VERSUS // telethons: full house vs saved by the bell

In all honestly there are about 39029 comparisons I could do between these shows alone. I'll probably hit them all eventually but I am trying to spread them out so that things don't get tedious. Thank you for listening.

It was rather common in the 90's to have telethons. Sometimes you need to get a bunch of dough for an important (or semi-important) cause and the only way to do it is with some entertainment and a lot of phones and I can already tell you who the winner is here (because they had talented people and children and connections who will work for free) but just for kicks lets see. Both in 1990 just a few months shy of one another Saved by the Bell hosted a radio-thon in Save The Max (S02E03 according to IMDB but everyone knows the actual order and air dates of SBTB are a myth) and then Full House's Our Very First Telethon (S03E24) was a wonderful closer to that season.



Plot

The reason for the "-thon" in Saved By The Bell is that their beloved hangout joint The Max is going to be turned into a parking lot of the owner doesn't come up with $10,000 in back rent. The Max is owned by the school board so they hold a radio-athon, utilizing their newly discovered school radio station to get people to raise money. Consider they're in dire straights they use their own radio personalities to entertain the crowd. Lisa talks gossip, screech pulls out his impression of Al Bundy and Mr. Belding reincarnates his alter-ego The Big Bopper but despite all of that they're still doming up short. In the end, it is their boring sportscaster Slater that comes in, pumps everyone up and motivates the crowd so that they meet and barely surpass their goal.

Full House hosts a telethon to raise money for children in need. They have a much heftier goal of $1,000,000 in a 24-hour period. Danny Tanner and Rebecca Donaldson of Wake Up, San Francisco are in charge of hosting and they have a slew of actual talent lined up: Jesse and the Rippers, Joey's comedy routine, each of the daughters doing a little something but for them the clincher is Mike Love of the Beach Boys stopping in last minute to sing Be True To Your School and help them surpass their goal as well!

Characters



Zack Morris vs Danny Tanner - The Ring-leader. Zack. I mean, he doesn't totally fall asleep like Danny does. He comes close, but he dozes for only a mere moment instead of entire segments.



Joey Gladstone vs Screech Powers - The Comic Relief. Sorry Screech, Joey for this one. He has a legitimate act prepared, granted that's career. And his impression of Steven Tyler will never not be hilarious.

The Breakdown
The reason we're here. It's kind of hard to rate this one. Saving children or saving a place that feels like a second home to many? Now seriously you're probably going wow you're an asshole if you don't vote for children but here me out. Slater has moved around for a long time and for the most part when he arrived at Bayside Zack tried to send him packing. It didn't work and Slater started feeling like he belonged. I have a soft spot for that so I'm going with Saved By The Bell here. I have to.

The entertainment. I can't not go with Full House on this one. Sure they have connections and probably a budget, otherwise all these talented folks are willing to work for free (well, it is for the children after all). And plus, Kimmy Gibbler rode her unicycle.

The final kick. I'm going rogue. Saved By The Bell gets this one. I mean for real. Yes, a Beach Boy showed up and rocked out and that was pretty epic, but the downtrodden sportscaster that was all but kicked in the face before being kicked to the curb shows up because hello, it's his second home, and rallies the troops to wake the hell up and save the Max! He looks at that microphone like he is speaking to all the other bad sportscasters out there as if to say "this one is for you." I have to respect that.


Full House only by 1??? What kind of situation is this, I thought they'd have it by a landslide, but oh I like surprises.

jordan drinks tab

SVU from Wednesday with Thursday and the Sean Saves The World, The Michael J Fox Show, Parenthood and hey, Reign is back!

jordan drinks tab

We're continuing the forgetful pattern here.



Monday: HIMYM and Mom both super feely.

Tuesday: New Girl and Mindy. Ho hum.

VERSUS // we're taking a train: sex and the city vs how i met your mother

I reached for this one, honestly. Probably because I really wanted to watch this episode of Sex and the City if we're being honest and I thought "ooh, trains!" and it was born.

TRAINS. Sex and the City took a trip to San Fran for a book tour in S05e11 The Big Journey and then How I Met Your Mother took a train to Long Island in S07E16 The Drunk Train.



Plot

In Sex and the City, as a part of her book tour, Carrie must adventure to San Francisco, way way way across the country. Instead of taking a plane like a normal human being, she opts for a long, several-day train ride. She drags the bored to tears Samantha along and soon find out that the train adventure is not what it seems. Carrie pops a zit, almost doesn't meet up with Big (one of her main reasons for agreeing to travel that far) and gets avoided at a bachelor party.

Now for How I Met Your Mother Barney feels that Ted owes him a favor so they hop upon the drunk train...the last train from Manhattan to Long Island that houses all of the drunks coming home from the city. Barney needs this adventure because he's recently met Quinn and has been very rejected. Ted realizes he doesn't really need to find the one and just wants to have fun until he (again) realizes he is still in love with Robin (aren't they all?).

Characters



Carrie Bradshaw vs Barney Stinson - the reason. This one is rather tough. Carrie isn't as excited as Barney is, however she has a longer journey to endure. For the sake of that, and the fact that she doesn't force Samantha into coming, just begs, it goes to Carrie.



Samantha Jones vs Ted Mosby - the tagalong. Again, tough. Samantha is on board until about 5 minutes in. Ted on the other hand is off board and then becomes on board. So Ted, I'll give it to you.

Breakdown

The Suggestion - Carrie uses Samantha's boredom as a bargaining tool and it totally works. Barney uses blackmail and it also totally works. Because I believe in subtle manipulation, Sex and the City for the win.

The Ride - Both train rides are hell but I would say without a stutter that the drunk train is worse. Sure, small quarters, a zit, a bachelor party full of faithful dudes sounds unappealing but compare all of that with drunk Jersey Shore kids and you've got a winner with HIMYM.

The Destination - Carrie gets to go to San Francisco to read from her PUBLISHED book of essays and see her longtime love Mr. Big. Barney gets to get laid. I'm taking the classy road with Sex and the City.

The winner here is Sex and the City and I'm not at all surprised. LADIES.

jordan drinks tab

Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

Carrie Diaries to start, followed by Revenge, Girls and something new...Looking.

jordan drinks tab

I'm bad at this this week.


Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

SO lets talk about SVU and Coven and also Sean, Michael J Fox and Parenthood. FEELS.

jordan drinks tab

TOTALLY SPACED LAST NIGHT.

That's okay, tv wasn't that interesting anyway.

Moving on.


Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

So to recap HIMYM and Mom from Monday, Tuesday gave New Girl and Mindy.

VERSUS // the guest star: seinfeld vs friends

For this versus I'm putting the focus on the guest star rather than similarity in the plot line. Let's change it up a bit, why not? I had a couple of choices in actors when it came to this sitcom. Jon Lovitz, Kristin Davis. I was originally going to go with Maggie Wheeler but then I realized that where Janice is one of my favorite characters ever from Friends there is no way that it wouldn't win. So I went a little less biased and chose Christine Taylor.

She was on both shows the same year (1997). In Seinfeld S08E14 The Van Buren Boys she played Ellen, Jerry's "boring" date. A few weeks later during Friends S03E24 The One With The Ultimate Fighting Champion she played Phoebe's friend Bonnie that used to be bald, now is not, and she went on a date with Ross. She was also seen in S03E25 The One At The Beach and S04E01 The One With The Jellyfish.



Plot

Focusing on the Christine's character, in Seinfeld she is first seen on a first date with Jerry. When he asks if she would like some dessert she tells him that she probably should have a piece of cake because it is her birthday. First date, she picked the day. They have a few more dates and when they run into two of her acquaintances they "thank" Jerry for taking her out, just because. She checks her messages, doesn't have any. Kramer and George dub her to be boring. Of course, Jerry's parents like her which should be the tip off. After that their relationship is no more.

With Friends there were three total episodes of her story arc. Phoebe asked Rachel if she could set Ross up with her friend Bonnie, the bald one. Rachel agrees but then regrets it when she realizes that Bonnie no longer bald, but fun and beautiful and has a full head of hair. Ross and Bonnie hit it off, so when the whole group goes on a little vacation to the beach she tags along. She's super outgoing and likes to take risks and Rachel easily convinces her that she should go bald again as a ploy to get back with Ross. It totally works and Bonnie awkwardly leaves the beach house and the relationship.


Characters



Ellen vs Bonnie - The Christine Taylor. I don't like Bonnie. I said it. She seems nice and okay but also really annoying and hard to please. I don't think we would get along (and no this isn't because of Ross and Rachel though obviously Team Rachel). I like Ellen, she doesn't deserve the talk about her she receives.



Jerry vs Ross - The date. Jerry. Okay so Ross likes Bonnie, and that's great but obviously not enough to like her bald. The second that happens he's done. Jerry on the other hand is kind of always on the fence and even though we don't actually see the break up, he just ends it when he realizes he's done instead of playing along. Good man.

Breakdown
The personality - Bonnie has a lot more of it, she should probably share some with Ellen, but I am in Seinfeld's corner for this. She seems honestly like a sweet person and I feel really bad she keeps getting called "boring" and "loser". She's just polite.
The relationship - Friends definitely gave the relationship more of a shot, we got to see her character in a few different situations so I'll will go with them.
The friends - I would say Friends again here, even with Rachel plotting against her, Bonnie seems to be more well-received all around.

Seinfeld is the winner here and I truly thought it would be Friends especially with three episodes dedicated to the character. Guess you can't win 'em all.

jordan drinks tab

Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

Girls is back with a two-parter, we had some Simpsons and Bob's Burgers. And Revenge is giving me anxiety.

jordan drinks tab

Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

Still a light week, well light for a Thursday. Sean Saves The World, The Michael J Fox Show, The Crazy Ones, The Big Bang Theory, Parenthood.

weekly tweetlys

I forgot twitter was around.

Today I travel back to the summer of 2011 where I did nothing but watch SVU and play World of Warcraft. #lawandordersvu #stuffimwatching

— Jordan Shutt (@thatjordangirl) January 4, 2014

It’s 2014, can’t we leave buffering in 2013?

— Jordan Shutt (@thatjordangirl) January 2, 2014

Topical Commercials is a potential band name.

— Jordan Shutt (@thatjordangirl) December 30, 2013

Some days I legit want to be Scully. #xfiles #stuffimwatching

— Jordan Shutt (@thatjordangirl) December 29, 2013

A hot Saturday night to me is fixing the scratches in my television DVDs.

— Jordan Shutt (@thatjordangirl) December 29, 2013

WHEN GARTH BROOKS IS ON TV YIU WATCH. #garthbrooks

— Jordan Shutt (@thatjordangirl) December 28, 2013

jordan drinks tab

Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

Stevie Nicks on Coven and the best SVU I may have ever seen (or close), it was a good night.

jordan drinks tab

Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

Mindy and New Girl. Lets go.

VERSUS // the gay surprise: the golden girls vs the golden girls

Now it pretty much goes without saying that The Golden Girls embraced the gay culture on their series before many did, especially in the 80's/90's. They had two episodes revolving around the topic so they were the ideal subject to pick for this weeks comparison.

In S02E05 Isn't It Romantic, Dorothy's college friend Jean comes to visit after her long-time partner Pat dies, and develops feelings for Rose. Later during S04E09 Scared Straight, Blanche's brother Clayton visits and gives Blanche some important news: he is gay. Later in the series, Season 6 he also brings his fiance Doug to meet Blanche, but maybe we'll visit that if I ever do a gay wedding versus.



Plot

I've never understood why the episode is called Isn't It Romantic. I mean I kind of get it but it isn't a title that I could look at and go "oh, I know exactly what one this is". Regardless, in season 2, Dorothy's college friend Jean stops by for a visit after her partner Pat passes away. We don't know this right away because Dorothy is really good at being vague (yep, she would have been one of those Facebook updaters, actually no she wouldn't have, she's badass) but Jean is a lesbian and Pat was her wife. Upon arrival Sophia and Blanche soon find out but they keep Rose in the dark, mainly because they aren't sure she'll even know was a lesbian is. During her stay Jean discovers she is starting to have feelings for Rose and after telling Dorothy she should probably leave, is encouraged to stay. Rose is still oblivious and after a late night of playing cards she invites Jean to stay in her room so she doesn't wake up a sleeping Dorothy. Before they fall asleep Jean is able to confess to Rose that she's into her while Rose pretends to be asleep. The next morning before Jean departs she and Rose have a heart to heart and agree to stay friends.

The tables are a bit different when Blanche's brother Clayton comes to visit after his divorce. Blanche tries to set him up with numerous women but he never seems interested. After one particular date Clayton runs into Rose in the park. She tries to help him find someone that suits him but after several women walk by without even a nod from Clayton he perks up at the sight of an attractive dude. Rose thinks he's kidding but he admits to her that he is gay. He doesn't want to tell Blanche because he's worried how she will react. When Blanche does finally ask him why he isn't interested in any of his prospects he tells her he slept with Rose. She gets upset and finally after seeing how mean she is to Rose, Clayton steps up and tells her that he is gay. Sophia had already figured it out by asking him a few easy questions, Dorothy was told by Rose but at first mistakenly though she had been told that Clayton is a hobo. Clayton leaves Blanche alone to gather herself and accept what he's told her, she tracks him down at what she thinks is a gay bar and they reconcile and everything is okay.

Characters



Jean vs Clayton - The Gay. Jean is a lot more open about her sexuality and doesn't seem to have really any reason to hide who she is. Clayton on the other hand is still figuring out where he fits and definitely needs the support of family. I can't say who is the better gay, that would be stupid. I will say however just for the sake of his vulnerability I'm going to go with Clayton on this one.



Dorothy vs Rose - The Support. Both Dorothy and Rose offer their support to their respective gay in different ways. Dorothy tries to keep Jean's secret to protect her and Rose takes the brunt of Clayton's false accusations. I will give this to Rose, I probably would have flipped out on Clayton if I had been her.



Rose vs Blanche - The Surprise. While in the end both Jean and Clayton were accepted, it took Blanche a bit longer. She isn't at fault, that's a big thing to accept but the fact that Rose was really casual and accepting form the get-go means she gets this one.

Breakdown

The coming out. I'll say Season 4. Jean was sweet doing it in her sleep but for the most part she was already out. Clayton was clearly nervous to tell his sister and worry if it would change her feelings towards him. That was bold, good for him.

The acceptance. It will probably seem weird I'm going with Season 4 on this, especially when above I gave this to Rose, but in this case I think the Season 4 episode showed things in a less comfortable light which oftentimes is how it can go, and also shows how important acceptance and tolerance is.

There we have it, Season 4, Scared Straight definitely shines in this. We could learn something.

jordan drinks tab

Enjoying refreshing TaB's while indulging in some really good and really bad television.

So some television is back? I had no idea honestly. So.

Sean Saves The World, The Crazy Ones, The Michael J Fox Show, The Big Bang Theory and Parenthood. Wahoo.

happy new year

2013 can suck it!

VERSUS // stuck in the mall: saved by the bell vs the oc

*giving honorary mention to Dawson's Creek because Joey and Pacey once got stuck in a freaking Kmart.

These two shows probably couldn't be more different, but when you think about it they're actually the same. High school group of friends....well, really that's it. But regardless, it was fun and rather hard to compare these two. Sure the gist is the same but the plot is NOT. We have from Saved By The Bell All In The Mall (S03E16) and The OC The Mallpisode (S02E15).

So lets do it.



Plot
With Saved By The Bell the episode is entirely set in the Bayside mall. The kids are making Screech sleep in line to get U2 tickets. Of course he fails and steps out of line. Turns out that the show is is huge they've added a second concert so they all decide to stay over to ensure they get tickets. Funny thing is, to kill time beforehand while shopping, Lisa stumbles upon a bag full of money. They put it to good use, promising to pay it back as soon as they buy a ton of U2 tickets to sell for a big profit. Before the mall closes they feel like they're being followed. They fail to get the tickets again, they realize they actually are being tracked and that they are on totally hidden video!!! Their prize? U2 tickets of course.

Now The OC takes an entirely different route. Ryan is depressed after losing Lindsay, Seth tries to cheer him up by inviting him to the mall with Summer and Marissa to help with a clothing drive. Marissa is more than thrilled to accompany Summer because she is annoyed with her life with Alex. They show up at the mall, do their thing and the smart salesgirl locks up shop before they have a chance to leave. They call their family and some make up stories and some tell the truth, so they make the most of their time playing indoor hockey. Soon enough the cops show up and they are able to escape while no one is the wiser.

Characters



Zack Morris vs Ryan Atwood - the tough guy. I would have to side with Zack on this one. Ryan does a good job of being calm, but Zack is far more brave. He will risk everything for that money, granted sometimes putting his friends at risk but whatever.



Lisa Turtle vs Summer Roberts - the mall lover. This is tough because both actively love the mall. I think Lisa's love runs a bit deeper however I'm going with Summer on this because not only does she have a passion for fashion, but she is there to help with a clothing drive for a women's shelter. How selfless!



AC Slater vs Seth Cohen - the sidekick. I feel like in this, Slater is the better sidekick. It's almost annoying how on Preppy's side he is. He never waivers from his Zack-love unless Kapowski is involved.



Kelly Kapowski vs Marissa Cooper - the voice of reason. Okay I kind of reached for this category, I'll admit but I couldn't leave Kelly out which means I couldn't leave Marissa out. It's Kelly. She wins. Because she is Kelly Kapowski and she is always the voice of reason.
Sorry Screech.


Breakdown
The Reason - I would say The OC. Sure, staying over for a concert is ballsy but again with the selflessness helping the women's shelter. You win Summer!

Sleeping arrangements - Well they both camp, and I'll give this one to The OC as well, mainly because they have the fake fire and everything. Its different than sleeping in a tent in the sporting goods store.

Getting caught - Saved By The Bell. Evading capture is great and all, but getting caught AND winning concert tickets? You can't beat that.

So there you have it, Saved By The Bell by one whole point! Lets go see U2!

it's friday, friday

Holiday's, eh? Sorry it's been quiet. All will be resumed next week because New Years isn't a real holiday.

I have recaps of the Doctor Who Christmas special (WEEP MATT SMITH), Downton Abbey had one also, and don't forget that Carrie Diaries from last Friday that was actually pretty epic.

And some versus, essays, etc. You know the drill.

In the meantime, I will leave you with MadTV's Magic Johnson Kwanza special.



Happy holidayz, y'all.

VERSUS // home alone vs home alone 2

It's really not the holiday season unless one (or both) of these movies gets a viewing in my household, and I'd be hard-pressed to find people that don't agree. You can have your Christmas Vacation, this was MY holiday go-to as a kid. The plots are quite close, however the settings are drastically different. Let's compare these Christmas classics.



Plot

In the first Home Alone, the McCallister's are heading to Paris, France to spend their Christmastime. After a fight with his older brother Buzz, Kevin retreats to the third floor where he wishes his family would just disappear. During their sleepy time a power outage resets the clocks and the whole house oversleeps. In the interim of getting the entire family into the vans they forget Kevin upstairs and don't realize they have left him behind until they're in the air. When Kevin wakes up and realizes that his family is gone he believes that his wish has come true. He starts to fend for himself as his family frantically tries to get home, but to no avail. Kevin has to deal with his scary recluse neighbor and a pair of burglars known as the Wet Bandits. He tries to trick them into thinking that his family is home but eventually they realize that he is there by himself. In the meantime his mother has gotten a flight back to the states but still can't get one into Chicago where Kevin is. She meets up with a polka band who graciously offers to drive her back to her son. Kevin decides to go to church to hear the choir perform and meets up with his neighbor only to realize that he's actually a really sweet man. He's had a falling out with his son and doesn't get to see his granddaughter as much as he would like so he came to the church to hear her sing in the choir. Kevin suggests that he make amends, it is the holidays, after all. When Kevin arrives home he realizes that the burglars have picked that night to rob his house. He sets a series of booby traps to try and get rid of the guys and they fall for every one. He finally calls the police and tries to run but the bandits get him. It is then that his neighbor intervenes and the two robbers are arrested. The next morning, Christmas, Kevin realizes that his family is still gone and he wishes for them back. At just that moment his mother arrives back home, and the rest of the family soon follow. Kevin notices his neighbor reuniting with his son as well so everyone gets to be back with their families for Christmas.

Now in Home Alone 2: Lost In New York the family is planning to take a vacation in Miami. You would think they would learn the first time and just stay home but alas. The alarm gets unplugged and everyone oversleeps again but makes it to the airport on time, including Kevin. Kevin needs some batteries for his talk boy so he asks his dad for his backpack. He then loses his dad running through the airport but finds him at the boarding gate. Too bad it's not his dad and he boards a plane headed for New York, not Miami. The family realizes Kevin is missing when they hit baggage claim. Kevin arrives in New York complete with his dads credit cards so he decides to book himself a hotel room to try and figure out what to do. He takes in some sights and in Central Park he sees a scary bag lady covered in pigeons. Little does he know that the formerly wet, now sticky bandits have broken out of prison and escaped to New York as well. Since Kevin has a lot of cash from his dads backpack he takes a limo tour of the city and ends up at a toy store. He meets the owner there who tells him how all of the sales from Christmas go to a children's hospital. He gives Kevin a gift of two turtle doves and says he needs to share them with a special friend. Kevin runs into the bandits and they find out where he has been staying. Because his parents have reported the credit cards as stolen the hotel confronts Kevin. He tries to run but is apprehended by the bandits, but soon escapes after they reveal they're planning to rob the toy store. Kevin's family travels to New York after the tip that is where the cards were used. Kevin is confronted by the pigeon lady and hears of her lonely life, he vows to be her friend. Kevin has an uncle that lives in New York so he finds his townhouse. He rigs it with traps and then seeks out the bandits at the toy store. He throws a brick through the window and leads the bandits back to the townhouse where he unleashes the traps on them. The pair corner Kevin and trap him, then take him to the park where they plan to kill him. Pigeon lady is there and her pigeons create a diversion so that Kevin can escape and set off the fireworks he had to notify the police, and they're arrested once again. The toy store owner finds the brick with a note attached from Kevin that lets him in on what has happened. His mother seeks out her son and remembers how much he loves Christmas trees, remembering how he complained about Miami's lack of them. She finds him at Rockafeller Center where they are reunited. The toy store sends a bunch of gifts for the family and they all make peace. Kevin returns to the park to give the pigeon lady his other turtle dove.



Characters
Chicago Kevin McCallister and New York Kevin McCallister - the lost boy. Now Kevin is obviously the same person in both movies, but he does evolve a bit so that counts right? Overall I tend to root for New York Kevin. It's one thing to set up that entire entrapment in your own, familiar home but when you can pull that off in an unfamiliar city, that's pretty impressive.



Old Man Marley and Pigeon Lady - the scary one turned friend. It's nice that despite all of the stress Kevin has to deal with over the holidays Kevin can make a friend in an unsuspecting person. I think befriending your neighbor that you've been terrified of for years is a little more impressive than the Pigeon lady you just met so I'm going to have to go with Old Man Marley on this one.

Breakdown
The night before - Both are complete clusters, but I find the family a bit more degrading in the original movie. I understand that Kevin is a little annoying kid but they're just downright mean to him sometimes, and not just his cousins and siblings, but adults, too.

The realization - Aren't both pretty much the same? I will give it to original Home Alone simply for the fact that they were airborne when they made the discovery that Kevin was missing and had to wait the entire rest of the flight before they were able to do anything about it.

The booby traps - Tie. They were almost all the same! Nothing wrong with that, I was still impressed either way.

The reconciliation - I liked when his mother realized where he would be just by knowing her son. Its one thing to know he's at home and worry, but having him lost in a big city, especially New York? Being able to know where he is based on all of that is really sweet and tender.

There you have it. Most often sequel's lose out to the original but even with that being said I will admit I do find the sequel a bit more entertaining overall. So sue me.

before you end up under a pile of fruitcake

...consider some last minute holiday television specials. Honestly, it doesn't get much better than this. You thought Thanksgiving had good TV, well think again!

This time I went a little more personal. Besides the ones already discussed, these Christmas specials are really dear to me, I remember watching them repeatedly growing up. Each one can honestly make you feel pretty warm inside.



Full House -
S02E09 - Our Very First Christmas Show
CHRISTMAS IN AN AIRPORT. And also an epic speech by Uncle Jesse about the true meaning of Christmas. It also the first kiss between Jesse and Becky which is something most of us were living to experience in the late 80's.
S06E12 - A Very Tanner Christmas
DJ and Steve break up (and get back together) and Jesse gives Becky the gift of snow courtesy of sno-cone ice. Michelle and Stephanie also get a wonderful gift from their Uncle...they visit a homeless shelter and serve Christmas dinner. They finally realize it's not about what is under the tree.



The Golden Girls
S02E11 - 'Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas
The girls decide to make gifts for each other. This is the unveiling of The Men Of Blanche's Boudoir Calendar. They are held hostage at the grief center before going their separate ways for the holidays. In a freak storm for Florida all of their flights are cancelled and they spend the evening in a diner, only to realize that they actually are celebrating with family.
S05E12 - Have Yourself A Very Little Christmas
The girls join Rose serving Christmas dinner to the homeless at her church. Dorothy's ex-husband Stanley is among the patrons after making some bad investments and being kicked out by his current wife. Dorothy gives him a handout which pays for some flowers to get him back into his house, but not before dressing as Santa and bringing some joy to the homeless kids.



Saved By The Bell
S03E24&25 - Home For Christmas Parts 1 & 2 *To be honest, the season/episode may not be right, I'm going off of IMDB because nowhere in internet land seems to know actual seasons/air dates of this show. IMDB, Netflix and the DVDs all have different listings.
In a super random two part episode, the gang gets jobs at the mall over the holiday break (so seriously for a few days). Zack meets a girl named Laura and tries to woo her. Zack, Slater and Screech also encounter a homeless man living in the mall. Turns out this man is Laura's father. They all reach out and try to help them get back on their feet, all while performing a Christmas play (A Christmas Carol, of course) in the mall.



Friends
S07E10 - The One With The Holiday Armadillo
Out of all of the Friends Christmas episodes, for me this one is the obvious choice. Ross wants to teach Ben all about Hanukkah this holiday but all he wants to do is talk about Santa Claus. In an effort to please his son he tries to find a Santa suit but comes up empty. Instead he poses as the Holiday Armadillo to try and teach Ben about the Jewish Holiday. Chandler obtains a Santa suit and Joey obtains a Superman suit so all of the mascots get to learn about THE MACCABEES.



Roswell
S02E10 - A Roswell Christmas Carol
This is the holiday special I will watch repeatedly. It's a great treat even if you haven't seen the entire series (WHICH YOU SHOULD). Max, Michael and Isabel are aliens from the New Mexican crash now hiding in plain sight as teenagers. A local girl they find out has a rare cancer and in an effort to rectify not saving a father from a car wreck Max tries to heal the little girl. The others are against it, fearing they will be caught but once Max starts he can't stop. He tries to heal all the little kids with cancer in the hospital and eventually all of the aliens are on board with his decision wishing they could have healed more. For a teen drama on the WB in the late 90's it is heartbreaking and magical all at the same time (and it's on Netflix). And not gonna lie, I couldn't look at screencaps for this without welling up.

And even though it's been done, if you haven't already, give The OC, Home Improvement, Family Matters, The Office and Doctor Who a shot, they could always use more love.