Series Christmas Episodes
April 21, 2013 8:51 AM Subscribe
Which television series started the tradition of special excellence in Christmas episodes? We're revisiting some of our shows and wonder how this tradition began.
For example Call the Midwife's poignant holiday episode last year and multiple episodes for The West Wing. How far back do you remember seeing this trend? Is it a carryover from television holiday specials?
For example Call the Midwife's poignant holiday episode last year and multiple episodes for The West Wing. How far back do you remember seeing this trend? Is it a carryover from television holiday specials?
Best answer: In the UK, this is absolutely an extension of the Christmas specials of long running perennial shows - Morecombe and Wise being the most prominent, but also the extra crazy Eastenders episodes, comedy series etc. I think as trends in tv have moved away from light entertainment and soaps and toward reality tv and serialised drama so too have the Christmas episodes, so we get Strictly, Doctor Who, Call the Midwife and Downton as well as soaps and reruns. I feel the US has different trends and trajectory because the long seasons of dramas coincide with the holidays (whereas the British broadcasters plan one-off specials). I certainly remember watching poignant Christmas episodes of ER in the 1990s, albeit in March on Channel 4!
posted by dumdidumdum at 12:38 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by dumdidumdum at 12:38 PM on April 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: On preview: my experience tallies with the TV Tropes round-up.
posted by dumdidumdum at 12:41 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by dumdidumdum at 12:41 PM on April 21, 2013
Response by poster: Ideefixe we've been noticing how much more poignant these episodes are and how many times they win Emys. For us this extra effort is reflected in the words special excellence. I'd love to know how you would describe it.
posted by R2WeTwo at 2:56 PM on April 21, 2013
posted by R2WeTwo at 2:56 PM on April 21, 2013
How far back do you remember seeing this trend?
It at least goes back to Seinfeld — "The Red Dot" (1991).
posted by John Cohen at 7:40 PM on August 22, 2013
It at least goes back to Seinfeld — "The Red Dot" (1991).
posted by John Cohen at 7:40 PM on August 22, 2013
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TV Tropes
Christmas Wiki, Christmas Episodes
posted by Ideefixe at 9:49 AM on April 21, 2013