Xmas TV

In TV land, it has become a custom to have a Christmas episode of a TV show. These often just have Christmas in the background, with seasonal decorations on the set. But Christmas offers a chance to explore different themes, and there have been some cracking Christmas episodes. Here are some of my favourites:

4. Damned if you do: House, Season 1
What is it about this episode of the medical maverick that makes it so fantastic? Well, it was only the fifth episode of the hit medical drama, and it utilised the talents of Hugh Laurie to their fullest. His piano playing of silent night is enough to make the most hardened TV viewer feel immense pleasure, as we see a little into how the team spend their Christmas. A fantastic episode of one of the most refreshing shows in TV.

3. Bartlet for America: The West Wing, Season 3
The first of The West Wing episodes on the list, and my third favourite episode of the series. This sees the administration in the middle of the fervour for having kept the President’s Multiple Sclerosis secret, and Leo is on trial for his part in it. John Spence is magnificent as Leo, as we learn of his relapse: Leo was an alcoholic, and got drunk after meeting with some potential party donors. The script was fantastic, as we slowly learn what happened, as Sorkin examines the psyche of an alcoholic, with why they do what they do. This is all done through a series of flashbacks, from before the Presidential run to the end of the campaign. The end of the episode hits the hardest, as Bartlet thanks Leo for everything, reducing this rock of a man to tears through kindness.

2. The Christmas Show: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
The show only got commissioned for one season, and this was its best episode, but it is still one fantastic show. From the comedy of the Nazi Santa to the sadness of the New Orleans orchestra, this is one of the finest episodes of TV ever written, and one of the best Christmas shows ever made. The plot follows Matt Albie (Matthew Perry) deciding the write a Christmas show for Studio 60. Amongst the way we have Jordan (Amanda Peet) going for a pre-natal exam with Danny (Bradley Whitford), and Danny revealing his feelings for Jordan. A mix of comedy and drama, the episode convinced TV executives to give the show a full season: and rightly so.

1. Noel, The West Wing: Season 2
Following the events of the season 1 cliff-hanger, where the president and his entourage are shot at by gunmen, the administration is shaken. However, none more so that deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman (played by the fantastic Bradley Whitford), who is given an appointment with a psychologist. After a re-telling of a story where the staff realise Josh’s condition, which includes a shouting match a the President, Josh reluctantly accepts he needs help after he smashes a window with his hand. Aaron Sorkin expertly weaves a story that is both funny and touching, and if were not for the fantastic ‘Two Cathedrals’ episode, this has a shout for the best ever episodes of one of TV’s finest shows. The episode contains some of the most heart jerking lines ever spoken on TV, spoken by the great John Spencer:

"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up: "Hey, you! Can you help me out? " The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up: " Father, I'm down in this hole. Can you help me out? " The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by: " Hey, Joe, it's me. Can you help me out? " And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are you stupid? Now we're both down here. " The friend says: "Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out. ""


Merry Christmas to all my readers (that’s probably just 4 or 5 people, but the sentiment is there all the same)