15 unexpected Christmas specials you have to see to believe
There have been TV Christmas specials for as long as TV itself. Nearly every show, cartoon character, or musician has given us a holiday special, but some are better than others!
Every year around Christmas, the same crop of classic holiday specials take over the airwaves. Whether you’re a Charlie Brown Christmas kind of person, or maybe you prefer Frosty the Snowman, everyone who loves the holiday season has a favorite classic special.
Some specials are by musical artists promoting their Christmas music; others are just a fun Christmas spin on your favorite TV shows. But what all the holiday specials on this list have in common is that they are all unexpected, campy, cheesy, or just downright weird! Not all of them are enjoyed as classics the same way Rudolph is, while others have gained even more attention as cult classics over the years because they were so ridiculous that it made people pay attention.
The key to a great holiday special is the celebrity guest. The specials I’m presenting you with today have an impressive roster of celebs, including Miley Cyrus, RuPaul, Cher, Grace Jones, George Clooney, Mr. T, Oprah, Amy Poehler, Reba McEntire, and the list goes on and on. You might also notice that a lot of them were from the ’80s, which seemed to be the era of the Christmas special. If the celebrity guests don’t make you smile, the nostalgia and low budget effects might bring you at least a little holiday cheer!
The best thing about Christmas specials, though, is the lesson they teach. No matter how goofy or wild they may seem to be, they usually try to teach their audience about what’s really important this time of year. It’s not about gifts or parties or fancy gadgets, it’s about spending time with the people you love and spreading holiday cheer to those in need.
Now get ready for the wildest list of Christmas specials you’ve ever seen. From Pee Wee Herman to Lady Gaga to the California Raisins, you can’t say there isn’t a lot of variety. So here are 15 unexpected Christmas specials that you have to see to believe. Who knows, you might just find your new Christmas tradition!