It’s that time of year again, the time where the Christmas movies and television specials come out to bring that holiday cheer. Like many television shows, American Dad! and Family Guy have had their fair selection of Christmas specials. Whilst on the outside, the two series feel similar, fans of both will know how different the two series are. Whilst Family Guy was created and guided by Seth McFarlane, American Dad! has had less of his involvement outside of voice acting.
Both series have over 300 episodes with no signs of slowing down. These are the top ten, (five for each) American Dad! and Family Guy Christmas themed episodes, according to the user ratings on IMDb.
10 Family Guy: Don’t Be a Dickens at Christmas (7.1)
When Peter decides he doesn’t want to partake in any of the family’s Christmas activities, he’s left home alone. Whilst falling asleep whilst watching a Christmas themed Patrick Swayze movie, Peter wakes up to find Swayze in his lounge room.
Patrick Swayze explains that he has come back from the dead to remind Peter about the true meaning of Christmas, which Peter dubs “Road Ghost.” Swayze takes Peter back to the year 1970/80/90 (a reference to the characters not aging) to show him how he spent Christmas as a child when he was full of Christmas spirit. This was the final episode to star Carrie Fischer as Peter’s boss, Angela.
9 American Dad!: Minstrel Krampus (7.8)
American Dad! has had its fair share of Christmas themed episodes, and they’re all quite highly regarded by fans. This episode is a musical parody of Beauty and the Beast with a hip-hop vibe. When Krampus kidnaps Steve, taking him to Bavaria, Stan must turn to Santa for help.
Santa agrees to help Stan if they ensure that Krampus is killed. Meanwhile, Steve learns that Krampus isn’t evil after all and only punishes naughty children. When Stan and Santa arrive at the castle, it is revealed that Santa is in fact the real bad guy.
8 Family Guy: How The Griffin Stole Christmas (7.2)
On a visit to the mall, Peter gets roped into becoming the new Santa. Meanwhile, Brian and Stewie crash an office Christmas party which ultimately leads to Stewie becoming an employee. Back at the mall, Peter enjoys the perks of his new job and continues to receive free stuff.
The real Santa visits Peter outside the Fuzzy Clam and explains that Peter is destroying his reputation. Santa threatens Peter by saying he’ll put him on the top of his naughty list if he doesn’t stop pretending to be Santa. The rest of the episode results in the two having a war of pranks, which continues to escalate.
7 American Dad!: Seasons Beatings (7.9)
When Stan attempts to get the role of Jesus in the church play, he loses to Roger and is instead given the role of Santa. After beating up Roger in full costume, Stan is kicked out of all religion and finds out there are only three impossibly difficult ways to get back in.
Meanwhile, Jeff adopts a child that they name Nemo who is later revealed to be the son of Satan. Stan, along with Roger and Jeff travel to the Vatican to obtain the sacred daggers needed to destroy Nemo.
6 Family Guy: Christmas Guy (7.6)
When the annual Christmas Carnival is canceled by Carter Pewterschmidt as he hates the whole holiday, Peter attempts to help him regain his Christmas spirit. It’s not till Peter accuses Carter of acting Jewish that he reinstates the carnival.
On a visit to the mall, a sad Stewie, still mourning the death of Brian earlier in the season, notices a past version of him wandering around and realizes he can steal the time pad off his former self. Stewie, with the help of Vinny, travels to the past and prevents Brian’s death from ever happening.
5 American Dad!: The Best Christmas Story Never Told (8.0)
In the present day, Stan finds out that Christmas trees have been banned and people are not allowed to say Merry Christmas. Stan blames Jane Fonda for modern liberalism as her going to Vietnam revitalized the hippie movement.
Stan is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past who takes him to 1970. Stan ends up escaping from the Ghost and searches for Jane Fonda, attempting to assassinate her before she can ruin Christmas. Meanwhile, the Ghost of Christmas Past returns to the present to recruit Francine in tracking Stan down.
4 Family Guy: A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas (7.7)
The first Family Guy Christmas special follows the many mishaps that the Griffins encounter on the lead up to Christmas Day. This includes Peter accidentally donating all the family’s presents to charity and Stewie believing that Santa is some omnipotent demon. At the mall, Stewie makes a deal with the mall Santa (who can’t understand him) to be a good boy if Santa supplies him plutonium.
Back at the house, Brian attempts to cook the turkey but the result is the living room is burnt when an ember lands on the rug. Lois finally snaps when there are no paper towels in the house and begins going on a rampage throughout the town.
3 American Dad!: For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls (8.6)
Against Francine’s wishes, Stan gives Steve a gun for Christmas which results in Steve accidentally killing Santa Claus. Although they hide the body, Santa is revived by his elves and sets out to get revenge on the Smiths. The Smiths start to receive threatening letters from an unknown sender revealing they know what the Smiths did.
The Smiths take refuge at the cabin of a moonshiner acquaintance of Rogers. The family must then fend off attacks by elves, reindeer, and snowmen. Thankfully, the moonshiner, Bob Todd has an armory full of weapons.
2 Family Guy: Road to the North Pole (8.3)
Stewie forces Brian to take him to the North Pole so that he can kill Santa Claus for blowing him off at the mall. This extended two-part episode includes several musical numbers and remains the most well-received Family Guy Christmas special ever.
When the duo eventually reaches the North Pole, but they find that Santa’s workshop is a run-down factory with inbred elves and a sickly Santa. Stewie and Brian agree to deliver the presents when Santa is too ill to do so. After a failed first attempt, the two decide to reveal how sick Santa is to the world and show how their greed is killing him.
1 American Dad!: Raptures Delight (8.9)
On Christmas morning, the rapture occurs, leaving Stan, Francine, and Roger on Earth to live out the seven years of tribulations. During this time, Francine and Stan are no longer together and the world has become a post-apocalyptic wasteland. When Jesus reveals Francine has been kidnapped by the Anti-Christ, Stan springs into action.
Stan and Jesus find Roger along the way and use his spaceship to travel to the United Nations, where the Anti-Christ is living. During the battle, Stan is shot and dies when he activates the bomb to destroy the lair. Upon his death, Stan is then taken to his own personalized heaven which ends up being the Smith family home.
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