The Simpsons

Where it all began: the very first Simpsons episode, and it is a Christmas one. After the school pageant, Bart sneaks off for a tattoo, which sends the family's festive budget up in smoke when Marge has it removed. Homer, his Christmas bonus cancelled, becomes a department store Santa and then bets his earnings on a greyhound at the track. Reader, it does not win. What follows is the sweetest ending in cartoon history. The animation looks wobbly and rough next to today's Springfield, but the heart is already there. A proper cosy classic that sits comfortably alongside the great British festive repeats.