The Best Mid-Holiday TV Episodes to Binge Before the New Year

Ah, the post-Christmas lull. Those magical days between the holiday frenzy and the New Year's Eve rush. It's a time for relaxation, reflection, and maybe some recovery from having a little too much holiday cheer.

December 26th to the 30th are the quiet, in-between days when alarms are optional, email autoresponders do the heavy lifting, and unfinished business becomes January’s problem. Time slows down just enough to let us rest, reflect, and indulge in a little well-earned binge-watching.

To help you savor these precious moments, here’s a list of the best TV episodes to enjoy while the year gently winds down:

TV Shows

• Modern Family

  S03 E10, Express Christmas

  
  

  While Modern Family gave us several holiday episodes over its 11-season run, “Express Christmas” stands out as peak chaos-meets-heart.

  
  

  The episode starts off with the three families hanging out in Jay's house, where they discover that they won't be able to see each other until after New Year's. When the extended family realizes they won’t be together on Christmas Day, Phil proposes an impromptu December 16 celebration. What follows is frantic, messy, and exactly the kind of joyful disorder the show does best.

  
  

  Favorite Moment: An electrocuted Phil turning a mint-condition baseball card into something worth less than a gas station reindeer antlers for a dog.

• Ted Lasso

  S02 E04, Carol of the Bells

  
  

  One of two stand-alone episodes in season two, this Christmas special leans was sweet and saccharine and very much what you expect from the show. We follow the characters through their holiday plans: Rebecca rescuing Ted from a lonely holiday alone, Roy and Keeley and the breath of death, and Higgins hosting the team members who can't spend the holiday with their families.

  
  

  Yes, it aired in August, but as Filipinos who start celebrating Christmas in September, we’ll allow it, and it did make us look forward to the holidays even if it was months away.

  
  

  It may often seem that Ted and the world he lives in are too unreal. Life doesn't always reward the 'nice,' and most people get away with being 'naughty.' Ted Lasso, both the show and the person, can be very unrealistically ideal, which is precisely why we need it. In a year made heavier by rising costs and collective fatigue, this episode feels like a reminder that kindness, however unrealistic, can still be restorative.

  
  

  Favorite Moment: The Higginses, realizing they'll be unable to comfortably sit all their guests, solve their seating dilemma with an adorable make-shift solution that somehow makes the night even warmer.

  
  

Bonus: AppleTV+ also released a bonus Christmas stop-motion short on a

more appropriate date: December 16th.

• Community

  S02 E11, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas

  
  

  No mid-holiday list is complete without this stop-motion classic. This Christmas special may perhaps be the benchmark for any stop-motion special episode for any TV comedy. Community’s meta sensibility finds emotional depth here as the episode dives into Abed’s inner world while he processes holiday distress.

  
  

  It’s inventive, deeply emotional, and showcases the study group’s bond in a uniquely "Community" way. Despite Jeff being a sarcastic douche or Pierce being detached and aloof, the study group shows up for Abed in ways that feel sincere, reminding us why this ensemble works so well.

  
  

  Favorite Moment: The characters’ Christmas personas—puns and all—perfectly reflecting their personalities.

• The Big Bang Theory

  S02 E11, The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis

  
  

  Despite the many holiday episodes of TBBT, this one's our favorite.

  
  

  The episode doesn't start by indicating that it is a holiday episode outright. The episode eases into Christmas subtly, with decorations quietly appearing in the background long before the word “Christmas” is even mentioned. The topic of the holidays doesn't come up until the 5:18 mark when Penny asks about Sheldon and Leonard's Christmas tree, and she was answered with a lecture on the ancient pagan festival of Saturnalia.

  
  

  Favorite Moment: Sheldon’s neurotic gift-reciprocation system meets its match in Penny’s heartfelt present: a napkin signed by Leonard Nimoy. Sheldon, in an ecstatic state of panic, ends up giving Penny all the gift baskets and backups he bought with a bonus of an ever-rarer Sheldon Cooper hug.

• Abbott Elementary

  S04 E07, The Winter Show

  
  

  You can trust the writers of Abbott Elementary to come up with one of the most heartwarming Christmas episodes on TV. Known for its smart quips and unserious playfulness, this show knows how to mix sweetness with comedic savviness.

  
  

  The episode centers around the Abbott Elementary Christmas show. When Barbara overhears a student being bullied for not celebrating Christmas, she decides to reconsider the school’s holiday program to make it more inclusive for everyone.

  
  

  Favorite Moment: Barbara decisively shifting the Christmas show into a Winter Show so every student feels welcome.

  
  

• BONUS: The full Dash and Lily limited series

  
  

  If you want to commit to something longer, Dash & Lily is a cozy, low-stakes holiday binge.

  
  

  This show revolves around the whirlwind Christmas romance between the cynical Dash and optimistic Lily, where they trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations around New York City.

  
  

  Favorite Moment: Dash’s mochi-making session with Japanese grandmothers and Lily’s cathartic "art break" class, where both characters leave with a profound lesson about slowing down and finding beauty in the chaos of letting go.

What are your favorite holiday TV episodes? Share your recommendations in the comments below! We’d love to hear what you're watching this season, and we might just update our list!