King Family Christmas on DVD
Rankin Bass Christmas Specials on DVD New TV
Judy Garland Christmas
Christmas Fireplace Spirit of Christmas on DVD Bob Hope Christmas DVD Fractured Fairy Tales on DVD
Christmas Specials on DVD
Bionic Woman on DVD
Bionic Woman on DVD

 

1970s Christmas TV Shows
How Sitcoms Spent The Holidays in the 1960s and 1970s.
PART TWO - THE SEVENTIES / PART ONE HERE
by Billy (ho-ho) Ingram

 

Let's look at how 1970's sitcoms celebrated Christmas.

Sometimes it's not your family but your co-workers you'll be spending Christmas with. That's not at all rare today but it was pretty unusual in the 1970s.

That Girl Christmas Sitcome episodePlucky Anne Marie got stuck on Christmas Eve in the private boy's home where she was working in a touching episode of That Girl that took place as a flashback. This episode is typical of the way sitcoms celebrated the season back in the day - with a bittersweet edge that played up the emotional aspect of Christmas, with plotlines revolving around helping out someone in need.

Mary Tyler Moore Christmas episodeOne of the most fondly remembered Christmas comedies of all time would have to be The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode from 1970 where Mary was forced to work on Christmas Eve and her co-workers show up unexpectedly in the middle of the night to keep her company.

An interesting aside - this episode was written by the same guy (James L. Brooks) who wrote the That Girl episode referenced above called 'Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid'. The MTM episode is titled 'Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid II', co-written with Allan Burns.

Bob Newhart Christmas EpisodeThe Bob Newhart Show a few seasons later explored roughly the same theme. Dr. Bob Hartley and his co-workers at the medical building were snowed in on Christmas Eve following their lame office Holiday party. Unfortunately, Bob and Emily had an intimate evening at home planned - the last thing he wanted to do is spend Christmas Eve with the eccentrics he worked around. So he ends up walking home in a Chicago blizzard.

The New Dick Van Dyke Show Christmas episode from 1972 was another 'can't get home' storyline with Dick stuck in jail for the big day.

Happy Days Christmas episodeHappy Days is a double blast from the past, a 1970s sitcom that takes you back to the 1950s. 'Guess Who's Coming To Christmas,' their first Holiday outing, was again about people helping people. In this December 1974 story Fonzie missed his bus home and will have to spend the Holiday alone. This is an early episode before brother Chuck disappeared and Fonzie developed his softer side. And that's two Christmas episodes Ron Howard had a part in making me cry dammit (The Andy Griffith Show being the other). This isn't just heart-warming it's heart-breaking.

Here's a twist on a common theme from 1976 - Phyllis (another spin-off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) is stuck working, unable to attend the office Christmas party on the other side of the room. This show is steeped in early-1970's dreariness and had one of the funniest theme songs of all time but unless Mother Dexter was in the scene the show fell flat. When the actress Judith Lowry died during season two so did the ratings; this was one of her last episodes.

I personally love the holidays. For me, Christmas is a time for joy, laughter and warm family get-togethers (don't you just want to be sick?) but it's also a time that strikes dread into the hearts of some.

Carol Burnett Show Christmas episodeA lot of unfortunate people have bitter memories of harsh family confrontations around the Christmas tree. That spirit is captured brilliantly and played for laughs in this skit from The Carol Burnett Show in 1974 that features Burnett's Eunice character and her contentious family sharing their special brand of 'holiday cheer'.

Because after all, Christmas is about families. Or did we decide it was about television after all?

PART ONE: 1960s Christmas Sitcoms

Kenny & Dolly : A Christmas to Remember - 1984 Full Special

More Classic TV
ChristmasCommercials

Darlene Love's Christmas Comeback!

25 Amazing 20th Century Christmas Specials

1961 TV Christmas Specials

Ghost & Mrs. Muir Christmas Episode

1961 Hollywood Christmas Parade

1970s & 80s TV Christmas Shows

Dean Martin's 1968 Christmas Special

Christmas with the TV Families

1960s Christmas Variety Shows & Specials

1970's Christmas Commercials

Christmas on TV in 1988

Christmas Jukebox

Best Selling Christmas DVDs

Obscure 1950s Christmas TV Moments

The Lost Lucy/Desi
Holiday Special

Amahl and the
Night Visitors

Amos 'n' Andy
Christmas Show

Christmas TV
Commercials

Christmas on TV in 2007

Brawling for Scarce Christmas Toys

1994 Christmas on TV

1999 Christmas Eve

1999 Christmas Memories

Ozzie & Harriet Christmas Episodes

Baby It's Cold Outside

BONUS: Halloween 1969 Memories

Halloween TV of the 60s & 70s

Halloween Clips & Commercials 1970s-2000s

Wizard of Oz
Holiday Broadcasts

1980s Holiday Commercials

Untraditional 1978 Christmas Movie: The Silent Partner

Thanksgiving Day Specials

Thanksgiving on TV in the 1950s

Thanksgiving TV 1960s

Thanksgiving Day Parades

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1994

The Yule Log

Classic TV Christmas

1950's Christmas
Show Moments

Bill Melendez

Christmas DVDs

Unique Christmas
Gift Ideas!

A Christmas Carol
- The Movie


TVparty is Classic TV Christmas Specials
Christmas Sitcoms
Classic TV Christmas Episodes
in the 1970s

Families, not television, is what Christmas is all about. But can we help it as children growing up in America that some of our warmest family Christmas memories are wrapped around watching something on TV?

Andy Williams Christmas shows DVDBing Crosby Christmas Specials

TV on DVD / / Holiday Specials on DVD
TV Commercials on DVD

Shari Lewis Christmas ShowsBing Crosby Christmas TV Specials on DVD!

TV Commercials on DVD Peabody & Sherman cartoons on DVD

Spirit of Christmas on DVDRankin Bass Christmas Specials on DVD

Little Rascals on DVD

BONUS: Thanksgiving TV Shows / Thanksgiving Day Parade TV History / Thanksgiving TV Cartoon Specials of the 1970s /WPIX Thanksgiving Day TV Specials

Please consider a donation
so we can continue this work!

 

Video on Demand Rent or Buy

Entertainment Collectables

Bonus 1970's Christmas Moment:
The Newlywed Game was cancelled in December of 1974, here's the emotional goodbye where the host Bob Eubanks breaks down and can't continue.

Sonny & Cher Show 1971 on DVD Christmas

Christmas specials on DVD / Christmas DVDs

The King Family Christmas Shows on DVD

New TV  


Holiday Hearth on DVd / virtual fireplace for Christmas

Local Kid Shows / Movie Stars on TV / Saturday Morning Shows / Video Vault / TV Goodbyes / Fabulous Fifties / Unseen Scenes / Game Shows / Requested Forgotten TV Shows / The Super Sixties / More Modern TV Shows / The New * * Shows / 1980's Wrestling / TV Blog

TVparty is Classic TV on the internet!
Classic TV on the Internet!

TV's Embarrassing Moments / Action Shows of the Sixties / TVparty Mysteries and Scandals / Variety Shows of the 1970s / The Eighties / The Laugh Track / 1970's Hit Shows / Response to TVparty / Search the Site / Add Your Comments
Classic TV Commercials / 1950's TV / 1960's TV / Punk Book / / 1970's TV / Groucho vs William F Buckley / / TV Games / Honey Boo Boo / Lucy Shows / Classic Cars / John Wayne / Gene Roddenberry / Rockford Files / Sea Hunt / Superman on DVD / Toy Gun Ads / Flip Wilson Show / Big Blue Marble / Monty Hall / Carrascolendas / Mr. Dressup / Major Mudd / Chief Halftown / Baby Daphne / Sheriff John / Winchell & Mahoney / Fireball X-L5 / Mr. Wizard / Captain Noah / Thanksgiving Day Specials / Disney's First Christmas Special / Saturday Morning Cartoons / The Magic Garden / Amahl & the Night Visitors / Holiday Toy Commercials / Lucy & Desi's Last Christmas Show / Joey Heatherton / Fat Albert / The Virginian / Bewitched / Death of John Wayne / 1974 Saturday Mornings / Chuck McCann / Rudolph Collectables / Shrimpenstein / Local Popeye Shows / New Treasure Hunt / 1966 ABC TV Shows / 1967 TV Shows / 1968 TV Shows / Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes & Baby Doll / Fridays / TV Moms / Red Skelton / Star Wars / KISS / Lancelot Link / Saturday Morning Cartoons / The Magic Garden / Wonder Woman / Classic Comic Books / Andy Griffith / Cher / TV Shows on DVD / Outtakes & Bloopers / 1967 TV Shows / Romper Room / ABC Movie of the Week / The Goldbergs / Daws Butler Commercials / Saturday Morning Commercials / Captain Kangaroo / Chicago Local Kiddie Shows / Boston Local TV / Philly Local TV / NYC Local Kid Shows / Amos 'n' Andy / Electric Company / Bette Davis / Judy Garland / Christmas Specials / Redd Foxx / Good Times / Sitcom Houses / What's Happening! / Winky Dink & You / Sonny & Cher /  Smothers Brothers /  Commercial Icons of the 1960s / Soupy Sales / The Carpenters / Route 66 / Bozo / The Carpenters Christmas Specials / Local Kid Shows / Death of TV's Superman / Wonderama / Sesame Street / Bob Hope Specials / Little Rascals / 1980's Retro Gay T-Shirts / 1980's TV Wrestling / Fess Parker / Howdy Doody / TV Blog / Lost In Space / Pinky Lee / 1980's LA Punk Rock / Alex Toth Book / TV Terrorists /  Irwin Allen / The Untouchables / Carol Burnett Show / Batman TV Show / Green Hornet / big brotherToday Show History / Our Gang / Doris Day Show / 1970's Commercials For Women / Bill Cosby in the 1970s / The Golddiggers / Lola Falana / 1970s TV Shows / David Bowie on TV / Hudson Brothers / Jackie Gleason / Hollywood Squares / Match Game / Bob Keeshan / Gumby / The Flip Wilson Show / Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour / The Bobby Darin Show / The Richard Pryor Show / George Burns / Celebrity Commercials / Rudolph / Movie Posters & More! 

Bob Hope Christmas Specials on DVD Bullwinkle on DVD Classic Commercials on DVD Little Rascals on DVD The TAMI Show Spirit of Christmas on DVD  Bullwinkle on DVD
TV Shows on DVD/ / / / / / / Carol Burnett Show on DVD/ / / / / / / North Carolina Actors / / / / / / / Cartoons on DVD/ / / / / / / Holiday Specials on DVD / / / / / / / / / / / / /Classic Commercials / / / / / TV Shows on DVD Reviews
Looking for classic TV DVDs?/See below:
TV Commercials on DVD Wrestling DVDs Classic TV Books
New TV