In 5 To Watch, five writers from The A.V. Club look at the latest streaming TV arrivals, each making the case for a favored episode. Alternately, they can offer up recommendations inspired by a theme. The reasons for their picks might differ, but they can all agree that each episode is a must-watch. In this installment, they dig into outings with made-up holidays.
Now that we’re well past the holidays—and in that oft-cold stretch between Martin Luther King Jr. Day this month and Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day next—let’s turn to the (mostly) made-up celebrations from classic TV comedies to keep us warm and festive. Prepare for a day that “started in 1924 as an excuse to beat up the Irish,” a boozy brunch for girlfriends, the return of Leap Dave Williams, and more onscreen merriment.
Whacking Day: The Simpsons (season four, episode 20)
The Simpsons‘ Whacking Day may be rooted in real-life traditions, but no actual town could possibly match the wild-eyed fervor of Springfield (no, not even one in Texas). This season-four episode, proposed by George Meyer and written by John Swartzwelder, is a classic example of the mob mentality that so often grips the town’s citizens. Bart’s expulsion from Springfield Elementary sparks a newfound interest in learning, which leads him to uncover the real origins of Whacking Day, which was actually “started in 1924 as an excuse to beat up the Irish.” He teams up with Lisa and Barry White to stop the snake-killing orgy, but not before the townspeople have already wreaked moderate levels of destruction. It was far from the only time Springfieldians would get swept up in a moment—the very next episode sees everyone turn on Marge, then unleash somewhat higher levels of destruction—but “Whacking Day” remains one of the show’s shrewdest send-ups of going along to get along. The episode also boasts some of the funniest moments in the show’s history, including Homer’s appeal to Lisa: “Maybe if I’m part of that mob, I can help steer it in wise directions.” [Danette Chavez]
Bellini Day: The Kids In The Hall (season five, episode 18)
Tucked deep in The Kids In The Hall‘s final stretch of episodes, the Kids pull off what is generally considered anathema to sketch comedy: an ending to one of the show’s longest-running and least explicable bits, Bellini. The sight of Hall writer Paul Bellini in a towel was a regular occurrence on the show, providing a button to a sketch in need of an ending. In “Bellini Day,” the Kids bring the runner to its rightful conclusion and make Bellini a Christlike figure. Thousands of years after people stopped believing in God, Bellini Day replaces Christmas in a sketch that captures the non-sequitur, unhurried nature of Bellini. As the future family crowds around the Bellini tree, with the youngest (played by Bruce McCulloch) clamoring for gifts, the father (portrayed by Mark McKinney) teaches him the meaning of Bellini Day by laying out the strange and somehow extremely Bellini-esque traditions, including “caroling disco tunes of Earth” and partaking of Bellini’s favorite beverage, buttermilk, in commemoration of the day Bellini was killed by an asteroid. In the end, the family learns the true meaning of Bellini Day by finding beauty in the banal and slow-moving before poking a hologram of the half-naked prophet. [Matt Schimkowitz]
Festivus: Seinfeld (season nine, episode 10)
“Stop crying and fight your father.” Those uncheerful words, from a dad (Jerry Stiller’s Frank Costanza) to his very adult son (Jason Alexander’s George), get at but one key ingredient of Festivus, the holiday the former “created” after becoming fed up with the commercialism of Christmas. Aside from the “feats of strength,” the invention also includes a look back on the disappointments of the year dubbed “the airing of grievances” (which would become the title of Titus Andronicus’ debut LP and is introduced by Frank like so: “I got a lotta problems with you people, and now you’re going to hear about it!”) and, of course, an aluminum pole. (“It requires no decoration—I find tinsel distracting,” per its founder.) Festivus actually dates back to the mid-1960s and was introduced to the world–or rather, his wife and kids—by the father of Dan O’Keefe, who would go on to write this episode with Barry‘s Alec Berg and The League‘s Jeff Schaffer, with at least one major difference: “The real symbol of the holiday was a clock that my dad put in a bag and nailed to the wall every year,” the scribe, who called the ritual “a sort of a family disgrace,” said during an interview on CNN. “I don’t know why; I don’t know what it means; he would never tell me. He would always say, ‘That’s not for you to know.'” [Tim Lowery]
Galentine’s Day: Parks And Recreation (season two, episode 16)
It doesn’t matter if Galentine’s Day was ever a thing in anyone’s world before February 11, 2010, because for all intents and purposes, this holiday was invented by Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). Parks And Recreation’s overenthusiastic protagonist established an unforgettable, fun way to celebrate female friendships, slotting February 13 as an ideal day for it because—in her own words—“hos before bros, uteruses before duderuses.” In “Galentine’s Day,” Leslie spends time with her closest gal pals, enjoying brunch, booze, and banter. As always, she also gives the most thoughtful gifts. The Michael Schur-penned ep has gone on to spawn real-world celebrations, complete with merch, greeting cards, and whatnot. Dudes may come and go, but as Leslie continues, “Ovaries before brovaries.” [Saloni Gajjar]
Leap Day: 30 Rock (season six, episode nine)
30 Rock obviously can’t take credit for inventing the concept of Leap Day—February 29 has been observed since the 1750s, and Modern Family also aired a Leap Day episode in 2012—but it can lay a definite claim to inventing its lore. In short, it’s a bonus day that comes every four years, an opportunity to try things or take chances that you may not otherwise. In the season-six episode, 30 Rock imagines a world in which Leap Day is celebrated like St. Patrick’s Day or even Christmas, with a color scheme (blue and yellow), traditions, and songs. The installment also christens the gilled Leap Dave Williams as a reluctant, Santa Clause-esque figurehead for the holiday. (Jim Carrey and pseudo-holiday aficionado Andie MacDowell star in the in-universe movie that marathons on the USA Network.) What’s more, the day also gives Tracy Jordan an opportunity to feed the homeless before his $50,000 Benihana gift card expires at the end of February and Jack Donaghy one to misinterpret the lesson of A Christmas Carol. So, in many ways, it was a regular day at this office. [Drew Gillis]
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