While there have been some successful hits in recent years, it's worth noting that a successful holiday special is as rare as Santa Claus himself. The outing is practically a guaranteed failure from the jump, and rarely ever pans out the way it's initially intended. From Tabitha Stephens in blackface to Santa Claus being raised on lioness milk, here are the most uncomfortable Christmas specials in history. You may not want to watch them, but you can't look away.
Bewitched: "Sisters At Heart" – 1970
On this incredibly problematic holiday episode of Bewitched, Samantha's daughter, Tabitha, wants to be "sisters" with her new black friend Lisa, so she casts a spell to give them both polka dots. Meanwhile, Tabitha's father loses out on a job opportunity after his racist boss falsely believes that he is married to a woman of color. To quell his bigotry, Tabitha's mother, who is a witch, casts a spell on her husband's superior, so he see's everyone, including himself, as having dark skin. The result is nauseating.
▲Nestor the Long-Earred Christmas Donkey – 1977
The strange claymation follows "Santa's Donkey" Nestor, who, unlike Santa's other donkey Spieltoe, had massive ears and can't do sh*t. Spieltoe has a slew of responsibilities while Santa is off delivering presents; he watches over the stables and pulls Santa's snowplow, but Nestor is a freak with massive ears who is hated by everyone in the stable except his own mother, who eventually dies. Sorry for the spoiler. When Nestor is kidnapped by Roman soldiers, the donkey escapes and fights to return home, where he meets a young lass named Mary Magdalene. Get it? He's the donkey that delivered Jesus: Ah, Christmas.
▲The Star Wars Christmas Special – 1978
Boy, do I bet Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford want to put this one out of their memory. The infamous Star Wars holiday special was an abysmal disaster for everyone involved. Following the events of the first film, Chewbacca and Han Solo fly to Chewbacca's home planet to celebrate "Life Day." From there we meet Chewbacca's wife, Malla, along with his son and father, Lumpy and Itchy. Little do they know, they are being tailed by members of the Galactic Empire!
▲The Mr. T & Emmanuel Lewis Christmas Special – 1984
At the peak of their popularity, Mr. T and Emmanuel Lewis made a trash Christmas special that is actually mildly endearing. Lewis plays a kid in search of holiday cheer, and a street Santa played by Mr. T steps in to help. Celebrities appear in cheesy cameos along the way, and the whole thing meanders in an incoherent way. From a magic trick by David Copperfield to the pair trying to figure out if Baby Jesus ever smiled, the whole experience is a whirlwind.
Emmanuel Lewis and Mr. T were so popular in the early 1980s that they were able to share the screen in this gloriously so-bad-it's-good Christmas special that warms the heart. Lewis plays a latchkey kid who is wandering the city streets in search of Christmas cheer . . . and possibly some adult supervision.
▲The Life And Adventure's of Santa Claus – 1985
The Wizard of Oz creator L. Frank Baum penned what is likely the most uncomfortable Santa origin story ever told. Not only is the claymation unsettling, but the voice over work (and for some reason musical number?) is suffocating in its tackiness.
The plot follows "The Council of Immortals" Master Woodsman as he regales his compatriots with an interesting encounter he had "with a young babe, abandoned in the snowy woods at the edge of the forest." Stricken with compassion, the Master Woodsman shows mercy to the abandoned orphan and brings him to be raised by "The Lioness She-ay-graw." "I ordered her to lie close to the babe and give it her milk," the Woodsman recounted. When Necile asks the master to elaborate on what a "child" is, another member of the table steps in, reminding Necile that children are "decried" by their laws.
It attempts to remove religion from the story of Christmas, and replaces it with laughable theatrics.
▲He-Man and She-Ra's a Christmas Special –1985
The damn title is enough to get you to look the other way. Prince Adam is sent to the world of Etheria to find his sister Adora, who has been abducted. Princess Adora raises her magic sword to become SHE-RA!!! The most powerful woman in the universe.
▲A Very Brady Christmas - 1988
The Brady family's celebrity Christmas dinner is ruined when Mike learns that a shady businessman whom he designed a building for caused the building to be dangerous and collapse(?), trapping everyone inside. I can barely follow it myself. In the end, Mike heroically frees the trapped employees inside the building, but an aftershock covers Mike in debris. The family waits outside for Mike to emerge, but he does not, until they sing "O Come, All Ye Faithful." A Christmas MIRACLE!
▲The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas - 1996
Eddie is homesick for Transylvania, so Herman decides to throw him a Christmas celebration. Together, with Lily, Grandpa, and Marilyn, the gang sends out invites to the whole Munster family. To help throw the party, Herman asks for a raise from his boss. His boss says no and instead fires him for taking on freelance work that included nude modeling and wrapping presents. Meanwhile, Grandpa conducts an experiment that goes badly and accidentally transports Santa Claus and his elves to Munster Mansion. Eventually, Marilyn falls in love, and Lily enters a decorating contest. It's all insanely convoluted and not rewarding in the slightest.
▲Mr Hankey the Christmas Poo – 1997
The main character is a piece of poop called Mr. Hankey. He is the embodiment of Christmas joy, and there is a song about him. Kyle uses him to spread Christmas joy throughout the town, but the catch is that no one can see Mr. Hankey except for Kyle. That is, until they all catch the Christmas spirit themselves.
▲Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe In Santa – 2002
In what is now considered a rare pop culture gem, Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa was released by the computer animation studio Wolf Tracer Studio and was panned for almost every conceivable reason. The plot follows suburban boy Ricky Rogers and his friend, as Ricky spends his first Christmas after the death of his mother.
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