A Garfield Christmas is a 1987 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast December 21, 1987 on CBS and was rebroadcast on CBS every year thereafter until 2000. It was only recently rebroadcast again in 2008 on ABC Family. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.
TV Guide ranked the special number 10 on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list.[1]
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In a brightly decorated house Garfield (voiced by Lorenzo Music) is awakened by Jon (voiced by Thom Huge) dressed as an elf, who says it is Christmas and Garfield must be treated to a large amount of lasanga before opening his gift, which consists of a robotic Santa which reads minds and produces whatever Garfield wants, pleasing him until Jon actually wakes him up and he realizes he was dreaming. Jon tells him it is Christmas Eve and that he Garfield and Odie (voiced by Gregg Berger)are going to the countryside to celebrate Christmas with Jon's family on their farm. Garfied wonders why they always go to the farm and wonders why they never come to their place instead. During the drive to the farm Jon talks about the Christmas' he had as a child. Making their animated debuts are the sweet and always cooking Mom (voice by Julie Payne), hard working farmer Dad (voiced by Pat Harrington Jr.), mischievous younger brother Doc Boy (voiced by David L. Lander), and the tough as nails Grandma (voiced by Pat Carroll). Grandma and Garfield quickly grow a special bond. Jon, Odie and Garfield take a walk while Grandma spikes Mom's sausage gravy, by adding chili powder. Jon and Garfield return for supper, while Odie works on something secretive and then sneaks back into the house. During supper Grandma sneaks some food to the pets. After supper they decorate the tree. Jon has Garfield put the star on, as no one else can reach the top of the tree. Next Mom asks Doc Boy to play a song on the piano. Grandma shoves him aside, as he can't sing and plays her version of "O Christmas Tree". Mom then plays "Christmas In Your Heart", while Grandma tells Garfield about her beloved and deceased husband. Mom the then has Dad read a book called Binky: The Clown Who Saved Christmas. Dad is reluctant, as he is tired of reading it every year, but then reluctantly reads it anyway. That night Garfield finds out about Odie's suspicious activity and follows him into the barn and sees him make something out of a piece of wood, some wire, a plunger handle and a hand rake. While there Garfield stumbles upon some old letters that he figures must be 50 years old. Jon and Doc Boy wake Dad at 1:30 am and ask if it's time to open presents. Dad answers no and angrily tells them to go to bed when they argue that it is technically Christmas morning now. The next morning, just when it seems like all the presents have been opened, Garfield gives Grandma the letters he found in the barn. These letters were love notes written to Grandma by her late husband from when they first met and courted. Garfield finds out that Odie had been busy making Garfield the ultimate Christmas gift: a homemade back scratcher. This is a rare glimpse at Garfield's other side, as he learns one of the true meanings of Christmas and gladly thanks Odie for the gift. Everybody sings "A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas".
This special is available on the DVD Garfield's Holiday Celebrations.