Best Christmas Episodes of TV Shows

I have a feeling that most of us are finishing up for the Christmas holidays now, or have already done so. So I thought that I would put together a list of my favourite Christmas episodes of TV shows to get us all in the festive mood.

The Mindy Project - Josh And Mindy's Christmas Party
 
   

I just have to start by saying, if you're not watching The Mindy Project on the regular, I can't recommend it highly enough. Basically Mindy Lahiri is my spirit animal. And this episode is packed with Christmas cheer. Mindy throws the office Christmas party at her apartment (which I must say is my dream New York apartment, right up there with Carrie Bradshaw's in Sex and the City) which she's co-hosting with her boyfriend Josh. It's safe to say things don't go as smoothly as Mindy would have hoped. Prepare for classic Christmas songs aplenty (who doesn't love Wham's 'Last Christmas'?) Oh and Danny takes gingerbread house building very, very seriously.

The O.C. - The Best Chrismukkah Ever

 
  
 
As a teen it was all about The O.C. for me. And I spent most of those years wishing that Seth Cohen was my boyfriend. Who am I kidding, that still happens today. One of Seth's best moments has got to be Chrismukkah aka. the Christmas/Hanukkah hybrid. And who can forget Seth trying to choose between Summer and Anna?

Parks & Recreation - Citizen Knope

 
  
  

Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love Parks & Rec. And this Christmas episode, like every single episode of the show, never fails to make me laugh. I like to think of myself as the Leslie Knope of gift giving when it comes to my friends and family. And she hits it out of the park with her Christmas gift giving. But what more would you expect from Leslie?  And they get her the best gift of all. I won't ruin it by spoiling all of the gift giving. All I can say is watch it and thank me later.

Ugly Betty - Fake Plastic Snow

I just started rewatching Ugly Betty again from the very beginning for what must be the twentieth time. And last night the Christmas episode, Fake Plastic Snow, popped up on my screen. I forgot just how much I loved this show and the brilliant band of characters (who could forget Marc and Amanda?) So it's been great revisiting it again. I also don't remember being as attracted to Henry, back in the day when it first aired. But now it's a whole different story.

Community - Comparative Religion 

 
  
  
  
 
If you have Netflix and are stuck for something to watch this Christmas, or any time of the year really, do yourself a favour and press play on Community. The first few seasons in particular are well worth watching. And this season one Christmas episode always makes me smile. Everyone in the study group is of a different religious persuasion. But they deal with that and the whole idea of Christmas perfectly.

Friends - The One With The Holiday Armadillo

How could I have a list of my favourite Christmas episodes of TV shows without including Friends? I actually have a DVD made up solely of Friends Christmas episodes which gets watched every year in the run up to Christmas. And this has to be my favourite. Is there anyone out there who hasn't seen this episode?

Gavin & Stacey - Christmas Special

 
 
 
 
This is another Christmas episode that I just have to watch every year. And it's almost always on TV during the week of Christmas. Hearing Smithy and Gavin belting out 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' has to be one of my favourite scenes. Plus I also make sure to do the same without fail. Having all the characters congregate at the Shipman's for Christmas is a great way to pack in the laughs. And just look at Nessa dressed up as Father Christmas! 

Orange Is The New Black - Can't Fix Crazy 

 
 
Okay so this isn't exactly your typical or traditional Christmas episode by any means. But it's brilliant nonetheless. Orange Is The New Black do Secret Santa and a Christmas nativity pageant if you're looking for festive moments. But then the final scene does kind of flip that on it's head. Even if Pennsatucky is dressed up as an angel. 

The Simpsons - The Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire

 
 
 
 
Now this immediately brings back childhood memories for me. I actually remember taping this very episode onto a VHS after it was shown on Channel 4 when I was off school for the Christmas holidays. It's one of those Christmas episodes that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside after watching it. It's also the first episode to introduce my favourite Simpson; Santa's Little Helper. 

New Girl - The 23rd

Whilst I've given up on watching New Girl now (who else thinks that it started going downhill after season two?) I thought that the first season in particular, was brilliant, funny and that this season one Christmas episode was great. The whole gang are on top form in this episode and seeing a whole street switch on their Christmas lights at 3am is a great ending to what is a really good Christmas episode.

What are your favourite Christmas episodes of tv shows? Have any of them been included in today's post? Which of these have you seen? And are you a fan of lounging in front of the TV over the festive period?

(All GIFs found on Tumblr)

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