For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls
Encyclopedia
"For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls" is the eighth episode of the sixth season
of American Dad!
It originally aired on Fox
in the United States on December 12, 2010. The episode follows the events caused by Stan Smith
, as he gives his son Steve
a machine gun
for Christmas, even though his wife Francine
forbid him to. When Steve is practicing shooting, he accidentally kills a mall Santa. The family decides to bury the body in the woods, but it then turns out that it was the real Santa, who wants revenge by killing the Smiths.
The episode was written by Erik Durbin and directed by Bob Bowen. It was slightly modeled after the film 300
, and was first announced at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010. It is the fourth American Dad! Christmas special, following in the footsteps of "The Best Christmas Story Never Told", "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever" and "Rapture's Delight
."
The episode was met with mixed to positive reviews from critics, with some of them praising its bloody themes, while others dismissed it for being crude and unoriginal. According to the Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed by 6.26 million viewers in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Clancy Brown
and Jeff Fischer
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. The episode features the song "Carol of the Bells" as performed by Pennsylvania metalcore band August Burns Red
as its main theme.
continues to reject the idea that Jeff Fischer is now a member of the family despite Francine
's suggestion that he should be included in their family traditions. Despite Francine's objections, Stan gives Steve
an RPK
machine gun for Christmas and Steve accidentally shoots a mall Santa. Meanwhile, Roger goes off in search of the strongest whiskey possible and he is directed to a moonshiner
in the Chimdale Mountains, named Bob Todd, who teaches him his ways.
Stan convinces Steve to hide the body from Francine and try to find out whom the Santa was with his fingerprint, but his DNA is not in the CIA
database. Francine quickly discovers the body, and the family buries it in the woods. The next day they receive threatening letters, stating that someone knows what they did and that they will be punished. They watch the news and discover that no one really feels like it is Christmas, as if someone killed Santa. Feeling a little doubt they then dig up the body and discover it is gone. When an elf
appears and tells them that it was actually the real Santa that they buried and that he was recovered and resuscitated at the North Pole and vows vengeance on the Smiths, they decide to take refuge with Roger in the moonshiner's cabin where Bob Todd lives.
Jeff arrives to spend the holiday with Hayley
, but Santa soon arrives since Jeff wrote a letter telling him where they would be staying. The family is load with some armory including an M60
machine gun, and RPK
machine gun, an M16
assault rifle, and an AK47 to fend off an attack of endless waves of elves, reindeers, and snowmens led by Santa. He tries to convince Jeff to abandon the Smiths, recognizing that he was not involved in their plot to hide his body. Jeff walks to Santa's side, but then turns on him and is able to pull Stan to safety, causing Stan to see Jeff as a true member of the family. The family is almost overrun, until Santa and his army are forced to retreat because they only had until Christmas morning to get vengeance. Santa disappears, leaving behind a letter warning them that he will return next year to take his revenge and kill them, while the Smith family realizes that they have found a new Christmas tradition.
"For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls" was written by series regular Erik Durbin and directed by series regular Bob Bowen. The episode was the twenty-second to be produced in the season five production cycle. The first few minutes of the episode were previewed at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010, but shown in black-and-white
form. While writing the episode, the writers tried to come up with a bloody story. Writer Durbin said, "Everybody in the [writing] room kind of was talking about making it as bloody as possible, I think. It was just which movie were we going to model it after. [...] I think ‘300
’ got thrown around the most, talking about trying to make it as bloody and cool as ‘300.’" The episode had a TV-14 rating, and series co-creator Seth MacFarlane
said that "no kids will ever see it", joking that "They follow those [content ratings] like the f-ing Bible." He also said that the episode informs kids that "Santa really exists". He said, "Except that he’s a crazed murderer. But as long as the tradition is upheld, then I guess that’s all that’s important."
In August 2010, MacFarlane and the voice cast were present at the Television Critics Association
(TCA) press tour in Los Angeles, promoting the hundredth episode, "100 A.D.
" The event also included a table read of "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls", and Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
wrote, "not much can really be said about the episode except that it includes a mass slaughter of elves." The event also previewed the animation for the final act of the episode. The band August Burns Red
's cover of "Carol of the Bells
" was featured in the episode. Series regulars Matt McKenna and Erik Durbin provided the voice of Santa Claus and the moonshiner Bob Todd, respectively, while guest star Clancy Brown
provided the voice of the liquor store manager.
video games. Frosty the Snowman
appears in Santa's army, in the style of the Wampa
from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
. When Jeff confronts Santa, he stabs him with the polar bear helmet from the film The Golden Compass.
. It was viewed by 6.26 million viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings
. The episode was up 18% in total viewership from the last episode. It also acquired a 3.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic, up 24% from the previous episode.
The episode was met with mixed to positive reviews from critics. In a simultaneous review of the episodes of The Simpsons
and Family Guy that preceded the show, Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
wrote, "American Dad always thrives at this time of year, since it plays perfectly into Stan's idea of patriotism and Americana as a kind of religion, but the too-lengthy action sequence killed any humorous momentum the episode had built up." He ultimately gave the episode a B rating, the second best of the night, behind the Family Guy episode "Road to the North Pole
" and beating The Simpsons episode "Donnie Fatso
". Jessica Russell of TV Guide Canada
wrote that she was "already sick of holiday-themed episodes" due to their "feel-good, warm-and-fuzzy, family-oriented storylines." However, she praised the episode for being "anti-Christmas", saying, "that’s why I give props to Seth MacFarlane and his crude minions for pulling off the ultimate anti-Christmas episode in last night’s American Dad." In response to writer Durbin's goal to make it as "bloody and cool as 300", Scott D. Pierce of The Salt Lake Tribune
wrote that it was "bloody", but not "cool". He called the episode "just derivative trash", and compared the episode's themes to the film Bad Santa
and the evil Robot Santa from Futurama
. He concluded, saying, "as usual, “American Dad’s” Seth MacFarlane and his minions have done uninspired, unoriginal work that somehow mistakes crude for funny." Jason Hughes of TV Squad was positive on the episode, and concluded saying, "[...] Santa will be back next year to try and finish the job. I wonder if MacFarlane will remember that little detail and give us a sequel?"
American Dad! (season 6)
American Dad!'s sixth season began airing on October 3, 2010. and ended after 19 episodes on May 22, 2011. Guest stars of this season include Jason Alexander, Sarah Chalke, Hector Elizondo, Anthony Michael Hall, Hayden Panettiere, Lou Diamond Phillips and Burt Reynolds.-Episodes:-External links:* ...
of American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
It originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on December 12, 2010. The episode follows the events caused by Stan Smith
Stan Smith (American Dad!)
Stan Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. Stan is a Central Intelligence Agency officer. Although once a case officer, he is now a weapons expert. Stan is voiced by the series' creator and executive producer, Seth MacFarlane.-Summary:Stan Smith born 12 February,...
, as he gives his son Steve
Steve Smith (American Dad!)
Steven Anita “Steve” Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. He is Stan and Francine Smith's only son and Hayley's younger brother as well as the youngest of the series' 6 main characters. Steve is voiced by Scott Grimes.According to TVTDB.com, Steve's original...
a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
for Christmas, even though his wife Francine
Francine Smith
Francine Smith is a fictional character on the animated television series American Dad!. She is the wife of Stan Smith and the mother of Steve and Hayley. Francine is voiced by Wendy Schaal.-Fictional character biography:...
forbid him to. When Steve is practicing shooting, he accidentally kills a mall Santa. The family decides to bury the body in the woods, but it then turns out that it was the real Santa, who wants revenge by killing the Smiths.
The episode was written by Erik Durbin and directed by Bob Bowen. It was slightly modeled after the film 300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
, and was first announced at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010. It is the fourth American Dad! Christmas special, following in the footsteps of "The Best Christmas Story Never Told", "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever" and "Rapture's Delight
Rapture's Delight
"Rapture's Delight" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of American Dad!. It aired on December 13, 2009 on Fox. This episode centers around Stan and Francine's life after the vast majority of the church, including Hayley and Steve, are raptured...
."
The episode was met with mixed to positive reviews from critics, with some of them praising its bloody themes, while others dismissed it for being crude and unoriginal. According to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed by 6.26 million viewers in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
and Jeff Fischer
Jeff Fischer (actor)
Jeff Fischer is an American voice actor known for his work in commercials, cartoons, and video games. In 2005 he was chosen to announce the Teen Choice Awards....
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. The episode features the song "Carol of the Bells" as performed by Pennsylvania metalcore band August Burns Red
August Burns Red
August Burns Red is an American metal band, from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2003, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school, and soon began playing shows around Lancaster, before being signed to CI Records, and...
as its main theme.
Plot
Stan SmithStan Smith (American Dad!)
Stan Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. Stan is a Central Intelligence Agency officer. Although once a case officer, he is now a weapons expert. Stan is voiced by the series' creator and executive producer, Seth MacFarlane.-Summary:Stan Smith born 12 February,...
continues to reject the idea that Jeff Fischer is now a member of the family despite Francine
Francine Smith
Francine Smith is a fictional character on the animated television series American Dad!. She is the wife of Stan Smith and the mother of Steve and Hayley. Francine is voiced by Wendy Schaal.-Fictional character biography:...
's suggestion that he should be included in their family traditions. Despite Francine's objections, Stan gives Steve
Steve Smith (American Dad!)
Steven Anita “Steve” Smith is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. He is Stan and Francine Smith's only son and Hayley's younger brother as well as the youngest of the series' 6 main characters. Steve is voiced by Scott Grimes.According to TVTDB.com, Steve's original...
an RPK
RPK
The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...
machine gun for Christmas and Steve accidentally shoots a mall Santa. Meanwhile, Roger goes off in search of the strongest whiskey possible and he is directed to a moonshiner
Moonshine
Moonshine is an illegally produced distilled beverage...
in the Chimdale Mountains, named Bob Todd, who teaches him his ways.
Stan convinces Steve to hide the body from Francine and try to find out whom the Santa was with his fingerprint, but his DNA is not in the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
database. Francine quickly discovers the body, and the family buries it in the woods. The next day they receive threatening letters, stating that someone knows what they did and that they will be punished. They watch the news and discover that no one really feels like it is Christmas, as if someone killed Santa. Feeling a little doubt they then dig up the body and discover it is gone. When an elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
appears and tells them that it was actually the real Santa that they buried and that he was recovered and resuscitated at the North Pole and vows vengeance on the Smiths, they decide to take refuge with Roger in the moonshiner's cabin where Bob Todd lives.
Jeff arrives to spend the holiday with Hayley
Hayley Smith (American Dad!)
Hayley Dreamsmasher Smith Fischer is a character from the animated television series American Dad!. She is voiced by Rachael MacFarlane, the younger sister of one of the series co-creators, Seth MacFarlane....
, but Santa soon arrives since Jeff wrote a letter telling him where they would be staying. The family is load with some armory including an M60
M60
M60 or M-60 may refer to:Astronomy:* Messier 60, an elliptical galaxy in the Virgo ClusterComputers:* M60, an Olivetti Zilog Z8001 based computer Firearms and military equipment:...
machine gun, and RPK
RPK
The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...
machine gun, an M16
M16
M16 or M-16 may refer to:Firearms and military equipment* M16 rifle, a United States military rifle* M16 mine, a United States landmine* Grigorovich M-16, a Russian World War I-era biplane flying boat* Stahlhelm, a German World War I helmet...
assault rifle, and an AK47 to fend off an attack of endless waves of elves, reindeers, and snowmens led by Santa. He tries to convince Jeff to abandon the Smiths, recognizing that he was not involved in their plot to hide his body. Jeff walks to Santa's side, but then turns on him and is able to pull Stan to safety, causing Stan to see Jeff as a true member of the family. The family is almost overrun, until Santa and his army are forced to retreat because they only had until Christmas morning to get vengeance. Santa disappears, leaving behind a letter warning them that he will return next year to take his revenge and kill them, while the Smith family realizes that they have found a new Christmas tradition.
Production
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
form. While writing the episode, the writers tried to come up with a bloody story. Writer Durbin said, "Everybody in the [writing] room kind of was talking about making it as bloody as possible, I think. It was just which movie were we going to model it after. [...] I think ‘300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
’ got thrown around the most, talking about trying to make it as bloody and cool as ‘300.’" The episode had a TV-14 rating, and series co-creator Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
said that "no kids will ever see it", joking that "They follow those [content ratings] like the f-ing Bible." He also said that the episode informs kids that "Santa really exists". He said, "Except that he’s a crazed murderer. But as long as the tradition is upheld, then I guess that’s all that’s important."
In August 2010, MacFarlane and the voice cast were present at the Television Critics Association
Television Critics Association
The Television Critics Association is a group of approximately 200 United States and Canadian journalists and columnists who cover television programming...
(TCA) press tour in Los Angeles, promoting the hundredth episode, "100 A.D.
100 A.D.
100 A.D. is the first episode of the sixth season of American Dad! it first aired of October 3, 2010 on FOX. this episode is promoted as the 100th episode but actually is the 97th episode to be aired but is the 100th in production order...
" The event also included a table read of "For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls", and Gail Pennington of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
wrote, "not much can really be said about the episode except that it includes a mass slaughter of elves." The event also previewed the animation for the final act of the episode. The band August Burns Red
August Burns Red
August Burns Red is an American metal band, from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2003, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school, and soon began playing shows around Lancaster, before being signed to CI Records, and...
's cover of "Carol of the Bells
Carol of the Bells
"Carol of the Bells" is the common English language title of a Christmas carol of Ukrainian origin, which has in recent years grown in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. The work was originally a choral miniature composition by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych based on...
" was featured in the episode. Series regulars Matt McKenna and Erik Durbin provided the voice of Santa Claus and the moonshiner Bob Todd, respectively, while guest star Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
provided the voice of the liquor store manager.
Cultural references
The episode contains several pop culture references. The action sequence and bloody themes were slightly modeled after the film 300. When Bob Todd is teaching Roger moonshining, Roger jumps over barrels of moonshine, similar to the Donkey KongDonkey Kong
is a fictional gorilla in the Donkey Kong and Mario series. He is roughly twice the size of a normal gorilla, weighing approximately 800 pounds. Donkey Kong first appeared in Nintendo's popular 1981 video game of the same name. Since then he has appeared in over 20 games in his own series, as well...
video games. Frosty the Snowman
Frosty the Snowman (TV program)
Frosty the Snowman is an American animated television special based on the popular song of the same title. The program, which first aired on December 7, 1969 on CBS , was produced for television by Rankin/Bass and featured the voices of comedians Jimmy Durante as narrator and Jackie Vernon as the...
appears in Santa's army, in the style of the Wampa
Wampa
Wampas are fictional predators of the Star Wars universe.-Characteristics:Wampas are Yeti-like creatures that live on the sixth planet of the Hoth system. Wampa's hands have five fingers, each with one large claw. They also have a horn protruding from either side of their heads that curves and...
from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
. When Jeff confronts Santa, he stabs him with the polar bear helmet from the film The Golden Compass.
Reception
"For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls" was broadcast on December 12, 2010, as a part of an animated television night on Fox, and was preceded by an hour-long Christmas episode of creator and executive producer Seth MacFarlane's other show, Family GuyFamily Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It was viewed by 6.26 million viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The episode was up 18% in total viewership from the last episode. It also acquired a 3.1 rating in the 18–49 demographic, up 24% from the previous episode.
The episode was met with mixed to positive reviews from critics. In a simultaneous review of the episodes of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and Family Guy that preceded the show, Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
wrote, "American Dad always thrives at this time of year, since it plays perfectly into Stan's idea of patriotism and Americana as a kind of religion, but the too-lengthy action sequence killed any humorous momentum the episode had built up." He ultimately gave the episode a B rating, the second best of the night, behind the Family Guy episode "Road to the North Pole
Road to the North Pole
"Road to the North Pole" is the seventh episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. Directed by Greg Colton and co-written by Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith, the episode originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010...
" and beating The Simpsons episode "Donnie Fatso
Donnie Fatso
"Donnie Fatso" is the ninth episode of the twenty-second season of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010. The plot revolves around an FBI agent, who helps Homer go undercover to infiltrate Fat Tony's mob...
". Jessica Russell of TV Guide Canada
TV Guide (Canada)
TV Guide was a Canadian version, and later spin-off, of the American weekly magazine of the same name. It was originally published by McMurray Publishing from 1953 to 1976, and after its split from the US parent, became the property of Transcontinental Media since 1977...
wrote that she was "already sick of holiday-themed episodes" due to their "feel-good, warm-and-fuzzy, family-oriented storylines." However, she praised the episode for being "anti-Christmas", saying, "that’s why I give props to Seth MacFarlane and his crude minions for pulling off the ultimate anti-Christmas episode in last night’s American Dad." In response to writer Durbin's goal to make it as "bloody and cool as 300", Scott D. Pierce of The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
wrote that it was "bloody", but not "cool". He called the episode "just derivative trash", and compared the episode's themes to the film Bad Santa
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star...
and the evil Robot Santa from Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. He concluded, saying, "as usual, “American Dad’s” Seth MacFarlane and his minions have done uninspired, unoriginal work that somehow mistakes crude for funny." Jason Hughes of TV Squad was positive on the episode, and concluded saying, "[...] Santa will be back next year to try and finish the job. I wonder if MacFarlane will remember that little detail and give us a sequel?"