In a 2010 article in The Huffington Post, 'Santa's Little Helper' was listed as one of TV's top Christmas-themed episodes of all time. The episode originally aired December 10, 1993, and is considered a cult classic.
Cory makes a reference to watching the David Copperfield special, a joke about the Dickens novel and the 90s magician.
Will Friedle ad-libbed his Ho-Ho-Ho joke when he and Amy are trying to coax Morgan out of the bathroom. Betsy Randle's reaction is genuine.
This episode takes place in December 1993.