There was a time when variety shows ruled television, and just about any celebrity you could imagine took a spin at hosting one such show at one time or another. The sheer prevalence of the genre meant that Christmas episodes were a no-brainer, and when you pair celebrity variety shows with some of America's favorite singers, you get the birth of the Christmas Crooner TV Special.
There are dozens of specials like these, from classics to forgettable relics, starring legends and would-be legends, and they ran from basically the dawn of television into the 1980s, and even continue now in some forms. When we think of "Christmas crooner TV," though, we tend to think mostly about the 20-year period from the late 1950s to the late 1970s, when the big names were all operating and the format was set. They're dated, to be sure, but there's also something timeless about these shows, a sense of jovial celebration that makes for some wonderful light Christmas viewing.