Father Knows Best had these Christmas episodes in its series:

"Christmas Story" - aired on December 19, 1954. Jim is concerned that family members have forgotten the traditions of Christmas and takes them into the country to cut their own tree. A snow storm results in them being snowbound in a boarded-up country store where they meet "Nick" (played by Wallace Ford) who is actually homeless and using the structure and its contents. Through him, the family finds the importance of believing.

This story is told in an episode on December 15, 1958. The family is putting up their tree and the story is told in flashbacks as Cathy recalls the circumstances from four years before.

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"The Angel's Sweater" aired on December 19, 1956. Jim's sister, Neva (played by Katherine Warren) is visiting and has an altercation with Kathy early on Christmas Eve. This results in a gloomy eveing until Kathy learns of the greatest gift in a story told by a repairman (Ludwig Stossel) and she and Aunt Neva make up at the end. When the closing credits to this episode are shown, a rousing intrumental version of Jingle Bells is played.

There is also the reunion movie "Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas", which I hope we get on the season 6 DVD--which work has been started on!!

I didn't mean to leave that one out. I've always enjoyed watching it since it was first aired on NBC's "Big Event" in December, 1977. That same show has been repeated several times on one of the cable channels right around this time of the year. It shows some up-dates in the Anderson "home" (particularly in the kitchen) and brings the viewers up to date on the three children. I especially like the flashback (taken from "Betty and the Jet Pilot" episode) used in that show that shows Betty on the front porch as her boy friend flies over in the plane to Alaska. If you recall that original episode, after the flight has passed over and Betty knows he will not be calling to ask her to marry him, a delivery man comes to the door with a puppy for her from him. When asked if the pup has a name, the delivery man replies, "Would you believe...."Home for Christmas?". I've wished they would have used that part in the flashback as well. Of course, as is seen in this 1977 episode, she did finally marry that pilot.

I would like to see the Christmas movie and the Anniversary movie that was before that. The kids come for Jim & Margaret's anniversary. Betty's husband has died and she meets up with the pilot again. Anyone know anything about Season 6?

Those "Anniversary" and "Christmas" programs were two-hour made-for-TV shows in 1977. I believe both were shown on NBC-TV in that year.

yes, they were. They aired on a show called "THE BIG EVENT" which was a showcase that NBC used for the TV premieres of big-budget movies (2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY", "EARTHQUAKE" etc.), reunion movies and specials, etc.

When USA reran these in the late 80s, weren't they just 90 minutes?

When USA reran these in the late 80s, weren't they just 90 minutes?

I actually have these recorded on VHS but I cannot remember how long they were. I remember recording them at the time.

I sure hope they include these two movies with the 6th season. There is nothing I hate more than them putting out all the seasons separately and not adding movies like these, then putting out a complete series with the extras. I hate it when there is no way to get the "extras" without having to rebuy everything I have already.

So, anything on the 6th season?

It sounds like TerReuv is describing the Wild Wild West DVD releases. I bought all the separate seasons only to find out they added the 2 reunion movies in their complete box set and only in the complete box set. So now I am out of luck unless I want to buy doubles of everything just to get 2 movies. (I do have them on tape and I did transfer my tapes of these 2 movies, but I was hoping to get the commercial release sometime.) So such is life when you deal with sneaky video companies.

I don't think Shout! would do that to the fans....at least I hope not.

The Christmas episode that I remember best, is where they are stuck out in the country on Christmas Eve and some old guy lets them stay the night at his place. Cathy sees him feeding his animals and thinks he is Santa Claus. Thats as far as I can remember.