The Daily BLAM! Staff Pick Their Favorite Holiday Television Shows

The guys and gal behind the scenes of The Daily BLAM! would like to offer our readers an inside look at the made for TV specials, starring both superheroes and Wookies, that help keep us in the holiday spirit.

Kimberly Houston - Correspondent

Justice League - Comfort & Joy

The Justice Leaguers go their separate ways to celebrate the holiday season. After saving a distant planet, the League returns in time for Christmas. Clark and J'onn visit Smallville for a Kent family Christmas, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl have a snowball fight and visit an alien bar while comparing holiday traditions, and the Flash and Ultra-Humanite have a season's fight and are forced to ally together to save orphans' toys.

A great heart warming episode in which we see how our favorite heroes spend their holidays. This episode shows how Christmas can bring out the best in a super-villain and J'onn J'onnz discovers the joys of the holidays first hand, thanks to a little push from Superman.

Not only is it one of my all-time favorite holiday episodes it one of my favorite Justice League episodes; period. If you're a superhero fan of any kind, don't forget to add this to your holiday watch list.

Keven Skinner - Editor

South Park - Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo

Kyle's mother complains that the Christmas play is favoring Christianity and not catering to people of other religions. Mean while Kyle is visited by Mr. Hankey the Christmas poo who only appears to Kyle. The complaints about the play continue, and all religious elements are removed from the play. Kyle is committed to a mental hospital because everyone thinks he's crazy for believing in Mr. Hankey. When Chef finds out about Kyle he makes everyone believe in Mr. Hankey, who appears finally to everybody.

TV + Christmas = Me putting in a movie and avoiding cable like the plague. When I think of holiday TV specials I for some reason think of a guy in a sweater singing to a cow with reindeer antlers glued to it's head in-front of a fake fence on the Country Music station. But that's probably not the case anymore because every sitcom does a holiday themed episode right? I just never notice them and can't remember any even if they didn't suck. The special I do remember though is one I still hold dear to my evil black heart. I was 12 years old when I saw this masterpiece for the first time. I don't think I even witnessed the spectacle of a singing piece of poop wearing a Christmas hat on television either, as I'm pretty sure I bought the VHS volumes of the first season and was changed forever. So if you think I'm immature - where the hell were you in 97? That's right - watching Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo fly away into the night sky with Santa Claus as Kenny remained alive for the first time ever, making it to the end of the episode.

Bryan Kritz - Managing Editor

The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

Mrs. Claus tells us about the time Santa had a bad cold and decided to take a vacation from Christmas. Two of his elves, Jingle Bells and Jangle Bells decided to go out (with Vixen) to find children to convince Santa that the Christmas spirit is still important to everybody else. But they have to get past Heat Miser and Snow Miser, first, before they land in Southtown, USA, where it never snows for Christmas. But the Miser Brothers can't agree to let it snow in Southtown. But Mrs. Santa knows their mom--Mother Nature.

For me, growing up as a kid, the stop-motion Christmas specials were must-see TV! We didn't have options to see it whenever (yes, I am old) so you made sure you knew when these shows were airing. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy and many others all hold a special place in my heart and will stop me from whatever I am doing if I come across them on TV to this day. My favorite out of that whole group has to be this one featuring my fave characters, The Miser Brothers:

Some of my other other favorites from the years are Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman and, of course, the very special holiday episode of Friends: 'The One with the Holiday Armadillo'!

Pietro Filipponi - Editor in Chief

STAR WARS Holiday Special (1978)

Wookie sidekick Chewbacca races across the galaxy to spend the holidays with his family in this TV movie, which was broadcast after Star Wars became a pop phenomenon but before the release of The Empire Strikes Back. Sometime after the events of the first film, Han Solo and Chewbacca are working a reconnaissance mission while Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and the others pursue their own missions.

Back on Chewie's home planet, preparations are underway for Life Day, the most important holiday in the Wookie calendar. As Chewbacca's family -- wife Malla, son Lumpy and father Itchy -- anxiously awaits his return, agents of the Empire continue to oppress the people of their planet.

If you are a real STAR WARS fan -- you know, the ones that think we should have gotten sequels instead of prequels, own at least one X-Wing shirt and know without a shadow of a doubt that Han shot Greedo first -- you have to watch this made for TV movie. It features the original cast (albeit briefly) in one of the most ludicrous tie-ins ever imaginable. Who ever thought this thing would be successful must have been drunk... and if you really want to laugh you should be too while watching it. Though it's never been officially released on home video, you can find it online maybe HERE!

In case you missed them, check out our other seasonal pieces and have yourselves Happy Holidays!

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