ViewAskewbian

Each year, I try to add to a growing list of rate/weird tv shows/specials you probably won't find in popular circulation during the Holiday Season. Things like:

Max Headroom's Christmas Special
Rambo - When S.A.V.A.G.E Stole Santa
Beavis and Butthead Do Christmas
The Munsters Scary Little Christmas
Christmas in PacLand
The Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas
Emmanuel Lewis and Mr. T's Christmas Special
The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas
X-files How the Ghost Stole Christmas
and, of course,
The Star Wars Holiday Special

Etc.

What are some of your favourite weird/rare/not usually played Christmas TV episodes/specials?

fujishig

I still have my DVD of the Bloom County special "A Wish for Wings that Work" that I watch with my kids even though they have no idea who Opus is otherwise.

I kinda wish I had a copy of The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree too.

Do they still show 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the Rankin/Bass one with the mice?

ViewAskewbian

I've not seen it played in some time, sadly. It was released on DVD this year as part of a big box set. Maybe write your local network asking for it to be played because, well, even a miracle needs a hand.

fujishig

The problem is I have most of those Rankin Bass specials in that set on Blu-ray and/or DVD already. But thanks for the heads up. Seems like it's available on streaming on fubo or amc+ or I can buy it in HD on itunes though so at least it's available.

Also I was looking up christmas specials and found this wiki, which seems to try to have a comprehensive list of christmas movies/specials/tv episodes (like look at all those Kamen Rider episodes) and descriptions, if anyone needs a refresher to remember stuff:

This is the tv episodes link but they have different categories:
https://christmas-specials.fandom.co...ision_episodes

ViewAskewbian

Thanks for link. The RAMBO Christmas episode is even too obscure for that site

rw2516

The Avengers episode "Too Many Christmas Trees" is one of my favorites.

fujishig

I think even the creators would rather us forget that they marketed cartoons based on Rambo, Police Academy, Robocop and other R Rated properties to little kids.

Toby Dramit

A couple of Christmas specials that stand out for me ... A Cosmic Christmas (1977) and The Selfish Giant (1971). Great stories and I love the 70s animation on them. Both are available on YouTube. The Selfish Giant may not be a Christmas tale per se but it always aired around this time of the year and it certainly has that feeling ...

Oh, and add in the Trailer Park Boys Christmas Episode as well ...

windom

Yes, AMC shows it, usually in the early mornings. I see 4 showings scheduled in the next week or so.

GuessWho

YES!

it airs on AMC once this Saturday and again early morning Sunday.
https://www.amc.com/schedule?tz=CT&from=2022-12-17

TheAllPurposeNothing

He-Man and She-Ra - A Christmas Special
Ho Ho Noooooo!!! It's Mr. Bill's Christmas Special!
Rapsittie Street Kids - Believe in Santa
BC - A Christmas Special
Christmas in Tattertown
The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood
The Gift of Winter
The Little Rascals Christmas Special
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Ziggy's Gift

TheAllPurposeNothing

It's not perfect but here you go: https://archive.org/details/dmotionT...ree1979X2brj2h

JeffTheAlpaca

I saw this on AMC

it pales in comparision to Rudolph and the other classic and not a lot of snow or christmasy stuff and the voice of Mrs Claus talking and singing was annoying.

fujishig

I forgot all about Olive, the Other Reindeer, will watch it on youtube with the kids. I also forgot about the BC Christmas special, for some reason I only ever remember the Thanksgiving special.

Trevor

Saw Cosmic Christmas the other day for the first time I’m pretty sure.

It was part of a BD-R from a little animation company that someone here linked to about their Black Friday sale. Got a bunch of obscure holiday cartoons on it. Interestingly, it also had a B&W television broadcast of Rankin&Bass’ Rudolph, complete with ads that appeared to be built into the special.