Sabrina Claus

With Christmas on the way, Sabrina develops a case of Egotitis which messes with her magic. Sabrina’s aunts summon Bob to help get Sabrina reacquainted with the true meaning of Christmas. But, when Bob (who’s actually Santa Claus) gets injured, Sabrina is forced to step in and deliver all of Santa’s gifts herself. While I definitely watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch when it was first on, it failed to make much of an impression on me. Other than Salem, the sometimes puppet sometimes live action cat, nothing from this series really stuck with me. Sabrina doesn’t come off very well in this particular episode. Sure, she has to start out in a bad place in order to learn her lesson but her attitude, which was probably period appropriate in 1997, has aged like old eggnog.

Rating: Eight maids a-milking, seven swans a-swimming, six geese a-laying, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree%

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

Steve and Carl head out to the woods of Wisconsin to score a free Christmas tree, only to get lost after it starts to snow. Meanwhile, back at the Winslow homestead, Laura must choose between Curtis and Stefan. At this point in the series, Stefan Urquelle was no longer Steve’s cool alter ego and was a fully independent clone of Steve that had been permanently transformed into Stefan. Things like that happened a lot on 90s sitcoms that maybe ran a little too long. Richie is mentioned in the episode but does not appear. And, sadly, by this time my favorite character, Waldo Geraldo Faldo, was no longer a part of the show.

Rating: FIVE GOLDEN RINGS, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree%

Fa La La La Laagghh!

After finding out about a neighborhood lighting display contest, Carl tricks Steve into helping him deck out the Winslow's roof. Meanwhile, Harriette starts to feel the Christmas Blues after Eddie and Laura are too busy to help her decorate the Christmas tree. Thankfully, Estelle is there to teach everyone a valuable lesson about the true meaning of Christmas. Despite being in the opening credits, Richie does not appear in the episode, nor is he mentioned. Similarly, the great Waldo Geraldo Faldo is also, unfortunately, absent from this episode.

 

Rating: Roller Blades%

Miracle on Elm Street

After getting a lesson about the importance of giving during the Christmas season, Richie invites a homeless person to come live with the Winslows. Meanwhile, Steve Urkel heads downs to the city dump to find Laura's favorite doll, which Eddie accidentally threw away. At the end of the episode, the cast breaks the fourth wall and sings "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." This is a top tier Family Matters Christmas episode. There's even an appearance from the great Waldo Geraldo Faldo, so you know I love it.

Rating: Super Nintendo%

Fun Fact: Ben, the homeless man who may have been more than he appeared to be, was played by Art Evans, who was also in Die Hard 2.

Christmas is Where the Heart Is

Carl and Steve head out to do some last minute shopping on a stormy Christmas Eve after Carl accidentally destroys the crystal music box he bought for Harriette. On their way home from the mall, Carl and Steve get stuck on the subway after the power goes out. Steve's efforts to improve everyone's mood with singing and Christmas cheer are initially met with condemnation and (sitcom appropriate) threats of violence. "Christmas is Where the Heart Is" is mainly focused on Carl, Steve and the other stranded passengers. The rest of the Winslow family, at least those still on the show, are featured but have little involvement in the story. And, sadly, Waldo Geraldo Faldo is once again absent.

Rating: 20 Pound Dumbbell%

Christmas Story

Step by Step ran for seven seasons, from 1991 to 1998. It was made by some of the same people that made Family Matters, Steve Urkel even made an appearance on Step by Step's second episode. It was another big, broad 90s sitcom with a big cast. It had the same setup as the Brady Bunch, two single parents marry and form a large blended family. The show's breakout character was Cody, a goofy stoner/surfer-type with endless hidden skills and a stealthy wisdom beyond his years. In "Christmas Story," Frank and Carol (played by TV veterans Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers) realize on Christmas Eve that they've forgotten to pick up some important presents for their kids. Frank, a contractor, just so happens to have the keys to a toy store he's remodeling, so he and Carol let themselves in "with intent to purchase." Unfortunately for them, they're arrested by Deputy Feif (played by special guest star Don Knotts, in a not-so-subtle homage to his character on the Andy Griffith Show). Back at home, the kids are so consumed with opening presents that they don't even notice that their parents are missing. Thankfully, Cody is there to teach everyone an important lesson about the true meaning of Christmas.

Rating: Fried Chicken%

Fun Fact: Suzanne Somers and Don Knotts were both on Three's Company.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel

Since our last Christmas with the Winslows, the opening credits of Family Matters has gone from nine to ten credited actors. In season four, the underappreciated Waldo Geraldo Faldo was bumped up to the main cast, although he does not appear in this episode. Telma Hopkins, who played Aunt Rachel, would no longer be a full-time cast member after season four, though she would still return to the show from time to time. Judy Winslow, played by Jaimee Foxworth, would be written off the show after season four. And, like Chuck Cunningham, Judy would never really be mentioned again. Even though I feel bad for the actor, it's hardly surprising that they would drop Judy from the cast. She appears at the beginning and end of the episode, but she doesn't have any lines. With Richie getting all of the precocious kid material, there's really nothing left for Judy. "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel" takes a page from the It's a Wonderful Life playbook. Laura gets a visit from her guardian angel after she hurts Steve's feelings for the millionth time. Tyrone, her angel, shows Laura what it would be like if her and Steve's roles were reversed. In the angel's vision, Steve becomes Steve Winslow while Laura becomes the nerdy neighbor Laura Urkel. Tyrone gives Laura the chance to go back and be nicer to Steve, resulting in her inviting Steve to spend Christmas Eve with the Winslows. It's not groundbreaking television by any means, but Kellie Shanygne Williams does a great job in nerd form.

Rating: Crystal Vase%

Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas

Family Matters, a spin-off of Perfect Strangers, went through a lot of changes over the course of its nine seasons. Steve Urkel, perhaps the biggest breakout character of the 90s, was barely in the show's first season. He was added to the main cast the following year and became a big part of most episodes. By the time of this Christmas episode in season two, there were nine people featured in the opening credits. Not all of them would last the show's entire run. Kid sister Judy would be written out of the show after season four. Ditto for Aunt Rachel. Little Richie started getting phased out of the show after season seven. Mother Winslow left the main cast after season eight. And Harriet Winslow, the character that actually crossed over from Perfect Strangers, left the show midway through the last season. But in "Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas" they're all together. Singing Christmas songs, decorating the house and eating Christmas treats. Carl tries to help Rachel get a Freddy Teddy for Richie. Laura yells at Urkel after he accidentally breaks her favorite ornament. Later, she feels bad and reluctantly invites Steve to spend Christmas with the Winslows. And, after a little Christmas magic, the episode ends with the whole cast singing around the tree. Something not even Urkel could ruin.

Rating: CD Player%

Fun Fact: Reginald VelJohnson, who played Carl Winslow, played Sgt. Al Powell in Die Hard and Die Hard 2.

A Christmas Story

The premise of Perfect Strangers was always a little bit hacky. It was basically The Odd Couple, except that one of the roommates was Yakov Smirnoff. But, to the show's credit, the two lead actors had great chemistry and their physical humor was on point. In their first Christmas episode, Larry tries to cheer up Balki, who's a little sad about spending Christmas away from his family on Mypos. They're all set to go to Wisconsin for the holidays when a blizzard rears its ugly head, forcing them to cancel their plans. This sends Larry into a deep depression and then it becomes Balki's turn to cheer up his cousin. The jokes and references in the show are all very dated now but the final product was still pretty sweet and funny.

Rating: Christmas Turtle%