Special television shows made for Easter.
Note that this is a much smaller genre than that of the Halloween Special and Christmas Special. Easter Sunday is actually the most important holiday in the Christian calendar, as it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion and the salvation of believers his sacrifice on the cross allows. But compared to the heartwarming story of the birth of Christ, which can be easily sanded of its darker plot points (i.e. King Herod's slaughter of the firstborn) for the masses and particularly children, the Easter story can't be effectively told without bringing up the death of Christ, the result of betrayal, denial, corruption, and brutality. And while secular/non-Christian audiences can appreciate/enjoy the "peace on Earth" sentiments of the Nativity tale, the Easter story is potentially alienating as it presses the idea that only those who believe in Christ can be saved from darkness. Thus, specials depicting the Easter story are usually aimed explicitly at Christian audiences.
Unlike Christmas, Easter has not inspired much secular imagery beyond the Easter Bunny, candy, and colored eggs, severely limiting a writer's options for Santa Clausmas stories for the masses. As an A.V. Club Inventory article examining secular Easter entertainment pointed out back in 2012, Easter "seems to get tired spins on leftover ideas from other holidays" (as with how the linking thread of It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown recycles that of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown), particularly reskinning Santa Claus tropes for the Easter Bunny. "Sunday best" clothes and a visit to church might be in the cards for human characters, but some secular specials don't even mention the holiday, instead focusing on kids and/or Funny Animals celebrating springtime.
Compare: Easter Episode
Examples
- A Chucklewood Easter
- A Claymation Easter
- Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure
- The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise
- Daffy Duck's Easter Egg-Citement
- Davey and Goliath: Happy Easter (Christian-themed)
- Easter Bonnet Bug A Boo/The Great Easter Bunny Stakeout
- The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town
- The Easter Egg Adventure
- Easter Is (Christian-themed)
- The Great Easter Egg Hunt
- A Family Circus Easter
- Fat Albert's Easter Special
- The First Easter Rabbit
- Funny Little Bunnies
- The Great Egg Scramble
- Here Comes Peter Cottontail
- Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade
- It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
- The Jack Rabbit Story: Easter Fever
- Kermit And Fozzie's Eggcellent Adventure
- Madeline and The Easter Bonnet
- Peter and the Magic Egg
- Rugrats: Bow Wow Wedding Vows
- The Smurfs Springtime Special
- The Tale of the Bunny Picnic
- The Tale of the Great Bunny
- Tiny Toon Adventures Spring Break Special
- The Ultimate Easter Egg Hunt
- VeggieTales: An Easter Carol (Christian-themed)
- The Wind In The Willows
- Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo
- Yogi the Easter Bear
