Pac-Man: Christmas Comes to Pac-Land

Ziggy's Gift

The Snowman

Based on the classic children's book (um... silent comic book?) by Raymond Briggs, this 1982 animated special is on my annual "Must Watch" list of Christmas shows. Gorgeous, gorgeous hand-drawn animation and haunting music make this one not to be missed. Enjoy!

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Based on the classic L. Frank Baum book of the same name, this 1985 gem was the last of Rankin/Bass' "animagic" Christmas specials. It was also one of the last of the Rankin/Bass classics to go without a DVD release, but apparently Warner Bros. has seen fit to finally release it on DVD this year. (Curiously, that release is paired up with Nestor, which has been released on DVD several times before, yet The First Christmas and Little Drummer Boy Book II still have yet to see a release... go figure.)

There's more of The Hobbit in this special than the classic Rankin/Bass Christmas magic of earlier years, but it's still a goodie. Enjoy!

A Claymation Christmas Celebration

It came from the 80s! During the height of the California Raisins' popularity, Will Vinton Studios produced this fun little Christmas special. I remember seeing it once or twice when I was a kid, but I don't think it's been aired in a decade or two. Enjoy!

Christmas Is

Here's another seldom seen animated Christmas special from 1970. I remember watching this one at school. Second grade, I think. I forgot all about it until I stumbled across it on Youtube. Enjoy!

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

This 1978 classic is easily one of my top five all-time favorite Christmas specials ever, and one of the finest pieces of children's entertainment to ever come out of 40 years of Sesame Street. When I was a tyke, I looked forward to my annual viewing of this special as much as I did Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Then came Elmo.

But let's focus on sunnier "sunny days," shall we? Enjoy!

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

Here's another seldom seen Christmas classic. This 1974 special was directed by Peanuts animation guru Bill Melendez and was about Virginia O'Hanlon's famous letter. Enjoy!

A Muppet Family Christmas

What happens when the cast of The Muppet Show meets the casts of Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock at Christmastime?

Pure insanity!

And the end result is one of my all-time favorite Christmas specials from the 1980s. This little seen show only aired for a year or two, and has long been out of print on VHS and DVD. Don't expect lightning to strike twice -- the rights to the Muppets, Sesame Street and the Fraggles have been chopped up after Jim Henson's death, so another "Henson family reunion" like this seems very unlikely.

My favorite part? The Swedish Chef tries to kill and cook Big Bird for dinner. Oh dear!

Enjoy!