Below are 25 classic Christmas episodes from some of your favorite TV shows of all time that are available for free on YouTube. Revisiting television programs from our youth can be like spending time with an old friend. And there’s no better time to reconnect with our favorite characters than Christmas!
- Television and the Holidays
- Top 25 Television Christmas Episodes Available on YouTube
- DRAGNET – The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas
- FATHER KNOWS BEST – The Christmas Story
- THE LONE RANGER – Christmas Story
- DENNIS THE MENACE – The Christmas Story
- CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU? – Christmas at the 53rd
- THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES – Home for Christmas
- THE LUCY SHOW – Together for Christmas
- THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW – The Alan Brady Show Presents
- THE PATTY DUKE SHOW – The Christmas Present
- BONANZA – A Christmas Story
- BEWITCHED – Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here
- DRAGNET – The Christmas Story
- THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW – Not a Christmas Story
- MAUDE – The Christmas Party
- THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW – 1976 Christmas Show
- FAMILY – A Child is Given
- MORK & MINDY – Mork's First Christmas
- TRAPPER JOHN M.D. – Tis the Season
- M*A*S*H – Twas the Day After Christmas
- BENSON – Mary and Her Lambs
- NEWHART – No Room at the Inn
- GIMME A BREAK – A Kanisky Christmas
- WINGS – Happy Holidays
- HOME IMPROVEMENT – It Was the Night Before Chaos
- REBA – Cookies for Santa
- Stocking Stuffer
Television and the Holidays
There is something special about the relationships we have with some of our favorite television shows. Even moreso than motion pictures, we develop a deep connection with characters we often spend years of our lives watching. They indeed become like our family.
I don’t know about you, but some of my fondest and most nostalgic holiday memories are gathering in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn (OK, a couple bowls) for our annual viewings of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”, and “Frosty the Snowman”. I get a warm sensation whenever I watch them to this very day.
The list I’ve compiled is far from extensive, but it gives you a nice overview of almost 50 years of TV Christmas moments. Some of my personal favorites, from “The Golden Girls” to “The Office”, are not available for free on YouTube, or else they would definitely have been among my selections.
Top 25 Television Christmas Episodes Available on YouTube
In chronological order, here are 25 classic holiday episodes of some of your favorite TV shows ranging from 1954 through 2002.
Most of them have the episodes embedded right here so you can just hit PLAY and enjoy. A couple have links that will take you to YouTube.
DRAGNET – The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 18, 1952
PLOT: Tragedy ensues when a young boy is given a gun as a Christmas present.
FATHER KNOWS BEST – The Christmas Story
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 19, 1954
PLOT: While putting up their Christmas tree, the Anderson family recalls how they acquired it.
THE LONE RANGER – Christmas Story
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 20, 1956
PLOT: The Lone Ranger and Tonto search mining camps at Christmastime for a man needed by his family.
DENNIS THE MENACE – The Christmas Story
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 20, 1959
PLOT: Dennis’ parents are sure they have a good hiding place for his presents.
CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU? – Christmas at the 53rd
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 24, 1961
PLOT: The precinct puts on a Christmas show.
THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES – Home for Christmas
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 19, 1962
PLOT: The Clampett family heads back home for Christmas to pay cousin Pearl a visit; Pearl is busy preparing for the Christmas feast, which she hopes will win the attentions of Mr. Brewster.
THE LUCY SHOW – Together for Christmas
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 24, 1962
PLOT: Lucy and Viv decide that their families should spend Christmas together.
THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW – The Alan Brady Show Presents
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 18, 1963
PLOT: The entire “Alan Brady” staff presents a Christmas show instead of the script turned in by the writers.
THE PATTY DUKE SHOW – The Christmas Present
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 25, 1963
PLOT: Martin is forced by his boss to fire his twin brother, who is also Cathy’s father, at Christmas time.
BONANZA – A Christmas Story
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 25, 1966
PLOT: A young singer named Andy Walker returns to Virginia City at Christmas time and agrees to appear at the annual orphan’s Christmas benefit.
BEWITCHED – Humbug Not to Be Spoken Here
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 21, 1967
PLOT: On Christmas Eve, Samantha takes Mr Mortimer, a miserly client of Darrin’s, to meet Santa Claus, hoping to reform the scrooge.
DRAGNET – The Christmas Story
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 21, 1967
PLOT: Friday and Gannon help to recover a Christ-child statue stolen from a church.
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW – Not a Christmas Story
ORIGINALLY AIRED: November 9, 1974
PLOT: Sue Ann invites the newsroom staff to Christmas dinner – in November.
MAUDE – The Christmas Party
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 22, 1975
PLOT: Walter fears that his annual Christmas party will be ruined by a women’s rights activist.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MAUDE – The Christmas Party
THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW – 1976 Christmas Show
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 25, 1976
FAMILY – A Child is Given
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 13, 1977
PLOT: The joy of the holiday season in the Lawrence household is shattered when little Timmy is taken ill and faces a crisis on Christmas Eve.
MORK & MINDY – Mork’s First Christmas
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 14, 1978
PLOT: Mork reminds everyone what Christmas is all about when he invites the unbearable Susan to celebrate the holiday with them.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MORK & MINDY – Mork’s First Christmas
TRAPPER JOHN M.D. – Tis the Season
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 20, 1981
PLOT: Instead of consenting to surgery that could save his life, a street-corner Santa directs his concern toward an ill 11-year-old boy.
M*A*S*H – Twas the Day After Christmas
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 21, 1981
PLOT: Visiting British soldiers explain an age-old tradition about the day after Christmas that sees the enlisted men and officers trade places for the day.
BENSON – Mary and Her Lambs
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 17, 1982
PLOT: The governor’s home prepares for the Christmas holiday. As Benson talks to friends, he finds a cook is struggling to keep her foster children.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH BENSON – Mary and Her Lambs
NEWHART – No Room at the Inn
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 20, 1982
PLOT: Dick and Joanna celebrate Christmas.
GIMME A BREAK – A Kanisky Christmas
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 22, 1983
PLOT: Nell’s plans to give Joey a Christmas with the family meet with resistance when they’ve all made other plans.
WINGS – Happy Holidays
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 16, 1993
PLOT: Antonio has the Christmas blues, and Faye is hosting the children’s Christmas party.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH WINGS – Happy Holidays
HOME IMPROVEMENT – It Was the Night Before Chaos
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 13, 1994
PLOT: Tim enlists the help of his brother to build his Christmas display; Jill tries to help her visiting parents.
REBA – Cookies for Santa
ORIGINALLY AIRED: December 13, 2002
PLOT: Reba learns she will be spending Christmas Eve alone; Cheyenne and Van try to start a holiday tradition, but their plan backfires.
Stocking Stuffer
THE BRADY BUNCH – The Voice of Christmas
One of the most classic Christmas episodes of any television show in history first aired on December 19, 1969. Carol Brady gets laryngitis right before her Christmas solo at church, and little Cindy asks Santa for nothing else but the return of her mommy’s voice. The full episode is not available for free on YouTube, but I was able to find a clip of the last few minutes. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE TO WATCH PART OF THE BRADY BUNCH – The Voice of Christmas
What are some of your favorite Christmas TV episodes? Please share your thoughts below – maybe you’ll create new traditions for me and our readers.
More Christmas Movie Posts for You
THE 13 WORST CHRISTMAS MOVIES OF ALL TIME
Leave a Reply