Christmas TV Specials, non rant edition

Okay, I'm not even going to get into a rant about the ridiculous numbers of Christmas movies, specials, concerts, events, and series that start to abide on all TV stations during this time of year.

Nope, not gonna go there.

Instead, I'm just going to focus on the silliness of holiday-themed episodes of current TV series. What I mean here is when you tune into Lipstick Jungle or Life or Psych and you find it's a 'special Thanksgiving (or Christmas or fill-in-other-holiday-here) edition.'

Don't get me wrong, I've seen it done really well. Who can forget the Friends Thanksgiving episodes? As memorable as the rest of the series (or perhaps more so), these celebrations of the current holiday were an homage to the characters and to the wackiness of a holiday itself.

Even more recently, Grey's Anatomy did a great Thanksgiving episode a few seasons back. I still remember the hilariousness of trying to dress the turkey, surgeon style... "Gloves, scalpel, baster..."

But it's a little weird this year. Sure, Life did a good black Friday episode, but it came a week or two early. Lipstick Jungle's Thanksgiving episode was a week in advance, even though the show itself was on the day after Thanksgiving. What happened to scheduling here?

So, as much as I love seeing my favorite TV characters sit down to carve the turkey or open presents, I think ABC, NBC, and corporate networks alike have forgotten the point. These episodes should be used only if they're useful as a plot device. If having a holiday shows something about a character's past, a character's neurosis, or another plot line that's important in the overall show. Just throwing it out there is a little annoying.

Plus, what's with all the Christmas stuff coming so early? Stephen Colbert's Christmas special was hilarious, but why was it on November 23? What about the Psych episode, the weekend after Thanksgiving?

Come on, it's enough that we have to see Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations go up in Michaels in August... At least check your calendars once in a while.