Hope Is Like A Christmas Tree: The 5 Greatest Hanna-Barbera Christmas Specials

From the late 50s right through to the 90s, Joseph Hanna and William Barbera were two of the biggest names in television animation. Together, the duo created classic shows and characters such as The Flintstones, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, and many more. Most of Hanna-Barbera's most popular shows continued in reruns for decades after they originally aired, making the characters known and loved over multiple generations. Some, like Scooby Doo, have been rebooted numerous times, rarely leaving screens at all, while others have only been reimagined more recently, in the HBO Max series Jellystone!.

At the height of their success, Hanna-Barbera regularly produced Christmas specials based on their characters, and many of these specials remain deeply loved classics even today. A number of songs, as well as the design of Santa Claus, were reused across more than one special, creating a nice sense of continuity, even though the characters do not always exist in the same universe.

To get us into the festive season, let's take a look at five of the greatest Hanna-Barbera Christmas Specials.

1. A Flintstone Christmas

A Flintstone Christmas was first aired in 1977. The story opens with Fred Flintstone expressing reluctance to play the role of Santa Claus at a Christmas party for the Bedrock Orphanage, for fear of being ridiculed by his workmates. However, he is forced to accept the part when he learns that the party has been organised by the Wife of his Boss, Mr Slate. As he and Barney, dressed as an elf, are about to leave for the party, the real Santa Claus falls off the roof of the Flintstone house, breaking his leg. To keep Christmas from being cancelled, Fred and Barney are forced to fill in. Meanwhile, those at the party are left thinking Santa is a no-show, putting Fred's job under threat.

A Flintstone Christmas was the first, and most well-known, of three Flintstones Christmas specials. It was followed by A Flintstone Family Christmas in 1993, and A Flintstones' Christmas Carol in 1994. While it was produced first, chronologically, A Flintstone Christmas fits inbetween Christmas Carol and Family Christmas.

2. Yogi's First Christmas

Yogi's First Christmas is a movie-length Yogi Bear special that first aired in 1980. Usually, Yogi Bear and Boo Boo miss Christmas, as the Holiday comes during their Winter hibernation period. Ranger Smith prefers it this way, as Yogi has a tendency to cause trouble, and if the upcoming Christmas Festival at Jellystone Lodge does not go well, the lodge will be sold.

However, Yogi and Boo Boo are woken from hibernation by their friends, Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, and Auggie Doggie singing Christmas Carols. Eager to experience Christmas for the first time, the two bears commit to helping their friends save the Lodge, thwarting the plans of Herman, a Christmas-hating hermit who wants to ruin the Festival.

For some showings, the film was split into three half-hour episodes, aired in the days leading up to Christmas. Yogi's First Christmas included Hanna-Barbera's third use of the song 'Hope', first used in A Christmas Story, and again in A Flintstone Christmas. In this film, the song is sung by Boo Boo Bear.

3. Casper's First Christmas

Casper's First Christmas premiered in 1979, as a crossover between Harvey Comics Casper The Friendly Ghost, and the Yogi Bear franchise. While Casper the Friendly Ghost is eager to celebrate Christmas, his friend, Hairy Scary, believes Casper should be more focused on scaring people, and finding a new place to haunt before their current home is demolished.

While Casper and Hairy Scary are out in search of a new home, Yogi Bear and friends, having become lost on the way to the Mountain Lodge in which they were supposed to spend Christmas, stumble upon the old house and, due to an incoming storm, decide to stay and make the best of things. When the ghosts return, Casper is eager to join in with the Christmas festivities, and the others, believing him to be a child still dressed up for Halloween, happily include him. Hairy Scary, however, is not pleased, repeatedly attempting to frighten the newcomers away.

Due to the mention of Yogi and co heading for a lodge, many Hanna-Barbera fans chronologically place Casper's First Christmas after Yogi's First Christmas, even though it was released a year before.

4. Baby's First Christmas (The Smurfs)

The Smurfs are preparing for a very special Christmas, as it will be the first since Baby Smurf's arrival. Unfortunately, the special day is threatened when the evil witch, Chlorohydrits, gives local friendly toymaker Mr. Nicholas a magical kiss of hate, subtracting the love from his heart and causing him to decide against delivering toys that year. The Smurfs must restore Nicholas to his jolly old self and save Christmas not just for Baby, but a little boy named Eric who's Christmas wish is that his sick Mother gets well.

'Baby's First Christmas' first aired in 1983, as part of season 3 of The Smurfs. It is one of three Christmas themed Smurfs episodes, the others being The Smurfs Christmas Special and 'Tis The Season To Be Smurfy. The latter features another first Christmas, that of Wild Smurf.

5. Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper

In 1982, another Yogi-centric Christmas Special, Yogi's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper, aired for the first time. Ranger Smith is looking forward to a quiet Christmas, believing, again, that Yogi and Boo Boo have entered hibernation. When Yogi's friends from the city (Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Auggie Doggie, and a few others) unexpectedly arrive to spend Christmas with him, Smith reluctantly calls to let him know, only to find that Yogi and Boo Boo, not knowing their friends were coming, had fled to the city to see them. Angered by the two bears' antics, Smith calls the authorities to have them apprehended and returned to Jellystone Park.

Meanwhile, in the city, Yogi and Boo Boo meet and befriend Judy Jones, the daughter of a very busy billionaire businessman. Judy has run away from home because her Father never spends enough time with her. While Yogi and Boo Boo's friends search for them, the bears try to help Judy while dodging the police, who wrongfully believe that Yogi has kidnapped the little girl. Both parties are aided along the way by other classic Hanna-Barbera characters including Wally Gator, Magilla Gorilla, and even The Flintstones.

The special is fondly remembered for the high number of cameos.

Most Hanna-Barbera content, including these specials, are streamable on HBO Max, which unfortunately is not yet widely available outside the U.S. Luckily, they are not too difficult to find elsewhere online.

Merry Christmas!