Every year Hollywood offers up new Christmas shows and movies, but why do some  become classics while the are left behind? Elf, The Grinch and Rudolph are on everyone’s must watch list, you have to send a search party to find the Berenstain Bears and Chip ‘n Dale.  Music is a big part of it and it seems dumb luck plays a role too. Whatever it is there’s more than or or two good ones and they’re is plenty of cold days to watch them all.

Some our favorite old-school Christmas shows and also a terrible one (Star Wars) find themselves on the island of forgotten shows and they deserve some love. In a world where everything is available; it’s easy to rediscover these forgotten classics.

Pluto’s Christmas Tree

My favorite short as a kid.

From Wikipedia Pluto’s Christmas Tree is a 1952 Mickey Mouse^[2] cartoon in which Pluto^[3]and Mickey cut down a Christmas tree that Chip n’ Dale live in. It is notable as one of the few Disney shorts directed by Jack Hannah not to star Donald Duck, although Donald does make a cameo at the end.

or CLICK to watch on Disney’s Site.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1944)

Rudolph doesn’t have a love interest in the original Rudolph film.

Star Wars Holiday Special

This is nearly unwatchable, but you can also not look away from the freakish parade of characters reenacting the holiday specials that were so fashionable in the 70s. It only aired once and almost everyone involved disavowed its existence.

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Growing up without cable meant I watched this special every year and it was special. So much nostalgia. So many lessons.  When this came out Sesame Street was still the hot new show with 1st generation performers.

Mickey Mouse’s The Night Before Christmas

Not much nostalgia here unless you’re 70+. Just some vintage Walt Disney Magic.

The Christmas Carol – 1971

The best of the animated versions of Dickens’ Classic; at least the one I think Charles Dickens would have prefered, due it’s haunting take on the story.

The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree

The book this is based on is in heavy rotation this season. Apparently it played once on TV and the four year old me probably missed it.  Our kids though it was slow, but then again they watched it again.  Slow is good.

 

The Office

I loved the UK’s final episode which a Christmas special, but also the various Christmas shows in the US version were routinely the best of the season.