Christmas specials are normally a time for TV shows to spread some holiday cheer, although some festive episodes have leaned into the darkest sides of the season. While beloved classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas have become annual viewing for families around the world, other viewers would much rather watch a Christmas special that doesn’t shy away from the challenges of the holidays. While it can sometimes be jarring to watch a particularly dark Christmas special, it’s also important that TV shows don’t lose their individuality just because Christmas is considered a time of joy and togetherness.
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Many of the greatest Christmas specials of all time address dark subject matters and aren’t afraid to tackle terrifying themes or produce stories of sad sentimentality. While hopeful holiday specials have their merit, there’s something enjoyable about a Christmas special that pushes back against the conventions of the genre and tries to stand in opposition to the typical festive formula. While all these Christmas specials were surprisingly dark, that’s no reason they shouldn’t go down in history as some of the best Christmas episodes television has to offer.
10 “The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe”
Season 2, Episode 8: Doctor Who (1963 – Present)
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The iconic BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who has had plenty of Christmas specials throughout its long and illustrious history. While special episodes were not a mainstay of the original series, after the show was revived in 2005, they became a regular occurrence around Christmas and New Year as Doctor Who-loving families would gather together to watch this annual occurrence. While Doctor Who’s Christmas specials were often lighthearted affairs, they occasionally leaned into more dark subject matters, such as in “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.”
This Christmas special saw the Doctor crash landing on Earth in 1938 and introduced Madge Arwell, who helped take the Eleventh Doctor back to his TARDIS. As the years passed, Madge’s husband went missing in the Second World War, and the episode dealt with themes of loss, grief, and sacrifice. While there were some lighthearted moments and sentimental Christmas scenes, “The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe” showcased the bittersweet circumstances many face at Christmas and the sad realities that stop families from being reunited over the holidays.
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15 9.9/10 Doctor Who TV-PGAdventureDramaFamilySci-Fi
Doctor Who (1963) is a British sci-fi television show that follows the adventures of the Time Lord known as the Doctor, who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time-traveling ship disguised as a British police box. The Doctor, played by various actors over the years, encounters numerous foes and allies while striving to right wrongs and save civilizations.
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*Availability in US Release Date November 23, 1963 Main Genre Animation Finale Year November 30, 1988 Cast William Hartnell , Patrick Troughton , Jon Pertwee , Tom Baker , Frazer Hines , Nicholas Courtney , Pat Gorman , Elisabeth Sladen Creator(s) Donald Wilson Seasons 26 Writers Sydney Newman Expand
9 “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”
Season 2, Episode 11: Community (2009 – 2014)
Community was a sitcom that was never afraid to tackle all types of genres, and it was thrilling to watch its creative spin on the tropes of a Christmas special. “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” brought to mind beloved specials of the past as it utilized a stop-motion animation style similar to classics like the 1964 TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. However, rather than acting as a fun change of pace for this live-action series, the stop-motion style was written into the episode’s premise as a psychological delusion that Abed underwent after learning his mother was not visiting for Christmas.
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This unique blend of holiday cheer and mental health emergency made the Community’s Christmas special a dark homage to beloved stop-motion specials while also highlighting themes around the loneliness of Christmas. This thematically rich concept leaned into the Community’s focus on found families, as the study group all gathered together to help Abed in his time of need. As a clever way of parodying the ridiculousness of the overly sentimental Christmas specials, Community managed to maintain its signature style while delivering its own heartwarming festive episode.
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8.4/10 Community TV-PGComedy
Created by Dan Harmon, Community is a comedy series that follows a study group at an unorthodox community college where zany antics occur daily. When disgraced lawyer Jeff Winger is forced to enroll in a local college to get a degree and reinstate himself, he gets roped in with fellow students from different backgrounds, races, religions, and ages and reluctantly forms a study group. Together, these lovable misfits will navigate their school lives in some nigh unbelievable situations as they all try to figure out where their futures lie.
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*Availability in US Release Date September 17, 2009 Main Genre Comedy Network NBC Cast Ken Jeong , Chevy Chase , Joel McHale , Jim Rash , Gillian Jacobs , Alison Brie , Yvette Nicole Brown , Donald Glover , Danny Pudi Seasons 6 Writers Dan Harmon Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Netflix Showrunner Dan Harmon Expand
8 “Xmas Story”
Season 2, Episode 4: Futurama (1999 – Present)
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The sci-fi animated series Futurama used its futuristic setting of the 30th century to satirize contemporary culture, and Christmas was not immune to this. The season 2 Christmas special of Futurama showcased Fry’s feeling nostalgic for the Christmases of his past and learning the new traditions of Xmas, which had lost Christian association years before. The job of Santa Claus has also been automated in the world of Futurama, as a robotic St. Nick was developed by the Friendly Robot Company to distribute toys around the globe.
However, in a dark twist, the robot Santa turned into a mad murderer as his internal programming was too strict, and he plotted to kill everyone he deemed was on the naughty list. With plenty of references to famous Christmas specials of the past, like the ice-skating children of A Charlie Brown Christmas, “Xmas Story” mixed festive fun with violent excess. As the first Christmas that Fry spent in the future, “Xmas Story” was anything but calm.
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23 8.9/10 Futurama TV-14AnimationAdventureComedy
Futurama follows the exploits of Philip J. Fry, a pizza delivery boy from 1999 who is cryogenically frozen for 1000 years. Waking up in the year 3000, Fry befriends a cyclops named Leela and a roguish robot named Bender, and the three find employment with Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery service. Their work takes them to all corners of the universe, exploring space and the future as imagined by Matt Groening and the creators of The Simpsons.
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*Availability in US Release Date March 28, 1999 Network Comedy Central Cast Katey Sagal , Billy West , Lauren Tom , Maurice LaMarche , David Herman , Tress MacNeille , John DiMaggio , Phil LaMarr Seasons 12 Writers Matt Groening Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Prime Video Directors Matt Groening Showrunner Matt Groening Expand
7 “Sabrina’s Christmas Wish”
2014 Christmas Special: BoJack Horseman (2014 – 2020)
The depressed, drug-addicted, former star BoJack Horseman does not feel like the best candidate to lead an upbeat sitcom Christmas special. That’s why BoJack Horseman made the clever decision to have an episode-within-an-episode for their holiday special in 2014, which saw BoJack and Todd rewatching an old Christmas special from BoJack’s highly popular 1990s sitcom Horsin’ Around. This was called “Sabrina Christmas Wish,” and using this clever, self-referential concept, it could comment on the ridiculousness of Christmas TV episodes while also paying homage to them.
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BoJack himself summed up the hypocrisies of Christmas specials when he called them “cynical cash grabs by greedy corporations” pushing “sentimental clap-trap for mush brain idiots who’d rather spend their Christmas watching a fake family on TV than actually trying to have a conversation with their own dumb families.” However, this Horsin’ Around episode ended up being quite sentimental as the young adoptee Sabrina (Sarah Lynne) had never had a Christmas before and heartbreakingly asked Santa to bring her parents back. With equal parts humor and heart, “Sabrina’s Christmas Special” was one of BoJack Horseman’s best episodes.
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7/10 BoJack Horseman DramaAnimationComedy
Once the famous star of a hit sitcom, BoJack Horseman has fallen on tough times. Stuck in a major career slump and longing to relive his glory days, BoJack attempts to once more become relevant in an industry that has long since turned its back on him. With a few dysfunctional friends at his side, BoJack begins his long-overdue career comeback.
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*Availability in US Release Date August 22, 2014 Network Netflix Cast Amy Sedaris , Will Arnett , Alison Brie , Aaron Paul , Paul F. Tompkins Seasons 6 Writers Raphael Bob-Waksberg Streaming Service(s) Netflix Directors Raphael Bob-Waksberg Showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg Expand
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6 “A Very Sunny Christmas”
Season 6, Episodes 13 & 14: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005 – Present)
It’s hard to imagine a worse bunch of people to spend Christmas with than the gang from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This was certainly the case with their festive special “A Very Sunny Christmas,” which showcased the dark side of the holidays at Paddy’s Pub. From Dennis and Dee reliving the horrors of their childhood as Frank gifted them with empty boxes covered in wrapping paper to Mac learning he used to steal from his neighbor’s houses on Christmas morning, there were plenty of dark revelations in “A Very Sunny Christmas.”
However, the darkest aspect of Always Sunny’s holiday special was Charlie learning the truth about how his mother paid for Christmas, as a litany of ‘Santas’ would visit his mom in the bedroom and gift a young Charlie his present. With A Christmas Carol-esque scheme from Frank that eventually brought the gang closer together, Always Sunny did the holidays the only way they knew how, by being absolutely chaotic and unwrapping more childhood trauma than anyone should have to deal with during the festive season.
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19 9.5/10 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Comedy
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a Sitcom and Black Comedy created by Rob McElhenney. It stars Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Glenn Howerton, and Danny DeVito. The series follows a group of friends that own and frequent the Irish bar, Paddy’s Pub, and get into all sorts of troubling adventures.
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*Availability in US Release Date August 4, 2005 Network FX Cast Charlie Day , Rob McElhenney , Kaitlin Olson , Glenn Howerton , Danny DeVito Seasons 16 Writers Rob McElhenney , Glenn Howerton , Charlie Day , David Hornsby Streaming Service(s) Hulu Directors Matt Shakman , Fred Savage , Daniel Attias , Randall Einhorn , Richie Keen , Todd Biermann Showrunner Rob McElhenney Expand
5 “White Christmas”
2014 Christmas Special: Black Mirror (2011 – Present)
While most TV shows use their Christmas special as an opportunity to spread some holiday cheer, this was never going to be the case for Black Mirror. This dark anthology series has consistently explored the sinister side of technology and left viewers emotionally devastated with its bleak and existential episode endings. “White Christmas” was no different, as it told three dark stories from Matt (Jon Hamm) and Joe (Rafe Spall) in a remote cabin on Christmas Day.
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In typical Charlie Brooker fashion, the script for “White Christmas” was one of the most intense and soul-destroying episodes in all of Black Mirror. From characters being “blocked” in real life as they become totally ostracized from society to male sexual predators peeping on women being seduced, the entirety of the Christmas special made for difficult viewing. However, the most anxiety-inducing aspect of “White Christmas” was its shocking conclusion, which revealed Joe was destined to experience time at 1,000 years per minute in an unimaginably cruel punishment for his crimes.
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7.6/10 Black Mirror AnthologyDramaScience FictionThriller
Black Mirror is a sci-fi anthology TV series that shows the dark side of life and technology. The series was created by Charlie Brooker, with the first season premiering on British Channel 4 in 2011. Black Mirror is notable for its dark, satirical edge that provides social commentary, particularly in continuously evolving technology. Each episode has a different cast, location, and even reality as it further explores the themes of technological advancement and its potential positives and repercussions of overreliance on it.
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*Availability in US Release Date December 4, 2011 Cast Bryce Dallas Howard , Hayley Atwell , Anthony Mackie Seasons 5 Writers Charlie Brooker , Kanak Huq , Jesse Armstrong , Rashida Jones , Michael Schur , William Bridges Streaming Service(s) Netflix Directors Charlie Brooker Showrunner Charlie Brooker Expand
4 “Marge Be Not Proud”
Season 7, Episode 11: The Simpsons (1989 – Present)
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The Simpsons have had plenty of great Christmas episodes, with the pilot “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” even being set during the holidays. However, one episode that took a much darker turn was “Marge Be Not Proud” from season 7, which featured Bart stealing a video game from a local store and the shock and devastation of Marge discovering it. While Christmas was usually a joyous time, a dark shadow loomed over it this year as Bart struggled to reconcile with his heartbroken mother.
This episode showcased what the early seasons of The Simpsons did so well, as it blended humor with heart and featured a highly sentimental story about the nature of trust, understanding, and poor decision-making. As Bart tried to make amends with Marge, he was once again accused of shoplifting, only for Marge to discover his gift to her was a framed photo of himself, paid for in full. This kind gesture saw the pair reconcile as Marge gifted Bart the lackluster video game Lee Carvallo’s Putting Challenge, much to his disappointment.
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50 8.8/10 The Simpsons AnimationComedy
The Simpsons is a long-running animated TV series created by Matt Groening that satirically follows a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield. Homer, a bit of a schmoe who works at a nuclear power plant, is the provider for his family, while his wife, Marge, tries to keep sanity and reason in the house to the best of her ability. Bart is a born troublemaker, and Lisa is his super-intelligent sister who finds herself surrounded by people who can’t understand her. Finally, Maggie is the mysterious baby who acts as a deus ex machina when the series calls for it. The show puts the family in several wild situations while constantly tackling socio-political and pop-culture topics set within their world, providing an often sharp critique of the subjects covered in each episode. This series first premiered in 1989 and has been a staple of Fox’s programming schedule ever since!
Where to WatchSeasonAllSeason 1Season 2Season 3Season 4Season 5Season 6Season 7Season 8Season 9Season 10Season 11Season 12Season 13Season 14Season 15Season 16Season 17Season 18Season 19Season 20Season 21Season 22Season 23Season 24Season 25Season 26Season 27Season 28Season 29Season 30Season 31Season 32Season 33Season 34Season 35
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*Availability in US Release Date December 17, 1989 Franchise(s) The Simpsons Network FOX Cast Tress MacNeille , Julie Kavner , Harry Shearer , Pamela Hayden , Nancy Cartwright , Hank Azaria , Dan Castellaneta , Yeardley Smith Seasons 36 Writers Matt Groening , James L. Brooks , Sam Simon Directors David Silverman , Jim Reardon , Mark Kirkland Showrunner Al Jean Expand
3 “The Night Of The Meek”
Season 2, Episode 11: The Twilight Zone (1959 – 1964)
The Twilight Zone’s Christmas episodes always put a dark spin on the holidays as they maintained the show’s unique take on existentialism, philosophy, and social commentary. The best of all of these was “The Night of the Meek,” which followed a drunken department store Santa Claus named Henry Corvin. As a down-and-out man with little to live for, Henry got a chance to spread some Christmas cheer when he discovered the real Santa’s sack of magical toys.
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While stories from The Twilight Zone usually start merry and end bleak, this episode was the opposite way around as it contained an uplifting and happy message about the wonders of Christmas. This festive Christmas episode was a true classic from the original series and stood in stark contrast to the grim and downbeat conclusions of so many other non-Christmas-themed installments. “The Night of the Meek” was even remade for the 1985 revival series of The Twilight Zone, although Rod Serling’s original monologue was changed.
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9.5/10 The Twilight Zone (1959) TV-PGFantasyHorrorDramaSci-Fi
The Twilight Zone (1959) is a classic anthology series that blends science fiction, horror, and fantasy to explore human nature and societal issues. Created by Rod Serling, each episode presents a standalone story with unexpected twists and moral lessons, often ending with a memorable and thought-provoking conclusion. The series has remained influential, noted for its intelligent storytelling and innovative narrative techniques.
Release Date October 2, 1959 Main Genre Sci-Fi Cast Rod Serling , Robert McCord , Jay Overholts , James Turley , Vaughn Taylor , David Armstrong , Jack Klugman , Burgess Meredith Character(s) Narrator , Watier , Cowboy #2 , 2nd Fireman , Mr. Carsville , Passenger , Captain Ross , Henry Bemis Creator(s) Rod Serling Seasons 5 Expand
2 “It’s the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”
Season 2, Episode 8: Six Feet Under (2001 – 2005)
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Six Feet Under was never the cheeriest of TV shows, as it often delved deep into the darkest sides of human psychology. As the story of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles, almost every episode opened with death, and the Christmas episode “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” was no different. This episode begins with a seasonal Santa Claus working at a mall, only to be distracted by a group of kids as he drives his motorcycle and dies after colliding with a car.
This shocking opening set the tone for the episode “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as the Fisher family was forced to work on Christmas because the family of the shopping mall Santa paid extra to have the funeral on that day. Christmas also marked the first anniversary of the family’s patriarch, Nathaniel, who also died in a car accident over the holidays. With so many raw emotions and unspoken family trauma, this Six Feet Under Christmas episode was truly dark.
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Six Feet Under Drama
Created by Alan Ball, Six Feet Under is a Black Comedy and Drama series that stars Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, and Michael C. Hall. Running for five seasons between 2001 and 2005, the plot revolves around a dysfunctional family that owns and operates a funeral home.
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*Availability in US Release Date June 3, 2001 Network HBO Max Cast Peter Krause , Lauren Ambrose Seasons 5 Writers Alan Ball Streaming Service(s) Dis , Hulu , MAX Directors Alan Ball Expand
1 “Fishes”
Season 2, Episode 6: The Bear (2022 – Present)
No Christmas special has better represented the chaotic nature of dysfunctional families coming together during the holidays than The Bear. The second season episode, “Fishes,” was set five years before Carmy opened The Bear restaurant and highlighted the discomfort and tension at the Berzatto household. With plenty of high-profile guests, including Jamie Lee Curtis, John Mulaney, and Bob Odenkirk, this outrageous episode gave a unique insight into the family dynamics that have informed much of the series and the psychological trauma that practically all the show’s characters carry.
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“Fishes” was one of the very best episodes of The Bear for the way it built towards its grand conclusions as characters cried, family members broke down, and dinner guests got extraordinarily drunk. As a truly exhausting TV viewing experience, The Bear’s Christmas special conjured up memories of every bad Christmas dinner viewers had ever attended, as the tension of too much family together at the same time caused old wounds to open and the darkest sides of family life to be shown with a level of realism rarely seen on television.
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14 8.9/10 The Bear ComedyDrama
Set in a Chicago sandwich shop, The Bear follows Carmy Berzatto, a young professionally trained chef who returns to take over his family business after the unexpected death of his brother. At odds with many of the shop’s employees due to his culinary training, Carmy struggles to maintain order and keep the shop from failing entirely. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy alongside Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri.
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*Availability in US Release Date June 23, 2022 Main Genre Drama Network FX Cast Jeremy Allen White , Ebon Moss-Bachrach , Ayo Edebiri , Lionel Boyce , Liza Colón-Zayas , Abby Elliott , Oliver Platt Seasons 2 Writers Christopher Storer Streaming Service(s) Hulu , Dis Directors Christopher Storer Showrunner Christopher Storer Expand