensibly, Thanksgiving is about families coming together, like Denise (Lisa Bonet) inviting her husband's stranded ex (guest Victoria Rowell) to dinner. But this one is really about watching Cliff (Bill Cosby) brave a massive rainstorm every time he forgets something at the grocery store.

21 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

22 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

22

Roseanne | 6. ROSEANNE ''Boo!'' (1989) Roseanne 's Halloweens, with their outrageous gags and elaborate stunts, are so beloved, there's even a special DVD of them. MightÂ…

6. ROSEANNE
''Boo!'' (1989)

Roseanne's Halloweens, with their outrageous gags and elaborate stunts, are so beloved, there's even a special DVD of them. Might as well start with the first one, featuring a showdown between Roseanne (Roseanne BarrThomasArnoldWhatever), Dan (John Goodman), and Darlene (Sara Gilbert) over who can come up with the scariest costume. The Conner ''House of Horror'' is better than any real haunted house we've ever screamed through.

22 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

23 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

23

The West Wing | 5. THE WEST WING ''In Excelsis Deo'' (1999) Wing 's first White House Christmas set the mark for the series, in an episode that wonÂ…

5. THE WEST WING
''In Excelsis Deo'' (1999)

Wing's first White House Christmas set the mark for the series, in an episode that won Emmys for writing and for Richard Schiff, as Toby Ziegler. After getting a phone call asking him to identify a body, Toby learns that the deceased is wearing a coat he'd given to charity, with his business card still in the pocket. When he finds that the man was a homeless Korean War vet, he arranges for him to be buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. It's patriotism at its most subtle.

23 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

24 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

24

Cheers | 4. CHEERS ''Thanksgiving Orphans'' (1986) As far as we know, Norm's (George Wendt) wife Vera has pastry for a face, since that's all we everÂ…
Credit: Everett Collection

4. CHEERS
''Thanksgiving Orphans'' (1986)

As far as we know, Norm's (George Wendt) wife Vera has pastry for a face, since that's all we ever saw of her. With the whole gang (including Shelley Long's Diane, dressed as a pilgrim) at Carla's (Rhea Pearlman), the evening takes a slapsticky (or just plain sticky) turn when Norm's turkey, ''Birdzilla,'' takes so long to cook that everyone gets loopy and starts flinging food. As Diane aims a pie at Sam (Ted Danson), he ducks, and she accidentally creams the surprise arrival, Norm's mystery missus, square in the kisser.

24 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

25 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

25

thirtysomething | 3. THIRTYSOMETHING ''I'll be Home for Christmas'' (1987) Jewish Michael (Ken Olin) happily celebrated Christmas with Hope's (Mel Harris) family before they had a kid.Â…
Credit: Everett Collection

3. THIRTYSOMETHING
''I'll be Home for Christmas'' (1987)

Jewish Michael (Ken Olin) happily celebrated Christmas with Hope's (Mel Harris) family before they had a kid. But now what? Break out a tree or light candles? Or, true to the series, just stress about it? Fortunately for him, while he didn't marry a nice Jewish girl, he did land an understanding shiksa. With snow falling outside, Michael comes home to discover Hope, cousin Melissa (Melanie Mayron) and the baby lighting a Menorah. Michael gets teary, Melissa gets huggy, and The O.C. comes along, invents Chrismukkah, and saves inter-faith couples from ever having to kvetch about the holidays again.

25 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

26 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

26

The Simpsons | 2. THE SIMPSONS ''I Love Lisa'' (1993) We choo-choo-choose this fourth-season gem for three reasons: 1) It perfectly illustrates why kids' Valentine's Day cards areÂ…

2. THE SIMPSONS
''I Love Lisa'' (1993)

We choo-choo-choose this fourth-season gem for three reasons: 1) It perfectly illustrates why kids' Valentine's Day cards are secretly evil, when Lisa's pity post to Ralph Wiggum makes him all twitterpated. 2) We nevertheless gain new respect for Ralph when he turns out to be emotionally manipulative and willing to abuse his position as a police chief's son. 3) It proves that art comes from suffering as Ralph turns out to be one heck of a George Washington in the school play — opposite Lisa's Martha. Act on, developmentally stunted thespian!

26 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement

27 of 27

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

27

Jerry Stiller, Seinfeld | 1. SEINFELD ''The Strike'' (1993) It's called ''The Strike'' because Kramer (Michael Richards) finally ends his 12-year walkout from a job at H&H Bagels, butÂ…

1. SEINFELD
''The Strike'' (1993)

It's called ''The Strike'' because Kramer (Michael Richards) finally ends his 12-year walkout from a job at H&H Bagels, but it's better known as the episode that gave us Festivus, ''the holiday for the rest of us.'' Feats of Strength, the Airing of Grievances, the ceremonial aluminum pole — they're all there. What's not? George (Jason Alexander), as he flees from the room every time anyone brings up the un-holiday — not that we're judging him. If we had to wrestle Papa Costanza (Jerry Stiller), we'd run too.

27 of 27

Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Alynda Wheat

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 27 1
    2 of 27 2
    3 of 27 3
    4 of 27 4
    5 of 27 5
    6 of 27 6
    7 of 27 7
    8 of 27 8
    9 of 27 9
    10 of 27 10
    11 of 27 11
    12 of 27 12
    13 of 27 13
    14 of 27 14
    15 of 27 15
    16 of 27 16
    17 of 27 17
    18 of 27 18
    19 of 27 19
    20 of 27 20
    21 of 27 21
    22 of 27 22
    23 of 27 23
    24 of 27 24
    25 of 27 25
    26 of 27 26
    27 of 27 27

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    27 Classic Holiday TV Episodes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.