Decider’s Sitcom Advent Calendar Day 25: ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ Puts Mary To Work On Christmas

The Christmas season is here and that means one major thing for TV devotees: re-watching all of your favorite festive sitcom episodes! In celebration of the season and the tradition of TV comedies getting all holly jolly for one episode a year, Decider presents our very first Sitcom Advent Calendar. Every day leading up to Christmas, Decider’s resident sitcom elf Brett White will share one holiday-themed sitcom episode for you to stream to make your days merry and bright.

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Decider’s Sitcom Advent Calendar Day 25

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid II”

Season 1, Episode 14
Original Airdate: December 19, 1970
Written By: James L. Brooks and Allan Burns
Directed By: Jay Sandrich

Merry Christmas! Let’s celebrate the day with quite possibly the quintessential holiday sitcom episode, one that has inspired so many afterwards. This one beautifully depicts what it means to be a working adult on Christmas, newly out of your comfort zone and far away from family. Where it really succeeds, though, is how it proves that Christmas isn’t about where you are, it’s about who you’re with. Love is all around, especially on Christmas.

Christmas Trope Count: 8 (All About Christmas, Decorating Indoors, Perfect Gift, Terrible Gift, Christmas Card, Grumpy Stranger, Working On Christmas, Carols)

This is the definitive Working On Christmas episode, as Mary is made to work on Christmas and Christmas Eve thanks to a real jerky co-worker. The scene of Mary spending her favorite night of the year alone, dancing to “The Nutcracker” by herself, is pure MTM magic. Also magic? That big rotisserie Rhoda got her best friend!

Christmas Carol Count: 4 (“Deck The Halls,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” music from “The Nutcracker,” “Good King Winceslas)

A Second Helping: “Not a Christmas Story” (Season 5, Episode 9)

Day 1: Full House, “A Very Tanner Christmas”
Day 2: How I Met Your Mother, “How Lily Stole Christmas”
Day 3: The Golden Girls, “‘Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas”
Day 4: Black-ish, “Black Santa/White Christmas”
Day 5: Step By Step, “Christmas Story”
Day 6: Home Improvement, “Yule Better Watch Out”
Day 7: Fresh Off the Boat, “The Real Santa”
Day 8: Cheers, “Christmas Cheers”
Day 9: Family Matters, “Have Yourself A Merry Winslow Christmas”
Day 10: The Odd Couple, “Scrooge Gets An Oscar”
Day 11: The Office, “Christmas Party”
Day 12: Friends, “The One with the Holiday Armadillo”
Day 13: Brooklyn Nine-Nine, “Captain Latvia”
Day 14: 3rd Rock from the Sun, “Jolly Old St. Dick”
Day 15: Will & Grace, “All About Christmas Eve”
Day 16: The Bob Newhart Show, “I’m Dreaming of a Slight Christmas”
Day 17: That Girl, “Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid”
Day 18: 30 Rock, “Christmas Special”
Day 19: Roseanne, “No Place Like Home For The Holidays”
Day 20: Frasier, “Frasier Grinch”
Day 21: Bob’s Burgers, “Bob Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins”
Day 22: Community, “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”
Day 23: New Girl, “Christmas Eve Eve”
Day 24: The Dick Van Dyke Show, “The Alan Brady Show Presents”
Day 25: The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid II”

Watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show's "Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid II" on Hulu