It’s a Wonderful Life debuted in theaters 68 years ago today on December 21, 1946, and it somewhat famously flopped big time. Audiences and critics, of course, eventually rediscovered and fell in love with director Frank Capra’s Christmas Eve redemption saga of suicidal George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) who gets saved after the angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) shows him how dire things would be had George never been born.
In the ensuing decades, It’s a Wonderful Life became an integral a part of the holiday season on par with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Also like A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life has provided a endless wellspring for other movies and TV shows to parody at Christmastime. Here are five favorites that’ll provide a nice chaser after you indulge in the original. At least, you should. It’s a good movie…
Saturday Night Live (1986)
“It’s A Wonderful Life: The Lost Ending” Capping an all-time classic episode hosted by William Shatner, SNL imagined an different denouement for It’s a Wonderful Life in which George Bailey (Dana Carvey) leads a mob of Bedford Falls residents to exact violent revenge on miserly local tyrant Mr. Potter (Jon Lovitz).
That ’70s Show (2001)
“It’s a Wonderful Life” Eric (Topher Grace) dreams of how things might have changed had he never kissed Donna (Laura Prepon)–as revealed by a hard-nosed, sarcastic angel played by Wayne Knight (aka Newman from Seinfeld).
Married… With Children (1989)
“It’s a Bundyful Life” Screaming shock comic Sam Kinison appears as Heaven’s most unholy-loud angel to perk up put-upon shoe salesman Al Bundy. Adjust your volume controls accordingly.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
“Shredderville” Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael go to sleep thinking that maybe the world would just be better off without any Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Their shared dreams then depicts what New York City would be like under the rule of their enemy, Shredder, if the boys hadn’t been there to keep everything in check. So when you wonder about the profound drop in New York City crime since the ’80s, now you know how to thank.
Tiny Toon Adventures (1992)
“It’s a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special” The actual final episode of this ultra-early-’90s cartoon follows Buster Bunny as he tries to mount a Christmas pageant with Babs Bunny, Plucky Duck, Hamton Pig, and all the gang. When all goes wrong, Buster wishes he had never joined up with the Tiny Toons and he gets a glimpse of what that would have meant for Acme Acres.
