Can't say as I remember the movie all that well, but that character and those lines are in the stage play version.

Can someone tell me which of the Santa Claus TV movies shows him being raised in the woods by fairies? I missed it this year.

I hate, hate, hate all the end of the year retrospectives. Hate them.

Me too--I love this movie. I unfortunately caught the remake of this on HBO the other night--what a wooden, boring, souless catastrophe. As my father said, sometimes you should just leave well enough alone.

That "Osbourne's Christmas Special" was terrible. Adam Carrolla cooking cranberries, sitting around reading christmas stories, it was truly bad.

"It's a Charlie Brown Christmas" is still my favorite.

Does anyone remember any Easter specials? I'm thinking of two in particular. One is from the famous Christmas co. that does Rudolph (I must have read the name 300 times in this thread and now that I'm posting? Can't remember). All I remember about it was the badguy bunny had an iron tail.

The other was a cartoon and the Easter Bunny was voiced by Garrett Morris of SNL fame. All I remember about it was that he was a very mellow [read stoned] bunny that had a song that went something like:

Hupsha hupsha hupsha hupsha-hupsha-hupsha. Makin' like a bunny.

Does anyone else remember this from late 70s/early 80s?

And I am officially old as of this Rockin' Eve! I had heard of about 3 of the bands on both Fox and Dick Clark's shows. And wanted to hear from none of them.

She actually did two consecutive Christmas specials. The first was when she was riding high and believed she was America's sweetheart. That was the one with Frank and the kids playing a big, unbearably nauseating part. Then by the following year, she had been tarnished by the sweatshop scandal and the even worse scandal over Frank's infidelity. Anyone with a grain of common sense would have cancelled that year's Christmas special, but she apparently decided to brazen it out.

That one was really fun to watch because by then everyone in America knew what a big phony she was and what a farce her "happy" family life was. She spent the hour prancing around the stage (I think it was filmed in Branson, MO -- appropriate, since I always thought she'd end her career there) and Frank made a very brief cameo appearance with the kids at the end. Frank looked absolutely terrified and like he'd rather be anywhere else on earth. I hope the poor bastard enjoyed his time in the sack with his girlfriend, because he ended up paying for it twenty times over.

Beelzebubba, you must be thinking of Easter Fever. I saw it when I was a kid in the early eighties. I don't remember much about it except for the bunny's laid-back voice and bellbottoms. And that it was hysterical.

That's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, based on the book by L. Frank Baum. One of my favorites! There's an animated version too, but it's not nearly as good. The original Rankin-Bass special is available on video and DVD.



This one is Here Comes Peter Cottontail from 1971. Irontail was voiced by Vincent Price! You can get this one on video or DVD too.

Wow! Thanks, QAF Rocks and Gimme Cat. Both of the questions answered!

The best and possibly most bizarre Holiday special I'd ever seen was the Max Headroom Christmas special in 1987. Cinemax ran the sh!t out of that special on their channel. To this day I can't get that damned "Merry Christmas, Santa Claus" song out of my head!!

Was I just being oblivious, or did no-one run Here comes Peter Cottontail this year? I haven't seen Irontail in years!

Cartoon Network ran Here Comes Peter Cottontail on Easter Sunday.

I think Irontail was onto something: I, for one, would totally dig getting a chocolate octopus instead of a chocolate bunny. 8 legs of chocolate goodness to bite off vs 2 ears. Do the math, people!

Mmmmmm.... Octochocolatey goodness....

(ah, Sleestak, I knew we were a match made in the candy aisle... hee!)

Holy crap! They still play that? I haven't seen it since I was a kid. And I missed it. I am putting it on the TiVo wishlist now for next year. I love Here Comes Peter Cottontail.

No chocolate can be as sweet as you, screamapiller.

And while screamapiller is the bee's knees- that wiggly little French Caterpiller w/Danny Kaye's Voice gave me the willys. Yikes. It got downright surreal.

Danny Kaye makes for a scary puppet. Some would say he made for a scary human, too- but that's another topic.

Vincent Price, however, is God.

Seriously (monkey), that thing freaked me out.

Did It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown make it on to the air this year? I haven't seen it in forever...

I'm the bee's knees... hee! Thanks!

It's getting to be that time of year again!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was on television last night, so I thought I'd resurrect this thread so we can all discuss our favorite holiday specials.

That's my fave, QAF Rocks. My one-and-only non-negotiable Christmas tradition is that I must, absolutely MUST, see this special every year, as I have every year since it premiered... which is a lot easier now that I have it on video and don't have to depend on the network. The first year it was on I was in the hospital to have my tonsils out, and the nurses wanted the kids on the ward in bed by 8:00 (horrors!!)... five-year-old me organized a grievance committee that marched on the nurses' station and petitioned for permission to stay up long enough to see The Grinch. (We prevailed. Solidarity, I tell you!)

The Grinch is absolutely my favorite too! When I was little I used to be really scared when the Grinch got his "awful idea" and his face would curl up all evil-like- I used to cover my eyes during that part! (I still do, a little).

I'm A Charlie Brown Christmas girl myself. There's just something about Linus reciting Luke that does it for me.

If I can see "The Grinch" [original recipe only], the original stop action "Rudolph", "Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol," the rest is gravy. Wonderful gravy, some of it, but those are the four I look for every year.

I've never seen the Mr. Magoo one, but substitute Frosty The Snowman instead and those were pretty much my "Big 4" growing up.

Best Christmas special ever is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, if only for Yukon Cornelius. He had the best lines (also, he was hot):

Yukon: The fog is thick as peanut butter.
Hermey: You mean, “pea soup.”
Yukon: You eat what you like, and I’ll eat what I like!

Yukon (to his dogsled dogs): Mush! Doncha know North Pole talk? MUSH!

Yukon (to his dogsled dogs): Whoa! Whoa! Unmush, willya?

Most craptastic Christmas specials ever are the Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys (computer animation which sucked, unless you were on crack), and Frosty Returns. Just melt, all right?


Amen to this. Add to the list that only Burl Ives or Gene Autrey can sing “Rudolph,” only the Harry Simeone Chorale can do “Little Drummer Boy,” only Nat King Cole or Mel Torme can sing “The Christmas Song.” Celine Dion can go take a flying leap.



Diet Coke all over my keyboard now. Bwah!

Preach it, TudorQueen. But especially "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol." Which I don't get why I love it so much since 1) I loathe musicals, and 2) I've never liked Mr. Magoo. And yet my love has no bounds. That baby is TiVo wishlisted this year lest I miss it again.

On the other hand I have never seen either "It's a Wonderful Life" or "A Christmas Story". My sister is hell bent on getting me to see "A Christmas Story", but I'm hesitant to watch. Probably because I suspect I won't like it and it will disappoint her so much.

TV Guide for next week arrived and I've scanned it for my favorite specials--the Grinch is on next Thursday and Rudolph is on next Tuesday.

That leaves Charlie Brown, A Christmas Carol (Alastair Sim only, no crappy substitutes, and it must be in b&w), A Christmas Story, and The Bishop's Wife for my personal top picks. All of them are bound to appear except The Bishop's Wife which I might have to actually buy some year.

My can't miss Christmas movie is White Christmas. I can sing the songs and recite all of the lines. My sister-in-law thinks we are insane when we insist on hauling itout every year. We only let her make fun of the song Choreography. Even I admit that one is stupid.

We have a family viewing ritual which includes us all knowing out parts for Sisters

Speaking of White Christmas my sisters almost ruined that movie for me by insisting on standing in front of the TV and singing "Sisters". It sucked because they didn't know all the lyrics and neither of them can carry a tune in a bucket. This was in the pre-video days so it wasn't like I could watch the movie whenever I want so it sucked big time.

I'm a sucker for those stupid holiday themed TV movies. Especially the "romance" ones. Plucky single mom, hunky single guy, precocious kid, and some Santa-like older person. They're all the same, but for some reason I. Can't. Resist. My favorite is the one where Gregory Harrison goes to Olivia Newton-John's cabin to foreclose and gets stuck there during a blizzard. Craptacular, cheesy goodness!

Unless they re-made those, that was, in fact, stop motion animation which sucked, not computer animation that sucked. Those were made back when computers where big scary machines with lots of blinky lights, not rad-kewl things on your desk top.

Unless, of course, as I said they re-did them, in which case some one needs to be taken out back and shot with a rather large bullet. They were crappy enought back in the 60's and 70's we don't need them redone.

That also goes for the Grinch movie. The original Grinch was just about perfect. Redoing it was a crime against nature, no, against Ghod him self.

And you kids? Get Off My Lawn.....

No, I'm talking about the remade version. Where Rudolph has to go find the Toy Taker or something, who turns out to be a teddy bear. It sucked all kinds of ass. The original stop action one is the best ever.

Oh Kayyyy.

I've got a large bullet and I'm not afraid to use it.

Where is the "person" (and I use that term lightly) that had that wonderful idea? He or She and I need to have a short pointed talk.

Star Wars Holiday Special. I only saw when it was on TV (in '77 I guess) and on a pirated VHS copy about 5 years ago. I wish George Lucas would grow a sense of humor and let Sci-Fi run this thing again, even if it was only a one-time thing. It's so embarrassingly bad and cheesy. The good thing about seeing the old VHS is that it had the original commercials from the 70s as well.

I would kill or die to find a copy of John Denver and The Muppets Holiday Special.

Do you mean John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together from 1979? It's never been commercially released, but there are three dubbed DVDs and a VHS copy available on eBay.

It's odd that this one hasn't been given a proper release though, especially since the other television special Rocky Mountain Holiday was.

Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas, is the absolute best. My favorite parts are 'River Bottom Nightmare Band' (Is it sad that I remember the words?). I also love it when Gladys and the kids blend their songs, at the end. Not to sound cheesy, but it's a truly beautiful moment.

As good as this film is, I love the 1970s Scrooge with Albert Finney if only for the song "Thank you very Much" It's one of the only films I look out for. Very sad I know.

I'm the same way. Can't stand Mr. Magoo the rest of the time, but that one gets me every time. I know all the songs by heart. And except for knocking out the nephew - which several versions do - it's actually quite faithful to the book.

Actually, I like most versions of "A Christmas Carol" - even the dumb ones like "Ebbie" with Susan Lucci, and "A Diva's Christmas Carol" with Vanessa Williams. This year's new musical, with Kelsey Grammer, Jane Krakowski and Jason Alexander -and songs by Alan Mencken - looks promising...

That's the one where the nephew was literally dancing on Ebenezer's casket, right? I think it's a terrible version, WITH the sole exception of "Thank You Very Much." That number rocks. So gleeful, so dark.

My family has come to judge Christmas Carols by the Humbug Factor. Count the number of times Scrooge randomly shouts, "Humbug!" The more Humbugs, the worse the version. In a couple of real stinkers I saw, Scrooge practically had Tourette's. You can also try it with Tiny Tim and "God bless us, every one!"

Although I agree that the Alistair Sim version is the best, I have to make a nod for Michael Caine in the Muppet's Christmas Carol. Sure, he's surrounded by whimsy, so it's hard to see, but his humbug is the best. Everyone acting out around him, and he turns, and with utter contempt, dismisses everyone and everything with a single, quiet, "Humbug." His Scrooge is colder than the unheated office of his.

I knew Ebbie was real, I spent a good while arguing with my mom that this was a real movie, she didn't belive me, and she ended up convincing me it was a dream, I should know better then to trust her

Michael Caine is such a terrific actor. He works as well with Muppets as he did with Laurence Olivier, and always gives every role his full effort.

Ain't he, though? His "Humbug" still gives me goosebumps. He's not saying it to anyone but himself, either, because nobody else matters. At all.

All this Christmas special talk made me run out and actually buy "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol" (and "Christmas Vacation") today. However, something is missing when you can just pop the DVD in and watch anytime. Part of the thrill was waiting for it to come on - the excitement in the anticipation for it to start. But I'm going to hold off and wait for just the right time to watch.

After reading this thread it was so fabulous to then browse through all the different specials they have on DVD and seeing all the titles mentioned here. I could have gone broke buying them all. However, I showed restraint even when I saw one that had 3 specials on one DVD - including "Nestor the Long Eared Donkey". Sweet sassy molassey how I cried my eyes out after seeing that one.

I know this was from a while ago, but I can't let it go. It was Violet Bick, not Rutherford. Violet Rutherford was Lumpy/Clarence Rutherford's little sister on "Leave It To Beaver".



It was called "Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown" and it came out in 1975.



Yes, and she had a favorite Christmas dress she couldn't wait to wear but it had to be burned with all her other things because she had scarlet fever or something. I would love to see this now if someone can remember the title.

Love Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol! Another favorite Christmas special of mine is Muppet Christmas. I'm not sure of the correct title but all the Muppets gather at Fozzie's mother's house for the holiday. The Swedish Chef thinks Big Bird is a huge turkey and he tries to cook him.

I'm pretty sure that one's called A Muppet Family Christmas. Practically every Muppet in existance at the time was in that special, including the Fraggles, and an "old home movie" of an early Muppet Babies Christmas. Doc and Sprocket were featured heavily in this too.

The best part was the end with the Christmas Carol medley. One Muppet would start a carol, and the rest of them would join in on choruses or in other appropriate ways. The finale was the final song from another good Muppet holiday special, The Christmas Toy.

I'd like for ABC/Disney to air either or both of these this year. I'm also hoping that Nickelodeon airs the holiday episode of Roundhouse.

Word. I'm such a freakin' sucker for Very Special Holiday Episodes/Specials, and whether or not we have it on tape, I must watch them when they air. Eventually I'm just going to make a master tape or DVD of my favorites, though I'm sure it would stretch to a few discs/tapes (Hm, we'd have Rudolph, Charlie Brown, The Grinch - the REAL Grinch, not the live-action crapfest - A Muppet Family Christmas, Emmett Otter, all of the ER episodes, BtVS's "Amends", the Roswell Christmas ep that was so delightfully bad, Xena's "A Solstice Carol...)

That is indeed A Muppet Family Christmas, SVNBob. It was my favorite as a kid. The Swedish Chef is the coolest. There's a DVD out now that I must own, but it saddens me that it's never aired anymore.

I will always have a soft spot for Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol because it was my very first exposure to the Charles Dickens story way back when I was about 5 years old. To this day, when I hear the name "Scrooge", I don't see Alistair Sim or George C. Scott, I see Mr. Magoo. Last year, I got to sit with my 4 year old nephew while he watched it for the first time. Sniff.

Does anybody else remember a Christmas special that ran once about ten years ago? I think it may have been based on a children's book, but I can't for the life of me remember the title. Robert Downey, Jr. played an eccentric millionaire who loved Christmas and threw a huge Christmas party for all his friends and neighbors. Stockard Channing and Leslie Nielsen played his maid and butler, who had been secretly in love with each other for years but were too shy to admit it until Downey brought them together. I don't think it was ever aired a second time. Possibly because of low ratings or possibly because of bad publicity over Downey's drug problem.

Here's a hilarious review of that...

http://www.ohthehumanity.com/review.php3?ID=411

The closest I've come to experiencing the badness/cheesiness of The Star Wars Holiday Special was a site that had a couple of audio clips. Unfortunately (Fortunately?), that site is now gone...

I see Scrooge McDuck. Cartoons have corrupted us!



I never saw it, but that was Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree from 1995.



After a bit of searching, I think I've identified it as The Tiny Tree from 1975.

At our house we usually watch a tape of old 80's Christmas cartoons. We watch "How the Grinch stole Christmas", "Rudolph", "A Garfield Christmas" etc. But my all time favorite Christmas special is the "California Rasins Christmas Special", the claymatian one! *Ducks from flying ornaments.* It's just so damn werid that you have to love it! Plus I love the part when the dinosaurs are singing "Here we go a waffling", instead of Wassiling!

Also I HAVE to watch "The Nutcracker Ballet" every year right before christmas, but I have to watch it on TV because the effect just isn't the same if you watch it from a DVD.

And the WORST Christmas specials are any new movies that VH1, A&E, etc. make that put a new "Twist" on "A Christmas Charol". If I have to see one more crappy rendition of "ACC" I will jab sporks in my eyes! *I'm looking at you A&E and your "Musical" of "ACC".*

Blackadder's Christmas Carol is a hoot, but you have to know the series and the characters to appreciate what they're doing with the story.

I had almost forgotten about the Mr. Magoo special, since I hadn't seen it in years, but I bought the video a couple years ago. Razzleberry dressing, anyone?

And for those of you who find yourselves watching the fantastic Alistair Sim Scrooge, look carefully at the scene where Young Ebeneezer meets Young Jacob Marley for the first time... Young Marley is played by Patrick Macnee, of The Avengers fame. Look quick; he doesn't stick around very long!