The Best Christmas Episodes From Your Favorite California TV Shows

Occasionally, seeing a quality Christmas episode of your favorite television program surpasses viewing a feature-length film—in any case, it's far more personalized to your tastes, since anybody who like Happy Days, for example, would undoubtedly enjoy their Christmas special. In order to ensure that no choice is overlooked, we have picked a select few for each category. Top Christmas television shows: California edition.

The Best Christmas TV Episodes 

1. Miracle on Third or Fourth Street (Frasier, Season 1, Episode 12)

As he’s looking forward to a visit from Frederick (Trevor Einhorn) just in time for Christmas, saying that Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is a bit on edge would be an understatement. When the visit is canceled, however, Frasier takes out his disappointment on his family. Frasier decides to spend Christmas Day at the station rather than at home after having a heated argument with Martin (John Mahoney). Trudging to get a seedy dinner, he gets an unexpected boost of Christmas spirit from the station’s regulars.

2. An Echolls Family Christmas (Veronica Mars, Season 1, Episode 10)

A holiday poker game gets nasty when Weevil’s (Francis Capra) winnings disappear, leaving Veronica (Kristen Bell) to determine the guilty party. Though not your typical festive watch, Veronica Mars’ antics thrill regardless, making for one of the best Christmas specials in the mystery and crime genre.

3. Christmas Party (The Office, Season 2, Episode 10)

It's hard to pick just one episode of The Office, but "Christmas Party" is the messy and sometimes troublesome choice that we all watch during the holidays. When Michael (Steve Carell) far exceeds the price limit in a game of Dirty Santa, things go badly. Things also get worse when an oven mitt fails to impress the boss. After a few bad choices, there are gifts that fly, cameras that flash, and more. Though it's a lot, we agree because it's one of the greatest Christmas TV episodes.

4. The Chrismukk-huh? (The OC, Season 4, Episode 7)

While Ryan is hanging up Christmas lights, he and Taylor (Autumn Reeser) argue over where they are in their relationship—which we don't know about—and end up falling off a ladder. The next moment they find themselves awakened in a another world that imagines what might have happened if Ryan had never visited Newport Beach. 

5. Together for Christmas (The Lucy Show, Season 1, Episode 13)

Vivian Vance, Lucy Carmichael, and the kids are all enjoying their first Christmas together, and they can't help but bicker over their unique customs. Nevertheless, the youngsters teach Lucy and Viv the real spirit of Christmas. Seeing this with loved ones in matching ugly sweaters is highly encouraged, but not required, for it to be considered one of the greatest Christmas specials ever.

6. How Cruel the Frost, How Bright the Stars (Kojak, Season 3, Episode 15)

For Aristotelis Savalas's Kojak and his troops, Christmas Eve is everything but festive. Though she is unsure of the specific crime, a lady is certain that her lover will do it. If you're searching for a very creepy way to spend the holidays, view this suspenseful thriller about a furious husband who is trying to murder his unfaithful wife at the same time.

7. No-Ho-Ho (Happy Endings, Season 3, Episode 7)

If any episode truly makes the argument that Happy Endings never received its due, it's "No Ho Ho." When word spreads that Jane (Eliza Coupe) has been concealing the fact that her birthday falls on Christmas, her pals do their hardest to plan a birthday party for her that doesn't include Christmas. But the season's celebratory vibe turns out to be quite the barrier.

8. Christmas Time (Happy Days, Season 6, Episode 16)

Thomas Edward Bosley's character Howard Cunningham tries to talk his family into decorating a new-fangled artificial tree on a chilly, snowy Christmas. When Henry Winkler's character Fonzie receives a present from his father, a mystery sailor forces Fonzie to confront his long-repressed sentiments of abandonment.

The Best Christmas Specials Of All Time

9. The One With the Routine (Friends, Season 6, Episode 10)

While notoriously New York-centric, a lot of Friends’ episodes were actually filmed in the Golden State. This also applies to The One With the Routine, where Joey (Matt LeBlanc) tries to kiss Janine (Elle Macpherson) at midnight on the set of ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.’ While that is happening, Monica (Courtney Cox) and Ross (David Schwimmer) resurrect their dance routine from high school. Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Chandler (Matthew Perry) search for Monica’s hidden Christmas presents.

10. Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas (Community, Season 2, Episode 11) 

Frankly, Community is a little like a fever dream but when the show truly embraced that and delved into the psyche of Abed (Danny Pudi), the most complicated character on the show, what they produced was nothing short of amazing. One of the greatest Christmas TV episodes ever is their stop-motion animation, which combines the fast-wit humor for which the program is known with a sympathetic backstory explaining why Abed moved into the animated universe in the first place. So cuddle up with your significant other and enjoy this Abed-centric treat, which sheds some sad light about what Christmas means to many.

11. Last Christmas (This Is Us, Season 1, Episode 10)

Be advised: bring Kleenex if you want to watch this Christmas episode of your favorite NBC show. However, you wouldn't expect anything less from This Is Us than a ton of heartfelt turns and twists, would you?

12. Afternoon Delight (Arrested Development, Season 2, Episode 6)

Buster, played by Tony Hale, is trying to find ways to avoid going to Iraq. At the same time, Lindsay is trying to get a date at the Bluth Company Christmas party, but Gob's (Will Arnett) speech makes her fail. Michael (Jason Bateman) and Maeby (Alia Shawkat) get in trouble for singing "Afternoon Delight," but Oscar's (Jeffrey Tambor) and Lucille's (Jessica Walters) performance quickly takes the spotlight.

13. Stuff (Black-ish, Season 2, Episode 10)

In this one-part-heartwarming, one-part hilarious episode of ABC comedy Black-ish, the Johnsons try to help their kids rediscover the true meaning of Christmas—and spoiler alert, it has nothing to do with ‘stuff’.

14. LAXmas (New Girl, Season 4, Episode 11)

Thanksgiving might be the most highly anticipated holiday in the New Girl loft, but Jess (Zooey Deschanel) and the gang had their fair share of Christmas excitement too. When canceled flights left them stranded at LAX in season four, they made the best of it in one of the greatest Christmas episodes in sitcom history. 

15. Citizen Knope (Parks and Recreation, Season 4, Episode 10)

Even after being suspended from her job for two weeks, Leslie (Amy Poehler) attempts to sneak in and finish her work. More significantly, however, is that everyone in her immediate vicinity pitches in to help put together a unique Christmas present for their leader. As a consequence, a Deputy Director has the greatest gingerbread city hall imaginable.

16. My Mom, Greg's Mom, and Josh's Sweet Dance Moves! (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Season 1, Episode 8)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend may be for you if you like music but are also a little bit disenchanted with musicals. In their entry into the canon of holidays, Rebecca's (Rachel Bloom) mother, portrayed by Tovah Feldshuh, is paying a visit to California over Christmas, which seems quite different from the Christmas she is used to. The back and forth conveys an affectionate but condescending tone that, well, a lot of people may recognize.