When I was growing up, animated Christmas specials were an essential family tradition. Over several years, my brother and I had filled a Betamax tape with our favorites (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, etc.), and as soon as the Thanksgiving turkey was finished, we simply wore it out. (To be completely honest, I couldn’t swear that the tape didn’t get some play on a few rainy days in July, too.)
As an adult, my affection for Christmas comfort-TV is as strong as ever, and in recent years, I’ve gravitated towards two recent additions that haven’t yet found their way into cable-TV’s non-stop National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation/Elf/A Christmas Story loop.
Nothing quite puts me in the Christmas spirit as quickly as Love Actually, Richard Curtis’ delightful paean to love, the holidays, and good-looking Brits. There’s death and heartache, song and dance, joy and laughter, and the incorrigible Bill Nighy, who ultimately finds the true meaning of Christmas.
The 2003 series finale to the British Office has also become a seasonal staple for me. (Maybe I should just move to London). The two-parter is so triumphantly heart-warming that my subconscious has decided that Yaz’s “Only You” is actually a Christmas song. Just soak in the last eight minutes, as co-writers Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant deliver the Christmas miracle that Office fans had always wanted.
What holiday TV specials will you be looking forward to most this month? Are there any more recent films or TV specials that belong in the pantheon of Christmas classics?
People make fun of my love of Love Actually, but it is so my go to Christmas movie! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go watch it now….
Love Actually is one of my all time favourite movies. I just wish the fake porno wasn’t in it so it would more accessible to a wider audience.
The Santa Clause is our ‘decorating the tree movie’. We put it on every year
100% agree. I wish there were a special feature that could remove all those scenes because it wouldn’t affect that movie at all and, most importantly, it’s the main thing that keeps me from popping it in for the entire family. (My girlfriend’s mom would NOT appreciate those scenes.)
thats exactly the reason i have NEVER seen the movie all the way thru. once that crap came on – i turned it off and havent watched it since. and i dont like watching movies on TV since they cut out a lot of stuff to “edit” it for television. so if im gonna watch a film its gonna be the dvd. so i guess im gonna miss out. i just wish the “movie” people would realize that not everyone likes stuff like that in their movies. like ceballos said – removing it wouldnt effect the movie at all – so OBVIOUSLY it wasnt needed. im sure its a great movie. but there are a lot of people like myself that wont see it because of that. and its sad really.
I couldn’t agree more…my in-laws did not appreciate that and I had to convince them that the rest of the movie was nothing like that. Now I don’t even pop it in for anyone because of that scene. One of my all time favorite movies!
Absolutely agree. I’ve fast forwarded through their scenes a number of times and it never affects the rest of the storyline!
I am totally obsessed with Love Actually. My husband and I watch it every Christmas, sometimes even twice. I’ve bought the movie for almost all of my family and friends over the years. The airport scenes of reuniting families never fail to bring tears to my eyes.
Yep, we watch it every Christmas-time too! Looove that movie.
Love Actually is one of my traditional Christmas movies too. Ignore the haters…
Will Vinton’s Christmas Claymation Special!
Yes Love Actually. Colin Firth in a sweater. Like Liz Lemon said, his movies are erotica
Sina, that is my favorite line from 30 Rock and so, so true.
I also have love for Love, Actually. In addition I have added The Family Stone and Just Friends to my Must Christmas watches. The Christmas themed ep of Studio 60 is also amazing.
Agree with you on both The Family Stone and “Studio 60″ Christmas episode….that “O Holy Night” is RIDICULOUS!
How could I have forgotten about The Family Stone!? I love that movie too!
Love Actually is a great Christmas movie. It’s my cinematic equivalent to egg nog and sugar cookies just pure holiday movie comfort food.
Love actually is a good movie, but totally unbelievable. Who in their right mind would choose Shannon Elizabeth over January Jones and Elisha Cuthbert?
Family Stone & Just Friends are on our list too…and it’s a little early to tell, but Four Christmasses has potential to make that list.
I love Love, Actually. I just screened it for a friend who hadn’t seen it yet and she was dying with laughter. I alternate between laughing hysterically and tearing up whenever I watch it.
I just thought about that this morning. It is my favorite holiday movie. I need to break out the DVD. Awesome movie!
Love actually is a wonderful movie and it’s certainly one of my holiday staples. I watch a lot of the old classics (the 1951 Alastair Sim A Christmas Carol, and Miracle on 34th Street), but I also love the Christmas episodes of TV shows. Every year my mom and I watch the Buffy episode “Amends” together and I also enjoy the Christmas episodes of The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. Oddly enough, I also watch the Pinky and the Brain Christmas every year. Yes, that Pinky and the Brain about animated mice. I find that episode very touching.
Oh, yeah. I forgot that sweet Pinky and the Brain.
Amends is amazing
Jeff, you and I are kindred spirits. Love Actually is one of my favorite Christmas movies ever, and I love that the last episode of “The Office” was a Christmas special! Both are so good!
I love Love Actually! We watch it in my family every Christmas. We also watch It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, Christmas Vacation, and Miracle on 34th street…though we have a years long battle going between which is better: the older version with Natalie Wood or the new one with Mara Wilson–I fight for the new one!
Love Actually has been my new Christmas tradition since it came out on DVD. I watch it every Christmas Eve and sometimes catch it on TV – it is a classic! I also try to find the original Christmas in Connecticut on TV during the season- Barbara Stanwyck was beautiful in that movie!
LOVE X-mas in CT!
I do enjoy Love, Actually. And for TV, all the Christmas episodes of the US Office have been great (but especially the one from Season 2). Also, Ludachristmas.