Our take
The show's best Christmas episode, and the one to watch if you only watch one. It is a full hour of songs, satire and a genuinely grim vision of what the season does to the people who make it happen. One delivery-round sequence that turns fatal for a family is a misstep, but Stewie and Brian's road trip earns its sentimental ending, and the Emmy-nominated Christmastime Is Killing Us is a cracking song.
What happens
A double-length musical special. It opens with a song in which each of the Griffins lists what they want for Christmas, ending with the whole cast revealed in a giant Advent calendar. Stewie loves Christmas more than anything except his teddy bear, Rupert, so when Santa makes an appearance at the mall he begs Brian to take him. Brian grudgingly agrees, but the mall Santa brushes Stewie off, and an offended Stewie decides to go to the North Pole and kill Santa, with Brian reluctantly along for the ride. What they find there is grim: Santa is sick and depressed, the elves are mutants and the reindeer have turned into wild, carnivorous creatures. Seeing the terrible toll Christmas has taken on him, Stewie and Brian resolve to deliver the presents themselves, with disastrous results. The story is narrated by Seth MacFarlane's father, Ron, and it ends on a simple, sweet message about appreciating what you have.
Can the kids watch it?
Not for children: the BBFC rated it 15 for strong violence, language and sex references, and it includes a scene in which a family is killed.
Cast and crew
Starring
- Seth MacFarlane as Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Quagmire and Carter
- Alex Borstein as Lois Griffin and Babs
- Seth Green as Chris Griffin
- Mila Kunis as Meg Griffin
Guest stars
- Bruce McGill as Santa
- David Boreanaz as Himself
- Drew Barrymore as Jillian
- Carrie Fisher as Angela
- Karley Scott Collins as Abby and Little Girl
- Alec Sulkin as Belgard
- Jennifer Tilly as Bonnie
- Mike Henry as Bruce and Consuela
- H. Jon Benjamin as Carl
- Patrick Warburton as Joe
- Adam West as Mayor Adam West
- Johnny Brennan as Mort Goldman
- Nana Visitor as Woman
Writers
- Danny Smith
- Chris Sheridan
Director
- Greg Colton