Though there are plenty of great ways to spend Christmas, sometimes the best is just sitting down and watching some good TV. Or maybe it’s the perfect way to unwind after a whirlwind of baking, decorating, singing carols, holiday shopping, parties, general merrymaking, or even family squabbles. Here are some of the best Christmas TV episodes to help you celebrate the season
What are the best Christmas TV episodes?
Christmas TV episodes are some of the best to watch all year, not just during the holidays. We’ve seen a lot of them, and these are a few of our favorites. Honorable mentions go to The Bear (“Fishes”), Downton Abbey (Christmas at Downton Abbey), and The West Wing (“Noel”).
The Office (Season 2, Episode 10 – Christmas Party)
Any Christmas episode of The Office is good, but this one truly went down in TV history. What begins as a heartfelt Secret Santa, which is already over-the-top, heads to the next level of insanity when Michael introduces Yankee Swap. The unexpected switcharoo turns intentional gift-giving (aside from Creed’s last-minute gift to Jim — a flannel shirt in a plastic bag) into pure cringy comedy gold. This episode is loaded with laugh-out-loud moments. Oof – we’ll never forget that infamous iPod.
Mad Men (Season 5, Episode 10 – Christmas Waltz)
Mad Men has a few strong holiday episodes across its seven-season arc. We wish there were more, because Mad Men does all the holidays really well. Season 4’s episode, with Roger Sterling reluctantly playing Santa after the impromptu arrival of that (insert expletive here) Lee Garner Jr., is especially memorable. Still, our top pick goes to the holiday episode in Season 5.
It’s Christmastime again, and Joan’s been served. After exploding at the dotty Meredith, Don and Joan take a Jaguar for a spin and commiserate over drinks at a lonely bar. Matthew Weiner has withheld too many scenes between this iconic pair (understandably so; it’s hard to imagine we’d care about any other characters on the show if that were the case). Of course, there are only a handful of show moments that are forever seared into our brains. The lawnmower and that waltz are two of them.
Seinfeld (Season 9, Episode 10 – The Strike)
A Festivus for the rest of us becomes a lasting phrase in this Seinfeld episode from 1997. Frank Costanza explains the holiday’s origin, and the group embraces its eccentric traditions, including the aluminum pole, the ‘Airing of Grievances,’ and the ‘Feats of Strength.’ The episode offers a comedic take on holiday dysfunction.
If you’re looking for an even more dysfunctional Larry David special, the holiday episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, “Mary, Joseph and Larry,” is killer.
Bob’s Burgers (Season 13, Episode 10 – The Plight Before Christmas)
This episode plays to every strength this show has to offer. It’s still as chaotic as you’d expect, but this Christmas episode is full of an incredible amount of heart, too. On Christmas Eve, each sibling of the Belcher family is pulled in a different direction for a different holiday performance. Tina must overcome her stage fright at a school performance, Gene is determined to make his concert unforgettable, and Louise faces the pressure of reading her own poem aloud. Linda and Bob, the good parents that they are, try their best to attend all their kids’ events, which creates some complications. This episode will make you cry tears of sweet, sweet, heartfelt goodness.
Ted Lasso (Season 2 Episode 4 – Carol of the Bells)
Ted Lasso, as a character, is kind of like the spirit of Christmas all year round. He’s the most optimistic person you’ll ever meet, is genuinely kind even in the face of negativity, and he bakes and delivers cookies. Even if it took him three seasons to learn what offside means, we still love the guy. Watching Ted Lasso is always an experience of rooting for the underdogs, celebrating their wins, and wrapping up the episode feeling uplifted. The Christmas episode is no different. Set during the holiday season, the team has a secret Santa exchange, Roy and Keely go door-to-door to help Phoebe, and Ted struggles with being away from his son during Christmas. Higgins also opens his home to the players and gives one heck of a Christmas speech. There’s just so much good packed into this episode. This is a holiday comfort watch if ever there was one.
Hey Arnold! (Season 1 Episode 11 – Arnold’s Christmas)
We’re headed back to the vaults for this one, but it’s a fantastic Christmas TV episode worth revisiting. Plus, there’s nothing like pumping more nostalgia into the most nostalgic holiday by revisiting your favorite childhood cartoon. I’m speaking to the millennial readers, obviously. Even if you missed it when the series was running on Nick, now’s your chance! In this groundbreaking episode, Arnold draws Mr. Hyunh’s name in the boarding house gift exchange and learns about Mr. Hyunh’s past. What begins as a simple act becomes a touching story of reuniting Mr. Hyunh with his daughter, Mai, whom he was separated from during the fall of Saigon.
Heartbreaking and hopeful in equal measure, the episode gives top-tier emotional storytelling while centering a Vietnamese perspective on the war — one of the first in children’s media. Nickelodeon was doing big things in the ’90s.
How we picked the best Christmas TV episodes
There are countless Christmas TV episodes, so we focused on the ones that stand out for us. We looked at fan and critic ratings to make sure these episodes are widely loved. We also considered rewatchability. These episodes still make us laugh or cry, no matter how many times we see them. They’re the ones we come back to every year.
