In a perfect world, TV streaming services would offer a playlist feature – imagine the joyful nerdery of shareable Top 10 episode lists. When it came time for a Christmas binge-watch while you’re wrapping gifts, or spraying pine cones silver, or gently weeping and glugging Advocaat from the bottle (whatever your festive tradition is, delete as appropriate), you could fire up hours of comedy specials without having to expend a single calorie of energy on touching the remote.
Until that glorious day comes, this is your next best thing. It’s a directory of the major US and UK 1990s-2010s sitcoms’ Christmas episodes, and where they’re available to stream. If you feel like grabbing your Frasier box set and going from Christmas 1993 to Christmas 2002, stopping at every feel-good Outlaw Laser Robo-Geek moment along the way, here’s the info you need.
Episodes are listed in chronological order, and we’ve tried to stick to Christmas-set stories only, so non-seasonal instalments that aired in December mostly weren’t included. And though not strictly a comedy, Doctor Who and a couple of others are in there too for good measure. Fill your festive boots!
3rd ROCK FROM THE SUN
Stream on: Peacock (US)
Jolly Old St. Dick (1996) Season 2, Episode 12
30 ROCK
Ludachristmas (2007) Season 2, Episode 9Christmas Special (2009) Season 3, Episode 6Secret Santa (2009) Season 4, Episode 8Christmas Attack Zone (2010) Season 5, Episode 10
AMERICAN DAD*
Stream on: Hulu (US)
*Season numbers below are listed as per Wikipedia (they’re different on IMDb)The Best Christmas Story Never Told (2006) Season 3, Episode 9The Most Adequate Christmas Ever (2007) Season 4, Episode 8Rapture’s Delight (2009) Season 6, Episode 9For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls (2010) Season 7, Episode 8Season’s Beatings (2011) Season 8, Episode 7Minstrel Krampus (2012) Season 10, Episode 6Dreaming of a White Porsche Christmas (2014) Season 12, Episode 6Gifted Me Liberty (2016) Season 13, Episode 20Ninety North, Zero West (2016) Season 14, Episode 7Santa, Schmanta (2017) Season 15, Episode 1
BOB’S BURGERS
God Rest Ye Merry Gentle-Mannequins (2012) Season 3, Episode 9
Christmas in the Car (2013) Season 4, Episode 8
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Father of the Bob (2014) Season 5, Episode 6
Nice-Capades (2015) Season 6, Episode 5
The Last Gingerbread House on the Left (2016) Season 7, Episode 7
The Bleakening Parts 1 & 2 (2017) Season 8, Episodes 6 & 7
Better Off Sled (2018) Season 9, Episode 10
Have Yourself a Maily Linda Christmas (2019), Season 10, Episode 10
Yachty or Nice (2020), Season 11, Episode 10
BLACKADDER
Streaming on: BBC iPlayer (UK)
Blackadder’s Christmas Carol (1988)
BLACK MIRROR
Stream on: Netflix (UK & US)
White Christmas (2014)
BOTTOM
Stream on: Netflix (UK)
Holy (1992) Series 2, Episode 5
BROOKLYN 99
Stream on: Netflix (UK), Hulu (US)
Christmas (2013) Season 1, Episode 11The Pontiac Bandit Returns (2014) Season 2, Episode 10Yippie Kayak (2015) Season 3, Episode 10Captain Latvia (2016) Season 4, Episode 10Game Night (2017) Season 5, Episode 10
CHEERS
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COMMUNITY
Comparative Religion (2009) Season 1, Episode 12Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas (2010) Season 2, Episode 1Regional Holiday Music (2011) Season 3, Episode 10Intro to Knots (2013) Season 4, Episode 10
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Stream on: NOW TV (UK), HBO Max (US)
Mary, Joseph, and Larry (2002) Season 3, Episode 9
DOCTOR WHO
Stream on: BBC iPlayer (UK), HBO Max (US)
The Christmas Invasion (2005)The Runaway Bride (2006)Voyage of the Damned (2007)The Next Doctor (2008)The End of Time Parts One & Two (2009-10)A Christmas Carol (2010)The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (2011)The Snowmen (2012)The Time of the Doctor (2013)Last Christmas (2014)The Husbands of River Song (2015)The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016)Twice Upon a Time (2017)
FAMILY GUY
Stream on: NOW TV (UK), Hulu (US)
A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas (2001) Season 3, Episode 16Road to the North Pole (2010) Season 9, Episode 7Jesus, Mary and Joseph! (2012) Season 11, Episode 8Christmas Guy (2013) Season 12, Episode 8The 2000-Year-Old Virgin (2014) Season 13, Episode 6How the Griffin Stole Christmas (2016) Season 15, Episode 9Don’t Be a Dickens at Christmas (2017) Season 16, Episode 9Christmas is Coming (2019) Season 18, Episode 9The First No L (2020) Season 19, Episode 9 – (Hasn’t aired at time of writing)
FATHER TED
Stream on: All4 (UK)
A Christmassy Ted (1996)
FRASIER
Miracle on Third or Fourth Street (1993) Season 1, Episode 12Frasier Grinch (1995) Season 3, Episode 9Perspectives on Christmas (1997) Season 5, Episode 9Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz (1998) Season 6, Episode 10The Flight Before Christmas (1999) Season 7, Episode 11Mary Christmas (2000) Season 8, Episode 8We Two Kings (2002) Season 10, Episode 10
FRIENDS
Stream on: Netflix (UK), HBO Max (US)
The One With Phoebe’s Dad (1995) Season 2, Episode 9The One Where Rachel Quits (1996) Season 3, Episode 10The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie (1997) Season 4, Episode 10The One With the Inappropriate Sister (1998) Season 5, Episode 10The One With the Routine (1999) Season 6 Episode 10The One With the Holiday Armadillo (2000) Season 7, Episode 10The One With the Creepy Holiday Card (2001) Season 8, Episode 11The One With Christmas in Tulsa (2002) Season 9, Episode 10
FUTURAMA
Xmas Story (1999) Season 2, Episode 17A Tale of Two Santas (2001) Season 3, Episode 3The Futurama Holiday Spectacular (2010) Season 6, Episode 13
GAVIN AND STACEY
Stream on: BBC iPlayer (UK)
Christmas Special (2008)
A Special Christmas (2019)
GILMORE GIRLS
Forgiveness and Stuff (2000) Season 1, Episode 10The Bracebridge Dinner (2001) Season 2, Episode 10That’ll Do, Pig (2002) Season 3, Episode 10In the Clamor and the Clangor (2004) Season 4, Episode 11Women of Questionable Morals (2005) Season 5, Episode 11Santa’s Secret Stuff (2007) Season 7, Episode 11
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
How Lily Stole Christmas (2006) Season 2, Episode 11Little Minnesota (2008) Season 4, Episode 11False Positive (2010) Season 6, Episode 12Symphony of Illumination (2011) Season 7, Episode 12The Over-Correction (2012) Season 8, Episode 10The Final Page Parts 1 & 2 (2012) Season 8, Episodes 11 & 12
INSIDE NO. 9
Stream on: BBC iPlayer (UK), HBO Max (US), Hulu (US)
The Devil of Christmas (2016) Season 3, Episode 1
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA
A Very Sunny Christmas (2010) Season 6, Episodes 13 & 14
JONATHAN CREEK
Black Canary (1998)Satan’s Chimney (2001)Daemons’ Roost (2016)
MODERN FAMILY
Stream on: Netflix (UK), DirecTV (US)
Undeck the Halls (2009) Season 1, Episode 10Express Christmas (2011) Season 3, Episode 10The Old Man & the Tree (2013) Season 5, Episode 10White Christmas (2015) Season 7, Episode 9
NEW GIRL
The 23rd (2011) Season 1, Episode 9Santa (2012) Season 2, Episode 11LAXmas (2014) Season 4, Episode 11Christmas Eve Eve (2016) Season 6, Episode 10
THE BIG BANG THEORY
The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (2008) Season 2, Episode 11The Maternal Congruence (2009) Season 3, Episode 11The Santa Simulation (2012) Season 6, Episode 11The Cooper Extraction (2013) Season 7, Episode 11The Holiday Summation (2017) Season 10, Episode 12The Celebration Reverberation (2017) Season 11, Episode 11
THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR
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Deck the Halls (1990) Season 1, Episode 15Will’s Christmas Show (1991) Season 2, Episode 13‘Twas the Night Before Christening (1993) Season 4, Episode 13I, Ooh, Baby Baby (1995) Season 6, Episode 11
THE OFFICE
Christmas Special Parts 1 & 2 (2003)
THE OFFICE: AN AMERICAN WORKPLACE
Christmas Party (2005) Season 2, Episode 10A Benihana Christmas (2006) Season 3, Episodes 10 & 11Moroccan Christmas (2008) Season 5, Episode 11Secret Santa (2009) Season 6 Episode 13Classy Christmas (2010) Season 7, Episodes 11 & 12Christmas Wishes (2011) Season 8, Episode 10Dwight Christmas (2012) Season 9, Episode 9
ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES
Stream on: Britbox, Netflix (UK)
Christmas Crackers (1981)Diamonds are for Heather (1982)Thicker than Water (1983)To Hull and Back (1984)
OUTNUMBERED
The Robbers (2009)The Broken Santa (2011)The Sick Party (2012)Christmas Special (2016)
PARKS AND RECREATION
Christmas Scandal (2009) Season 2, Episode 12Citizen Knope (2011) Season 4, Episode 10Ron and Diane (2012) Season 5, Episode 9
RICK AND MORTY
Stream on: Netflix (UK), All4 (UK), Hulu (US), HBO Max (US)
Anatomy Park (2013) Season 1, Episode 3Rattlestar Ricklactica (2019) Season 4, Episode 5
SCHITT’S CREEK
Stream on: Netflix (UK), FuboTV (US)
Merry Christmas, Johnny Rose (2018) Season 4, Episode 13
ROSEANNE
SCRUBS
My Own Personal Jesus (2001) Season 1, Episode 11My Monster (2002) Season 2, Episode 10My Best Moment (2004) Season 4, Episode 12
SEINFELD
The Red Dot (1991) Season 3, Episode 12The Pick (1992) Season 4, Episode 13The Race (1994) Season 6, Episode 10The Andrea Doria (1996) Season 8, Episode 10The Strike (1997) Season 9, Episode 10
SOUTH PARK
Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo (1997) Season 1, Episode 9Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics (1999) Season 3, Episode 15Merry Christmas Charlie Manson! (1999) Season 2, Episode 16A Very Crappy Christmas (2000) Season 4, Episode 17Red Sleigh Down (2002) Season 6, Episode 17It’s Christmas in Canada (2003) Season 7, Episode 15Woodland Critter Christmas (2004) Season 8, Episode 14#HappyHolograms (2014) Season 18, Episode 10Bike Parade (2018) Season 22, Episode 10Christmas Snow (2019) Season 23, Episode 10
THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN
Christmas Special (2000)
THE ROYLE FAMILY
Christmas with the Royle Family (1999) Series 2, Episode 7The Royle Family at Christmas (2000) Series 3, Episode 7The New Sofa (2008)Joe’s Crackers (2010)Barbara’s Old Ring (2012)
THE SIMPSONS
Stream on: Disney+ (UK & US), Hulu (US)
THE VICAR OF DIBLEY
Stream on: BBC iPlayer (UK)
The Christmas Lunch Incident (1996)Merry Christmas/Happy New Year (2004)The Handsome Stranger/The Vicar in White (2006)
VEEP
Stream on: HBO Max (US)
Camp David (2016) Season 5, Episode 8
WILL & GRACE
Homo for the Holidays (1999) Season 2, Episode 7Lows in the Mid-Eighties (2000) Season 3, Episodes 8 & 9Jingle Balls (2001) Season 4, Episode 12All About Christmas Eve (2002) Season 5, Episode 11Fanilow (2003) Season 6, Episode 10Queens for a Day (2004) Season 7, Episodes 10 & 11Christmas Break (2004) Season 7, Episode 12A Little Christmas Queer (2005) Season 8, Episode 9A Gay Olde Christmas (2017) Season 9, Episode 7
