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We were all feeling tired when we turned out the light...
Forget it; there's no way I'm sleeping tonight!

— Yakko

"’Twas the Day Before Christmas" is the first featured segment of the 50th produced episode of the Warner Bros. animated series Animaniacs, and the first Christmas-themed segment of the series. It was aired with "Jingle Boo", "The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert", and "Toy Shop Terror". As the title suggests, it is a parody of the classic poem The Night Before Christmas.

Synopsis

Skippy wants Slappy to read The Day Before Christmas

Skippy wants Slappy to read the eponymous poem to him.

It is Christmas Eve at Slappy Squirrel's tree, and her nephew Skippy is looking outside his window at the sky. Slappy comes in, telling him that he is supposed to be asleep right now. Skippy says he cannot sleep because he thinks he keeps hearing Santa's sleigh outside. Slappy assures him "That's just the LAPD choppers," and brings him to his bed. Skippy is still too excited to sleep, and he asks his aunt to tell him a Christmas-themed bedtime story, handing her a nearby book - The Day Before Christmas.

In the story (which is told in rhyme), it is Christmas Eve at the Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank, California, and Yakko, Wakko and Dot are preparing the Water Tower for Santa's arrival tonight. Over in his office, CEO Thaddeus Plotz has gathered the Warner siblings' Christmas presents from the studio and needs someone to deliver it to them. He picks Dr. Scratchansniff for the job, but the doctor refuses, because he did it last year and does not want to go through the experience again. Hello Nurse asks why they have to do this, with Plotz replying that it is a clause in the Warner siblings' contract, and they can sue if they do not bring them the presents. Trying to figure out who else he could get to do the job, Plotz looks out the window and notices Ralph the Guard seeing some of the studio employees (including Mindy & Buttons and Flavio & Marita) as they're going home. Plotz decides that Ralph would be perfect to play Santa.

That night, the Warners (who take over the narration at this point) are awaiting Santa's arrival with great anticipation. During this, they notice the presence of The Brain and Pinky, who are respectively dressed as Santa and an elf as part of a plan to steal Santa's sleigh for Brain's current world domination plan. Yakko, Wakko and Dot promptly hang up their stockings and are just about to go to bed when they hear noise outside. They rush to look outside and find that the noise is Rita and Runt (who sneaked into the studio lot earlier) looking for food in the garbage cans.

AnimaniacsXmas

Yakko, Wakko and Dot with "Santa" (Ralph).

Just then, Ralph, wearing the Santa suit, arrives in a sleigh drawn by a team of pigeons, three of which are the Goodfeathers. The pigeons land the sleigh on the roof of the Water Tower, crushing Pinky and the Brain in the process. While Pesto starts beating up Squit for complimenting his reindeer costume, Ralph falls through the roof. After the Warners help Ralph get back up on his feet, he leaves their presents under their tree and then climbs up the tree and out the hole he made in the roof. He gets back in his sleigh, but the pigeons fail to get the sleigh back into the air, and they all fall to the ground. Yakko, Wakko and Dot look up in the sky and see the real Santa and his reindeer flying by, having just left a fish and a bone for Rita and Runt, and wishing Merry Christmas to the Warners.

As the story ends, it is shown that Slappy fell asleep. Skippy wishes his aunt and the viewers a Merry Christmas and then seemingly starts to go to sleep himself, but instead rushes downstairs to open his toys.

Trivia

  • This segment was adapted into comic book form as part of the Animaniacs Christmas Special comic book, along with another Animaniacs episode, "Taming of the Screwy".
  • Besides Mindy and Buttons and the Hip Hippos, Ralph addresses Kevin Costner and Michael Keaton, the latter of whom is depicted driving the Batmobile, in reference to his role as Batman in the films Batman and Batman Returns.
  • Two of the other pigeons pulling Ralph's sleigh are named Richard and Nixon, after Richard M. Nixon.

Availability

The segment made its home video debut on the Animaniacs: Helloooo, Holidays! VHS tape, released by Warner Home Video on August 24, 1994. The episode containing the segment was later included on the Animaniacs: Volume 2 DVD set, released on December 5, 2006.

Cast

Voice actor Character
Rob Paulsen Yakko Warner
Dr. Scratchansniff
Pinky
Jess Harnell Wakko Warner
Tress MacNeille Dot Warner
Hello Nurse
Sherri Stoner Slappy Squirrel
Frank Welker Ralph T. Guard
Thaddeus Plotz
Buttons
Runt
Maurice LaMarche The Brain
Squit
Nathan Ruegger Skippy Squirrel
John Mariano Bobby
Chick Vennera Pesto
Nancy Cartwright Mindy
Bernadette Peters Rita

Note: The Mime appears, but as per usual does not have a speaking part.

Gallery

External links

Warner Bros.
Movies
Warner Bros. Pictures Christmas in ConnecticutGremlinsLethal WeaponNational Lampoon's Christmas VacationBatman ReturnsJack FrostThe Polar ExpressKiss Kiss Bang BangFred Claus
New Line Cinema The Long Kiss GoodnightElfThe Nativity StoryFour ChristmasesA Very Harold & Kumar 3D ChristmasThe Conjuring 2Collateral BeautyShazam!8-Bit Christmas
Blue Ribbon Content A Christmas Story 2A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish
Warner Bros. Television National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island AdventureThe Year Without a Santa ClausChristmas on the Square
Live-action television episodes
Friends and Joey "The One With the Monkey" • "The One With Phoebe's Dad" • "The One Where Rachel Quits" • "The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie" • "The One With the Inappropriate Sister" • "The One With the Routine" • "The One With All the Candy" • "The One With the Holiday Armadillo" • "The One With Monica's Boots" • "The One with Ross's Step Forward" • "The One With the Creepy Holiday Card" • "The One With Christmas in Tulsa" • "Joey and the Plot Twist" • "Joey and the Christmas Party"
DC Comics "Season's Greedings" • "Home is Where the Hurt Is" • "Twas the Night Before Mxymas" • "Lexmas" • "Gemini" • "Year's End" • "Three Ghosts"
Other shows "A Semi-Merry Christmas" • "Mel, the Magi" • "Mel's Christmas Carol" • "'Tis the Season to Be Jealous" • "A Christmas Story" (Growing Pains) • "The Kid" • "It's Not Easy Being Green" • "A Christmas Story" (Just the Ten of Us) • "Santa Goes Downtown" • "Let It Snow" • "The Night Court Before Christmas" • "Santa on the Lam" • "Have Yourself a Merry Winslow Christmas" • "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Urkel" • "Christmas is Where the Heart is" • "Miracle on Elm Street" • "Fa La La La Laagghh!" • "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" • "Deck the Malls" • "The Christmas Show" • "The Man Who Canceled Christmas" • "Christmas Day-Ja Vu" • "A Country Christmas" • "The Gift" • "A Miracle Happens Here" • "Homeless for the Holidays" • "Do You See What I See" • "The Miracle Worker" • "How the Finch Stole Christmas" • "The Greatest of Gifts" • "I'll Be Home For Christmas" • "Hindsight" • "Twas the Night" • "All About Christmas Eve" • "City of Mercy" • "Meet the Cuban Parents" • "Christmas Punch" • "A Clear and Presentless Danger" • "George is Being Elfish and Christ-Misses His Family" • "Santa's Secret Stuff" • "A Very Supernatural Christmas" • "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis" • "The Maternal Congruence" • "The Santa Simulation" • "The Cooper Extraction" • "The Clean Room Infiltration" • "Christmas" (The Middle) • "A Simple Christmas" • "A Christmas Gift" • "Christmas Help" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Christmas Wall" • "Not So Silent Night" • "A Very Marry Christmas" • "The Christmas Miracle" • "It's Beginning to Stink a Lot Like Christmas" • "Jolly Red Elf" • "The World Ain't Over 'Till It's Over" • "Santa's Village of the Damned" • "Walnuts and Demerol" • "Warning, It's Dirty" • "One False Move, Zimbabwe!" • "Give Santa a Tail-Hole" • "On Vodka, On Soda, On Blender, On Mixer" • "Family, Bublé, Deep-Fried Turkey" • "Home for Christmas" • "Jingle Bell Glock" • "The Walk-Out" • "Yule Never Know" • "Merry Ex-Mas" • "A Very Carrie Christmas" • "Veronica's Christmas Song" • "Veronica's Secret Santa" • "An Echolls Family Christmas" • "One Angry Veronica"
Animated productions
Looney Tunes and related shows The Shanty Where Santy Claus LivesBedtime for SnifflesGift WrappedBugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales • "It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special" • "'Twas the Day Before Christmas" • "Jingle Boo" • "The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert" • "A Christmas Plotz" • "Little Drummer Warners" • "No Time for Christmas" • "A Pinky and the Brain Christmas" • "It Happened One Night Before Christmas" • "In Arms Way" • "The Twelve Days of Christmas" • Christmas Eve with Yakko, Wakko & Dot • "Noel" • "The Christmas Tree" • "The Banks of the Delaware River" • "Feather Christmas" • "Yule Be Sorry" • "Christmas in July" • Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas • "A Christmas Carol" • "Tis the Seasoning" • "Winter Blunderland" • "The Legend of Burrito Monday" • Bugs Bunny's 24-Carrot Holiday Special • "Looneyburg Lights" • "How the Brain Thieved Christmas" • "Santamaniacs"
DC Comics "Christmas With the Joker" • "Holiday Knights" • "Frozen Out" • "Comfort and Joy" • "Storybook Holiday" • "Invasion of the Secret Santas!" • "Second Christmas" • "The True Meaning of Christmas" • "Halloween v Christmas" • "Teen Titans Save Christmas" • "Party Animal" • "Beast Boy on a Shelf" / "Christmas Crusaders" • "A Holiday Story"
Hanna-Barbera co-productions "A Dickens of a Christmas" • A Scooby-Doo! Christmas • "Ho Ho Horrors" • Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker TaleScooby-Doo! Haunted HolidaysTom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers • "The Plight Before Christmas" • "Scary Christmas" • "Scroogey Doo" • "It's a Wacky Life" • "Dashing Thru the Snow" • "Signed, Sealed and Wacky" • "The Spirit of Frostnos" • Tom and Jerry: Snowman's Land
Other cartoons "Yuletide and Redtide" • A Cool Like That Christmas • "Santa Mask" • The Polar Express • "The Match Before Xmas" • A Miser Brothers' Christmas • "Da Grinchy Code / Duck" • "FROST / Undercover Claus" • "Fantastic Four Christmases / Red and White Collar" • Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas • "Christmas in Oz" • "Top of the Naughty List" • "Mandora Saves Christmas" • Beebo Saves Christmas
Albums
Have Yourself a Looney Tunes ChristmasA Hip-Hopera ChristmasMerry Christmas: Animaniacs & Looney TunesThe Looney Tunes Kwazy ChristmasA Looney Tunes Sing-A-Long Christmas
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