By Laura Jane Turner. Virtually every holiday episode of The Simpsons has something to offer fans, but "Marge Be Not Proud" is the series at its finest, successfully delivering the feather touch of emotions and the power drive of silliness. Luckily, with the final vignette taking a number of ancillary Springfield residents and giving them a mere line or two as part of the Nutcracker does bring some delightful moments, especially the entire montage of Moe trying (and failing) to kill himself to the tune of "Dance of the Flutes." The real highlight of the episode is the horrifying experience of Maggie being watched by the Gnome in the Home, as it never stops watching her and seems to scurry around her room when she's not looking. Adding to the strength of the ensemble humor and plenty of holiday cheer, the episode ends with a relatively touching moment in which, despite having every reason to be angry at Bart, they all playfully argue over a washcloth, reminding us of the importance of family, even in the face of loss. From there, the jokes might slightly slow down, but the emotional arc of Bart escalating his typical mischief into petty theft and how this signals a transition from being a kid into being a pre-teen will surely resonate with audiences, as many of us can remember a time where, no matter how old we were, we wished that our parents would provide us the same support as they did when we were 10. While in some ways … This season 11 episode (the 7th, if you were wondering) is what many (MANY) deem to be the... Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire: Second place. This was last year’s … With the entire experience being disappointing on all counts, they head back to Springfield and join Moe at his bar as he feeds the old and needy. You'd also be hard-pressed to see any other Christmas episode of any series that finds a way to organically incorporate an astrolabe, which earns this installment a few more bonus points. The first episode of the series was actually a Christmas special. This combination of initial absurdity, only to then get a subsequent and more outlandish punchline, highlights some of the best of the series' humor. Essentially another mediocre episode of late-era The Simpsons that happens to have a holiday veneer to it, the payoff of Krusty being willing to convert religions just for the sake of being a good father is effective, though he ultimately reverts back to Judaism with the support of his daughter. While most year-long TV series typically produce an annual holiday episode, The Simpsons tends to be much choosier when it comes to Christmas content. Technically, it's the series' first episode following their shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show, though it is billed on-screen as "The Simpsons Christmas Special," with "Bart the Genius" being billed as its actual series premiere. Marge's dream features Martha Stewart showing up to construct the perfect Christmas decorations, but they're at the cost of connecting with her family on such an important day. With so many holiday specials throughout time using snowy landscapes and wintery imagery to set the stage, pivoting to celebrate the holidays in Florida will likely excite those who live in warmer climates. The new owners of the school are secretly collecting data from the students to create the world's best toy, "Funzo," leaving Bart and Lisa to expose the company for their true intentions. By Patrick Cavanaugh Bart and Skinner’s interactions are great, as are Flanders and Homer’s; both caught on a quest to rescue the kids. After trading a rare baseball card to Comic Book Guy, the Simpson family have plenty of money to go shopping for Christmas presents, only for Homer to blow most of their funds on a "personalized talking astrolabe," as the family calls him out for being selfish. The only thing Bart wants for Christmas is the video game Bonestorm, with his desperation seeing him shoplifting the game. Vowing to become the nicest guy in town, Homer embarks on a genuinely charitable crusade, only for his efforts to go too far as he steals the town's presents in hopes of teaching them to be less materialistic. Add in a tender ending that puts you in the Christmas mood, and “I Won’t Be Home” works as one of the better post-movie Christmas episodes of the show. To some, the seasons in the double digits mark the decline of the series as a whole, with "Grift of the Magi" ushering in the unfulfilling future of the series, though it stands as a last gasp of delightful absurdity. The Simpsons have pumped out many a Christmas episode – but what is the best? 11 Simpsons Christmas Episodes, Ranked from Worst to Best 11 | “Kill Gill, Volumes 1 and 2” (2006 – Season 18). - December 9, 2020 09:56 pm EST. 2. When Bart wakes up early on Christmas morning, he unwraps his toys but unfortunately burns down the Christmas tree and hides it in the front yard, blaming everything on a burglar. The first sequence focuses on Bart's dream in which he is treated to a Polar Express-esque journey, with Otto escorting him to the North Pole, hitting all the major beats of that book to essentially serve as a straight-up parody of the kids' book. Gift of the Magi. While he might lose his money, the family ends up with their beloved dog, Santa's Little Helper. Whether they're arguing about how to best maneuver out of a skid when their new car hits ice or how they immediately know what to do when walking past the Flanders' home and pretend to have cross country skis by sliding across the sidewalk, each character supports one another to enable the best delivery of hilarious jokes. As he threatens to burn all the presents, he realizes he may have gone too far and returns the presents to the town. In hopes of wooing her back to Christianity, the episode culminates with a Christmas celebration, with Richard Gere elucidating Lisa on the idea that, with Buddhism being about love and acceptance, she is encouraged to participate in the traditions of other religions to support her family. Marge and the rest of the family turn their home into a bed and breakfast, delivering guests a variety of holiday experiences. A number of Springfield residents are having their holiday packages stolen from their porches, with many people suspecting Sideshow Bob to be the culprit. Next, Grampa Simpson tells Bart and Lisa about the time he was stranded on an island during World War II and accidentally shot down Santa Claus. The Simpsons has been on the air for so many years now, it's no surprise they've had countless Christmas episodes. Mr. Burns' trajectory of living in poverty inspiring his quest for wealth and ultimate change of heart manages to both mirror Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch's backstories, to the point that it's almost a genuine parody of those stories. Add to that is a direct parody of The Grinch, alongside other Simpson-ized holiday specials, making for quite the enjoyable experience. While we see that the familiar interpersonal dynamics continue into the future, we also witness how Homer appears to be a wonderful grandfather, despite not always being the best father, with the entire extended family earning a new appreciation for one another as they come together for a new family photo. Due to global warming, the entire country will be devoid of snow on Christmas, with a unique alignment of climate conditions and city-specific pollution colliding and resulting Springfield being the only place with snow, bringing in a surge of tourists. The episode that started it all, setting the tone for many... 2. Here's a … The Simpsons then head to Scottsdale to check on Gil, only to accidentally get him fired again, though they buy a house from him out of pity. Bobby, It's Cold Outside. Gil is one of those newer side characters who’s best in small,... 10 | “The Fight Before Christmas” (2010 – Season 22). Best Christmas TV of 2020 – From Netflix and Disney+, to the BBC and ITV. These events might not come as often as Halloween episodes, but they are delivered with enough frequency to amass more than a dozen entries over the years. All items (23) While the entire cast of characters gets to deliver hilarious lines, Homer ends up becoming a true standout, thanks to Dan Castellaneta's subtle performance. The Simpsons: Every Christmas Episode Ever, Ranked, Everything Coming to Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu & Amazon Prime Video in January 2021, WandaVision Creator Considered Filming All Episodes in Front of a Live Studio Audience, WandaVision: Here's What Viggo Mortensen Could Look Like As Magneto, Teyonah Parris Studied Captain Marvel’s Young Monica Rambeau Actor For Her Role in WandaVision, WandaVision’s Teyonah Parris Doesn’t Know Which Superhero Monica Rambeau Might Be in Captain Marvel 2, Dionne Warwick Shares Johnny Bravo Meme That Perfectly Explains 2020, Marvel Studios Developed Hawkeye as a Solo Movie Before It Was a Disney+ Series. Tech News || There’s no shortage of Christmas specials out there to choose from - even Lego Star Wars has jumped on board! While Moe is often shown as being a depressed person in the series, his regular attempts to commit suicide on the holidays become a staple of The Simpsons shocking audiences by finding ways to make punchlines with the most macabre of subjects. In this regard, episodes like "Skinner's Sense of Snow" and "The Burns and The Bees" briefly touch upon holiday festivities, but it's a stretch to include them alongside much more Christmas-centric adventures. December 17, 2018 November 6, 2019. Due to a model rocket malfunction, the Springfield church sees serious damage, ultimately enlisting the sponsorship of corporations to make repairs. The greatest Christmas TV sitcom episodes that are perfect to watch on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon during the holiday season, from The Office, Black-ish, Arrested Development, Friends, and more. After Marge makes a Black Friday sacrifice to help Gil get a toy instead of buying the TV the family wants, Homer, Bart, and Lisa all decide to treat her to a vacation, with the group heading down to Florida for the holidays. Bart ultimately returns to the Try n' Save to have his portrait taken, which he gives to Marge to make up for ruining their family photo. (Picture: Fox) Meanwhile, Marge introduces Maggie to the "Gnome in the Home," a parody of the Elf on the Shelf, resulting in Maggie's immense fear of the visitor. When audiences think of the ways in which The Simpsons honors the holidays, fans likely immediately jump to the fact that the animated series delivers viewers a Halloween-themed adventure every year with its "Treehouse of Horror" series, though there are plenty of Christmas-themed exploits for the first family in animation that stick with viewers. The family is forced to spend all of their savings to get Bart's new tattoo removed, and with no money Christmas, Homer is forced to become a store Santa. Even though he isn't attempting to murder anyone, fans will surely appreciate Sideshow Bob getting involved in the holiday hijinks, while even giving him somewhat of a happy ending. With the Simpson family inadvertently being responsible for Gil Gunderson getting fired as a mall Santa, they offer him a place to stay, only for him to wear out his welcome. It's also worth noting that this episode features Comic Book Guy referencing the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special (though it's titled "Cosmic Wars Holiday Special"), which adds an extra level of excitement for all of the series' nerdy viewers. I wanted to do the classic Blogmas thing and bring you a list of my favourite Christmas movies, but while making it I realised that I actually haven’t seen many Christmas movies Holidays of Future Passed. The first story sees the Simpson family recreating the birth of Christ, with Marge representing Mary, Homer representing Joseph, and Bart representing Jesus, giving their "hilarious" take on the Biblical tale. After staying with the family for nearly a year, Gil is kicked out and heads to Scottsdale, Arizona to become a realtor. The Simpsons started, as far as the family you know and love is concerned, as a Christmas special. The heart, the satire, the absurdity, the one-liners: It all feels special in the way that the best episodes of The Simpsons feel like something beyond just a great episode of television. This is a rare example of the entire family being the focus of the episode and where all of them get to deliver great jokes. If you’re looking to watch some holiday appropriate Simpsons episodes in this, the season of nog, you can’t go wrong with our top five. Marge Be Not Proud. We’re well into the second week of Blogmas, and Christmas is so close! Add to this episode largely being holiday-themed in aesthetics more than in authenticity is that Gil plays a major role and, despite being highly entertaining in small bursts and with depressing non-sequiturs, centering a whole episode around a D-list resident of Springfield doesn't really stand out. The Simpsons is known for its epic Halloween episodes, but there are Christmas episodes of The Simpsons that are also some of the most memorable ones. Grampa's recollection of his time on an island with Santa, alongside Mr. Burns, is a far cry from the joys of their time together as part of the Flying Hellfish, resulting in another underwhelming experience. The 10 best ever The Simpsons Christmas specials 1. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so we counted down the top Christmas-themed TV episodes of all time. Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars! After Homer learns he won't be getting a Christmas bonus, he is forced to take a second job as a mall Santa, though Bart gets a tattoo honoring his mother, requiring the family to blow their savings on its removal. Thirty years in the future the Simpsons get together for Christmas. It's rare to get an episode about Homer actively trying to be a good person, without also being given the unintended consequences of those efforts, which often involve him causing more harm than good, with longtime fans surely appreciating his genuine attempts to improve as a person. Marge's relationship with Bart is strained when he is caught shoplifting before Christmas. Simpsons Christmas Tales is without doubt one of the sequence’ quite a few anthology episodes, however the first one to ever be Christmas themed. List RulesOnly episodes set during Christmas or featuring the holiday season. The first (and best) Christmas-themed episode of The Office. Ironically, the top-ranking Simpsons holiday episode isn't really about Christmas. Whether it be airlines turning into Mad Max-style experiences or browsing the internet being an experience akin to entering The Matrix, this episode has a number of gimmicky gags, though we are still treated to some heartfelt moments in seeing how the now-adult Simpson children cope with being parents themselves. As with most episodes of The Simpsons, however, the holiday episodes hit their stride earlier in its tenure, as each subsequent season saw more middling results. What's your favorite holiday episode of The Simpsons? Michael forces everyone in the office to partake in a yankee swap after he's unhappy with his secret santa gift. At their best, The Simpsons' holiday episodes hit just as hard with their heart as they do with their humor and, at their worst, are thinly veiled attempts at cashing in on the holiday excitement by wrapping a subpar episode in holiday packaging. After the melting snow uncovers what really happened, the town breaks into the Simpson home seeking retribution, leaving the family to bicker over the only thing left in the house, a raggedy washcloth. WandaVision TV Commercials: What Do They Mean. “‘Tis the Fifteenth Season” Image credit: Frinkiac ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the town, not a creature was stirring – not even Krusty the Clown. 5. The Way of the Dog. In an almost direct lift from the structure of Season Three's "Treehouse of Horror II," the Simpson family all experience a variety of bizarre dreams on Christmas Eve, much like when they all had too much Halloween candy and experienced nightmares. Given how many times his own actions have caused a rift at home, seeing him subjected to a lonely evening while also showcasing the various unconventional ways one can celebrate the holidays, even without traditional experiences, can still result in memorable connections with others will surely hit home with viewers. If you've never laughed at Homer's incompetence and marveled at how well meaning he can be in one episode, are … As with all Lisa-focused episodes, by giving her the brunt of the narrative weight, it also means all of the other characters can pop in with absurd experiences to compensate for the humor missing from her journey. However, the holiday nature of the episode feels more like an afterthought than an integral piece of the story. 15) "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" - Season 18, Episode 9. Lists about Matt Groening's animated sitcom about an average family from Springfield, airing since 1989. 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