The Seven Essential Holiday Programs

Not an episode of South Park per se, the five-minute short that introduced Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny established it as a show with heart: a filthy, vulgar, sacrilegious, ingenious heart. Jesus appears before the four kids seeking a final showdown against his mortal enemy, Santa Claus. ("Ho, ho, ho! We meet again, Jesus!") After much cursing, fisticuffs and the first of Kenny's many deaths, the children learn a valuable lesson: whether you're Jew or Gentile, Christ or Kringle, the holiday season is about one universal thing...presents.

— James Poniewozik