Christmas Special vs.: Christmas Episode

I know what the difference between these two tropes is. A Christmas Special is a One Shot story devoid of a series that's Made-for-TV and talks about Christmas. A Christmas Episode is an episode of a TV series that happens around Christmas, focuses on the holiday, and plays a little fast and lose with continuity. The problem is, the wiki seems to be using the two like they're interchangeable.

The British term doesn't help. But then again, the British terms means a Christmas Episode, so I say Christmas Special should be renamed to make it clear it's an independent work, and the current name be made a redirect to Christmas Episode.

I would be for that, save that Christmas Special is the accepted term for the one shot in America. Silly countries and their having different names for things. It's like chips all over again.

The problem is that Americans generally use "Christmas Special" in both ways. Like, "I watched a marathon of cheesy Christmas specials on the Hallmark channel" would be the current definition of Christmas Special, but I might as easily say, "Did you see the Justice League Unlimited Christmas special?" which would what's currently at Christmas Episode.

Another problem is that the description for Christmas Episode seems too narrow and Britain-focused. As opposed to noting the common differences between US and British Christmas Episodes, it seems to just describe the British customs and imply that everything else doesn't fit. Unless we're trying to split along those lines...which seems a bit unnecessary.

It really is, isn't it. There's not really anything on the American version. It looks like these are a bigger mess than I thought.

edited 20th Jun '11 12:18:09 PM by shimaspawn

Glancing at the examples and the trope seems to be used correctly with Christmas episode if its just a standard episode but set at Christmas inside the series (same way with all the Holiday Episode tropes Halloween Episode Festival Episode ect). While Christmas Special is the outside the series special most are Made-for-TV Movie and such or anything that gets a different time slot, double issue ect.

I dont really see a problem here besides a little clarification.

edited 20th Jun '11 6:06:10 PM by Raso

It's not the pages. It's the wiks. Checking those I found a high percentage of them wrong at least just from a cursory spot check.

Also, as he said, double issues and different time slots are still Christmas Episode. Those ones are all wrong.

edited 20th Jun '11 6:15:52 PM by shimaspawn

But according to the description, Christmas Special is supposed to be original movies, like Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, not Made-for-TV movies based on series.

The very first line defines it as "special television shows, often one-shots, created with a winter or holiday theme for broadcast during the month of December."

It is not limited to the animated ones; it simply the page simply notes that those are probably the best known ones. Made for TV movies like The Christmas Shoes would also qualify, and the definition specifically includes the variety-show and sketch-show type.

What it excludes are episodes of series that run the usual length and in the usual time-slot. Those are a Christmas Episode.

edited 20th Jun '11 6:25:06 PM by Madrugada

It seems like something like Frosty The Snowman and Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer should be distinct from, say, the Arthur Christmas special. One is a typically low-budget Made-for-TV movie unconnected to any series that relies on holiday schmaltz as its selling point, and the other is basically a longer, bigger-budgeted,and more independently plotted version of a Christmas Episode.

It seems to me that "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" would be a Christmas Episode rather than a Christmas Special. But the line can be blurred, I think.

As defined, there is no blur. If it's related to a series, it's a Christmas Episode. If it's a stand alone with no series ties, it's a Christmas Special.

I get your point now. Probably special episodes of TV series should only be listed if they were produced as Non Serial Movies — Blackadder's Christmas Carol seems to be one of those.

One complication is that, at least as the trope is currently presented, Christmas Special seems to be TV-only.

I'm pretty sure the two Music examples (from The Beatles and The Bangles) belong in one or the other, but which, and why? I'd think Christmas Special, but they're more like a series of specials, in a way. Or would you consider their "normal" albums and singles to be the equivalent of their "series," and the Christmas Thingies to be in Christmas Episode?

edited 20th Jun '11 7:41:33 PM by suedenim

The music examples are fuzzier. I'm going to agree there and I don't know either of the situations well enough to declare one way or another.

Seems to me that spinning Christmas Album off into its own page would make sense. The Beatles and The Bangles aren't the only ones who have done it, and it has its own set of conventions.

I like that idea. It seems simpler.

Though the Beatles and Bangles things are a bit of an odd duck by "Christmas Album" standards - less albums with actual songs than goofy ad hoc fan club things. Christmas Album has more a connotation of "Elvis Sings Your Top 12 Favorite Christmas Songs" or whatever.

edited 20th Jun '11 9:12:52 PM by suedenim

When you count in stuff like Charlie Brown Christmas and such that is the perfect example of this, its a special that plays every single year and is a 100% self contained vs Say The West Wing's Christmas episodes they did every year in which its just another day at the office or Ranma's 3 episodes they did over the years.

A Christmas Album trope could be a good page there have been lots over the years.

edited 20th Jun '11 9:19:43 PM by Raso

^ A Charlie Brown Christmas is an odd example because it's far more popular than it's parent series. People don't think of it as "Oh, it's Peanuts, but Christmas", but more like a stand alone in the vein of Frosty and Rudolph. The same can't be said for the vast majority of series-based Christmas movies.

Also, Peanuts never had a TV series. It just made specials, but it made a lot of them. They were TV specials for a comic strip. I think the fact that it's a different medium makes it more of a Special.

Ok A Muppet Family Christmas is a better example Or A Disney Christmas Carol.

edited 21st Jun '11 6:21:48 PM by Raso

Looking at it more closely Christmas Episode is what I (an American) would call a Christmas Special.

I'd use Christmas Episode to refer to a show that is running and has an episode when Christmas is occurring. (Like on Home Improvement with Tim and his annual struggles with epic Christmas lights). But the trope description specifically excludes that.

I'm just left as very confused.

edited 5th Aug '11 9:09:58 PM by Sackett

The description of Christmas Episode definitely sounds like it's describing a subtrope of Christmas Special(I'm not sure who thought that usage was only limited to Britain). I personally think a Trope Transplant's in order.

Maybe we can rename Christmas Special to Standalone Christmas Special?