A Garfield Christmas Special

This is a Christmas family classic. I remember looking forward to Garfield every year around Christmas when I was a little kid. The show made our family come together with warm laughter and good spirits.

Seriously, who doesn't like Garfield? Mr. Davis, thank you for all those great years of the Garfield specials. The Christmas special in- particular. I loved this episode so much.

As one of millions of viewers, we all know Garfield is fun for the whole family, and can bring classic humor to our hearts. I mean it really. Who doesn't like Garfield? There is only one question that many others have wondered as well. Why do they call John's brother Doc-Boy in the Christmas special?

Garfield, that loveable fat lazy cat. One of my favourite characters from childhood. I used to get Garfield vids from my local rental store and watch them over and over. All of them seemed amazing at the time but the Christmas special was always my favourite. Now, almost twenty years later the cartoon still receives regular plays in my home. The plot is simple Garfield, Odie and Jon spend a family Christmas in the farm home that Jon grew up in. The songs are great, it's funny, sweet and ultimately moving. It manages to avoid the sentimentality that usually crops up in Christmas specials just by having Garfield constantly undercutting the feel-good nature with cynicism. Show this to the children in your life. It really is magical in a way that all the Disney animations could never be - because it has heart.

Have always had a big soft spot for Garfield as both a child and young adult, who is in a way a child at heart but with a significantly broader knowledge of film and television. He is such a funny and lovable character and his specials and 'Garfield and Friends' are every bit as good, and perhaps even better, now. Am not as much a fan of the 2000s show, and while to me the live action films are not that bad (the second especially, actually being a huge improvement) they are still nowhere near close to being as good and will never go down as classics.

When it comes to the Garfield specials, 'A Garfield Christmas Special' is my personal favourite and always has been. Also among the best Christmas specials ever made from personal opinion, mainly in animation but also otherwise. High praise indeed coming from such a big fan of animation and Christmas for practically my whole life, and there are so many classic examples of Christmas portrayed in animation too numerous to list. It is so lovely to see so many others who are also as fond of Garfield and 'A Garfield Christmas Special' as me.

The animation is still as colourful as remembered with the smooth drawing, far from sparse backgrounds and attention to detail holding up really well. The music is playful and never placed questionably. The songs are upbeat, have emotional impact and above all they're memorable. "Can't Wait Till Christmas" is my favourite. Not a dud in the lot and that has not been said a lot, there are other personal favourites featuring songs (either musicals or song heavy) that still have a song that doesn't quite do it for me.

Entertainment value is constant, with extremely funny wry and witty humour peppered throughout. Very few animation characters make or have made asides as hilarious and as endearing as Garfield does. Yet there is also an emotional impact that is genuinely moving and not schmaltzy, underneath all the fun there is also a big warm heart. Also constant is the charm. The story is slight but not simplistic and it doesn't try to do too much and it becomes cluttered and muddled (two things that 'A Garfield Christmas Special' never becomes), and the sprightly pace keeps things continually compelling.

Garfield never stops being funny and lovable and who can't help love adorable Odie? The voice acting is on point, Lorenzo Music owned Garfield and no voice actor since him voiced him better or as well, that is including the multi-talented Frank Welker.

In conclusion, wonderful. Christmas is not the same without this. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Garfield's Christmas is one of my family's favorite holiday traditions. We just love watching Garfield, Odie, and Jon team up with Jon's Family, especially Grandma, for some good old family Christmas time together.

Odie shows us that its not the gift we get, its the thought and effort put into it. As Garfield tells us, its not the getting, its not the getting, its the loving. And Grandma's memories scene is probably one of the most touching and heart-warming scenes I've seen in any presentation, animated or live-action.

Be sure to share this with your family and enjoy all that it has to offer.

Jon Arbuckle takes Odie and Garfield to his family's farm home for Christmas. Jon's excited, but Garfield wasn't as he prefers to have his Christmas back home.

Jon is welcomed by his whole family, his parents, his farm hand brother: "Doc Boy", and his Rowdy Grandmother.

Tis the Season, and Garfield thinks the whole holiday is all about the gifts. But after this holiday Garfield will learn that there's more to Christmas than the gifts themselves.

This one is very simple, but very well written. It may take place in one location, but it does have the usual jokes to keep things going. And it's a holiday treat for the die-hard Garfield fans. Or those who like holiday toons.