Yuletide TV Day 7: Batman: The Animated Series

Oh, don't worry, it's going to be good

Series: Batman: The Animated Series

Episode: S1E2 "Christmas with the Joker"

Original airdate: November 13, 1992

Santa? Yes

Other holidays mentioned: None

Availability: YouTube (in several parts)

Unique Christmas Story:

Where to begin on this one? First, this is how you do a Christmas episode right. This episode starts with the Joker in jail singing "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells," only to hop onto a Christmas tree (because they put those prisons right?) and then FLY OUT THROUGH THE ROOF ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE THAT TURNS INTO A ROCKET!!!

That's the first 30 seconds of the second ever episode of what has become, to many, the best interpretation of Batman to be put on film. This is how the writers decided to introduce the Joker to an audience that had only seen one other episode of this version of Batman, and it could not be more perfect.

I have presented a handful of good Christmas episodes so far, but this may be the first truly great one. It's an absolute standout from start to finish, nailing the essential traits that make up the Batman and the Joker, while placing it in a Christmas context.

Dick Grayson tries to convince Bruce to stay home and watch "It's a Wonderful Life," instead of going out on patrol. But Bruce has never been able to get past the movie's title, and Batman doesn't stop being Batman just because it's Christmas. 

On Wednesday, I talked about how we like to try and wrap things up in our lives and set them aside to enjoy the holidays. "Christmas with the Joker" shows what happens when someone's work is never done. Batman isn't upset the holidays are here, he just has bigger fish to fry.

After patrolling a quiet city, Batman and Robin return to the manor to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" only to find the Joker broadcasting his very own Christmas special to all of Gotham. He's brought along three hostages to accompany him as well: Commissioner  Jim Gordon, reporter Vicki Vale, and Harvey Bullock. 

What does the Joker want?

We never find out, and in all honesty, it's most likely nothing. It's a simpler form of the "some men just like to see the world burn" idea Christopher Nolan presents in The Dark Knight, only 15 years earlier! The Joker and Batman have a special relationship and the Joker, more than anything, is curious to see what Batman will do. Later in the episode when Batman and Robin are under attack they run a maneuver dubbed "Cause and Effect," which is really good alternate title for this episode. 

The episode hits all right notes: humor, action, trains, giant robotic nutcrackers, Batman and the Joker. I don't know what more anyone could possibly ask for from a Christmas episode.

Watch the first part of the episode below and then share your thoughts in the comments.

Unique Christmas Message:

It may not always be a wonderful life, but it has its moments.

Tomorrow:

I explore the constraints of the Christmas episode with some sewer people.

Yuletide TV Day 6: Recess

Coolest kids in the yard

Series: Recess

Episode: S2E17 "Yes Mikey, Santa Does Shave"

Original airdate: December 26, 1998

Santa? Animated James Earl Jones Santa, and Robert Goullet Santa

Other holidays mentioned: Kwanza, Hannuhkah, and surprisingly, Arbor Day

Availability: Youtube

Unique Christmas Story:

Recess is one of those cartoons that has unfortunately been forgotten. It doesn't have a place in the early 90's nostalgia, nor in the current realm of outstanding children's cartoons like Adventure Time. 

Much the same can be said about Mikey, the lovable oaf, who is at the focus of this Christmas episode. Mikey is a the lone fourth grader who still believes in Santa Claus, putting him on the outs with his friends and classmates.

He makes it his mission to prove to the others (but, more importantly, himself) that Santa does exist, and what follows is a series of unfortunate and heart breaking misadventures.

Mikey's friends come along on his quest mostly because they don't want to see their friend get hurt, but also, perhaps, just to see if he might be right.

The kids go to the mall only to find the Santa there is fake. They go to a holiday parade only to have Santa be revealed as the mayor who begins pandering to the kids to get their parents' vote. Their final stop at a radio station reveals the unfortunate truth about Santa, and, sadly, radio DJs.

Each event is more traumatizing than the last, but it's Mikey's transformation throughout the episode that is actually the most horrifying. He goes from a kid bursting with holiday spirit, to a deranged crazy person desperately looking for proof that all he has come to believe in wasn't a lie.

Christmas can drive people crazy. I think everyone has that one thing about the holidays that sets them off. There's the song that gets played one too many times, the gift that is impossible to find, or something as simple as the constant wanting that has become so inherent with the holiday. People do their best to keep it all together, but Mikey just can't. While most kids have time to grow out of the childish exhilaration they associate with Christmas and develop more of a calm excitement, Mikey is forced to grow out of it in a day.

The sheer disappointment crushes him, and he decides not to fulfill his role as Santa Claus in the school pageant. Because, why would he want to be a part of something that's a sham?

It isn't an until he talks with a friendly stranger (James Earl Jones!) with some sage advice, that Mikey is able to rekindle his Christmas spirit.

Mikey illustrates the dangers of getting wrapped up in Christmas and the benefits of taking a step back and to have a nice deep breath. When things get overwhelming, we should pause for a minute to realize what the season is about, and do our best to spread those ideas to everyone we encounter.

Watch the entire episode below and share some Christmas spirit in the comments below.

Unique Christmas Message:
Santa doesn't always have the big bushy beard.

Tomorrow:
I take a look at another Saturday morning cartoon that kicks off its episode with one of the best known Christmas parody carols of all time.

Yuletide TV Day 5: Dorm Life

Photo courtesy of a Google image search

Series: Dorm Life

Episode: S1E20 "Finals"

Original airdate: May 27, 2008

Santa? Shane-ta Claus

Other holidays mentioned: None

Availability: YouTube and Hulu

Unique Christmas Story:
Unfortunately, there isn't a neat little theme song to explain what Dorm Life is, so I'll do my best to give you the gist of this web series in a few short sentences.

Dorm Life follows the lives of freshmen students living on the fifth floor of a dormitory at a University in California. It takes a mockumentary approach similar to The Office except the characters use their laptop webcams for their testimonials.

Yeah, ok, that's good enough.

A significant part of Christmas is trying to wrap up everything else going on in our lives so we can set it aside and enjoy the holiday. This episode isn't exactly a Christmas episode in the way the previous episodes I have covered are, but it as more of an episode in preparation for Christmas. That's all I'm trying to here anyway, so I figure it still works.

In college, the end of a semester is a celebration of itself, but it's also a time of anxiety. During freshman year people spend four months trying to settle in only to be shipped back home for three weeks. When things come to an end it causes people to act in very peculiar ways. They take drastic action that under normal circumstances they wouldn't even consider.

It is these ideas that drive "Finals." While Dorm Life features an impressive sprawling cast of characters, this episode is mostly about three of the male protagonists, Mike, Gopher and Danny B. summing up the courage to go after the girls they have been crushing on all semester.

Each are different stages with the girl they like and begin asking each other for advice like:
How firm is too firm on handshakes?
Should I just walk up to her and say hey?
What? How am I the only one who didn't know that?
And: Has anyone seen that Don Cheadle movie about hotels?

They all decide to confront the girls they like and (SPOILER) they all crash and burn in a variety of spectacular fashions. Even though these guys fail, the emotional stakes get progressively raised in each scene.

Mike approaches Brittany who he just realizes has liked him all semester, only to find out she's been seeing someone else. It hurts, but Mike is almost Ted Moseby-ish in that he is kind of the center of the ensemble, but is not even close to being the most interesting character.

Elsewhere Danny B. takes a girl he met in the elevator to play puttputt, only to find out she appreciates him as a friend. His experience stings a little more, but he never puts himself out there to get rejected. She just puts him in the friend zone without him telling her how she feels.

The killer is Gopher, who suits up, grabs some flowers and writes a letter to Abigail. He lays it all on her doorstep, literally, only to have her quietly tell him she's engaged before shutting the door in his face.

We put everything aside once we get to the 24th of December. Our brains switch gears and we focus up on Christmas. Most of us know what we're doing from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, but what lies on the other side is a mystery. So while the end of this episode has three guys moping about in the hallway of a college dorm, they know they're leaving only to come back to a whole new realm of possibilities.

Watch the entire episode below and share your thoughts in the comments.

Unique Christmas Message:

Celebrate the season with a smile in your heart and a song on your face.

Tomorrow:
I go from college back to grade school and kick off a string of animated episodes.

Yuletide TV Day 4: The Inbetweeners

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Series: The Inbetweeners

Episode: S1E6 "Xmas Party"

Original airdate: May 28, 2008

Santa? Nope

Other holidays mentioned: None

Availability: Netflix and Hulu

Unique Christmas Story:

When is a Christmas episode not a Christmas episode? When it's a prom episode.

It's weird to think about, but prom and Christmas aren't all that different. They both involve a lot of planning, spending money, and hanging out with people that are (hopefully) fun to be around.

And Christmas, like prom, is a single night that has a lot of excitement and anticipation leading up to it. 

This episode is unique because it also functions as a season finale. Story lines come to a head here and, this being British TV, offer some resolution without completely resolving anything. The show's focus, William McKenzie, has struggled to fit into is school all year, but the opportunity to plan the Christmas dance has him hoping he finally gain the respect of his peers.

The Inbetweeners often has the boys at the center of the show involved in self-absorbed behavior, so it is surprising that in this episode, Will is really trying to plan a dance that will be fun for everyone else. Sure, he know if that party is terrible it will come back on him, but the amount of anxiety Will goes through demonstrates his desire to make sure his classmates have a good time.

Christmastime is overrun by parties. Parties with friends, relatives and coworkers, all piling up on each other. It's hard enough trying to find the time to attend, but it's even harder when you're the person who needs to make sure everything falls into place properly.

Will feels that stress throughout most of the episode and his annoying persona becomes even more grating to those around him as he convinces himself that there is no way anyone will enjoy themselves at the party. Miniscule details, like the lack of signs pointing out the bathrooms, get blown out of proportion, and despite the reassurances of his friends, Will has a hard time seeing all his hard work might just pay off.

It isn't until almost the end of the episode that Will is able to let go of his anxiety. He ends up being badgered by one of the school bullies during the dance for looking at a girl the wrong way. He seems doomed to a beating until the rest of his classmates tell the bully to lay off because Will has actually managed to throw a pretty good party. It's a sweet moment and one Will ultimately ruins by being himself, but it's one of several satisfying plot points the episode manages to nail.

Watch the entire episode below and it the comments with your thoughts.

Unique Christmas Message:

Sometimes, the best gift to give someone is respect.

Tomorrow:

I continue my trip through a Christmas in teen-land but move out of high school and into college.

Yuletide TV Day 3: That 70's Show

Series: That 70's Show

Episode: S4E12 "An Eric Foreman Christmas"

Original airdate: Dec. 18, 2001

Santa? Claymation Santa

Other holidays mentioned: None

Availability: Netflix

Unique Christmas Story:

First of all, I love shows that alter their opening credits for Christmas episodes, and few sound as good as this:

That 70's Show has a surprisingly good run of Christmas episodes throughout its eight seasons. That might not seem like much, but I was surprised when preparing for this series of post that many shows shy away from big Christmas episodes. Think of Friends, that show has a number of memorable Thanksgiving episodes, but how many people could name more than one Christmas episode? And I bet even fewer could claim they actually liked it (I'm looking at you, Holiday Armadillo).

What's even more surprising is that this season of That 70's Show actually used a great Christmas premise in its season opener. "It's a Wonderful Life" featuring Wayne Knight as Eric Foreman's is perhaps one of the best episodes of the entire series. But the reason it works is because it is taken out of the Christmas context.

For their actual Christmas episode, That 70's show decides to riff on another holiday classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Eric takes on the role of Charlie Brown in this episode, after being elected by his mother to direct the church Christmas pageant after she believes he has lost his Christmas spirit (see I told it wouldn't be the last). But unlike Joan from yesterday, Eric actually takes to the opportunity of rekindling his love of Christmas. However, while Charlie Brown had to deal with a group of friends who were simply uncooperative, Eric has to deal with friends who think they are too cool to get wrapped up in the joy of the holiday.

Undercutting Eric's story is one on the other end of the spectrum. While Eric is looking to find his Christmas spirit, Kelso is positively bursting with it, much to the annoyance of the rest of the gang.

All Kelso wants to do is watch those classic Christmas specials (like the ones I said I was going to ignore). His friends mock him for being childish, and in a great dream sequence, Kelso is forced to confront his conflicted feelings over the Christmas.

The C-plot of this episode goes to the adults. Bob, forever lonely, puts up a gaudy Christmas display next to the Foreman household complete with sound effects. Red takes it upon himself to steal the display and put it in a dumpster behind the liquor store. It's pretty simplistic, but a nice piece to go along with the rest of the episode. I forgot how good Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith were as Kitty and Red. There is reason CW shows phase out the parents and these two stuck with the show for its entire run, they can be just as funny and interesting as the younger actors the show is focused on.

Anyone who has seen A Charlie Brown Christmas knows how this episode will play for Eric, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The characters age means they get to make some edgier jokes and the references to A Charlie Brown Christmas extend beyond the similarities in plot. It's a nice take on a familiar story, with just enough differences to keep it interesting.

Unique Christmas Message:
No one is ever too old to enjoy Christmas.

Watch the episode and hit the comments with your thoughts.

Tomorrow:
Take a trip across the pond for a Christmas episode that isn't quite that.

Follow @cswiets

Yuletide TV Day 2: Clone High

Series: Clone High

Episode: S1E11 "Snowflake Day: A Very Special Holiday Episode"

Original airdate: April 13, 2003

Santa? Claymation Santa

Other holidays mentioned: Snowflake Day, Kwanza, Hannukah

Availability: YouTube

Unique Christmas Story:

What? Never heard of Clone High? Ok, let me get you up to speed.

Good, let's continue.

If you break this episode down to its core components there are many elements that reflect yesterday's Saved by the Bell episode. "Snowflake Day" has teens hanging out at the mall and encountering the homeless to gain a bigger perspective on the holidays, but that's pretty much where the similarities end.

In the world of Clone High, Snowflake Day is a new secular holiday put in place by the U.N. after banning all religious holidays for being too exclusive. The episode makes a lot of solid digs at the overreaction to secularize the holidays or abolish them all together.

So, if there is no Christmas, what does Snowflake day celebrate? The episode does an impressive job of throwing in tons of small little details to help flesh out the made-up holiday. The food of choice is lamb tacos, the holiday mascot is a pirate named Snowflake Jake, the tradition garb is a flaming sombrero and the traditional dance is the cabbage-patch. All of which, to be honest, sounds like a pretty awesome holiday.

While Clone High features five regular characters, two of them (JFK and Cleopatra) are put on the wayside to focus on Joan of Arc losing her Snowflake Day spirit and the get-rich-quick scheme of best buds Gandhi and Abe Lincoln. Although, it is worth mentioning that JFK puts out his own Snowflake Day themed album titled "JFK Sings Er, Ah, Snowflake Day Hits."

Joan's story is the first, but not the last, this blog will cover that sees a character lose their holiday spirit. A secular made-up holiday is, almost at its core, commercial, and it is this aspect that Joan struggles with. Of course part of the irony is how do does someone really understand the true spirit of made-up holiday. She is sick of everyone's holiday spirit and takes it upon herself to ruin everyone else's celebration. That is, until she meets an attractive homeless person who may or may not be Mandy Moore living in a dumpster.

Meanwhile, Abe goes to work in mall restaurant to make some money so he can buy a present for his girlfriend Cleo. Joined by Gandhi, the two quickly ditch working in favor of trying to market a combination knife/fork, a device of their own design powered by coal, in an effort to get rich quick.

Abe and Gandhi show the pratfalls of trying to take shortcuts during Christmas. Their scheme ultimately fails and Abe has nothing to show for it but a repeatedly cut up mouth. Most of the time it is just easier to stick to stick to getting people what the say they want rather than trying to a cheap alternative.

Joan, meanwhile, has to learn from not-Mandy Moore that she can find her Snowflake Spirit by spending time with those she cares about. The same goes for Christmas. Things may get overwhelming with buying gifts, planning parties and travel, but what really matters is cherishing the time spent with family and friends.

Watch the entire episode below, the hit the comments with your thoughts.

Unique Christmas message:

The harmless celebration of our religions is offensive.

Tomorrow: 
I go back in time to visit another group of teens celebrating Christmas.

Yuletide TV Day 1: Saved By the Bell

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Series: Saved by the Bell

Episode: "Home for Christmas (Parts 1 & 2)"

Original airdate: December 7 and 14, 1991

Santa? Mall Santa and Zack Morris Santa

Other holidays mentioned: None

Availabilty: Netflix

Unique Christmas Story:
To kick off the festivities I'd like to go back to simpler time. It was called the 90's, and it is where I spent about half of my life so far. It was a time of boundless, and no show encapsulated that better than Saved by the Bell.

But in it's two-part Christmas episode "Home for the Holidays" Saved by the Bell forgoes classic sitcom tropes, like trying to find the right gift for a loved one, and decides to take on a serious social issue, the homeless.

Christmas is a time of giving and charity and it is these principles of the season, not the over hyped commercial ones, that this episode tries to stress.

It begins innocently enough with the gang all hanging out at the mall over their Christmas break, either working to make a little extra cash, or shopping for gifts. Each character has their own minor problem they are dealing with. Slater is wrapping gifts, but he isn't very good at it. Jessie is working at the Santa photo booth and dealing with annoying kids. Kelly is working at a clothing store for a cranky boss, and Zack literally runs into a girl who then disappears into the mall. Oh, and Screech is Screech and Kelly is off helping kids at the hospital. (The biggest disappointment of this episode is that Mr. Belding does not appear, but Santa can't grant every Christmas wish.)

The episode takes a turn from trivial to serious when Zack and Screech encounter a homeless man shaving in the mall bathroom. There are a surprising number of off-color jokes about the homeless in this two-parter, but that's perhaps part of the genius of this episode.

Saved by the Bell is about six affluent teens whose biggest concerns are who to take to prom and how they can scrounge up enough money for a car. One of the points that keeps getting hammered in this episode is the fact that these kids have never met any homeless people before. "Home for Christmas" may make a lot of cheap jokes at the expense of the homeless, but its heart is always in the right place.

Most of the episode is focused on Zack, as it is later revealed that (spoiler) the girl he is looking for is actually the daughter of the homeless man he and Screech had met earlier. Zack and his friends then take it upon themselves to help the man and his daughter have a Merry Christmas.

Overall, the episode is a little trite and a good portion of the second part of the two-parter is devoted to one of the worst stagings of "A Christmas Carol" I have ever seen. Nevertheless, this is a great episode to start getting into the Christmas spirit. It has shopping, familiar Christmas stories and a good message of helping those in needs.

Unique Christmas message:
Now is good time to start changing misguided views about others by listening to what they have to say.

Tomorrow:

I take a look at another show about teenage kids hanging out at the mall and dealing with the homeless.

Watch this episode and hit the comments to share your thoughts.