Before there was BLUEY, there was RUGRATS. It was a cartoon with just as much appeal to adults as kids who grew up in the early-to-late 90s and early 00s. And that still holds up today. Someday, I’ll write about the Mother’s Day special. But for now, I’d love to reminisce about the show’s first Christmas-themed episode, THE SANTA EXPERIENCE.
THE SANTA EXPERIENCE is 22-minutes of pure comedic gold. It consists of two primary subplots. In one, Tommy and Chuckie plot to kidnap the Sandy Claws to prove to eternal scaredy-cat Chuckie that he’s not scary. In the other, ultimate brat girl, Angelica Pickles, tries to finally make up for her years of torturing the kids by undoing a cruel prank she plays on the twins, Phil and Lil. All of this culminates in a weekend getaway to a snowy cabin in the mountains for the holiday and results in some warm and hilarious moments that, for my money, haven’t aged a day.
Growing up, watching marathons of Nicktoon Xmas-themed episodes was the standard during Winter Break. And many have stayed permanent classics (see my review of HEY ARNOLD! ARNOLD’S CHRISTMAS for instance). But the RUGRATS holiday episode is just downright hilarious, even today. From the disastrous yet heartwarming stunt Chuckie’s dad, Chas, tries to pull to an incredibly hilarious phone call exchange between Angelica and who she believes to be Santa (but is actually a random, annoyed repair shop employee), each moment is steeped in hilarity and warmth as each of our favorite babies learns about friendship, penance, and the fact that Santa actually really is just nice!
An annual tradition that’s enjoyable and safe for kids to watch but just as humorous and pleasant for adults who will catch a lot of sly grown-up humor in every scene, THE SANTA EXPERIENCE is not to be missed for anyone looking for a nostalgic Nicktoon Christmas.
All episodes of RUGRATS are streaming on Paramount Plus.
