How Murray Saved Christmas

You'd think that with a hilarious writer adapting his own material, this holiday special would become a classic -- but sadly, no. Murray comes with a pedigree: It's written and executive-produced by Mike Reiss (The Simpsons), who also wrote the best-selling children's book of the same name. But the charm of Reiss' book is lost in its translation to the screen, with characters who come off as sour and unfunny rather than odd but lovable. Perhaps the problem is that the special opted for a more mainstream animation style that doesn't look like the eccentric, stylish drawings of David Catrow, Murray-the-book's illustrator. And the plot is a mash-up of Christmas tropes you'll recognize from other, better holiday movies: The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Elf.

But, although these holiday movies and specials found fresh things to say about the season and its celebrations, Murray doesn't. Some of the jokes are cringe-worthy: Murray sings he's "gay gay gay" but "not that way," and Santa's elves complain that they're serving in a sweatshop without life insurance but are still cheaper than Chinese manufacturers. Other gags, such as a Christmas-themed Google-send-up search engine called "Bingle" that features the visage of Bing Crosby, are sharper yet destined to date quickly. A 9-year-old or a younger child will probably laugh at jokes about "tushies" and getting "sleigh-sick"; adults will wait impatiently for the special to be over.