11. The Venture Bros. A Very Venture Christmas (2004)
One of the most intelligent, hilarious animations on television; The Venture Bros. has received a cult following due to its complex mythology and colourful characters. While there is a sprawling cast, the show primarily focuses on the Venture family which is made up of Dr. Thaddeus S. Venture and his sons Hank and Dean. It would take me a whole article to delve into the overarching narrative so for now I'll focus on their Christmas special 'A Very Venture Christmas'. Their festive story begins by parodying such great Christmas classics as 'A Christmas Carol' and 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' in typical Venture Bros. fashion. From here we are given some classic festive tropes with their own spin like Hank sneakily attempting to find his presents early, only to accidentally discover pornographic tapes including 'Frothy the Blowman' and 'Miracle on 69th Street'. The main plot of the episode centres on Dr. Venture's Christmas party and the disaster it so predictably becomes. Hank and Dean, looking to find themselves a good Christmas story, unwittingly release the Krampus, a Germanic daemon who punishes bad children during the holidays. Although the events are all revealed to be a dream at the end of the episode it is an undeniably fun ride filled to bursting with creator Jackson Publick's wicked sense of humour. Every episode of The Venture Bros. warrants watching but if you're feeling festive, this is the one you need.