Last Updated on 25 March 2024

I searched the Internet for lists of the best Christmas specials of all time. Criteria included the shows being ranked, not just listed; covering all time, not just a decade; and generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).

I was able to find 14 lists. I took the 14 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every Christmas special. I ended up averaging the rankings each one got (there were 38 that were on at least 2 lists) and dividing that average by a factor of the number of lists that special was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.

The specials that were on the most lists (out of 14) were:

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) – 14 lists
  • Frosty the Snowman (1969) – 13 lists
  • Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970) – 13 lists
  • The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) – 13 lists

Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:

Best-Christmas-Specials-of-All-TimeDownload

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