The Top 10 Christmas Shows of All Time

As I was sitting there watching another made-for-TV Christmas movie, I thought, "Instead of wasting my time with this trash, I should watch one of the Christmas movies I really like".  Of course, that would have taken a little bit of effort on my part, so I sat there and watched the bad one anyway.  After it was over, I thought about all the great Christmas movies I've seen, and decided to try to put them in order.  For the purposes of this list, I'll lump movies, TV Specials, and TV movies together.  Keep in mind, this is my list - subject to my goofy opinion.  I like sappy, sentimental shows, but I also like goofball comedies.  Sometimes I even like action or suspense, but I usually don't like sadistic violence (fortunately, that's not a staple of Christmas movies).

For the purposes of this list, a "Christmas Show" will be defined as any movie in which the Christmas holiday plays a central part of the plot.  Shows like "Die Hard", although set during the holidays, are not Christmas movies, so they don't make my list.  I love Die Hard, but it's not what we're talking about here.  Likewise for "While You Were Sleeping", which would certainly make my list as one of the top romantic comedies. 

I've had to actually watch a show for it to be on my list, so a movie like "Bad Santa", which I'm sure I'd love, won't be on it.  I plan to watch that at some point, so it may be on a future list.  Some of the movies I've not seen for years - a few of them I watched DECADES ago - so my rating is based on my opinion from whenever I last watched it.  This means that "A Christmas Story", which I thought was cute when I first saw it, loses out due to overexposure.  I also resist having it on my list because everyone talks about how much they love it.  I don't get it - it's OK, but certainly can't compete with my favorites.

With no further ado, here is my list:

10.  The Family Stone.  A sentimental favorite, this movie reminds me of my own family - nothing is as perfect as you'd like it to be, but it ends up working.  The plot revolves around the family gathering at Christmas, with one son bringing his new, uptight fiance along.  No magic, nothing miraculous, but it's funny and touching.

9.   Home Alone.  OK, I warned you.  I like goofball comedies!  This is pretty goofy, and silly.  It's also really funny.  Just don't think about what happened to Macaulay Culkin, and you'll enjoy it more.


8.   The Muppet Christmas Carol.  Instead of going to the new Muppet Movie, save a few bucks and pick up a copy of this instead.  It's a fun version of the Dickens' story, with Kermit and all the gang.  There are two movies based on this story on my list - see if you can guess the other one!


7.   Holiday Inn.  The first of two movies on my list that feature the song "White Christmas".  I always get this and "White Christmas" mixed up, but this is the one with Fred Astaire joining Bing.


6.   White Christmas.  The second of the two Bing Crosby movies featuring the song "White Christmas".  This one has Danny Kaye, which makes it just a little better than Holiday Inn.

 OK, we're halfway there.  The top 5 are really much better, in my opinion.  I had a lot of trouble separating numbers 6-10 from the also-runs.  No such trouble here - these 5 are clearly my favorites (at least as of this moment).


My 5 favorite Christmas shows:


5.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I'm NOT talking about the horrible Jim Carey movie here - I'm talking about the 1966 TV special.  This show is the reason this post isn't titled "The Top 10 Christmas Movies of all Time".  The only TV special in my top ten, it's worth a look.  I've watched this show multiple times since I was a child, and I still enjoy it.  The look on the dog's face during the Grinch's trip down the hill is priceless.  The bad Carey movie just stretched a 30 minute TV show into a 90 minute movie by adding 60 minutes of Carey's obnoxious strutting for the cameras.


4.  Scrooged.  The second of the "Christmas Carol" adaptations, this one is my favorite.  Goofy, funny - it's a lot of fun.


3.  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  This is my favorite of the National Lampoon Vacation movies, and it's great fun.  Chevy Chase has made a bunch of bad movies, but this one's a classic.  Lots of crazy characters.


2.  It's a Wonderful Life.  No list of favorite Christmas Movies would be complete without Jimmy Stewart and Mr. Potter.  Sappy, yes, but I defy you to watch this to the end without fighting to hold back the tears.  "To my brother George, the richest man in town!"  I just got goosebumps writing it out.


And, last - but certainly not least - my all-time favorite Christmas show:


1.  Miracle on 34th Street.  Natalie Wood is Adorable.  Edmund Gwenn is lovable.  Maureen O'Hara is magnificent.  I watch this several times over the holiday season - often catching parts of it on TV.  It always catches my attention and entertains.  Some of the remakes are OK, but do yourself a favor and watch the original - it's a treat.


There you have it - my list.  For the cost of  taking your family to a single movie, plus snacks, you can buy all of the top 5 and be entertained for years to come.  I'm sure as soon as I post this, I'll remember another favorite.  Feel free to chime in and let me know where you disagree.