A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - Charlie Brown seeks to find the true meaning of Christmas amid all the modern commercialism - even as Snoopy snazzes up his doghouse to win a contest. One of the first - and undoubtedly the greatest - of all holiday television specials - can still hold children and adults spellbound despite its technical shortcomings. An instant hit and Emmy winner, the show's popularity has not dimmed over the decades since its release.

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - The gentle, peaceful town of Whoville is the object of jealousy to the inhuman creature known as the Grinch - who makes it his goal to destroy their Christmas. Millions of children have delighted in the Grinch's bumbling villainy; and not even a big-budget, live-action Hollywood remake starring Jim Carey can hold a (Cindy-Lou-Who-sized) candle to the original.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) - Rudolph, the misfit reindeer with a glowing nose, runs away with fellow misfit elf Hermey who wants to be a dentist. The longest-running Christmas special in the history of television, each year's showing gets strong ratings despite the show's availability on home video.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970) - Young Kris Kringle conspires against the Burgermeister in a town where the children aren't allowed to have toys. Considered by some to be the greatest work of Rankin/Bass (greater even than Rudolph), this take on Santa's origins continues to enthrall viewers.

A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) - Fozzie brings all of his Muppet friends home to his mother's for Christmas, and the various creatures get snowed in together. The most recent of specials on this list, A Muppet Family Christmas remains compelling to viewers for its yuletide warmth and because it brings together characters from all the different Muppet properties.

Bing Crosby's 1977 Christmas Special (1977) - Singer Bing Crosby and his family have Christmas in a British inn where they meet some of the local eccentrics. This show held a special poignancy at the time of its airing because the singer had died just months previously. It is well remembered today for bringing Crosby together in a duet with David Bowie - representing a changing of the guard from the old to the new.

Frosty the Snowman (1969) - A mean old magician can't get his magical hat to work; after it brings to life a children's snowman, he'll do anything to get it back. The first Rankin/Bass special to use traditional animation, Frosty continues to be a light-hearted favorite of children at Christmas.

The Carpenters at Christmas (1977) - Karen Carpenter plans on having the band over for Christmas celebrations after a long tour; but brother Richard doesn't feel in the mood. Probably the greatest of the Christmas-themed variety specials of their heyday in the 70's, the Carpenter siblings' second outing piled on the yuletide spirit with plenty of song-and-dance numbers, goofy graphics, and special guest stars like Kristy McNichol and Harvey Korman.

John Denver & the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) - The mild-mannered singer spends Christmas with his felt- covered pals. For some reason John Denver and the Muppets just go together; he appeared on their show several times and did a handful of TV specials with them. The soundtrack to this show is much loved by fans.

The Little Drummer Boy (1968) - Traveling to meet the newborn Savior, a little boy is too poor to offer a respectable gift. Though not repeated as often as the other Rankin/Bass holiday specials, The Little Drummer Boy was absolutely enthralling to children who watched it originally and in reruns throughout the 1970's.


Special Mention: The Star Wars Holiday Special (1977) Han Solo and Chewbacca go home to the Wookiee's home planet to celebrate the traditional Life Day. George Lucas has said that if he had the time and a sledgehammer, he would track down every copy of this TV special and smash it. The Star Wars Holiday Special is available only as a bootleg - that is, an unofficial release to be downloaded or purchased illegally. Still, its reputation precedes it as the goofiest holiday special ever - maybe the goofiest two hours of television ever.