Vacation Robo-Post: Your Favorite Holiday TV

I'll look past your restriction on movies, and nominate A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life. Let's face it - both of these "movies" are far more famous for their annual television broadcasts than for their run in the cinemas (especially A Christmas Story, with TBS's brilliant 24-hour marathon).

A Christmas Story and Charlie Brown Christmas. Christmas isn't Christmas without those two.

As for Thanksgiving movies - my family traditions are Home For The Holidays with Holly Hunter, and Nobody's Fool with Paul Newman.

I'll look past your restriction on movies, and nominate A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life

I love Christmas as much as the next person but for some reason, be it childhood trauma or a distinct distate for Capra-schmaltz but I've never liked those movies. They give me the hives and make me throw things at my television.

I do agree with Shara though. Christmas isn't Christmas without a Charlie Brown Christmas. I am rather partial to A Muppet's Christmas Carol and I have many happy childhood memories of the Macy's Thanksgiving/Christmas Parades. Memories only mind you. I haven't actually sat down to watch it since I've been able to vote.

I'll agree with Chaddogg - Christmas isn't Christmas without A Christmas Story. My family not only watches as much of the 24 hours as we can stay awake for, we time our present opening so that we're sharing in the cornucopia with Ralphie and his family. Plus, I've always got to watch it the weekend after Thanksgiving to get into the holiday spirit. (I'll usually watch Love, Actually too, both because it's a great movie and because it's a Christmas movie.)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Muppet Family Christmas (sadly, on a very worn out VCR tape and not in print anywhere that I've been able to find) also feature prominently.

@C. Brown regarding A Christmas Story.....heretic!!!! I will however agree with you on It's A Wonderful Life. Borrrringgg!

I never let a Christmas go by without watching A Christmas Story, much to my wife's disgust. She can't understand why I will watch any movie more than once. I don't know, maybe it is due to her being raised by wolves in the wilderness that causes this lack of cinematic appreciation on her part.

I love "Meet Me In St. Louis" - though not a traditional holiday film, how can you overlook Ms. Garland's wonderful performance of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"?

I am also a huge fan of "A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and almost any of the Rankin and Bass stop animation films.

My all-time favorite, though, is Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer! It is just the best and maked the entire season for me.

It's not Christmas without "A Christmas Story." Something about that movie just makes me happy. And the Garfield Christmas special, where the gift to Grandma is love letters from her now dead husband makes me bawl every time. My husband has "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on our DVR from last year and refuses to delete it.

I adore "Holiday Inn" with Bing and "Christmas in Connecticut" with Miss Stanwyck for "oldies" choices, and the 1938 "Christmas Carol" with Reginal Owens. But, I absolutely have to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with vocals by Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. The animation from 1964 is still charming, though a bit jerky. Nevertheless, the song "Island of Misfit Toys" makes me cry, unbelievably enough. Plus, yes to anything Peanuts. You can keep that stupid Christmas Story. I never liked it in the first place.

Keith,

I am a heretic and proud of it. I must have watched 'A Christmas Story' at a very young age and was horribly traumatized. I can't really explain it but I just recoil whenever that movie is on.

But I second Kelly with Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas and idigress' Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer! I loved those shows as a kid.

I also love Bing Crosby's White Christmas with Danny Kaye. Classic Americana Schmaltz!

Our Christmas staples are: A Christmas Story and Love Actually. And, more recently, Bad Santa. C'mon, it's hilariously vulgur.

I also love the movie "Scrooged" with Bill Murray. But, being the Halloween freak I am, A Nightmare before Christmas is a whole lot of fun also.

@ C.Brown: I had a similar experience with A Christmas Story when I was young - it really freaked me out, for some reason I just couldn't deal with it, and I would absolutely not watch it with my dad until I was like 17 or so, but once I watched it as an older person I totally got the whole nostalgia thing of it - I didn't relate to the movie as A Child, but now I totally do - the key was watching it from the perspective of An Adult Looking Back on Being A Child. I seriously recommend a second viewing now that you are wiser and more mature - the shift in perspective might make all the difference!!

I watch Die Hard and Die Hard 2 for my holiday fare.
"Just once, I'd like a regular, normal Christmas. A little eggnog... a f****n' Christmas tree... a little turkey. But, no. I gotta crawl around in this mo***f****n' tin can"

Classic!

Have to agree with the choice of Scrooged, I just love the butt kicking ghost of Christmas presant. And how can we forget Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo from South Park... just awsome... hi de ho everyone!!!

My Christmas staples: Love Actually, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, A Muppet Christmas Carol. All of which my roommate introduced me to. Apparently I come from an insanely anti-Christmas household--although Handel's Messiah goes into the CD player on repeat starting December 1, and that one's my fault.

"A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Simm is my all time favorite. I like to watch it late on Christmas Eve. Gotta love "A Christmas Story", Ralphie reminds me that getting a de-coder ring in the mail could make your year. And his Dad's excitement over his "major award". Those days are gone forever. "Home for the Holdays" is also a favorite, makes me feel good that there are other people as disfunctional as I am.

Christmas always starts with these favorites: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Garfield Christmas, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. But there always has to be How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, etc. I love the classic cartoons/claymations!

Ny all time favorite, Mr. Magoos Christmas Carol.The Broadway show-within-a-show device is brilliant.Another reminder that the deepest wisdom comes from the most unlikely places.This goes for the Charlie Brown special as well.These two had a more profound effect on my morality than anything any adult ever told me.Let cynicism beware!And happy holidays and best wishes to all, terrace

No mention of Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special? That is definitely one of my favorites. It is like an absurdist take on the standard Christmas specials of the old days. It features off-kilter takes on the "random" celebrity cameos, arts and crafts segments, and fruitcakes. It is one of my favorite specials to watch every... YEAR! (Insert Cher shouting)

Christmas movies suck!

It seems as though there is only a short list to go from, especially when I think about it now. Strictly speaking TV, I make it a point to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer every year (and its eventual rerun later in the month) ... and A Charlie Brown Christmas, too.
Frosty is just aiight.

I remember when ABC used to air Mickey's Christmas Carol, and I miss it. It's my favorite interpretation.

The Simpsons usually present a decent holiday show every year, though nothing can compare to the first episode.

And, finally, no Christmas is complete in my house without the tree trimming on Letterman. It looks like it's going to be a sad Christmas this year...

@Mel. I also grew up watching a battered VCR recording of a Muppet Family Christmas. The combination of all of the Jim Henson's franchises, from Kermit and Co. to Sesame Street to Fraggle Rock, all in one movie, combined with Christmas musical numbers and Muppet hilarity made this TV special a Christmas tradition.

OMG I cannot believe I forgot Emmett Otter! *Facedesk* I watch that one every year too...

And as for the non-Christmas holiday stuff, didn't Adam Sandler do a cartoon, Eight Crazy nights I think it was. And I know he did the Chanukah song on SNL. And speaking of SNL, Hanukkah Harry always cracked me up.

I have always loved Emmit Otter and his Jugband Christmas and I am so excited to see other people do too. Way back when there used to be a special called a "Claymation Christmas". It had the California raisins and a whole bunch of other characters and it was fantastic. My other top favorite is The Year Without a Santa Claus. Heat Miser and Snow Miser are the best, and so are their minions.
The others I always watch are the SNL compilations, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Blue Toes the Elf, A Muppet Christmas Carol and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original and the Jim Carrey versions).

The best tradition my family has is always watching the lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree. We used to go when I was little but then as my parents worked more and my brother and I went away to school we stopped going. however, every year, we watch it together via conference call and its still very special.

Any of the Rankin and Bass animation. Aside from the claymation ones, they also did a regular animated special call "Twas the night before Christmas." One of my favorites because of the ridiculously catchy song "Even a miracle needs a hand."

Oddly enough, I'm Jewish, but have a far greater knowledge of Christmas cartoons than any of my Christian friends.

Obviously Charlie Brown and the original Grinch are the real winners.

There is also another cartoon which no one seems to remember but me. It tells the story of Santa as an abandoned human baby raised by elves in a magical forest. He ages while his elf mother doesn't. As a reward for bringing joy to children through his gifts, he is given immortality. Anyone know what I am talking about?

Finally, there's The Sound of Music. This one always did more for me than Christmas Story or Wonderful Life.

Ooh... and Oliver! Not really Christmas, but there's something about musicals at that time of the year.

My all-time favorites are All I Want for Christmas, Prancer, Charlie Brown, and A Muppet Christmas Carol. A new favorite is Elf--it always makes me laugh!