Reception
"Christmas Party" originally aired on NBC in the United States on December 6, 2005. The episode received a 4.3 rating/10 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 3.9 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds, and 9 percent of all 18- to 49-year-olds watching television at the time of the broadcast. The episode was ranked number one in adults, men, and women in the 18–23 demographic and number one in all key adult male demographics as well. The episode was viewed by 9.7 million viewers, making it, at the time, the highest-rated episode of the season. An encore presentation of the episode on December 28 received a 3.2 rating/8 percent share and was viewed by over 6.5 million viewers and was ranked number one in the adults 18–34 demographic.
The episode received largely positive reviews from television critics. M. Giant of Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A" grade. Matt Fowler of IGN named the episode the second-best Christmas special of the series, calling it "a classic full of holiday cheer" with "one of the best comedic experiences ever". The Cincinnati Post named the episode, and specifically the scene where Michael makes the office play "Yankee Swap," one of the 2005 "Holiday Highlights". In addition, the episode was nominated for two Primetime Emmy awards, one for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, and one for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
Several lines from the episode were met with critical praise. Fowler cited Michael's line apologizing for Jesus' birthday being "so lame" as the best in the episode. TV Fanatic reviewed several of the quotes for the episode. The site ranked Kevin's admission that he got himself in secret santa, Dwight's declaration that "Yankee Swap" is like "Machiavelli meets Christmas", Michael's explanation about the true meaning of Christmas, and Michael's question about whether or not 15 bottles of vodka is enough "to get 20 people plastered", a five out of five.
Read more about this topic: Christmas Party (The Office)
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