As the holiday season draws closer and the college semester is winding down, yet busier than ever with the rush of finals, I find myself looking for TV shows that bring me some holiday cheer for a momentary, or about a 45-minute, escape from a typically fast-paced and stressful college environment. Often, I rewatch holiday episodes of my favorite TV shows, as they never fail to make me laugh and get me into the holiday mood. I find the nostalgic nature of these older shows to be very comforting. I have compiled a list of my favorite holiday episodes from classic TV shows so that you can have a little bit of peace or relaxation during these final weeks of the Fall semester.
- New Girl, Season 1, Episode 9: “The 23rd”
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As the first Christmas episode of New Girl, this one sets the bar pretty high. In season one, episode nine of this show, we see the gang navigate their different Christmas plans. While Nick and Winston try not to miss their flights home, Jess tries to navigate her more than complex feelings toward her boyfriend, and a pining Schmidt gives Cece a heartfelt (bad-smelling) Christmas gift. They then take a trip to Schmidt’s holiday party, where he’s forced to dress up as “Sexy Santa” every year, and Jess attempts to avoid her boyfriend, so as to not break up with him and crush his Christmas spirit. In this very emotional and drama-packed episode, we get to see Schmidt finally stand up for himself in his office, Winston book his first nanny job, and Nick and Jess give us another classic, heart-wrenching “that should be me” moment. The episode comes to a close as Nick drives to “Candy Cane Lane,” a street lined with bright Christmas lights Jess has been longing to see at night, only to find the lights have been turned off. The devastated look on Jess’ face from her fresh break up and lack of Christmas spirit doesn’t last too long, when Nick takes her joy into his own hands and wakes an entire neighborhood up, just to make her smile. Jess’ friends catch on and, in peak New Girl friendship, do whatever they can to make her dreams come true. The episode ends with each house lighting up as the neighborhood turns its lights back on, as New Girl’s own Zooey Deschanel’s cover of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” plays in the background of this heartwarming moment.
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 3, Episode 10: “Yippie Kayak”
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If you’re a fan of comedy, action, or debating whether or not Die Hard is actually a Christmas movie, this episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (B99) is for you. Season three episode ten of this sitcom opens in its hilarious and precious Charles Boyle fashion, when Boyle gets Jake a perfectly suited Christmas gift, and Jake realizes he forgot to get his best friend a gift of his own. After Terry (the Sergeant of the precinct) warns everyone not to call him on his only days off from work, the rest of the team heads out to complete a Polar Plunge for charity. Charles weasels his way into the shopping trip for his own last-minute gift with Gina and Jake when tragedy strikes. Jake, Charles, and Gina realize they’re living a real-life creation of Jake’s all-time favorite movie: Die Hard. With the rest of the precinct being away from their phones, Jake decides to take the hostage/robbery situation he’s a victim of into his own hands John McClane style. I would recommend watching Die Hard (or at least understanding the plot) before you watch this episode, but it’s truthfully just as funny either way. If it’s Christmas (or Halloween, or Easter, or a totally normal day) in my household, this episode will be on. Having never seen Die Hard prior to my many rewatches of B99, my mother found the situation and episode absolutely hilarious, and it single-handedly convinced her to watch the entire show with me. With its satirical callbacks to some iconic Die Hard scenes and classic sitcom hilarity, this one will never fail to make you laugh until New Year’s.
- The Office, Season 2, Episode 10: “Christmas Party”
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In this classic episode, we see the office celebrate their first Christmas together during a Christmas party. Taking place in season two, the episode follows a Secret Santa game turned White Elephant/Yankee swap/dirty Christmas, and the cast delivers yet another hilarious performance. The Party Planning Committee (Angela) prepares a stunning Christmas party that Michael is heartbroken to find out doesn’t involve alcohol. He goes a bit over the $20 limit for Secret Santa gifts, buying Ryan a $400 iPod. After Michael himself receives a homemade oven mitt from Phyllis as his Secret Santa gift, he suggests a switch in games and tries to convince someone to trade his gift for another. In this episode, we meet the legendary Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration, are given the iconic teapot scene between Jim and Pam, and witness one of Michael’s iconic lines: “Happy birthday Jesus! Sorry, your party’s so lame.” With Merideth’s drunk flashing, Dwight’s too seriously-taken elf role, and Kevin’s foot spa, this episode packs a very classic Office feeling and shouldn’t be skipped this holiday season.
- Modern Family, Season 5, Episode 10: “The Old Man & the Tree”
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In season five episode 10 of Modern Family, we watch as the three families navigate yet another holiday together. This year, Phil is trying to uphold his New Year’s resolution to walk the distance from his house to Canada on last year’s elliptical Christmas gift or risk it being moved from his bedroom to the garage. Luke, the youngest son of the Dunphy family, is adamant about helping his dad reach his goal once he realizes his avoidance of taking the recycling from the garage to the street will be uncovered if Phil fails. Haley and Alex attempt to work together at moving Haley from their shared room into the basement, and they work together as an elf and Mrs. Claus at the mall Santa station. Jay attempts to teach Manny the importance of a “traditional” Christmas, while his wife, Gloria, tries to make it through the holidays with a visit from her mother and a little help from Claire. Cam and Mitchel try to keep their holiday as calm as possible before they realize they forgot gifts for their friend’s famous party and their daughter’s only request. In traditional Modern Family style, the families teach us something about the meaning of Christmas in a comical fashion, whether it’s being thankful for the people in our lives, appreciating what we have while we have it, or the importance of a pre-cut Christmas tree.
- Good Luck Charlie, Season 3, Episode 21: “A Duncan Christmas”
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In my humble opinion, it’s impossible to get in the holiday spirit without watching at least one childhood movie or TV show. In season three episode 21 of Good Luck Charlie, the show delivered a perfectly Disney-child-esque, humor-filled holiday special. The nostalgic feeling of watching Teddy behind the camcorder, delivering advice we all thought was pivotal to our growing-up process, is one that puts me in the warm and gooey holiday mood. In this episode, Teddy faces some challenges while trying to take baby Charlie to visit Santa at the mall, Bob struggles with what kind of gift to get his wife for Christmas, and Amy and Bob’s mother navigate their ongoing feud for the annual Dunan Christmas Eve talent show. The Good Luck Charlie family will never fail to deliver during the Christmas season, and the urge to rewatch this episode and the Good Luck Charlie Christmas movie has never let up each year of my (adult) life. If you’re in the mood for some nostalgic joy, slightly cringey Disney comedy, or just need to hear Teddy and Spencer sing “My Song for You,” this is the episode for you.