Airdate: December 6th, 1993
Very Special Opening Parody of the CBS Very Special Presentation openings that were used in the 80's.
Newsreel of the Stars
Opening Line: "Here's The Show's Name-y"
NOTE: The opening sequence has snow falling down over it and jingle bells can clearly be heard in the song.
A Christmas Plotz
A parody of A Christmas Carol with Thaddeus Plotz in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge.
A Christmas Plotz provides examples of:
- Acid Reflux Nightmare: Plotz thinks his encounter with Wakko as the Ghost of Christmas Past is one of these.Plotz: I’ve gotta lay off those commissary weenies.
- Bait-and-Switch: When Christmas Future (Yakko) shows Plotz his fate, Plotz initially notices a cemetery and takes this to mean he's died, like Scrooge in the original story. Yakko corrects him and points him at the studio lot, revealing his real fate: stuck in the same position of abused security guard that Ralph was.
- Brick Joke: Early in the episode, Plotz complains about getting a pony from Santa as a child when he asked for a horse. Later, when Plotz has seen the error of his ways and is begging for forgiveness from Ralph and his family, he tells Ralph Jr. that he’ll get him a pony - Ralph Jr. replies that he wants a horse instead.
- The Cameo: Slappy shows up to play the Jacob Marley role of warning Mr. Plotz he'll be visited by three spirits.Plotz: But why?(Beat)Slappy: (tosses her script away) I dunno. I lost the other page. Can you believe I'm doin' this for scale? Hey! Where's my four hundred and sixty-four dollars?!
- Commercial Break Cliff Hanger: While its pretty obvious that Yakko is the final sibling to visit Plotz, they decided to build up tension to interrupt the segment just as Plotz faces a menacing ghost, which is revealed to be Yakko after the ads play.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Thaddeus Plotz - and, to a lesser extent, Ralph.
- Everyone Hates Fruitcakes: Plotz certainly does. The Warners don't, however.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- Two people Plotz got fruit cakes from are Mel Gibson and Jane Fonda.
- When Dot as the Ghost of Christmas Present kicks Mr. Plotz' name-tag, his first name "Thaddeus" is misspelled as "Thadius".
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The carolers near the beginning are all celebrity cameos - Danny DeVito, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood, and Roseanne Barr.
- The Scrooge: Played by Plotz in this version, and it turns out he’s been that way since the day he was born.
- Sensational Staircase Sequence: When Yakko, as the Spirit of Christmas Future, makes his entrance, it's as a flashy musical number in a stairway flanked by beautiful chorus girls.
- Spit Take: Plotz does one when his phone rings.
- Yet Another Christmas Carol: Natch, albeit with more of an Affectionate Parody tone.
Little Drummer Warners
The Warners star in a musical version of the Nativity story.
Little Drummer Warners provides examples of:
- Actually Quite Catchy: At first the Wise Men are thrown off by the jazzy rendition of "Little Drummer Boy." Then they smile and start snapping along to keep time.
- Away in a Manger: The Warners, as three shepherds, visit the baby Jesus after he was just born in the manger.
- Cool Old Guy: The three wise men, who happily snap along to the music.
- Formula-Breaking Episode: With the exception of the ending, there is very little humor in this short, as it is mostly a straightforward retelling of the Nativity.
- Jesus Was Way Cool: The Warners, being poor shepherds without any gifts to bring, give a performance to baby Jesus, who approves with a warm smile.
- Musical Episode: With renditions of "Silent Night", "We Three Kings", "O Little Town of Bethlehem", "Away in a Manger" and "Little Drummer Boy".
- Sincerity Mode: Joseph and Mary can't help but smile in wonder at the Warners' drumming recital for their son.
- Star of Bethlehem: Yakko, Wakko, and Dot follow the star to visit baby Jesus.
- The Three Wise Men: Of course, there can’t be a story about the Nativity without them.
Closing Tower Gag: "Merry Christmas!"- Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
