A Closer Look Back in the day, and that "day" being the 1960s, the 1970s, and to some extent, the early 1980s, Christmas TV specials were defined and measured by animated programming such as ...

By the 1960s, animated Christmas specials weren't a new thing. Rankin/Bass's Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer was released in 1964, and A Charlie Brown Christmas was released in 1965.

By the early 1960s, many cultural commentators had already criticized the commercialization of Christmas and the emphasis on gifts and holiday spending.

Closer takes a look at the best Christmas specials that aired in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, bringing readers back to the golden era.

By the early 1960s, many cultural commentators had already criticized the commercialization of Christmas and the emphasis on gifts and holiday spending.