We’ve rounded up all the best Christmas episodes of ’90s TV shows, including ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Rugrats’
If you were a child of the 1990s, the holiday season meant shopping for glittery lotion-based gifts at Bath & Body Works and Limited Too. It also meant actually enjoying candy, eggnog that doesn’t give you indigestion, and—best of all—watching holiday episodes of your favorite shows, some of which were age-appropriate and some, well, not.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the 13 most important Christmas TV episodes of the 1990s.
Rugrati“The Santa Experience” (1992)
Nothing screams, “The holidays are here and it’s all merry,” louder than Rugrati episode. The cartoon’s take on Christmas is particularly spectacular — and becomes scandalous when Angelica (voiced by Cheryl Chase) rips off Santa’s beard at the mall and shouts, “Santa is a fake!” The whole gang — Tommy (EG Daily), Chuckie (Christine Cavanaugh), Lil (Kath Soucie), Phil (Soucie), Didi (Melanie Chartoff), Betty (Soucie), Chas (Michael Bell) and Stu (Jack Riley) — leave to the mountain house. Then Santa Claus (Tony Jay) appears, proving to children everywhere that he does exist.
Rugrati“A Rugrats Chanukah” (1996)
While the show’s Christmas look is a staple of the holiday television canon, it doesn’t exist Rugrati episode more iconic than “A Rugrats Chanukah,” which tells the story of the Jewish holiday through the tiny eyes of the baby protagonists, who play characters in their collective dream sequence. For many young viewers, it may have been the first time they learned about Hanukkah – and from cartoons, no less.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air“Deck the Halls” (1990)
We return to 1990, to the 15th episode of the first season The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Will (Will Smith) realizes that Ashley (Tatyana Ali) has never had a real Christmas, so he decks out the inside and outside of the mansion with glittery, sparkly Christmas decorations, much to the annoyance of the neighborhood pinchers. (Featured? Ashley: “Will, everyone knows there’s no Santa.” Will: “Wait a minute—there’s no Milli Vanilli … but there is definitely is Santa Claus!”)
Seinfeld“Strike” (1997)
166th episode Seinfeld was the origin of “Festivus”, the best fake holiday that real people now really celebrate. George (Jason Alexander) — in an attempt to avoid buying gifts for his co-workers — insists that he’s not celebrating Christmas, but Festivus (“for the rest of us”). To prove the holiday is real, he invites his boss (Daniel von Bargen) to a Festivus dinner at his parents’ (Jerry Stiller, Estelle Harris) house. Spoiler alert: There are hilarious consequences.
Saturday night liveSeason 24 Episode 9 (1998)
Two words: “Schweddy Balls.”
Although he later became famous for the role of Donald Trump Saturday night live, frequent guest host Alec Baldwin starred in one of his most popular sketches in 1998 as Chef Pete Schweddy, who promotes his holiday treat, “Schweddy Balls,” on a radio show. The skit ran through several hilarious double takes and became so popular that it even later inspired Ben & Jerry’s “Schweddy Balls” ice cream flavor.
My so-called life“So-called Angels” (1994)
Angsty Claire Danes is our favorite Claire Danes. But the Christmas episode of the short-lived teenage drama My so-called life is one of the most touching episodes of the series. It focuses on the problem of homelessness among teenagers through a clever homage to the classic holiday film It’s a wonderful life (1946). After watching it, you’ll join the many fans who are still upset that this show wasn’t renewed for a second season.
Dawson’s Creek“Merry Mayhem” (2002)
Despite not airing in the 90s, this 6th season of the series Dawson’s Creek — a series that debuted in 1998 — is too good to go unrecognized. Dawson (James Van Der Beek) brings Natasha (Bianca Kajlich) and Todd (Hal Ozsan) back to Capeside, Massachusetts with him for Christmas, and he just, like, can’t get over the fact that he saw Natasha and Max (Eddie Cahill) together. Everyone gets drunk at Christmas dinner, and Audrey (Busy Philipps) — whose drinking is out of control — crashes Pacey’s (Joshua Jackson) car.
Friends“The one with the routine” (1999)
Everything you need to know or remember about this magic Friends episode, Monica (Courteney Cox) and Ross (David Schwimmer) relive their high school dance routine when they are cast as background dancers in Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. That’s right: a brother and sister dance routine — from high school. (We instantly feel more confident about our adolescent experiences.) Meanwhile, the rest of the gang searches for Monica’s hidden Christmas gifts to see what they’ll get her in return. This classic episode will keep you laughing until the New Year.
Nanny“The Christmas Episode” (1993)
As much as we love the animated charm of Season 3’s “Oy to the World,” nothing gives us the same zest for life as Season 1. Nanny. Spending her first Christmas with the Sheffields, Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) expects a hefty holiday bonus from her boss (Charles Shaughnessy), prompting her to splurge on gifts for Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Grace (Madeline Zima) and Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury ). However, when she learns that Mr. Sheffield has opted for a material gift instead of cash, she must find a way to recoup the funds spent.
Sister, sister“Christmas” (1995)
Talk about a two-way curler! In this season 3 episodes Sister, sister, Grandpa Campbell (Sherman Hemsley) arrives for the holidays with a $1,000 debt to a loan shark. To help, Tia (Tia Mowry), Tamera (Tamera Mowry) and Lisa (Jackée Harry) pool their savings for Christmas presents to pay off his debts.
Sabrina the teenage witch“Christmas Amnesia” (1998)
Imagine a world without Christmas! In the 61st episode Sabrina the teenage witch, the not-so-cheerful and bright Sabrina (Melissa Joan Hart) attends an anti-Christmas party in the Second Kingdom, where she inadvertently erases the holiday from the world’s collective memory. Now he must chase down Saint Nick (Kay E. Kuter) and revive the holiday season.
Moesha“A Class Act Christmas” (1998)
In need of last-minute gift shopping, Moesha (Brandy) and Hakeem (Lamont Bentley) get stuck working the Christmas Eve shift at trendy clothing store Class Act. However, things take a wild turn when a previously rejected job applicant (Henry G. Sanders) returns dressed in a red Santa suit and holds the entire store hostage.
Frasier“Miracle on Third or Fourth Street” (1993)
After learning that his son won’t be visiting him for Christmas, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) tries to soothe his holiday blues by filling in as a radio host. Little does he know that he’s about to face a bevy of Scrooge-like callers — voiced by guest stars like Mel Brooks, Ben Stiller, Eric Stoltz and more — each sharing their own extremely sad stories.
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Source: HIS Education