Category: Sitcom Christmas

Sitcom: Sanford and Son

Episode: Ebenezer Sanford

Year: 1975

Story line: Fred dreams of the Spirt of Christmas Past.

Details: Very uneven but it definitely has its moments if for nothing else than Lamont’s powder blue leisure suit. Gotta love that. It’s upstaged only by Lamont appearing as the spirit of Christmas yet to come in a space suit. Bizarre. Truly bizarre. The show is a great vehicle for Redd Foxx’s one-liners but it’s kinda mushy in the middle. Fred moves from Scrooge to heart of gold, but it happens at Lamont’s expense, of course. The end is really strange with the cast gathered around as Redd Foxx does a watered-down Duke Ellington rendition of Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song.”

Killer quote: “Ho Ho Ho. Go down to the oceanside and stand in the low tide until the high tide commits suicide.” Fred, responding to Aunt Esther’s “yuletide” greetings. That quote pretty much sums up how corny this is, but for some reason I still laughed out loud when I heard it.

Runner-up quote: “Who are you? The spirit of Liberace?” Fred, to Lamont who has appeared before him as the spirit of Christmas past.

The Aunt Esther factor: Esther: “You don’t upset me. I have the feeling of Christmas.”

Fred: “And the face of Halloween.”

Ebenezer alert: Fred, without a doubt.

Childhood memory: This is another show we watched frequently, but even as kids we knew it was massively corny and strange. It was worth it mostly for the trash talk between Fred and Esther and the strange assortment of characters who drifted through … Bubba, Fred’s buddy. Rollo, Lamont’s shady friend. Donna, Fred’s girlfriend.

Sitcom Christmas Index

Sitcom: The Andy Griffith Show

Episode: Christmas Story

Year: 1960

Story line: Andy and Barney give a Christmas party in jail.

Details: These were the early years, when Griffith was still playing Sheriff Taylor as a grinning bumpkin with a ton of common sense. It’s amazing to watch Andy empty the jail for Christmas (those were different times …) only to have to incarcerate Sam the Moonshiner when a local liquor distributor insists. Sheriff Taylor develops a cunning scheme to jail the moonshiner’s entire family so they can all celebrate Christmas together.

Killer quote: “No, by dog. There’s more than one way to pluck a buzzard.” Andy, when he comes up with a scheme to allow the moonshiner to celebrate Christmas with his family despite the dastardly machinations of Ben.

Runner-up quote: “Merry Christmas Barney Parney Poo.” Inscription on a Christmas card to Barney from his sweetheart.

Ebenezer alert: Ben the liquor distributor. He’s totally out to get Sam the Moonshiner for purely business reasons. He’s mean. Petty. Greedy. But deep down, he has a heart of gold and ends up distributing gifts at the jail house Christmas celebration.

Childhood memory: This has to be one of the best sitcoms of all time. Even now, more than 45 years later, its gentle humor still resonates. This episode aired two years before I was born, and I watched The Andy Griffith Show mostly in reruns as a child and loved it. But I didn’t have a clear recollection of this episode. Thanks, Tivo, for bringing it back to me.

Sitcom Christmas Index

Sitcom: Happy Days

Episode: Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas

Year: 1974

Story line: Richie realizes Fonzie will be alone for Christmas.

Details: This one is a classic and it even includes the disappearing older brother, Chuck. It’s long before Fonzie moves into the apartment above the Cunningham’s garage, and he still has some of his hood edge here, threatening Ralph Malph early on. This is long before Fonzie jumped the shark.

Killer quote: “You’re the ginchiest.” Inscription on the Christmas gift lockets that Fonzie gives to the waitresses at Arnolds.

Runner-up quote: “It’s not quite Christmas if your Santa doesn’t work.” Howard, referring to the broken mechanical Santa in the Cunningham’s front yard.

Ebenezer alert: Howard Cunningham. Totally. He insists that Christmas Eve be family only with no outsiders allowed. Of course, cuddly leather-jacket clad Fonzie melts Ebenezer’s heart in the end.

Childhood memory: This one’s a classic. I guess I was about 12 when it aired and it’s one of the Christmas episodes that have always stuck with me. I’d rank it right up there with the Walton’s Homecoming, where Mary Ellen scandalously calls the other kids piss ants. Very edgy stuff in 1971 …

Sitcom Christmas Index