Seemingly out of obligation, a lot of TV shows this time of year either have Christmas in the background or go for full-blown Christmas-themed episodes. Very few of these are actually good, usually stuffing some forced cheer or a soft message about unity and peace into the series no matter how incongruous the subject matter may be with the show itself. So, it's no small accomplishment for a series to really sell the Christmas episode as not just good TV, but also as an essential part of the show. Here are a few examples of shows that got it right.

The Simpsons: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"

In 1989, Fox introduced the world to what would become the most beloved, widely-recognized TV family in history with this memorable Christmas special. "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" wasn't intended to be the first episode of The Simpsons to air independent of The Tracey Ullman Show where it premiered, but it was probably the wisest choice as a lead-off for this unlikely midseason replacement. This touching, funny episode set up the central premise of the show with remarkable grace, hitting home just what kind of family the Simpson clan of Springfield was. They were decidedly blue collar, a tight-knit group of misfits who did their best with what little they had. Though their Christmas wasn't capable of reaching the materialistic splendor they weren't too good to want, they still managed to make the most of it. Also, this episode marks the entrance of Santa's Little Helper, the goofy greyhound who became the Simpsons' most fitting family pet.

Frasier: "A Miracle on 3rd or 4th Street"

All told, Frasier was one of the best shows of the 1990's and a pretty remarkable work of comedy for a spin-off. This 1993 episode from Season 1 has everything that's good about the show, plus a little extra pathos just for good measure. At its best, Frasier had an underlying sadness to it that still reflected the brooding psychiatrist everyone remembered from Cheers. The real comedy inherent to the life of Dr. Frasier Crane was that he was always a little too uptight to enjoy everything there is to enjoy about life, but he was also never so hopeless that his melodrama seemed justified. "Miracle" finds Frasier stuck in a true wallow of a Christmas after he is denied a visit with his son and butts heads with his father over some tacky but harmless decorations. His call-in patients are increasingly depressing and the whole night ends with a lonely Christmas dinner with a bunch of homeless people. In a show that made its stock and trade the constant humbling of the world's most pompous man, this episode is all too apt, though it isn't entirely bereft of holiday sentimentality.

The Sopranos: "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power"

The Sopranos was the perfect show for its time and it ushered in a new era of hard-hitting dramas on premium cable stations. This episode from Season 3 does what any good serialized show ought to do with Christmas specials, allowing the complicated plot arc to blend seamlessly with the trappings of the holiday. "...To Save Us All" is chock full of the tragic irony, brutal violence and dark humor that defined The Sopranos from day one. In its most memorable moment, our quintessential anti-hero Tony adds the name of one of his soon-to-be victims to his Christmas list, delivering a severely beaten thug who terrorized his sister Janice in the same way he delivers expensive gifts to his children. It's that kind of smirking shock that kept viewers tuning in even after The Sopranos went on an absurd hiatus in the middle of the decade.

So far, there have been no standout Christmas specials on TV this year, but we've got the whole month of December to look for some. Happy Holidays, everybody.