Must-see television: all-time holiday favorites

By Metro Creative Services

For many people, one of the holiday traditions they eagerly await is gathering around the television to watch classic and new holiday programming.

From Claymation™ movies from your youth to modern-day sitcoms with a holiday storyline, December is filled with tantalizing shows in honor of the holidays. Before you pop the corn and pour the egg nog, check out this list of holiday movies that illustrate the true meaning of the season:

• “A Christmas Story” — This all-time classic about Ralphie, a boy who dreams of receiving a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas, remains by far, one of the favorites for the holiday. And who could forget Ralphie’s dad battling the blasted furnace and staring googly-eyed at a scantily clad lamp.

• “Home Alone” — Macaulay Culkin scores big brownie points for his portrayal of Kevin, the child who gets left behind at home when his family departs for a holiday vacation. When two bumbling burglars try to outsmart him, Kevin makes sure he gets his just rewards.

• “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” — Family dysfunction at its best! Clark Griswald leads his closest relatives through wild antics, including a Christmas light display to put Rockefeller Center to shame, super-speed sled ride, animal mishaps and more, amid the backdrop of a heartwarming holiday tale.

• “The Nightmare Before Christmas” — Is it Halloween or Christmas? In this Tim Burton animated flick spooky creatures decide to do their own version of Christmas. A clever plot keeps this one on the top of the list.

• “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” — For anyone who’s ever felt like a misfit, this animated movie is still a favorite even after its umpteenth time on TV.

• “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” — Even after Jim Carrey won raves with the full-length feature, the original animated version still wins hands-down as a must-see.