December 18th Holiday Recommendations

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

We're just a week out from Christmas, you guys! Below you'll find some of our recommendations for holiday programming to watch or DVR for Sunday, December 18th. For a full listing (which is getting long since many networks are really focusing on holiday specials now!), check out our Holiday Programming Schedule. As always, times are Eastern and Pacific to the best of our knowledge (except when noted otherwise), but it's always good to double-check with your own provider.


6:30am: Rugrats "Rugrats Chanukah" (NICK)
- If you're looking for a nice, simple way to learn about Hanukkah, this is a good way to go. Boris & Minka (Didi's parents) tell the babies the story, and they imagine themselves there, with Tommy as Judah, Angelica as King Antonica, and Chuckie as one of the Maccababies. It's done well (not as wonderfully as the Passover episode, though), and you get a little "true meaning of the holiday spirit" as well when Boris and an old rival finally make up.

7am: Rugrats "The Santa Experience" (NICK)
- The families decide that they want the kids to have an old-fashioned Christmas, so they rent a cabin in the mountains for the holiday. Angelica is worried that Santa isn't real, so she connives Phil & Lil into giving her their stuff. But, then she gets worried that if he is real, she won't get any presents. A little Gift of the Magi, but still a cute special.

10am & 11am: Jingle all the Way (Hallmark)
- This is not the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie that we all know and love. This is a special that's new this year, made by Hallmark. There's a little dog, Jingle, who doesn't have a home. Kids find him adorable, and eventually he's adopted. It's really extra cute, though, if you have the book and stuffed animal. The dog barks and murmurs and whatnot to certain words in the story. :)

11:30am: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (CartoonNetwork)
- I wasn't introduced to this song until probably 1997 or so (and it's older than I am)... and didn't know it had been made into an animated special until around 2004. While I still prefer just the flat-out song, this is a funny little cartoon that plays up Cousin Mel as a villain, plus Grandma doesn't actually die. If you're a fan of the song it's worth watching once... otherwise it might not really be your cup of tea.

Noon (PT): The Muppet Christmas Carol (HUB)
- I LOVED A Christmas Carol growing up. Chalk it up to the fact that EVERY major cartoon did a version of it (Mickey & Bugs Bunny both did alternatives that aired yearly when I was a child), but the story just really grabbed me. And, I love the Muppets. This is not my favorite Muppet Christmas special, but this is a cute, full-length movie from the early 90s, with Gonzo as Charles Dickens, Kermit as Bob Cratchit, Robin as Tiny Tim, Fozzie as Fezziwig, Statler as Jacob Marley, and more.

8pm: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (CartoonNetwork)
- Truth be told, the Grinch scared me as a child. Just seeing the short clip in Home Alone was enough to make me fear the actual holiday special until I was in high school. Now, it's not the most wholesome cartoon. Nor does it have the oomph that some of the "more traditional" tales boast. But, it's pretty amusing, has some adorable lines, and has some neat ideas. I wouldn't want to pretend my dog was a reindeer... but to each his own.