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Hey, that voice! It's that ghost, whose book I destroyed!
Wait, I'm trapped in his poem? Now I'm really annoyed!

— Danny right before the title sequence

"The Fright Before Christmas!" is the Christmas episode of the Nickelodeon animated series Danny Phantom, aired as the tenth episode of the show's second season (though it is actually the season's seventh episode in production order).

On his Facebook account, David Kaufman, the voice of the series' protagonist, stated this is one of his favorite episodes.

Synopsis

Snow falls in Amity Park as Christmas approaches, and everyone is Christmas shopping at Amity Park Mall, including the trio of friends. While Sam is in a chipper mood, Danny is grumpy and annoyed. When she calls him out on his Scrooge-like attitude, Tucker tells her about "the fight": every Christmas, Maddie and Jack argue over the existence of Santa Claus, wreaking all sorts of havoc in Danny's life, which always led to traumatic childhood memories in his youth. Even as they are talking, they hear Maddie telling nearby children visiting the mall that Santa does not exist while Jack states otherwise.

Danny meets the Ghostwriter

Danny makes the mistake of incurring the Ghost Writer's wrath.

Frustrated, Danny flies to the Ghost Zone, destroying Christmas items to reduce stress. At the same time, the Ghost Writer has completed his Christmas poem, The Fright Before Christmas. Danny accidentally destroys the the Ghost Writer's manuscript, but he does not feel so bad about this due to his hatred of the holiday. Enraged at his behavior, Ghost Writer blasts him back to Amity Park, where he is now stuck in a rhyming-induced Christmas story, titled The Fright Before Christmas 2, in which anything that the Ghost Writer writes comes true until Danny's lesson is learned.

The Ghost Writer then turns all the reindeer at the mall into ghosts, leaving Danny to fight them off, destroying most of the mall in the process and causing everyone to blame him. At home, things are not any better as his parents still argue, causing him to finally explode at them and leave the house. As he turns ghost and begrudgingly flies away, presents float and trail behind him from the neighboring homes, angering everyone further, including his family and friends. Danny tries to escape to Sam's house, but finds that even her family's Hanukkah gifts were stolen, and the Ghost Writer then tricks Sam into believing Danny's the thief, causing the two friends to argue.

Danny battling evil trees

Danny battling the trees after the Ghost Writer brings them to life.

To further cause trouble, the Ghost Writer then brings all the toys to life. They all join together to form into a giant nutcracker toy. Danny blows it to pieces, but also destroys all the toys, which upsets everyone once again. Ghost Writer adds further insult to injury by bringing all the Christmas trees to life and turning them into monsters as well, surrounding Danny. As he handles the monsters, the news reports of the mutant trees cause Jack to put up the Ghost Shield and Maddie to stop squabbling with her husband long enough to go out and save her son. Danny destroys the trees with his Ghostly Wail before turning human in time for his mother to come and claim him, both returning home.

Danny and his enemies join forces

Danny and his enemies join forces against the Ghost Writer.

Danny enters the Ghost Zone to confront Ghost Writer at his home afterwards, but he types it so that Danny ends up in another place, one holding his ghostly foes. However, instead of a battle, the ghosts hold an "annual truce" where they do not fight on Christmas, instead befriending each other for the day. The Ghost Writer expects them to suspend the truce in order to attack Danny, but they do not, regarding the truce as equally applicable to half-ghosts. When Danny explains that Ghost Writer broke the truce, all the ghosts set out to attack him. The Ghost Writer, however, quickly writes away the truce, causing all the ghosts to battle one another instead. Danny then takes an orange to Walker's face, and since the Ghost Writer can't think of anything that rhymes with "orange", his spell wears off for the time being and the ghosts commence attack on him. Danny destroys his Quantum Keyboard and Ghost Writer is arrested by Walker and his cops, but to Danny's horror, he finds he is still stuck in the poem, because since the keyboard is destroyed, Ghost Writer cannot write "The End", so Danny controls the story now, and it cannot end until he learns his lesson.

DannyHelpKidPutStarOnTree

Danny helps a kid put the star on his tree.

Danny sadly leaves the Ghost Zone, without saying a word, and returns to the now depressing human world. He sits down, ashamed and in sorrow - when his friends come to comfort him. There, he expresses his guilt over ruining Christmas, his speech causing all the presents to be fixed. Wanting to make things right, Danny and his friends, as well as his ghostly foes, all help return the gifts, Christmas trees, and other holiday items back to their rightful homes, restoring Christmas once and for all. Danny bids the ghosts a fond farewell afterwards and leaves for his own house where he apologizes for acting in spite, seeing the family celebrates Christmas their own way. Then all his ghostly enemies fly off via sleigh pulled by the ghost reindeer, to which Jack and Maddie (the latter finally believing in Santa Claus) give chase, believing them to be the ghosts that were causing all the problems earlier. Watching his parents chase after the ghosts, Danny reflects on his lesson and, after Tucker, Sam, and Jazz question why he's talking in rhyme, joyfully realizes the spell has finally been broken. The episode ends with Ghost Writer in jail, now finished with his new book (and teased by Walker by being given an orange).

Availability

The episode made its home video debut on the Nick Picks: Holiday DVD, released by Paramount Home Entertainment in 2006. It was later included on Amazon.com's Danny Phantom: Season 2 manufacture-on-demand DVD set, released on September 16, 2008. After Shout! Factory obtained the license, they included the episode on the Danny Phantom: Season 2, Part 1 DVD set, released on April 3, 2012, and again on the Danny Phantom: Season 2, Part 2 DVD set, released on August 28th of the same year.

Notes

  • The toy store, Angrum's Toys, is named after storyboard artist Ray Angrum.

Cast

Danny and Friends at Christmastime

Danny with his friends Tucker and Sam.

Voice actor Character
David Kaufman Danny Fenton
Rickey D'Shon Collins Tucker Foley
Grey DeLisle Sam Manson
Colleen O'Shaughnessey Jazz Fenton
Tara Strong Spectra
Ember
Tiffany Snow
Baby Danny
Rob Paulsen Jack Fenton
The Box Ghost
Kid Walla
Kath Soucie Maddie Fenton
Lunch Lady
Dee Bradley Baker Lance Thunder
Mikey
James Arnold Taylor Walker
Kevin Michael Richardson Skulker
Jim Ward Bertrand
Will Arnett Ghost Writer

Gallery

External links

Nickelodeon
Productions
Nicktoons "The Santa Experience" • "Son of Stimpy" • "Doug's Christmas Story" • "Rocko's Modern Christmas!" • "Gone Shopp'n" • "A Scooter For Yaksmas" • "Arnold's Christmas" • "Gift Hoarse" • "Let It Snow" • "Have Yourself a Thornberry Little Christmas" • "A Very CatDog Christmas" • "Christmas Who?" • "Christmas Every Day!" • "An 'Even Steven' Holiday Special" • "Babies in Toyland" • Merry Nickmas shorts • "The Most Horrible X-Mas Ever" • "A Rocket X-Mas" • "Holly Jolly Jimmy" • "The Finster Who Stole Christmas" • "A Robot for All Seasons" • "When Santas Collide" • "The Fright Before Christmas!" • "Merry Wishmas" • "It's an Udderful Life" • "The All Nighter Before Christmas" • "A Doomed Christmas" • "A Very Brrr-y Icemas" • It's a SpongeBob Christmas!A Fairly Odd Christmas • "Baconmas" • "A Magix Christmas" • "Huggle Day" • "Happy Chalawunga!" • "A Crustmas Story" • "11 Louds a Leapin'" • Albert • "It's Christmas, You Dorks!" • "Bunsen Saves Christmas" • "Bramley Holiday" • "A Very Casagrandes Christmas" • "Season's Cheatings" / "A Flipmas Carol" • "The Ho! Ho! Horror!" • A Loud House Christmas • "Traditions" • "Just in Time for Christmas" • "Parker Saves Christmas" • "SpongeBob's Road to Christmas" • "Snow Escape" • Twas the Night Before SpongemasA Very Patchy Holiday Stream Special • "Twas the Fight Before Christmas" • "Sandy's Country Christmas"
Live-action shows and movies "X-Mas Eve" • "Ride, She Said" • "Christmas" (Roundhouse) • "The Gift" (The Secret World of Alex Mack) • All That Episode 225 • "O' Christmas Pete" • "Merry Christmas, Kenan" • "Starwalk" • "Miracle on 32nd Skeet" • "The Mystery of the Mice That Roared" • "A Very Canine Christmas" • The Nick at Nite Holiday Special • "A Little So'em So'em for Christmas" • Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh • "iChristmas" • "The Naked Brothers Band Christmas Special" • "Telling Amanda" • "The Good, the Bad and the Ickie Doll" • "Big Time Christmas" • "A Christmas Tori" • "Epic Christmas" • "How to Rock Christmas" • "See Dad Run Christmas Into the Ground" • "The Gift of the Maggies" • Santa Hunters • "Santa's Little Harpers" • "Winter Thunderland" • "The Thank You Mask" • "Christmas Danger" • "A Reggae Potato Christmas" • Nickelodeon's Ho-Ho Holiday Special • "The Gift" (Make It Pop) • "Jingle Bell Rock" (School of Rock) • Tiny Christmas • "Holiday Punch" • The All-Star Nickmas Spectacular • "Down Goes Santa" • "Friendiversary" • All That Episode 1134 • "Krampapalooza" • "A Mouth Noise Christmas" • "Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-Lay Lay" • "Waiting for Santa" • Nickelodeon's Treasure TruckThe Great Nickmas Tree Sliming • "A Very Delivery Van Christmas" • "All I Want for Christmas is Lay Lay"
Nick Jr. Christmas at Eureeka's Castle • "Waiting for Grandma" • "Mr. Cook's Christmas" • "A Gullah Gullah Christmas" • "Blue's Big Holiday" • "Merry Christmas, Little Bill" • "A Present for Santa" • "Blue's First Holiday" • "Blue's Holiday Wishes" • "Christmas Wishes" • "Diego Saves Christmas!" • "Christmas" (Yo Gabba Gabba!) • "Save the Reindeer!" • Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure • "Great and Grumpy Holiday" • "The Super-Special Gift" • "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" • "Santa's Little Fixers" • "Christmas" (Hi-5) • "Happy Holidays, Mr. Grumpfish!" • "A Very Awesome Christmas" • Peter Rabbit's Christmas Tale • "Pups Save Christmas" • "Wally Saves the Trollidays" • "A Very Guppy Christmas" • "Monster Machine Christmas" • "Have a Very Mutty Christmas" • "Santa's Little Genies" • "Christmas 2.0" • "Best Christmas Ever" (Sunny Day) • "The Knight Before Christmas" (Nella the Princess Knight) • "Rusty Saves Christmas" • "The Sugar Plum Fairy!" • "Merry Woodsmas" • "Ryan's Merry Playdate" • "A Top Wing Christmas" • "A Pirate Christmas" • "Pups Save a Bah-Humdinger" • "Blue's Night Before Christmas" • "The Guppies Save Christmas!" • "Ryan's Christmas Time Special!" • "All I Want for Fishmas" • "Christmas is Coming!" • "The Present" • "Charger's Christmas Adventure" • "The Crew Builds a Christmas Show" • "Tiny Chef’s Marvelous Mish Mesh Special" • "Face's Holiday Countdown Party"
Albums
Ren & Stimpy's Crock O' ChristmasRugrats: Holiday ClassicsNick HolidayNick Jr. Winter WonderlandDora's ChristmasMerry Nickmas . Baby Shark's Big Fishmas SpecialNick Jr.'s Holly Jolly Jams
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