A Thinker in Space

In honor of the first Christmas season where I have been actively posting, I figured I’d go through my Christmas viewing traditions. Every Christmas, I have three lists that I use as a reference point when deciding what to watch. The first list is the list of things that must be watched yearly. The second list is the high-priority viewing: these are movies or episodes that my wife and I choose from if we are looking for something fun to watch during the Christmas season. The third list (and the one I am starting with here) is movies or episodes that I will sometimes watch, if the mood strikes.

These three lists contain both standalone Christmas media and Christmas specials of shows I enjoy. I will attempt to make these lists spoiler-free – any spoilers will come with a warning before they are stated.

This is technically the lowest tier of content that I will view. This does not mean that these are bad, just that they are not household standards for the Christmas season! They are also loosely ordered by the likelihood they will be watched. This list may also very possibly change when we have older kids!

NOTE: Last week, I published a list ranking the Doctor Who Christmas Specials. I will reference back to this list occasionally, as my list naturally includes most of these episodes.

16 – The Star of Christmas

As you can probably tell by the picture, The Star of Christmas is a VeggieTales Christmas special! It is the prequel to An Easter Carol, which is a later episode of the show. This is a relatively basic but solid Christmas story with lots of fun Veggie antics. The lessons are good, the story is entertaining, and it is a great addition to any Christmas collection. That being said, it is one that I will not revisit as often as others, as there are many other shows and movies that I will almost always prioritize.

15 – Hawkeye

This is an interesting addition to my list of potential viewings – it is not one that I expect to pull out often, but I could see doing this every few years. Hawkeye was a part of the Disney+ push in 2021, and is one of the best Disney+ shows released so far. The show takes place in the Christmas season, and has a Christmas-y feel alongside fun action scenes and great character moments.

It is uncommon that I would be able to watch a full six-episode series during Christmas season, but I keep this one on the list due to its Christmas feel and how much fun it was to watch. However, as with the Doctor Who specials I will be mentioning, this is not a Christmastime exclusive viewing. That automatically drops it in priority alongside other media that I would only watch during the Christmas season.

14 – The Toy Who Saved Christmas

This is a nostalgia bomb for me – The Toy Who Saved Christmas is one of the earliest VeggieTales episodes, featuring a toy that gains consciousness and searches for the true meaning of Christmas. The story in this episode is, when viewed objectively, actually rather ludicrous, and the Veggies are kind of the villains? SPOILERS AHEAD: To summarize, Mr. Nezzer is in charge of a toy company, and he is creating commercials that make it sound like buying toys is the true meaning of Christmas. The Veggies want to teach him (and the rest of the world) a lesson so they break into his facility and hijack his broadcasting technology. And Mr. Nezzer is the bad guy? END SPOILERS

Its ridiculousness adds a whole new level to it that I thoroughly enjoy, and the Silly Song is top tier. For all these, reasons, this one worms its way onto my viewing list every once in a while as a fun, quick Christmas story.

13 – Catch Me if You Can

I debated on whether or not to include this one, since it, like Hawkeye falls under the category of things that are not Christmas exclusives. I actually don’t think I’ve ever watched this specifically during the Christmas season. I had to put it on here though, as it is one of my favorite movies of all time (in the list I published here it is #11).

It falls under the category of a Christmas movie about as effectively as Die Hard does, but it is an excellent story and has some fantastic performances.

12 – Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: Christmas Special

This is a classic old-fashioned variety show from my wife’s childhood, including songs, random antics, and celebrity guests. We will watch this occasionally, enjoying Pee-Wee’s classic humor and the Christmas flare that this episode contains. It is fun-filled and an overall enjoyable watch.

11 – Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer

Yes, this is an iconic Christmas story for a reason. It has great music and memorable moments. That being said, this is my least favorite of the popular stop-motion Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, and thus the one I watch the least often. Santa is just… such a terrible person. The messaging in this story is all over the place, and though the story itself is entertaining, Santa’s kingdom along with its residents is portrayed very negatively.

I still enjoy Rudolph but it is not one that I watch frequently – I will only view it if I am feeling especially nostalgic or if family members want to watch it, and infrequent viewings make the years when I put it on much more enjoyable!

10 – The Little Drummer Boy

A solid, underrated Rankin/Bass special, The Little Drummer Boy tells the story of Jesus from the perspective of a little boy. It is a well-written story that deals with Christianity respectfully, something I value, especially in a Christmas story.

9 – Last Christmas (Doctor Who)

The Doctor Who series 9 Christmas special is a solid one. It is not one of the strongest, but it is enjoyable, has a lot of twists and turns, and somewhat maintains a Christmas feel throughout (though occasionally the Christmas theming can be lost in the weeds). I talk about this more in my Doctor Who Christmas Specials list, but it is an episode that I watch occasionally, though not always – it is a bit heavier than the content I usually enjoy watching during Christmastime. It is a direct follow-up to the Season 8 finale, which is noticeable and leads to some confusion if you haven’t watched or don’t remember what occurred in the previous episode. Because of that, it functions less effectively as a Christmas episode, giving it a lower spot on this list than others. Watching it this year gave me the feeling of watching a solid episode of Doctor Who, rather than the Christmas feeling that later episodes give.

8 – ‘Twas the Night Before Bumpy

This is an odd one for me. Claymation freaks me out, and thus this type of thing would not have normally appealed to me. I had never heard of this series before, but this was something my wife watched when she was younger and introduced me to. It is weird. It is a bizarre story that plays out kind of like the Wizard of Oz? Despite this, it is actually quite a charming story, its oddness adding to the enjoyment rather than taking away from it. Jim Cummings plays Bumpy, a bizarre slime goop thing, who is characteristically selfish (Garfield-style).

The story itself is simple, has some slightly horrifying visuals without getting to Tim Burton-esque levels. We don’t break this one out every year, but we enjoy it every time we view it!

7 – The Next Doctor (Doctor Who)

Another Doctor Who Christmas special – this one comes after series 4, and is part of the David Tennant Christmas specials. I know I linked to it earlier, but I talk more about this one in my Doctor Who list. It’s a bit more of a feel-good special than Last Christmas, and is one that I put on every once in a while when I want a good David Tennant Christmas episode to watch.

4 – Comfort and Joy (Justice League)

I actually didn’t include this one initially, but watched it recently (after this article was originally published). However, after a rewatch, I felt it was worth bringing up. Justice League is a mixed bag, with some fantastic episodes and some that are a bit of a drag to watch. This episode is a brief respite from the action of the season before the explosive series finale Starcrossed, and has some great character moments. The Flash storyline is enjoyable with some sincerely heartwarming moments, the Superman/Martian Manhunter storyline is a gentle character-driven story that makes the viewer smile. I can give or take the Hawkgirl/Green Lantern storyline here, but its presence is inoffensive at worst and a lot of fun at best. I watch this every once in a while as a background Christmas story, and enjoy it each time!

5 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

There’s not much to say about this one – it is a classic story. When I was younger, we watched this nearly every year. Nowadays, it is one we watch occasionally, often in the background while doing other things (like decorating for Christmas or cleaning up around our home). I am not a huge fan of other adaptations of the original Dr. Seuss story – this one is still the superior version in my eyes.

4 – Snowed in at the House of Mouse

We’re a Disney family, and because of that, some Disney movies/shorts make their way onto this list. The House of Mouse is a fantastic show that is unfortunately not yet on Disney+. The concept was amusing and enjoyable – characters from all across Disney media come to the House of Mouse to eat, hang out, and watch old Disney cartoons. It was a charming concept (no pun intended) and was fun to watch as a kid.

We unearthed Snowed in at the House of Mouse a few years ago on VHS, and since found it on DVD/digital. It is not easy to locate, but it is still fun to watch. It is, again, not one that we watch every year, but it is fun to put on occasionally to experience some classic Disney antics. The Nutcracker is a great cartoon, and this also contains Mickey’s Christmas Carol, which is a highlight!

3 – The Snowmen (Doctor Who)

I watched this Christmas special for the first time in a long time last year, and it shot up significantly on my list. There are a lot of things about this that make it a great Christmas special, including a top-notch cast. I gave this episode a bad rap in previous viewings because I was frustrated with Matt Smith – he had just experienced loss and had sworn off helping humanity. This is a bit frustrating even in rewatches, but the rest of the episode is so good that it makes that portion bearable.

2 – Home Alone

I have gotten a lot of flak for this one, because if I am being totally honest, I don’t love it? It is this high because it is inevitably on at least once during the Christmas season, but not because I seek it out. I understand why Home Alone is so popular, I do. But it’s not a movie I would ever personally watch if there weren’t other people watching with me, mostly because brutal slapstick humor is simply not my thing. I enjoy this movie for what it is, and appreciate its soundtrack and its existence as a cultural touchstone, but as far as watching it myself? It is the least likely classic Christmas movie for me to turn on (with the notable exception of Elf, which is a conversation for another time).

There’s a lot of good here – some great scenes, the John Williams soundtrack I already mentioned, and a pretty well-done character development arc for Kevin. The robbery sequence is just a bit gratuitous for me, and I have some concerns about the movie’s marketing towards children, as (besides the obvious slapstick but disturbing-at-times violence) there is some language and other objectionable content in this film. I can appreciate it, and I will find myself watching it when it is on in the background. I don’t actively hate this movie by any means, I simply wouldn’t seek it out on my own.

1 – A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas

A while ago, I found a Phineas and Ferb Christmas album that was absolutely fantastic, containing covers and parodies of classic Christmas songs. This has stayed in my Christmas music rotation ever since! I remember watching this episode on my first viewing and thinking it was nothing special, but when rewatching it recently, there is a ton to love about it. It parodies a classic Christmas variety show with its patented brand of self-aware humor, and contains most of the songs from the aforementioned album. As a Christmas special, it hits a lot of the right notes for me, and this year it might find itself on the next list! There are two Phineas and Ferb Christmas specials, and this one is the weaker of the duo, but it is still a ton of fun!

Final Thoughts

Next, we’re headed to the movies and shows we select from most often during Christmas time. We usually don’t watch all of those, but often watch most of them. All of the media on the list above, though, is a lot of fun and worth watching during the Christmas season. I can’t wait to dive into the rest!

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