TV's 28 best Christmas episodes

BESTCHRISTMAS_TV — Photo: BBC; Jordin Althaus/FOX; Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/GETTY IMAGES

When the weather outside is frightful, watching TV is so delightful! In celebration of this festive season, we've rounded up the best Christmas episodes, from the holly jolly on Friends to the downright heartbreaking on Lost.

Check out our yuletide picks ahead!

01 of 28

Friends, "The One With the Holiday Armadillo" (Season 7, Episode 10)

Friends celebrated more than just Thanksgiving! If you can make it through the Hanukkah lesson from the Holiday Armadillo (a.k.a. David Schwimmer's Ross) all the way to the arrival of Superman (Matt LeBlanc's Joey) without once dissolving into a pile of Christmas giggles, you're stronger than we are.

Where to watch Friends: Max

02 of 28

Mad Men, "Christmas Waltz" (Season 5, Episode 10)

MAD-MEN-—-Christmas-Waltz-(s5e10)Don-and-Joan-in-bar — AMC

It was fun when Roger (John Slattery) wore a Santa suit, but Mad Men's best yuletide hour had to be this bittersweet season 5 entry. Nobody wears heartache quite so gorgeously as Don (Jon Hamm) and Joan (Christina Hendricks) at a bar — or in a Jaguar — at Christmas.

Where to watch Mad Men: AMC+

03 of 28

The Office, "Christmas Party" (Season 2, Episode 10)

The Office's Dunder Mifflin had its fair share of memorable Christmases, but between an inappropriate iPod gift and some classic Jim-Pam (John Krasinski–Jenna Fischer) romantic tension, nothing tops season 2's Secret Santa gone awry.

Where to watch The Office: Peacock

04 of 28

Ted Lasso, "Carol of the Bells" (Season 2, Episode 4)

Ted Lasso boldly dropped its season 2 Christmas episode in the middle of the summer, but the polarizing installment is packed with enough wholesome holiday sweetness (including a handful of 2003's Love Actually references) to convince anyone it's cold outside.

Where to watch Ted Lasso: Apple TV+

05 of 28

How I Met Your Mother, "How Lily Stole Christmas" (Season 2, Episode 11)

HOW-I-MET-YOUR-MOTHER-—-How-Lily-Stole-Christmas-(s2e11) — NBC

Second only to "eating a sandwich" among narrator Ted's (Josh Radnor) various sanitized revisions of his younger days is his tale of the time he called Alyson Hannigan's Lily a "grinch" (decide for yourself what word he really used) at Christmastime.

Where to watch How I Met Your Mother: Hulu

06 of 28

Gilmore Girls, "The Bracebridge Dinner" (Season 2, Episode 10)

GILMORE-GIRLS-—-The-Bracebridge-Dinner-(s2e10) — The CW

Snowy Connecticut! A hyper-specific Stars Hollow event hosted by Lauren Graham's Lorelai! Richard and Emily (Edward Herrmann and Kelly Bishop) drama! Sneaky, snarky, flirty Jess (Milo Ventimiglia)! What more could you possibly want from a Gilmore Girls Christmas?

Where to watch Gilmore Girls: Netflix

07 of 28

Doctor Who, "A Christmas Carol" (2010)

The classic novella has gotten plenty of small-screen adaptations, but none more singular than Doctor Who's version — which was somehow very clearly Dickensian but also distinctly, unquestionably, entirely Doctor Who.

Where to watch Doctor Who: Max

08 of 28

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, "My Mom, Greg's Mom and Josh's Sweet Dance Moves!" (Season 1, Episode 8)

Well, you can take your snow and shove it. We couldn't possibly leave Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's season 1 holiday ep off the list if only 'cause this is California, and we do Christmas right!

Where to watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: Netflix

09 of 28

Lizzie McGuire, "Xtreme Xmas" (Season 2, Episode 20)

LIZZIE-MCGUIRE-—-Xtreme-Xmas-(s2e20) — Disney

Although we love the Aaron Carter Christmas episode in season 1 (which has been on everyone's minds, including Hilary Duff's, since Carter died in November 2022) — the most Xtreme holiday on Lizzie McGuire had to be season 2's Steven Tyler-assisted Xtravaganza.

Where to watch Lizzie McGuire: Disney+

10 of 28

The X-Files, "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" (Season 6, Episode 6)

THE-X-FILES-—-How-the-Ghosts-Stole-Christmas-(s6e6) — Fox

After dealing with a tricky pair of older married ghosts, Mulder and Scully's (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) Christmas gift exchange makes for one of The X-Files duo's all-time greatest moments.

Where to watch The X-Files: Hulu

11 of 28

New Girl, "The 23rd" (Season 1, Episode 9)

New Girl's first Christmas episode brought hilarity (oh, Schmidt) and heart (Candy Cane Lane!) in equal measure, making for a high point of the sitcom's earliest season.

Where to watch New Girl: Hulu

12 of 28

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "A Very Sunny Christmas" (Season 6, Episode 13)

IASIP_gang-xmas-carols_100_fd — Patrick McElhenney/FX

Always Sunny's holiday episode at the end of season 6 had to be twice as long to fit so much Christmas spirit into it.

Where to watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Hulu

13 of 28

The Real Housewives of New York City, "December: Berkshires County" (Season 8, Episode 9)

THE-REAL-HOUSEWIVES-OF-NEW-YORK-CITY-—-December--Berkshires-County-(s8e9) — Bravo

Dorinda decorated. She cooked. She made it nice.

Where to watch The Real Housewives of New York City: Peacock

14 of 28

Boy Meets World, "A Very Topanga Christmas" (Season 5, Episode 11)

BOY-MEETS-WORLD-—-A-Very-Topanga-Christmas-(s5e11) — Buena Vista Television

Can you imagine a better Ghost of Christmas Anything than Boy Meets World's Mr. Feeny (William Daniels)?

Where to watch Boy Meets World: Disney+

15 of 28

Black Mirror, "White Christmas" (2014)

Black MirrorChristmas Specialpictured: tk — Hal Shinnie/Netflix

Black Mirror does Christmas! And it's exactly what that sounds like!

Where to watch Black Mirror: Netflix

16 of 28

Lost, "The Constant" (Season 4, Episode 5)

Forget just being one of the best Christmas episodes — Lost's indelible time-travel masterpiece ranks among the greatest TV episodes ever, period.

Where to watch Lost: Hulu

17 of 28

Community, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" (Season 2, Episode 11)

We all grew up watching Christmas stories in stop-motion on TV, so it only feels right that Community went the Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970) route for its season 2 holiday episode.

Where to watch Community: Netflix

18 of 28

Seinfeld, "The Strike" (Season 9, Episode 10)

Seinfeld: u0022The Strikeu0022(Season 9, Episode 10 — Columbia Pictures Television

We apologize for referring to "The Strike" as Seinfeld's Christmas episode. Happy Festivus, everyone.

Where to watch Seinfeld: Netflix

19 of 28

Glee, "A Very Glee Christmas" (Season 2, Episode 10)

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" has, in recent years, been reappraised as a particularly problematic holiday song. Forget that for a minute and just listen to Chris Colfer and Darren Criss as Kurt and Blaine singing it on Glee. You're welcome.

Where to watch Glee: Hulu

20 of 28

Will & Grace, "Jingle Balls" (Season 4, Episode 12)

The spirit and the glamour of Christmas are on full display in this Will & Grace episode, wherein Grace (Debra Messing) selflessly plays Santa Claus for Jack (Sean Hayes) by designing a gorgeous holiday window display at Barneys.

Where to watch Will & Grace: Hulu

21 of 28

The Mindy Project, "Christmas Party Sex Trap" (Season 2, Episode 11)

Who knew Danny Castellano (Chris Messina) and Aaliyah were such a perfect match?

Where to watch The Mindy Project: Netflix

22 of 28

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Amends" (Season 3, Episode 10)

Buffy's only Christmas episode is a low point for a memory-haunted Angel (David Boreanaz), who plans to kill himself by standing outside as the sun rises, that turns into one of the most touching scenes of his and Buffy's romance: When the sun is blocked by snowfall, he and Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) take a daytime walk through Sunnydale together for the very first time.

Where to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Hulu

23 of 28

Downton Abbey, "Christmas at Downton Abbey" (2011)

Downton's second season ended with a perfectly elegant Christmas special — which itself ended with a perfectly romantic marriage proposal in the snow.

Where to watch Downton Abbey: Peacock

24 of 28

The O.C., "The Best Chrismukkah Ever" (Season 1, Episode 13)

Chrismukkah on The O.C. -- Pictured: Adam Brody as "Seth" — WB

Season 1's episode surrounding Seth Cohen's (Adam Brody) favorite holiday really was "The Best Chrismukkah Ever"!

Where to watch The O.C.: Max

25 of 28

Black-ish, "Black Santa/White Christmas" (Season 1, Episode 10)

ABC's "Black-ish" - Season One — Adam Rose/ABC/Getty Images

Black-ish took on the "Black people can't be racist" argument in its first season's Christmas episode, in which Dre (Anthony Anderson) insists that his office Christmas party needs a Black Santa (specifically him).

Where to watch Black-ish: Hulu

26 of 28

30 Rock, "Christmas Special" (Season 3, Episode 6)

What better subject for a Christmas TV show than the making of a Christmas TV show? And what better way to spend Christmas than with family? And what better family than Jack's (Alec Baldwin) mom (Elaine Stritch)?!

Where to watch 30 Rock: Hulu

27 of 28

Abbott Elementary, “Holiday Hookah” (Season 2, Episode 10)

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY - Holiday HookahÃ¢ — Christopher Willard/ABC

Winning three Emmys and three Golden Globes in its debut season, Abbott Elementary is the gift that keeps on giving. This season 2 installment sees how Abbott's faculty kicks off their winter break — from Jacob (Chris Perfetti) crashing Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa's (Lisa Ann Walter) sacred after-school dinner with his Scrooge-like tirades to Ava (Janelle James) effortlessly sidestepping the hookah club queue because she doesn't "speak line." Plus, Janine (Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) have a tension-filled moment on the dance floor. (As the wise Barbara would say, "Sweet Baby Jesus and the grown one too!") —James Mercadante

Where to watch Abbott Elementary: Hulu

28 of 28

The Bear, “Fishes” (Season 2, Episode 6)

At a Berzatto Christmas, the only things getting unwrapped are layers of family trauma. Set five years prior to the show’s main timeline, this yuletide episode of The Bear finds Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) attending a family dinner based on the Feast of the Seven Fishes, where forks are weaponized. Prepare yourself for a star-studded festivity, featuring guest appearances from Jamie Lee Curtis, Sarah Paulson, John Mulaney, Bob Odenkirk, and Gillian Jacobs. —J.M.

Where to watch The Bear: Hulu