Pick: Which Christmas specials would you watch in the '60s and '70s?

Would you rather have spent the holiday with otters or the Osmonds?

 
It's time for a very special holiday edition of What Would You Watch? 

In the past, we've asked you what shows you would opt to watch in a certain year. To celebrate Christmas, we're looking back at the golden era of the holiday special — the 1960s and 1970s. Many of these seasonal treasures are still shown today, gems made by Rankin/Bass, Jim Henson and Hanna-Barbera. 

There were live-action variety specials hosted by pop singers. You had Frosty, Rudolph, Snoopy and the Grinch. Big-name crooners like Bing, Perry and Dean had their specials. There was the choice of Bob Hope or C-3PO.

So, we looked back through the years and made a list. We're asking you to check it twice and pick the show you'd be most likely to watch. See how your opinions stack up against the others!
  1. We begin in 1965. We know this won't be a close fight, but we're curious to see nonetheless. Which one would you have watched?
     Image: United Feature Syndicate / Warner Home Video
  2. Now this is what we call variety. Outer space, adorable dogs or Muppets? What one would you most want to see in 1977?
     Image: 20th Century Fox Television
  3. 1979 was overstuffed like Santa's sack. There were dozens of Xmas specials. First, pick a children's special.
     Image: The Everett Collection
  4. Next, choose one of these animated specials from 1979.
     Image: The Everett Collection
  5. Now, finish up the year with one of these celebrity variety showcases.
     Image: The Everett Collection
  6. Rewinding the clock a bit, we find two Rankin/Bass specials and an Emmy-winning cartoon in 1974. Pick just one.
     Image: The Everett Collection
  7. Here we are in 1977. Let's begin with something with puppets, stop-motion or animation.
     Image: The Everett Collection
  8. Now, choose one of these live-action treats from 1977.
     Image: The Everett Collection
  9. Okay, we're going to peek ahead a bit and see what Christmas gifts are coming in 1981. Which of these would you have watched?
     Image: The Everett Collection
  10. Which musician-hosted holiday extravaganza from the 1970s would you most want to watch?
     Image: The Everett Collection
  11. Finally, we have a trio of classics from the 1960s. They would dominate their respective years, so we're putting them head-to-head. Which is your favorite?
     Image: The Everett Collection

Pick: Which Christmas specials would you watch in the '60s and '70s?

Your Result...

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169 Comments

Scangus 19 months ago
I don't like these similar "quizzes." Who wants to be like everyone else anyway?

The last question was truly unfair.
Lillyrose 32 months ago
56% similar. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is the best Christmas show ever!
FatOlBroad 33 months ago
Only 56% similar. Not too festive.
L 33 months ago
Tough choices. Many of these would be "all of the above" back to back, all day marathon.
grandpa5741 33 months ago
80% Similar so the other 20% I’m just off kilter. 🥸
DIGGER1 33 months ago
Pick: Which Christmas specials would you watch in the '60s and '70s?
90% similar
90% similar to the most popular responses
RobertK 33 months ago
60% I heard of most of these shows but some of the choices I have never watched.
bdettlingmetv 33 months ago
Thanks to a Mental Floss article I checked out "Rich Little's Christmas Carol". We didn't have HBO in 1979 (our cable service gave us Showtime as part of the package). Very strange, even knowing what to expect going in. By today's standards it's a tedious snoozefest; somehow I don't think it was that well-received even then.
L bdettlingmetv 33 months ago
In 1980 we had Preview (an early version of cable). At that point in time, I was just (barely) old enough to watch the movies after midnight.
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