Okay so I was going to write about the best Christmas films of all time but when I realised how many there actually were I decided to take more time to work on that. In the meantime lets look at the Christmas special. Almost every show has at least one Christmas episode; from Friends to The Office, even The Simpsons has a few. They are usually funny and heartwarming and sometimes send viewers a message about 'the true meaning of Christmas' or something like that. This is not what this post will be about. Instead it will look at the darker side of the Christmas specials, ones that may be too scary or too weird for family viewing, some of the best ones. So join me as I take a trip into the unconventional side of the Christmas special. (WARNING: may contain spoilers)
The Sopranos - 'To Save Us All From Satan's Power'
So it's not the strangest Christmas special on the list but it certainly is dark. The Sopranos is without a doubt one of the greatest TV shows of all time, pre-dating shows like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, following the life of gangster and family man Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini). The Christmas special focuses on Tony's guilt after killing one of his former allies, Pussy (Vincent Pastore), who was secretly an informant. He has recurring nightmares about his old friend who is on his mind a lot around the holidays as he used to dress up as Santa at the Christmas party. There are some comedic moments in the episode such as Bobby Bacala (Steve Schirripa) attempting to take up the reigns as the new Santa at the Christmas party, but the episode is dark and deeply psychological. Having said that, it is extremely festive too.
Supernatural - 'A Very Supernatural Christmas'
Supernatural is very similar to shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer as it manages to find the balance between comedy drama and horror all within a single episode. Some are more dramatic or more terrifying that others but A Very Supernatural Christmas is one of the episodes that manages to find the balance between the three. The episode sees Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles respectively) hunting what they believe to be Santa's evil counterpart during what could very well be their last Christmas together. The real highlights of the episode however are the flashbacks to the younger versions of Sam and Dean (Colin Ford and Ridge Canipe respectively) to the Christmas when Sam discovered the true nature of the family business and gave dean his iconic amulet as a gift. Despite not being the most conventional of Christmas specials, it is a very festive episode nonetheless.
American Horror Story - 'Unholy Night'
The second season of the chilling anthology series was set at Briarcliff Asylum where aliens, serial killers and crazed Nazi doctors (to name a few) took residence and not even Christmas could escape the madness. The real highlight of this episode is Ian McShane's performance as Leigh Emerson, a homicidal maniac who killed people while dressed as Santa. After being released from solitary confinement by possessed nun Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe), Emerson seeks revenge on the woman who put him there in the first place, sister Jude (Jessica Lange). The episode is one of the darkest ones of the season, taking inspiration from films such as Silent Night, Deadly Night and Black Christmas to add a sense of macabre to the holiday season all taking place inside the gothic sanitarium. McShane is both humorous and psychotic in his role as Emerson and although this is his only major appearance in the show, he has certainly left his mark forever.
Doctor Who - 'The Christmas Invasion'
Ever since it's reboot in 2005, Doctor Who has been known for it's Christmas specials that air each year on Christmas Day and none are more iconic that the reboots first special The Christmas Invasion. Not only is it the first Christmas special but it also marks the first appearance of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor and my personal favourite Doctor. It followed his struggle through regeneration while his companion Rose (Billie Piper) went up against evil Santa's and killer Christmas tree's all while aliens decided to invade London, who said excess is a bad thing? It was extremely entertaining to see the Tenth Doctor save London from the Sycorax in his pajamas and marked the beginning for the annual Christmas special each December, it was also quite terrifying to see such innocent things like Christmas trees go homicidal, it is Doctor Who after all.
Black Mirror - 'White Christmas'
One of the most underrated and best written shows of the decade, Black Mirror is an anthology series reminiscent of the likes of The Twilight Zone and penned by British writer and producer Charlie Brooker. This feature length episode features guest appearances from Jon Hamm and Rafe Spall as two men stranded at a snowy outpost during Christmas who tell each other stories of their lives in a dark anthology of festive terror. However, not everything is as it seems and as the episode goes on we gradually learn what's really going on at the mysterious outpost. It is an extremely clever piece of television from Brooker, full of twists and turns that you won't see coming until the last few minutes. Although it is a bit bleak like every episode of the show, it oddly put me in the Christmas mood last year and if you're into dark sci-fi then it may do the same to you. It will also have Wizzard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday stuck in your head for days to follow.
So if you're looking to watch something unconventional this Christmas I suggest you have a look at those to add that extra bit of strangeness to the holiday season (Although you might want to watch earlier episodes of some for context, or not, it's up to you). So I will have that post on the best Christmas films up sometimes during the week but until then there's plenty of weird festive fun to find in those specials, until next time!
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