TOP 10 TUESDAY: Top 10 Christmas Sitcom Episodes (pre-1995)

Over the next three weeks, my Christmas episodes countdowns will be divided into three groups: Pre-1995 sitcoms, 1995-present sitcoms and dramas. This week is my Top 10 Christmas Sitcom Episodes (pre-1995)

Close Calls:

The Wonder Years "A Very Cutlip Christmas"

Father Knows Best "The Christmas Story"

Doug "Doug's Christmas Story"

10. The Lucy Show "Together for Christmas" (December 24, 1962)

The very early episodes of The Lucy Show really had a lot of the magic that I Love Lucy had and this Christmas episode might be one of the best, if not the best, of the entire series. It's a great showdown for Lucy and Viv (even though all of Viv's choices are hideous!)

9. The Andy Griffith Show "Christmas Story" (December 19, 1960)

The only Christmas episode of The Andy Griffith Show, it of course tugs at the heartstrings with a sweet story about a crotchety old man (a great guest performance by Will Wright). It's an episode that pretty much takes place entirely in the courthouse and it's very fitting for the series in tone and premise.

8. Hazel "Hazel's Christmas Shopping" (December 21, 1961)

I love this episode because it feels like such a throwback now to a different era of Christmas, when bustling department stores were the place to be. This episode is a great showcase for Shirley Booth's great title character and feels festive in a different way than a typical family or office Christmas episode.

7. The Bob Newhart Show "I'm Dreaming of a Slight Christmas" (December 22, 1973)

I'm a sucker for snowbound episodes and this one has Bob stuck at the office on Christmas Eve thanks to a good old fashioned Chicago blizzard and power outage. There's the usual office party hijinks but there's also the urgency of Bob trying to get home and a very cozy shot as the credits roll.

6. Sesame Street "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" (December 3, 1978)

I have to put this on here because it was one of my absolute favorites as a young child and has so many moments that are ingrained in me (the Grouch falling down the stairs, Cookie Monster eating the typewriter, Big Bird nearly freezing to death, Bert and Ernie doing their spin on the Gift of the Magi and of course all the songs!). Even as an adult, I would watch it again in a heartbeat (and I sometimes do!)

5. The Dick Van Dyke Show "The Alan Brady Show Presents" (December 18, 1963)

This was the first episode I ever saw of The Dick Van Dyke Show so you can imagine that I didn't really understand what the series was all about. It's a send-up of the classic Christmas variety specials that were all the rage back in that era. And with the cast doing iconic musical numbers, it's a delightful throwback to another era

4. The Wonder Years "Christmas" (December 14, 1988)

This doesn't quite feel like it belongs on a list of sitcoms, but by definition (or at least by the Emmys' definition), it's the category The Wonder Years belongs in. This is a great episode that centers on a Color TV and that was a real big deal in the era the series is set in. It shows parents struggling to make Christmas great and the wonder of Christmas with a first crush. And of course, it's easy to be moved to tears by it.

3. Bewitched "A Vision of Sugar Plums" (December 24, 1964)

Just like The Dick Van Dyke Show, this was the first episode of Bewitched I ever saw and it truly feels magic. A visit to the North Pole with probably the most believable Santa in the history of TV. It is a great example of a show using its overall premise to deliver a pretty perfect Christmas episode.

2. Happy Days "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas?" (December 17, 1974)

One of the first really great Fonzie episodes of Happy Days, this early-era episode is more than just a 50s-set Christmas throwback, it's a really touching episode that manages to never cross that sappy line. With great performances from Henry Winkler and the rest of the cast, it is as warm and delightful as a cup of hot chocolate on Christmas Eve.

1. The Mary Tyler Moore Show "Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid" (December 19, 1970)

An iconic Christmas episode from an iconic series, sweet Mary Richards just loves all things Christmas as you can imagine. But her perfect holiday is upended when she has to work on Christmas Eve. With equally hilarious and wonderful scenes at home and the office and a fantastically decorated door to her apartment, Mary's Christmas is one to watch every single year.

Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at The McLean Stevenson Show!

Next Tuesday: Top 10 Christmas Sitcom Episodes (1995-Present)!