Off-Topic: The Top 5 Christmas Specials

They were called Christmas "specials" because they always were...special. Whether it was the stop-motion animation as in "Rudolph", the familiar music of "Charlie Brown" or the hilarity of the Burgermeister, everyone 35 years and up surely remembers these television shows as events that we used to watch every year.

#1: A Charlie Brown Christmas
Religion! Humor! Greed! Music! A greek play? No, just the pinnacle of Christmas animation and of Charles Schulz' work. The soundtrack alone is worthy of much praise. Who hasn't has a "Charlie Brown" tree at one point or another? Who hasn't questioned the commercialism of christmas once in their lives? Most importantly, the film answers, "What is the true meaning of Christmas?"

#2: Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer
This is one of those classic claymation specials that our kids will end up watching every year and then pass on down to their kids. Now that it's available on DVD, though, it's possible the annual event of it appearing on television will probably fade away (hope not).

#3: How The Grinch Stole Christmas
We're not talking Jim Carrey does the Grinch-on-acid here...we're talking animated classic - the best thing is there is no musical interlude where Cindy Lou Who sings "Where are you, Christmas?". From the Roast Beast to the Whoville choir to Boris Karloff, this is a masterpiece from start to finish. No filler, no fluff, no garbage chute.

#4: The Year Without a Santa Claus
"I'm mister heat mizer...I'm mister hundred and one..." is one of the most memorable sequences ever in this genre. Other famous characters introduced were the Snow Mizer, Mother Nature, and Jingle Bells. It also had a mister and mrs. Claus, of course, and, hmm..you have to wonder if the metal band that released a song named "Southtown" named it after the fictional town in this special. ;-)

#5: Santa Claus is coming to town
It's Christmas in Sombertown and the Burgermeister Meisterburger wants nothing to do with toys. Kris Kringle must not only deal with this, but also a disgruntled wizard named Winter. Will Kris somehow deliver the toys? Only Rankin-Bass knows for sure.

Find the Department 56 versions of these items here:

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The year without a Santa Claus

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

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