The ones that come to mind are: "Five Characters in Search of an Exit," "Changing of the Guard," "What You Need," and "Night of the Meek."
I'd have to go with "Five Characters in Search of an Exit."
I like all three, but my fave is Changing of the Guard. I love those It's a Wonderful Life sort of stories where one finally discovers that his life and what he did had a positive impact on people. Mr. Holland's Opus is another good example.
share"Professor Ellis Fowler, teacher, who discovered belatedly something of his own value. A very small, scholastic lesson from the campus of 'The Twilight Zone.'"
Those words, combined with Pleasance's guileless grin, as he eats something I would venture is a gruel of some kind (its looks certainly aren't of the appetizing-variety that's for sure), puts a lump in my throat every time.
A lovely episode with a pleasingly understated vibe throughout.
those are all great but i never even thought of your favorite one, angularturnip, as a christmas episode since it wasn't mentioned until the conclusion of the story, it is featured on a twilight zone christmas special dvd though along with "night of the meek" i guess that's when i connected it, in the definitive dvd edition bill windom makes some great background commentary on that episode. i'd have to say my favorite of these episodes probably is "the changing of the guard", the radio adaptation of that has an extended closing narration. still i think "night of the meek" is really the must see for christmas, it is by far heaviest on the christmas vibe and for a long while that was the only episode i thought of as "christmas in the twilight zone", there also is a fourth christmas episode now "snow angel" on the twilight zone radio dramas. by the way, i see "its a wonderful life" is brought up here, i've read that "a passage for trumpet" was rod serling's take on "its a wonderful life".
🎅 🎄 🌃
in the snow dug deep,
like 21st century cleopatra revealed,
in my world she ran in,
exotic darlin stayed on christmas eve,
in your face,
history couldnt be erased,
once again had me enslaved.
I've listened to the radio version of "Changing of the Guard" and enjoyed it a lot. Orson Bean, who starred in Mr. Bevis, played Professor Fowler, and was a worthy successor to the great Donald Pleasance.
shareChanging of the guard for the same reasons you stated.And having Donald Pleasance in it is an added bonus.
shareMy favorite Christmas episode is Night of the Meek.
shareAngularTurnip, in terms of the Christmas spirit, my favorite is "Night Of The Meek". Regarding a dramatic approach to the fight for survival that is part of the Christmas story, I prefer "What You Need".
shareI'm gratified that Changing of the Guard is getting more love than it used to. I've long been an advocate of this simple story so wonderfully acted. This episode is also well edited, paced, and filmed.
I also love Night of the Meek. Nice story and an Art Carney that does this department store bum and drunk Santa justice. Too bad no film of it exists.