Peter James Mann
We’re smack-dab in the middle of the Holidays here in the US. So what better way to celebrate than going back down memory lane for some awesome memories of years gone by?
Here’s a Holiday list that is sure to give you all those nostalgia tingles you’ve been looking for.
7. Parks and Recreation: Season 4, Episode 4: “Pawnee Rangers”
Unlike other sitcoms, Parks and Recreation never really bought into the idea of Holiday Episodes. Occasionally, however, they did indulge in the tradition and even made up their own to make theirs a little different.
On October 13th every year, if you want to live the luxurious life like Retta and Tom, you best Treat Yo Self. And just because you may have missed out on the exquisiteness, doesn’t mean you don’t have time to make one for yourself before the end of the year.
How do you celebrate? You want that limited edition Gold Cartridge of The Legend of Zelda from Etsy? Treat Yo Self. You see those comfy satin slippers with extra heel support? Treat Yo Self. Cinnamon Buns for breakfast? TREAT YO SELF!
You want more ideas? Check out the best clips from the various Treat Yo Self episodes here!
6. Full House: Season 2, Episode 9: “Our Very First Christmas Show”
While technically airing in 1988, I couldn’t help but add this to the list. To me, this has all the quintessential elements of what would eventually become the cliches later sitcoms would either emulate or parody. Here, they’re performed with all the sincerity and innocence of a Peanuts special, a claymation Rudolph, or any other classical holiday film.
The family gets stranded in a snowstorm at the airport on top of the fact that the airline lost the bag with all the presents in it! What will happen next? Is Christmas ruined? Well, leave it to Uncle Jesse to remind us what this season is all about while trying to make us laugh dressed as Santa Claus.
You can check out clips from the episode here.
5. Family Matters: Season 4, Episode 10: “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel”
Family Matters was one of the better sitcoms at bringing different perspectives and social issues to what was, essentially, a pop audience. It hid a lot of these messages in plain sight through the use of sitcom magic and imaginative sequences that were sometimes more at home in animation than live-action. All of these coalesce in this fantastic and wacky adaptation of It’s A Wonderful Life.
Laura is once again fed up with Steve Urkel and his antics, especially since he broke the most expensive gift she bought specifically for her mother: a crystal glass ornament for the tree. She once again wishes he goes away forever, but this time it’s on Christmas Eve. She adds the additional wish that he would know what it was like to walk in her shoes.
In comes her Guardian Angel to grant that very wish, to show Urkel how hard her life is being Miss Popular all the time. But, there’s a twist. She has to be in his shoes as Laura Urkel, the annoying neighbor. In the end, she learns her lesson and this begins a change of heart towards Steve that eventually will blossom even more later in the series.
Here’s a clip of the titular moment.
4. Rugrats: Season 4, Episode 1: “A Rugrats Chanukah”
“Hey! This is a Cartoon!” I hear you yelling at your screen. Well, my family is Jewish and I’m putting a Chanukah-centric episode on here! It’s not my fault they’re mostly cartoons! And, yes, it’s also spelled Hanukkah. If you’re eating fried food between December 18th and 26th this year, you’re being festive. TREAT YO SELF!
In this episode, Tommy and his friends learn more about his family’s heritage as they’re told the story of Hanukkah while Angelica just wants to watch a Christmas Special. She’s dragged along to a synagogue to see a play where Tommy’s grandfather happens to know the man playing the evil king: his rival from childhood.
I won’t spoil the rest of it for you, because Nickelodeon did a wonderful five minute summary you can find right here.
3. Friends Season 7, Episode 10: “The One with the Holiday Armadillo”
A great sitcom list, in my opinion, is required to have the following three shows on them. Friends is, by far, the most popular sitcom in world history. Every so often, when it feels like it might be dying out, a new country or generation finds Friends and begins marathoning it as if they’ve discovered Harry Potter or Marvel Comics for the first time.
And this show had a lot of holiday episodes. This one is thought by many, many fans to be the best of them all. All Ross wants to do is show his young son that Hanukkah and Christmas can co-exist, because he celebrates both. It all culminates in a climax that has Ross dressed as an Armadillo and Chandler dressed as Santa Claus.
Courtney Cox is doing her best not to break character, but you can see the pain on her face not to laugh at some of the amazing moments you’re about to see below.
2. The Office Season 3, Episode 10: “A Benihana Christmas”
This isn’t just one of the best Christmas episodes in sitcom history, it may very well be one of the best episodes The Office ever produced. The level of awkward humor inside this Benihana is so high, I cannot help but cringe while I laugh.
It opens with Dwight bringing in a goose he killed with his car. That, he says, is a Christmas Miracle, and he must prepare it for a feast. And it just keeps building and building into this terrible, terrible lunch at Benihana.
Season 3 had all of the actors firing on all cylinders and I cannot imagine how many outtakes there really were just from this scene alone.
1. Seinfeld Season 9, Episode 10: “The Strike”
Few shows have had the American cultural impact of Seinfeld. How many times have you refrained from Double Dipping at a party? Have you ever thought people might think you look like a pirate in that shirt you’re wearing? Not that there’s anything wrong with that…see what I did there? All of that is thanks to this show.
But even if you haven’t seen this episode of Seinfeld, you may have heard of Festivus. It is, after all, the holiday for the rest of us. Started by a well-meaning father fed up with how violent Capitalism made him over toys, it became one of the many, many sources of trauma for George Castanza.
Below you will find The Story of Festivus, where we can all learn and experience this wonderful cultural touchstone together.
Now, let the Airing of Grievances BEGIN!
Whatever you’re celebrating this year, we here at Dork Daily hope you enjoy it with friends and family that you love and cherish.
