After this week, there will be a two week break on the blog for the holidays so the next "Top 10 Tuesday" post will be on January 5.
After two weeks of looking at Christmas episodes of sitcoms, this is my Top 10 Drama Christmas Episodes!
Close Calls:
The Twilight Zone "Night of the Meek"
This is Us "Last Christmas"
American Dreams "Tidings of Comfort and Joy"
Why not? I'll admit I'm not as well versed on dramas as I am on comedies, especially older ones, so I'm sure I'm missing some great Christmas episodes of classic dramas just because I haven't seen them. But this was a memorable episode from my childhood and it had a nice "Gift of the Magi" spin in one of the stories. It was festive and fun and before the show really went off the rails.
9. Scandal "Baby It's Cold Outside" (November 19, 2015)
This episode was somewhat controversial at the time it aired because it showed Olivia Pope getting an abortion and the audience didn't even know she was pregnant. That tough storyline painted against a cheery White House Christmas scene made for a pretty interesting episode.
8. Homefront "Sinners Reconciled" (December 17, 1991)
Homefront is an underrated show from the early 90s. The first season Christmas episode dealt with the birth of a baby and Christmas cookies but it also did a nice job evoking of what Christmas looked like in small town America in the 1940s.
7. Mad Men "Christmas Waltz" (May 20, 2012)
I really enjoy the 60s-era Christmas ambiance in this episode, especially when Joan and Don are at the bar. Maybe the episode as a whole isn't the most Christmas-y on the list but it's a great episode of Mad Men that focuses on Joan and Don's relationship, two characters who share a lot of time together but rarely have very meaningful stories crossing with each other.
9-1-1 does a great job with bonkers situations that lead to the rescue calls and they seem like they step their game up on holidays. The first Christmas episode had a competing house decorations gone wrong, a stampede at a toy store and a mistletoe-related disaster. It also advanced the story for Bobby and Athena quite a bit. A whole lot happened in an hour!
5. The West Wing "Noel" (December 13, 2000)
The first of two episodes of The West Wing to make this list, this episode deals a lot with PTSD in a less common way. There's one of Leo's finest moments when he uses a story to explain to Josh he's not giving up on him. And there's a very moving performance from Yo-Yo Ma to close the episode.
4. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip "The Christmas Show" (December 4, 2006)
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was a really uneven show in its one and only season but it evoked The West Wing at its best moments. The most memorable part of this episode was a performance of "O Holy Night" from a band of New Orleans musicians not long after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region.
3. American Dreams "Silent Night" (December 15, 2002)
Any chance I get, I will talk about what an underrated show American Dreams is and what a tragedy it is that it is not available on DVD or any channel or streaming service. Like many episodes, this one is very nostalgic and sweet including protagonist Meg getting her first kiss under the mistletoe on American Bandstand.
2. My So-Called Life "So Called Angels" (December 22, 1994)
A very memorable episode from the short lived series, there's a little bit of a mystical feel to this episode. But more importantly, it's a heartbreaking and well-told story about the very interesting character of Rickie.
The best Christmas episode of a drama is the iconic first season entry from The West Wing. It has a very moving story about a homeless veteran, a powerful ending with a striking visual featuring the main cast and a very funny subplot where the President goes Christmas shopping. It's a must see.
Tomorrow: A One Season Wonder look at 1990s flop Maybe This Time!
Tuesday in 3 Weeks: Top 10 Episodes of 2020!
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