These ten Christmas TV episodes run from a 1989 cartoon premiere to a 2014 sci-fi special, and each one works without any backstory. If you only have time for one, start with The Office’s “Christmas Party”. If you want the dark option, skip ahead to Black Mirror.
Updated November 2, 2026.
Ah, Christmas. Most of us have a holiday episode we rewatch every December, almost like it is part of the decorations. A good one feels like a warm hug from your favorite characters, with some laughs, some nostalgia and a few sweet moments. I have rewatched classic TV holiday episodes for years, and they are harder to get right than classic Christmas films. A show has to be warm for twenty minutes without losing the thing that made you watch it in July. The same trap catches most Thanksgiving TV episodes. The ones below earn their place by changing the routine: claymation, a ghost story, a Doctor in his first full outing, a cabin full of bad news. Let’s cozy up and dig in.
Friends: “The One with the Inappropriate Sister”
Friends always delivered on holiday laughs. Shana Goldberg-Meehan wrote this season 5 episode, and Dana DeVally Piazza directed it. It aired on December 17, 1998, to 23.67 million US viewers, the biggest audience on this list. Phoebe turns pushy while collecting money for the poor, Ross nudges Joey into writing a screenplay, and Monica sets Rachel up with Danny, whose closeness to his sister is the joke. It is a very Friends episode, a reminder that Christmas can be as weird as it is wonderful. Anyone who has spent the holidays with a big family knows that mix. Christmas is the backdrop here, not the plot, which is why it plays well in any month. Want more? We also picked the best Friends episodes.
Community: a Christmas TV episode in claymation
“Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” (season 2, episode 11) aired on NBC on December 9, 2010, to about 4.29 million viewers. Dino Stamatopoulos and Dan Harmon wrote it, and Duke Johnson directed. What happens when Christmas meets stop-motion? Abed is obsessed with finding the true meaning of Christmas, and in his mind the study group appears as Rankin/Bass style puppets. Starburns Industries built 66 puppets and 19 sets. Animator Drew Hodges won a Primetime Emmy for it, the show’s only win. The story is about loneliness at the holidays, and it hits harder than the clay suggests. It is a must-watch if you like creative storytelling and a little holiday whimsy.
The Office: “Christmas Party” and the Yankee Swap
You cannot talk about Christmas TV without The Office. Michael Schur wrote “Christmas Party” (season 2, episode 10), and Charles McDougall directed it. NBC aired it on December 6, 2005, to about 9.7 million viewers, the season’s biggest audience at that point. Michael spends around $400 on a video iPod, ignores the $20 Secret Santa limit, and forces a Yankee Swap that wrecks the gift exchange. Most of us have sat through a work party where the gift swap got a little too competitive, and this episode nails that silliness. Jim’s teapot for Pam, with a letter inside, is the quiet center and one of the most endearing moments in the series. The episode earned two Emmy nominations, and IGN ranked it the second-best Christmas episode of the series. For more from the show, see our best Office episodes.
The Simpsons: the Christmas TV episode that started it all
This is where it all began for The Simpsons. “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” aired on Fox on December 17, 1989. Mimi Pond wrote it, her only episode for the series, and David Silverman directed. It was the first episode to air and drew about 13.4 million viewing homes. The family is struggling to make ends meet. Mr. Burns cancels the bonus, Homer takes a mall Santa job, and a losing bet at the dog track brings home Santa’s Little Helper, a greyhound. Anyone who has stretched a tight holiday budget knows how Homer feels. The message is that love and togetherness matter more than gifts. It received two Emmy nominations in 1990 and lost Outstanding Animated Program to “Life on the Fast Lane.”
Doctor Who: “The Christmas Invasion”
If you like sci-fi with your holiday cheer, this one delivers. BBC One aired this 60-minute special on December 25, 2005, between series 1 and series 2. Russell T Davies wrote it and James Hawes directed it, and 9.84 million people watched. It was David Tennant’s first full episode as the Tenth Doctor. The Sycorax threaten to enslave half of humanity, and robot Santas attack with flamethrowers disguised as trombones. Under all the chaos is a message about hope and renewal. Plus, who doesn’t love a festive sword fight on a spaceship? In a 2014 Radio Times poll of more than 7,000 readers, about a quarter picked it as the best Doctor Who Christmas special.
Mr. Bean: “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean”
Few characters capture the joy and chaos of Christmas like Mr. Bean. ITV aired this 26-minute special on December 29, 1992, to 18.48 million viewers. Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson wrote it, and John Birkin directed. Bean plays out a nativity scene with toys at Harrods, gets a turkey stuck on his head, and gives Irma a picture instead of the ring she wanted. Anyone who has cooked a holiday meal knows nothing goes quite to plan. Sometimes Christmas does not have to be perfect to be memorable, and the mess is what makes it special. HBO’s broadcast won a 1995 CableACE Award for best comedy special.
Seinfeld: “The Strike” and Festivus
Ah, Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us. “The Strike” is season 9, episode 10, and NBC aired it on December 18, 1997. Dan O’Keefe, Alec Berg and Jeff Schaffer wrote it, and Andy Ackerman directed. In the story, Frank Costanza invented Festivus to escape Christmas shopping, and it comes with feats of strength, the airing of grievances and a plain aluminum pole. George tries to hide his father’s odd traditions, and Kramer heads back to work. The real holiday came from O’Keefe’s father, and the show added the aluminum pole and the December 23 date. It has since turned into something people really celebrate, which proves a little absurdity can go a long way.
The X-Files: “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”
If you like a little spookiness with your holiday cheer, this is a good pick. Chris Carter wrote and directed this season 6 episode, which Fox aired on December 13, 1998. Mulder and Scully spend Christmas Eve in a haunted house, and the mix of humor, horror and holiday feeling makes it stand out. It earned a 10.6 Nielsen rating and about 17.3 million viewers. Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin play Maurice and Lyda, the guest roles that carry the ghost story. Sight on Sound called it one of the best Christmas episodes of any series, and SFX put it sixth on its list of sci-fi and fantasy Christmas episodes. The Michigan Daily disagreed and named it season 6’s weakest. That split is a good reason to watch it yourself.
Hey Arnold!: “Arnold’s Christmas”
Few holiday episodes capture the spirit of giving as well as this one. This is season 1, episode 18, and Nickelodeon aired it on December 11, 1996. Arnold draws Mr. Hyunh in the Secret Santa exchange and learns he has spent years looking for his daughter, Mai, whom he gave up to American soldiers during the Fall of Saigon. Helga gives up her snow boots to make the search possible. It is a tearjerker about kindness and giving things up for others. It is among the first American TV stories to show the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese point of view, and it tops the show’s IMDb user ratings.
Black Mirror: the darkest Christmas TV episode here
If you want a darker take on the holidays, this one is chilling. Channel 4 aired “White Christmas” on December 16, 2014, the last Black Mirror episode made before the series moved to Netflix. Charlie Brooker wrote it and Carl Tibbetts directed. Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall trade stories in a cabin on Christmas Day, and the three tales cover tech that lets a man coach a stranger’s date, digital clones, and a blocked ex. Together they are about isolation, technology and right and wrong. Rotten Tomatoes shows 90% from 20 reviews, and Spall earned an International Emmy nomination. It is not a feel-good pick, and it was never meant to be.
Questions about the best Christmas TV episodes
Which are the best Christmas TV episodes?
This list picks ten: Friends, Community, The Office, The Simpsons, Doctor Who, Mr. Bean, Seinfeld, The X-Files, Hey Arnold! and Black Mirror. They aired between 1989 and 2014, and every one of them stands alone without earlier seasons. The Office’s “Christmas Party” is the one to start with.
Which Christmas TV episode has the most viewers on this list?
Friends, at 23.67 million US viewers on December 17, 1998. Mr. Bean drew 18.48 million in the UK in 1992, and The X-Files drew about 17.3 million in 1998. Those numbers don’t compare cleanly across countries and decades, though.
Do I need to watch the whole series first?
No. All ten work alone. Community and The Office pay off more if you know the cast, but the plots stand without them. Doctor Who’s special is the Tenth Doctor’s first full episode, so it works as an entry point, and Black Mirror is an anthology with its own cast.
Where did Festivus come from?
In the episode, Frank Costanza invented Festivus to escape the stress of Christmas shopping. In real life, the holiday was based on one created by the father of Seinfeld writer Dan O’Keefe. The show added the aluminum pole and the December 23 date.
Which Christmas TV episodes won awards?
Community’s episode won a Primetime Emmy for animator Drew Hodges, and Mr. Bean’s special won a 1995 CableACE Award for best comedy special. The Simpsons premiere and The Office’s “Christmas Party” earned Emmy nominations, and Black Mirror’s “White Christmas” earned an International Emmy nomination for Rafe Spall.