3. The Simpsons - "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire"
How could we forget this classic Christmas episode, which was also the very first episode of The Simpsons ever? Everything begins in fairly bleak, depressing style, with Homer despondent that he didn't get a Christmas bonus from work this year, while Marge has to use their Christmas fund to pay for Bart to get his tattoo - yes, you read that right - removed. It gets worse when Homer decides to take a small gig working as a mall Santa, only to go and blow the earnings with Bart at a race-track, betting on a dog called Santa's Little Helper, and yeah, you can see where it's going. Homer and Bart lose all their money, but take Santa's Little Helper home, much to the pleasure of Marge, Maggie and Lisa, giving the episode a joyful happy-ever-after ending, while also kick-starting one of the greatest TV shows of all time (even if it's not so great these days). Here's proof that you can make a heart-warming Christmas episode that isn't ridiculously saccharine and condescending.
