Every Beverly, Hills 90210 Christmas Episode, Ranked

Over its ten seasons, the popular 1990s TV show Beverly Hills, 90210 featured nine Christmas episodes, and while many are now considered holiday favorites, some stand out more than others. The series followed the lives of its characters as they navigated high school and adulthood. It began in 1990 with the Walsh family—twins Brandon and Brenda, and their parents, Jim and Cindy—relocating from Minneapolis to Beverly Hills.

The first season of Beverly Hills, 90210 didn’t feature a Christmas episode, but the show embraced the holidays every year from seasons two through ten. These episodes combined classic Christmas traditions with the romance and drama that fans loved. Here’s a ranking of all nine Beverly Hills, 90210 Christmas episodes, from least to most enjoyable.

9. Santa Knows

Season 8, Episode 14 (Aired December 17, 1997)

The Beverly Hills, 90210 Christmas episode from season 8, titled “Santa Knows,” has a few festive moments, but it’s generally considered the weakest holiday episode. This is largely because the main plot revolves around Brandon’s affair with Emma Bennett, a writer for Beverly Beat, and he even accidentally gives Kelly the Christmas gift Emma gave him – a watch.

Okay, so “Santa Knows” isn’t a total holiday classic, but it does have a sweet little storyline. It revolves around Zach, the son of Steve Sanders’ girlfriend, and his crisis of faith when he learns Santa might not be real. Honestly, it was a bit predictable, but then there’s this genuinely charming moment where he spots Nat – Joe E. Tata, bless him – dressed as Santa and looking for his keys. Zach immediately decides Nat is the real deal, and it’s enough to rekindle his Christmas spirit. It’s a small thing, but it worked for me!

Having a young child appear in a Beverly Hills, 90210 Christmas episode was a first and added a lighthearted touch. However, the show made a poor choice by having Brandon be unfaithful to Kelly during the holidays.

8. Christmas Comes This Time Each Year

Season 5, Episode 15 (Aired December 21, 1994)

Okay, so let’s talk about the Beverly Hills, 90210 Season 5 holiday episode, “Christmas Comes This Time Each Year.” Honestly, it didn’t feel like a Christmas episode at all. Instead of festive cheer, we were thrown into a pretty serious storyline with Dylan McKay desperately searching for his kidnapped sister, Erica. It turned out her mother and her boyfriend were behind it, and the whole thing just felt… out of place for a Christmas special. It was a drama, definitely, but not the cozy holiday vibe you’d expect.

Donna’s mother, Felice, even offered Ray $10,000 to end things with Donna, believing he wasn’t right for her. While the plot of a parent trying to sabotage a relationship isn’t new, there was a surprising turn. Ray held onto the check as proof, but Donna cleverly used the money to buy tickets to a dream cruise for Ray’s mother, LuAnn.

As a huge fan of the show, I always feel for Andrea and Jesse, and their struggles felt really real in this Christmas episode. Their baby, Hannah, was just inconsolable – crying through everything from meeting Santa to opening presents, and it was putting a serious strain on their marriage. Thankfully, the rest of the gang saved the day! They showed up dressed as Santa, bringing gifts for Hannah, and it was such a sweet moment, especially when Dylan finally got to meet her. Honestly, though, while the emotional core was strong, the episode itself could have used a little more Christmas cheer overall.

7. Somewhere In The World It’s Christmas

Season 4, Episode 15 (Aired December 22, 1993)

The fourth season of Beverly Hills, 90210 featured an episode called “Somewhere in the World It’s Christmas” where the Walsh family’s Hawaiian vacation was interrupted by a potential mechanical issue with their plane, forcing them to confront the idea of their own mortality. During the flight back to Beverly Hills, Brandon and Brenda reflected on their lives in a series of flashbacks, which now carries extra emotional weight following the passing of Shannen Doherty. This episode was also the last time the Walsh family shared an on-screen Christmas together, as Doherty departed the show after the season ended.

The show took an unexpected turn when Dylan learned he had a younger half-sister, Erica. She arrived at his house with their mother, Suzanne, just as he was leaving for a trip to Baja. Erica was the daughter of Dylan’s father, Jack McKay (played by Josh Taylor). Despite telling Nat he was wary of Suzanne, Dylan wanted Erica to have a good Christmas, so he bought a large tree and plenty of gifts.

The most upsetting part of the episode was David ending his relationship with Donna on Christmas and her birthday, simply because she wasn’t in the mood for intimacy. It was difficult to watch him treat her so poorly, and it felt wrong for a Christmas episode. Compared to the show’s earlier holiday specials, this one lacked warmth, partly because the characters weren’t really connected through a single story. Still, the episode did advance the overall plot, which was a positive.

6. Marathon Man

Season 9, Episode 10 (Aired December 16, 1998)

The ninth season of Beverly Hills, 90210 included an episode called “Marathon Man” where the Peach Pit After Dark held a dance marathon to raise money for AIDS research, with a performance by the Brian Setzer Orchestra. However, like many episodes that season, the holiday spirit of Christmas wasn’t a main focus, as the episode prioritized the characters’ personal stories.

Kelly secretly went to Mexico with Dylan while she was dating Matt Durning. Matt was upset when he discovered their trip, but Kelly ultimately stayed with him. However, what everyone didn’t realize was that Dylan’s trip was actually about getting drugs, and he later involved Gina Kincaid in his scheme by bringing her to Mexico as well.

To make things worse, Donna accidentally heard Gina complaining about her at her own surprise birthday party. The holiday cheer was dampened by all the conflict, but at least viewers enjoyed seeing the cast participate in the popular ’90s swing dance trend and perform “Jump Jive an’ Wail” to benefit charity.

5. Gift Wrapped

Season 7, Episode 13 (Aired December 18, 1996)

The Christmas episode of Beverly Hills, 90210’s seventh season, titled “Gift Wrapped,” revolved around a Secret Santa exchange among the friends. The episode’s most iconic scene involved Kelly and Valerie, who were rivals at the time, being forced to buy each other gifts, leading to a temporary truce and a surprisingly heartfelt hug.

Kelly was stunned to learn she had a half-sister named Joy (played by Ruth Livier), who shared the same father, Bill (John Reilly). The storyline felt unexpected, especially since the show had already introduced a half-sister for Dylan back in season four.

The episode “Gift Wrapped” showed how Steve and Clare’s parents, Samantha Sanders and Milton Arnold, first started dating. It was amusing to see Steve and Clare worry that their parents’ relationship might make them siblings.

As expected, Donna’s mother, Felice, upset everyone—including Donna—with rude comments during Christmas Eve dinner, once again spoiling the holiday. Thankfully, the show ended happily with a wonderful Christmas Day performance by Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama at the Peach Pit.

4. Angels We Have Heard On High

Season 6, Episode 15 (Aired December 20, 1995)

In the Beverly Hills, 90210 episode “Angels We Have Heard On High,” Cindy unexpectedly returned to Beverly Hills from Hong Kong to see Brandon, but she was without her husband, Jim. Their marriage was struggling, and she wasn’t sure if they could fix things. Ultimately, they reconciled when Jim sent Cindy a symbolic gesture – an angel – to show her he still loved her.

In a surprising revelation, Rush Sanders revealed to Steve that he was his biological father, shattering Steve’s long-held belief that he was adopted. Overjoyed by this news, Steve felt his years of bad luck – a so-called Christmas curse – had finally ended. He credited his girlfriend, Clare Arnold, with bringing this happiness into his life, telling her she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. The episode, featuring the song “Angels We Have Heard On High,” concluded with a heartwarming and positive resolution.

3. Nine Yolks Whipped Lightly

Season 10, Episode 12 (Aired December 22, 1999)

The last Christmas episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, titled “Nine Yolks Whipped Lightly,” revolved around Janet Sosna’s (Lindsay Price) strained relationship with her parents, who hadn’t yet accepted her marriage to Steve or met their granddaughter, Madeline. A chance encounter at a Christmas tree lot allowed them to reconnect. The episode culminated in a heartwarming scene where Janet’s parents finally saw Steve as a loving husband and father, highlighting how much he had matured.

Okay, so this episode was full of the classic Beverly Hills, 90210 craziness! Matt and Kelly are engaged, which, honestly, just broke Dylan’s heart – especially since he turned her down when she wanted to know where things were going with them. Then there was Donna and Noah… it was a mess. Donna found out about Noah’s past – a really tragic car accident where his girlfriend died – and she just couldn’t move past it, but he didn’t want to talk about it. And things got intense at the community center when Dylan actually punched a neighbor who was causing trouble, right in front of all the kids! It was a lot to take in.

Donna’s Christmas was spoiled again because her mother was worried about how to explain that Gina was the daughter of John Martin (played by Michael Durrell). This made Donna the third character on Beverly Hills, 90210 to discover she had a long-lost sister. The episode’s title, “Nine Yolks Whipped Lightly,” was a double meaning – it referenced Janet’s mother’s eggnog recipe and hinted at the delicate state of the characters’ relationships.

2. It’s A Totally Happening Life

Season 3, Episode 16 (Aired December 16, 1992)

The second Christmas episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 was inspired by It’s a Wonderful Life. While traveling to a charity event at Alvarado Street School, the group narrowly avoided an accident when a drunk driver almost collided with their bus. Fortunately, two angels, Clarence and Miriam, were watching over them.

Friendships were strained as Brenda and Kelly both pressured Dylan to pick between them, while Brandon and Andrea unexpectedly kissed. Meanwhile, David’s mother announced she was moving to Portland. Despite being banned from school activities for breaking in and altering his grades, Steve cheerfully dressed up as Santa Claus, bringing a bit of joy to the situation.

“It’s a Totally Happening Life” was a loving nod to the classic Christmas film and marked the last holiday season the friends would spend together as high school students. Everyone remembers the incredible moment when a potential bus crash was miraculously avoided, seemingly by a Christmas miracle.

1. A Walsh Family Christmas

Season 2, Episode 18 (Aired December 19, 1991)

Season 2 of Beverly Hills, 90210 gave fans a memorable first Christmas episode, “A Walsh Family Christmas,” which is often considered the best of the entire series. It successfully combined the warmth of the holiday season with the show’s signature drama, and notably included both the main characters and their parents. The episode featured a touching storyline about a homeless man who might have been Santa Claus, making it a particularly emotional installment.

Steve learned his birth mother, Karen Brown, had passed away, which brought him closer to his adoptive mother, Samantha. Meanwhile, Dylan visited his father in prison, and his father urged him to celebrate Christmas with Brenda rather than with him.

Cindy felt bad that the Walshes wouldn’t be in the Christmas spirit with an empty house and warm weather – it was 90 degrees! Brandon cleverly painted their Christmas tree green, and soon everyone gathered at their place. Then, in a magical touch, Brandon created a snowfall, making Cindy incredibly happy. She got exactly what she wished for: a house full of loved ones and a snowy Christmas in Beverly Hills.

2025-12-24 19:33