Why does TV hate Easter?

For at least a month yearly TV blasts one thing into our heads: Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. Sit-coms and dramas alike go to extreme lengths to play up the holiday cheer. Major networks cut out special prime-time hours to play perennial Christmas specials that are so old my parents my parents can't remember when they first aired.

But when the most important Christian Holiday rolls around in early spring there’s barely a mention of Easter, except maybe the occasional reference to a creepy guy at the mall in a bunny suit. After frantically searching for Easter-related episodes for weeks on our seasonally-themed TV blog, HolidaySPECIAL, the offerings were paltry.

There were only a few. In 21 years on the air, The Simpsons mentions Easter on two occasions that I can find. The first is in the season 10’s Simpsons Bible Stories episode, when the family is sleeping through a particularly boring Easter sermon (In fact the only hint we have here that its an Easter sermon is that Homer put a chocolate rabbit on the offering plate). Then in Season 20 the show’s opening season tackles an Easter egg hunt, ending with Homer taking revenge on a rabbit-dressed man. This is about as good as it gets for Easter, even from the Simpsons, which last year devoted an entire episode the country of Israel.

This year I couldn’t find a single Easter-themed show airing during the weeks leading up to Easter. Only the traditional "Ten Commandments" film, which has nothing to do with Easter, is airing on ABC the day before the holiday.

Easter: The Dick Van Dyke Show

Rob has to choose between going to Washington for work or seeing his son be the main bunny in the school program. With pressure from his wife and his boss, he ends up having one crazy dream.

And I have to ask one thing. Why is it called "The Dick Van Dyke Show" when his character's name is Rob Petrie? I mean when Rosanne Barr got her own show called "Roseanne," her character's name was also "Roseanne."



Rob's boss tells him not to be a puppet and go to Washington to see an up and coming singer. But his wife Laura tells him not to let their son Richie down by missing him be the main bunny in the school program. Rob feels like he just can't win. He ends up telling his side of the story to the guy in the next seat on the airplane on the way back from Washington.

Easter: Homer Takes on the Easter Bunny

The Simpsons are always great for a holiday special. And this Season 17 episode is no exception.

Here's Ralph collecting Easter Eggs. Too bad he has a whole in the bottom of the basket. If you search on youtube, you can watch him do it for 10 minutes straight.

And if you want to watch Homer beat up the Easter Bunny, here it is on milkandcookies.com. "Silly Rabbit, kicks are for ribs." You also get a great look into the mayor's office.

The Simpsons Season 17 Episode 7 "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas"




This is another episode where Marge tries to make new friends in high society. But this time she is not wearing the same pink Chanel suit over and over again. But she does discover that they are thieves planning a heist.


And Lisa turns to Milhouse when she wants help learning Italian. 

Easter: "Why does the easter bunny hide eggs mommy?"

Here's an oldie from the comic-turned-into-television genre -- A Family Circus Easter from 1982. The A Family Circus gang takes on the egg and candy holiday with their usual G-rated humor. There's even singing!

A Family Circus Easter Easter, 1982

You'll probably have to look for this one on tape at the old video store. Billy, Dolly and Jeffy try to outsmart and catch the Easter Bunny by hiding their eggs in a trap. How innocent.

Just like other comic-to-tv adaptions, A Family Circus Easter is full of short gags that seem to fall flat when put into full action (See also every Peanuts special).

For that matter, I never quite understood A Family Circus at all. It's like Peanuts without the wit. "Oh look, there's a bowl of spaghetti on the baby's head -- again!"

Easter: Super Chicken vs. Easter Bunny

I was always a little suspicious of the Easter Bunny. We let him into our homes to have free access to all of our goods. No wonder I couldn't find my watch after last spring.

From one of the recurring shows on George of the June, Super Chicken spoofs Easter with a villainous take on our favorite spring icon.

George of the Jungle, 1967, Episode 7: "The Easter Bunny"



An old favorite, Super Chicken was a part of the George of the Jungle Show on CBS. Super Chicken was a comedic fowl given super skills by his "super sauce.

The clip turns Easter on its ear by lampooning our trust in characters like the Easter Bunny. When the Easter Bunny begins robbing banks (and "no one dared stop the Easter Bunny") its Super Chicken to the rescue.

SNL: Easter Album

Saturday Night Live can also get me in the holiday spirit. And here is Kirbie Spacklespoon, yes that's right, Kirbie Spacklespoon, with a whole album of Easter songs.

It just wouldn't be Easter without Model-T cars and aliens. 

Saturday Night Live Season 34, Episode 20

Hey Hey Hey. Easter's on the way

Fat Albert is in the Easter spirit! But you never know what you are going to find inside the cascarones (Easter confetti eggs).

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids!

From Crackle: Easter Special

Fat Albert tries to get everyone into the Easter spirit with a little service project. They decide to clean up Mudfoot's place. But while they are there, Rudy decides to play a prank by greasing up a ladder. But it is Mudfoot that get hurt and sent to the hospital.

The kids decide to keep cleaning while Mudfoot is on the hospital and find all his overdue bills. Rudy saves the day and leaves money to help pay the bills.

Easter McHale's Navy

This flashback from the 60's, in all its black and white glory, has a whole episode surrounding Easter. An admiral has eggs sent to the base for himself everyone wants to get their hands on them. But the village kids really want an Easter egg hunt.

McHale's Navy Season 3 Episode 27 "Chuckie Cottontail"



After stealing the eggs from storage the guys make eggnog with some really awful alcohol that they could sell. When some Japanese soldiers enter camp, they steal the eggnog and get drunk.

Parker dresses up as the Easter Bunny for the kids' egg hunt. After returning to camp to find his missing tail, we runs into the admiral and two other officers who have been tied up with the drunk Japanese soldiers. The Japanese soldiers think he is a forest demon and surrender.

The whole episode is available on hulu.

Easter: The Haunted

Can Easter Eggs really be haunted? Animal Plant's The Haunted would like you to believe they can. I don't know that I believe it, but it is a pretty interesting idea.

The Haunted Season 1 Episode 1 "Easter Eggs?"



The home owners begin to believe that they have a spirit living with them when Easter Eggs start moving around on their own.

Easter: The Cake Boss is in Charge

How does Buddy the Cake Boss want to celebrate Easter? By watching Frankie dress up as the Easter Bunny and pass out brownie samples in front of the Bakery. He calms it is a way to lighten tension but I think he just thought it was funny.

Cake Boss Season 1 Episode 3 "Bunny, Birthday and Burnt Food"


This episode is full of special Easter pastries, a Easter cake for charity and 3 family birthday cakes. And grace cooks Easter dinner for the family.

Easter: Everybody Hates Chris

Everybody Hates Chris, the show that Chris Rock narrated about his life, was only on for four seasons, but they still had time to have an Easter episode. Got to love that!

Everybody Hates Chris Season 3 Episode 14 "Everybody Hates Easter"



Chris gets to escort Tasha to the Easter Pageant after she breaks up with her boyfriend. The only problem is Chris is already busy so he has to figure out how to be in two places at the same time without his mother finding out.

Rochelle is focused on the Easter Pageant Hat-Off competition. She has won it the past 3 years and is determined to win again this year. But this year she has some real competition from the newest member of the church.

And of course, Julius just wants to watch baseball so he pretends he has to work on Easter.

If you would like to watch the rest of the episode, it is available on youtube.

When Tasha breaks up with her boyfriend, Chris is more than happy to step in and serve as her escort for the Easter Pageant, but first he has to figure out how to be in two places at the same time without his mother finding out. Rochelle is confident that she'll win the Easter Pageant Hat-Off competition for the fourth year in a row, but she definitely has to up her game after finding out that the church's newest member intends to take away her title. Julius pretends that he has to work on Easter so that he can stay home and watch baseball. 

Easter: Will it ever get here?

Getting tired of waiting around for Easter this year? Ready for chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs? This is one of the latest possible dates for Easter, so I say stop waiting and start celebrating. All the best Easter treats are already in the store and the best that television has to offer on the subject will be on this blog leading up to the big day.

To start us off is Ugly Betty. We always expect crazy outfits from Betty but this time it is her boss getting into the holiday spirit.

Ugly Betty, Season 3 Episode 20 "Rabbit Test"



This episode is all about saving Mode. There's layoffs and magazines closing. There's furniture being carried away. Wilhelmina and Daniel decide it is time for drastic actions. They turn to Betty's boyfriend, Matt Hartley for help. well, actually to Matt's dad, Cal. And in an effort to impress, Daniel has to get dressed up as the Easter Bunny and make a full of himself at the Hartley family's charity Easter party.

This is also a big episode for Christina. She realizes that the baby she carried for Wilhelmina might actually be her biological son and not Wilhelmina's.

Easter: A little spring Peanuts Humor

A holiday isn't officially here until the Peanut's specials start airing on TV.

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, April 9, 1974

Click on image for video from YouTube.com

Charlie Schultz and the Peanuts seem to help ease us into any holiday with warm, family-friendly (and slightly depressing style).

Like most Peanut's Specials, "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" cobbles together several classic comic strips, combined with an over-arching theme. This time its the Easter Beagle, a classic copy of the Great Pumpkin from 1966.

These guys are still spooked 8 years later.

If I can figure out when this gets on TV, I'll post the time, channel and date.