Product Details

• Directors: Neil Affleck, Bob Anderson (VIII), Mikel B. Anderson, Wesley Archer, Carlos Baeza
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: Albanian, Arabic, English, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Turkish
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: October 16, 2001
• Run Time: 23 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302208645
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #223,825 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's Christmas at the Simpsons' household but no one is jolly. Homer doesn't have the heart to tell Marge that Scroogey boss Mr. Burns isn't giving out Christmas bonuses this year. Marge, on the other hand, is counting on the bonus because she's spent all the Christmas money getting a tattoo removed from Bart's arm. So Homer has to go to work as a department-store Santa. An early episode with less sophisticated humor and animation, it still offers a number of laughs, plus the story of where the Simpsons got their dog, Santa's Little Helper. --Marshall Fine

Product Description

According to Bart Simpson, "If TV taught me anything , it's that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas. It Happened to Tiny Tim, it happened to the Smurfs, and it's going to happen to us." But it better happen fast. The Simpsons are in a Yuletide jam-there's no money for presents, and they may have to cancel Christmas! Before the crisis ends, Homer gets a job as a part-time Santa, Bart gets a tattoo, and the whole family- even Grandpa and Marge's nasty sisters- gets into the holiday spirit when they discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Very Good!, December 22, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Simpsons Christmas Special [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I loved this, the Simpsons has to be the funniest cartoon family and this is a great Christmas episode, I love the part at the school's Christmas pageant when Bart wrecks Jingle Bells with the silly and slightly rude Batman version and I love how they explained how they first got Santa's Little Helper. I very highly recommend this video to any Simpsons fan who also loves Christmas cartoons!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Twisted Christmas Special, December 15, 2001

By 

Dr. Christopher Coleman (HONG KONG) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Simpsons Christmas Special [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Every episode of The Simpsons is well-written, with a wry but definitely twisted sense of humor that makes the show so unique. Certain programs go far beyond the usual high standard set, but the Christmas Special, from way back in 1989, is not one of these blockbusters. Although it is worth watching, it stands out for the topic more than the content, unlike, for example, A Charlie Brown Christmas, probably the most heartwarming animated Christmas special ever made. Although they are both "losers", Bart's humor is born in more painful circumstances--Charlie Brown's dad never lost the Christmas money gambling at the dog track on Christmas Eve! In fact, the adults in Charlie Brown are never comprehensible; his world is strictly a child's world. The Simpsons is more wide-ranging, even post-modern in its humor. My favorite bit in the Christmas Special is when Bart comments that "If there's one thing TV has taught me, it's that miracles always happen to poor kids at Christmas."--and he even mentions Charlie Brown. [Matt Groening has said he was inspired to be a cartoonist by Charles Schultz.] As this is an early episode, fans familiar only with the recent series may be a bit disappointed in the drawings and the stiff animation; and some of the voice characterisations (especially Homer) have changed over the years.

I have to qualify my recommendation of this--it's good, and Simpson lovers won't be disappointed. But I'm afraid I don't think it is great; maybe it's just me. If you love this, I'd recommend getting the book Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris; they share the same irreverent Christmas tone. {My 11 year old daughter just wandered in and said she thought it was only 3 stars; my 17 year old son opined between 3 and 4 stars....and these are kids that love the Simpsons and seldom miss an episode.}

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A heart warming, classic, and funny Simpsons Christmas., February 19, 2001

By 

"xxlessthanfishxx" (Bristol, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Simpsons Christmas Special [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have been watch simpsons for twelve years now. This episode of The Simpsons has a Christmasy feel to it. I don't know why I like The Simpsons so much, maybe it's because I have been watching it since I was just a little boy. I remember staying at my grandpa's house on cold, snowy Christmas Eve nights and watching Christmas specials we have bought throughout the years, this included because there always was something great about this episode of The Simpsons. It is a cherished Christmas classic

that started the whole series which is now the longest running primetime series on Earth. This episode is heartwarming, classic, and highly amusing and I hope this series will keep on creating laughs for years to come.