With the holidays rapidly approaching, I feel myself quickly reverting to my younger self in terms of the content I wish to consume. Being raised on Disney and Nickelodeon TV shows and movies, these are the ones that I remember most fondly from my childhood. I have created a watchlist of my most nostalgic media to watch so that everyone can feel the holiday vibes this December.
iCarly: Season 2, Episode 7 – iChristmas
In December of 2008, iCarly released its first Christmas episode, “iChristmas.” In this episode, Carly’s older brother, Spencer, who is an artist, welds a metal christmas tree to celebrate the holidays; this unconventional tree catches fire and burns all of the presents underneath it, including all of the gifts that Carly bought.
In her fit of anger towards her brother, Carly makes a wish for a “normal brother.” In a shocking turn of events, her wish comes true from a Christmas angel and she is allowed a glimpse into a life where she has a “normal” brother. As she sees how different her life would be without her wacky brother, she begins to regret ever making this wish.
In the end, Carly’s life is switched back to normal and she becomes grateful for her brother despite his annoyances, but it is not without a struggle—including chicken wings—that Carly is able to get her life back.
This episode has become a classic in my family that is rewatched yearly as its comical antics allow for my siblings and I to drift back into our childhood.
Good Luck Charlie: It’s Christmas!
The Duncans are taking a family trip to visit their grandparents in sunny Palm Springs, California to escape the cold of Colorado. However, the oldest daughter, Teddy, wants to go on a trip to Florida for spring break with her best friend, Ivy.
In order to show her parents that she is ready to travel on her own, when offered a free ticket if she takes the next flight to Palm Springs due to over booking, Teddy jumps at the offer. However, her mom is not so fond of the idea, and they are both forced to leave the flight. This proves to be an issue as there are no flights to Palm Springs until after Christmas.
This tasks the Duncan girls with finding their own way to meet the rest of the family. They traverse through snow, losing their luggage and performing to get money for their travels. Through all of the chaos, the family is drawn closer together and they are able to spend a special Christmas together.
This movie is a heartwarming film best enjoyed with the whole family. As the Duncans face hardship after hardship, it reveals that in the end, anything is possible with the support of one’s family.
Cloud 9
In the 2014 film starring Dove Cameron and Luke Benward, Will Cloud experiences a traumatic accident while attempting to do a snowboarding trick he invented called the “Cloud 9,” cleverly named after himself. He ended up severely injured, halting his career and leading him to work at his family’s dog kennel.
As Kayla Morgan, a fellow snowboarder, and her boyfriend Nick were sledding, they lost control and while Nick jumped off, he left Kayla alone to crash into a historic sign and break Will’s sled (which they stole). Due to the damage Kayla causes, she pays back the family by working at the kennel.
Kayla and her boyfriend break up following the incident and Kayla learns that she is not the amazing snowboarder she has always been told she is. So, Kayla asks Will to help her train for a competition, eventually getting him to oblige.
With the movie soundtrack including original music such as “Cloud 9,” sung by Cameron and Benward, this has become a nostalgic favorite of mine. Set in the wintertime, it is the perfect time to grab a cup of hot chocolate and rewatch this childhood classic.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 2, Episode 8 – Christmas Who?
Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel who lives underwater with her fish friends, decorates her tree dome with colorful lights. To Spongebob, unfamiliar with Christmas traditions, he becomes panicked.
Sandy is shocked that Spongebob doesn’t know about Christmas and informs him of the legend of Santa Claus. The idea of Santa excites Spongebob and he informs the other town members of this mystical man.
The whole town bands together to await the arrival of Santa as they gather around a lit tree singing the words “Santa’s coming tonight tonight.”
This singing continues on until the morning as they all realize Santa never came. As the town is nearly ready to give up, the usually grumpy Squidward has a change of heart and tears his home apart in order to provide gifts to all of the Bikini Bottom citizens.
This episode perfectly encapsulates the giving spirit of the holidays. As Squidward was initially opposed to the idea of Santa, when he saw how sad his community was at the lack of a visit from this mythical man, he sprung into action to make others happy, in the true Christmas spirit.
