Sometimes you come across something that makes you replied with a "...huh." There is no emotion behind it. No surprise. Just... a word. Christmas Comes to Pac-Land was something like that for me. "There's a Pac-Man Christmas special? Really?" You may ask. Yes. Yes there is. As a matter of fact, there was an animated series that ran from 1982 to 1983, broadcasting a 'mere' 42 episodes with 2 specials. Not just that, but Pac-Man had the distinction of being the first animated series based on a video game, and it's success led to the creation of Saturday Supercade, which I'm sure we'll visit in the future.

     Pac-Man: The Animated series follows our titular character and his family, including wife (Pepper Pac-Man), baby (Pac-Baby), and their cat and dog (Sour Puss and Chomp-Chomp, respectively), as they live in Pac-Land, battle their Ghost enemies, and work for a company where they locate pellets that act as the power and food source for Pac-Land. So, you know, they live a very normal life.

     Airing near the end of the first season, on December 16th of 1982, was today's subject. With the oddity that is the show in general, how does the Christmas special stand? What is it even about? You're wondering, "Am I missing out not having this in my rotation of Christmas specials?" Well, let's take this step by step and answer all these questions. Huzzah.

     Santa. Santa is out delivering presents. He is the very first person we see after the title card, telling his reindeer to "put the pedal to the metal" because they have "a whole planet to cover and only a few hours to do it." Which, I mean, Santa is really kind of puffing up his workload here because while he does have a lot of kiddies to visit, he's definitely not visiting, you know, every single place and person. Unless he wants a child who doesn't celebrate Christmas to wake up extremely confused. He also makes a mention that it's a "good thing my list is computerized, or I'd never get the job done on time." So I'm presuming he has a habit of stopping on the side of the... er... air road, and squinting a lot at his own awful handwriting, refusing to ask for help or directions.
     The Pac-Family, meanwhile, are in their backyard, as Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man are making snow ghost monsters for their little one, who they didn't realize had wandered off somewhere. So if this is the first Pac-Man show related thing you watch, your initial introduction to our main characters is that they're awful, awful parents. The animals are there though, so they could have just confused them all for the baby. It's okay, though, as Pac-Baby just made himself into a giant snow Pac and eats the ghost monsters.

     The family goes on a toboggan ride as they end up being chased by some ghost monsters before, harmlessly, riding off of a cliffside... Luckily, they can defeat the ghost monsters with a special, emergency box nearby of power pellets. Unluckily it's empty, as the ghosts have them. Pac-Man responds that "We may not have any power pellets, but we have plenty of snowballs." Inky Ghost responds that two can play at that game and starts hurling balls back at the Pac Family, not realizing that he's accidentally tossing the power pellets that the family munches them. They then eat the ghosts as their eyes fly off.

     I am about 5 minutes in. I've decided not to do in depth writing about this anymore or else I'll be here forever, kept from my own family like some sort of prisoner.

     The eyes scare the deer and Santa crashes. It should be noted that Santa is still a human, so the citizens of Pac-Land are flabbergasted about this "alien with a hairy face." Santa is an idiot worried about being behind schedule and attempts to take off while his reindeer are still buried in the freaking snow.

     Santa explains Christmas and why it's important to the Pac-Citizens. The Pac-Folk'll, if you will. With his reindeer needing to be warmed up and, I'm assuming, uninjured, his sleigh needing to be fixed and, uh-oh spaghettios, his bag of toys having been lost in the crash, the residents that were there for his hilarious crashing promise to help him.

Pac-Man goes out to look for Santa's bag of toys as Santa stays at his house, warm and fed and unhelpful, like a jerk. Pac-Man and Chomp-Chomp locate the bag, but not before the ghosts, who are having a grand ol' time playing with toys. He attempts to retrieve them but is caught and threatened with being eaten, which leads to one line that actually made me laugh;

     Pac-Man: Well, you know what I always say? If you can't beat them....ruuuuuuun!

     During the chase, Chomp-Chomp gathers the toys, cause he's a good boy.

     Pac-Man, meanwhile, trips on a rock. Cause he's an idiot. The ghosts each take a bite of him (I think, I don't know) and then just leave him. At home, things are looking ever so slightly better, while outside Pac-Man leads himself and Chomp-Chomp off a cliff (another one!) and the toys are scattered. Which leads to.... them just picking them up and getting home. Everything is solved! No. No it's not. Because Santa is apparently very easily disheartened, he laments that he's so far behind schedule there's no point in trying. Then something about a jet is brought up. As they lead Santa to said jet, or something, they are blocked off by the Ghosts. And if you know your Christmas specials, you know where this is going. Yup. The Ghosts eat them all.

     No, no. Pac-Man speechifies about Christmas and kids getting gifts and loved ones, and the Ghosts cry. Clyde Ebenezer Scrooge's this until the Ghosts tell him, you know, not to and he essentially shrugs and gives a "fine." The Pac-family lead Santa to the Power Pill forest.

     Santa is still depressingly going on about how "it's just no use" until the reindeer eat some power pellets and get some super, duper pill power, setting them back on course to go deliver some presents as everyone involved waves goodbye. Of course, they return home to gifts under their tree (there are also gifts for Chomp-Chomp and Sourpuss which is the most important thing). And as the Ghosts come to chomp them, they find gifts under Pac-Man's tree for them as well. Santa ho-ho-ho's. The End.

     I've seen Christmas Comes to Pac-Land on quite a few lists of worst Christmas specials, and you know what.... I see where that idea comes from, since it's so ludicrous and there's no depth or weight to it, but I don't know if it would fall in a top ten, at least. It's harmless and so, so silly that there's no way you can't enjoy at least some aspect of it. Though I have to be fair and say that the enjoyment probably comes from watching it with a few friends or loved ones while drinking eggnog and rum. It's not going to make any normal Christmas viewing rotation on your list, but watching it once for fun and curiosity is fine. It's nowhere near as weird or crazy as you may think or hope, it's more-so simply... there... it exists, but it's only 20 minutes. There are worse ways to spend your time.