First Aired - December 21st, 1967
Sergeant Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon are working in Burglary, Auto Theft. Friday and Gannon are called to investigate a theft from a church. The Baby Jesus has been stolen from the church's nativity scene.
Just the Tropes, ma'am:
- Christmas Episode: Crime takes no holiday ... but this time, Friday and Gannon investigate what seems on the surface to be petty theft.
- Foregone Conclusion: When the little boy – in Spanish – asks Friday and the priest if he'll go to Hell for taking the doll (and perhaps also wondering if he'll be arrested), the answer is of course, no. In fact, Friday and Gannon smile, and in a moment that many fans remember as thoroughly heartwarming, are reminded of the real meaning of Christmas, thanks to a little boy's faith in Jesus.
- It's Personal: Friday and Gannon get chewed out by their Captain. Both have spent too much time on the case when there are more pressing issues at hand. They are able to convince the Captain to give them until Christmas Eve to keep working on the case.
- Shot-for-Shot Remake: A dead-on remake of the original, aired in 1953.
