As we’ve gotten older, Christmas has lost its magic. There used to be something in the air heading into December, an undeniable whimsy that swept away every care in the world. Christmas time used to mean something, but it feels like now it’s just another month to calculate in the budget.
For a while, I believed that Christmas magic was just something that disappeared with time. I fell victim to the idea that adults just don’t experience it. But I’ve recently come to realise that that’s not the truth. The real reason that Christmas has lost its whimsy is that TV creators have forgotten their role in the festive season… because what the fuck happened to the festive specials?
I feel like there’s a lightbulb above my head as I write this. It’s like a flip has been switched, or someone has cleaned my very foggy glasses, because now I can see the truth. The loss of the festive TV special is what has ruined Christmas.
Just think about it for a minute. Every year, when December rolled around, our favourite TV shows would air a Christmas episode. These worlds that we used as an escape, that were already magical and safe to us, were joining in on the festivities. We had these shared cultural touchstones, and now they’re gone.
These episodes were more than just television; they were a way to bring the world together during the festive season.
On The OC, we watched Seth introduce Ryan to Chrismukkah, a holiday that blended his family’s religious beliefs to create “the greatest super holiday known to mankind”, and for the next four seasons, we watched the family celebrate it each year in December.
But Chrismukkah wasn’t just some fun gimmick; it was a culturally revolutionary concept that acknowledged interfaith families in a way network TV rarely, if ever, did. The OC invented a new tradition, and it stuck.
Glee gifted us more than just spectacular festive viewing, with the addition of Christmas albums released with each episode. Still to this day, they’re a staple in my household at Christmas time because, as any Gleek will know, the Glee cover is often just better.
But it wasn’t all blended holidays and flawless covers — the specials had range!
Gossip Girl leaned into the chaos and dark glamour of a New York City Christmas, making the high-stakes drama feel even more electric and fantastical.
Then there were the sitcoms: Friends lent into the pure, unadulterated joy of the season, while Modern Family showed us that yes, it is totally normal and fine for December 25 to feel like the most disastrous and chaotic day of the year
The festive special wasn’t like a Hallmark movie designed to sweep us up in the magic of Christmas. Instead, they delivered comedic relief and biting cultural commentary on the stress of the season. Our favourite characters, our safe spaces, were going through the same thing, and that was the magic.
But it just doesn’t happen anymore. What happened to the shared calendar, the communal screen moment, the annual promise of a festive story so iconic it could define the season? The answer lies in how modern television is produced, consumed, and even paid for.
I’m aware that what I’m about to say has major Boomer energy, but just hear me out, okay?
The streaming model has destroyed the Christmas special, which has, in turn, destroyed Christmas. Festive specials relied on appointment viewing and the idea that people were tuning in at 7:30 pm on a Sunday to watch a show. Now, TV production focuses on binge-ability and content that can be accessed year-round.
There’s also a focus on shorter seasons, with most shows now releasing six to 10 episode arcs. The 22-episode seasons left some room to play; our characters could take a break from regularly scheduled programming for one episode to have a bit of fun in December. Now, plotlines are far too tightly wound to allow for any deviation from the main storyline.
The festive special worked because shows like The OC and Glee focused on the characters. These pieces of television were a benchmark. If our favourite characters could take a break from their regular shenanigans, then so could we. The festive special signified that it was time to let go of the stress of the year past and just enjoy Christmas.
It’s not to say that TV today hasn’t attempted the festive special. But the irony is in the fact that when modern TV does attempt a holiday episode, the result often proves the point: the whimsy is gone.
The Bear’s critically acclaimed season two episode The Fishes sees the Berzatto family gather for a feast, but with such short seasons, the show can’t spare an hour of relief from the plot, leaving us with 66 minutes of TV that heightens festive season anxiety rather than relieving it.
Even shows like Ted Lasso that have such a heavy focus on character couldn’t nail it. The season two episode Carol of the Bells was a great attempt at a Christmas special, until you remember it was released in August 2021… so it just feels like a cash-grab.
We miss Ross and the Holiday Armadillo. We miss Seth and his undying passion for Chrismukkah. But what we really miss is the magic that these characters brought with them. These episodes meant the whole world, for one night, was watching the same, beautiful, ridiculous show. By the time we turned the TV off, our households were alive with Christmas magic.
But, sadly, it’s a thing of the past. The whimsy of Christmas is gone. It’s been lost, not in our cynical adult hearts, but sadly, on the cutting-room floor.
The post Why The Magic & Whimsy Of The TV Christmas Special Has Been Lost In The Streaming Era appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
