Kara Kovalchik
The Island of Misfit Christmas Specials
by Kara Kovalchik - December 10, 2009 - 9:50 PM

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Holiday TV specials creep into the viewing schedule earlier and earlier each year. My Dad swears that he saw a back-to-back presentation of Yankee Doodle Dandy and A Charlie Brown Christmas last July 4th, but he may have been exaggerating. By cracky, when I was a youngin’, Christmas specials never aired before Thanksgiving, and that always made the holiday season seem more special, more….Christmas-y. Some of the stalwarts from my childhood, like How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, are still aired today, so let’s not dwell on those. But what about those shows that have since been banished to the Island of Misfit Christmas Specials?

1. The House Without a Christmas Tree

treeThe year is 1946 and the setting is the tiny town of Clear River, Nebraska. Addie Mills (Lisa Lucas) is a very bright 10-year-old being raised by her grandmother and father, since her mom died shortly after giving birth to her. Addie’s father, James (Jason Robards), is not particularly warm, but he enjoys playing logic games and puzzles with his precocious daughter. Come Christmas time each year, he becomes even more withdrawn and curmudgeonly and refuses (without explanation) to allow a Christmas tree in his home. When Addie wins her classroom’s Christmas tree in a “choose a number from…” contest, instead of being proud of his daughter’s analytical skills, he is furious—not only because he seemingly hates Christmas, but also because of the perceived “charity” aspect of the situation. Even the Grinchiest viewer misted up when tiny Addie dragged the tree to a local orphanage and left it on the front steps with a note from “Santa.” The House without a Christmas Tree was filmed like a play on videotape and the overall “look” added to the poignancy of the production.

Let’s quickly lighten the mood with a word from our sponsor. We never gave our Dad a Norelco three-headed electric shaver (he was strictly a Schick safety razor man), but this jovial commercial was always a family favorite:

2. Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol

One of many embarrassing reminders of what a large part television played in my early development is that day when my fourth grade teacher asked our class during a Christmas-related lesson who said “Bah, humbug!” My hand shot up and I proudly answered “Mr. Magoo!”

United Productions of America (UPA) had been producing Mr. Magoo shorts for several years and was looking to expand into feature-length productions. Christmas TV specials were rare at the time, so the studio pitched the idea of a myopic Magoo reenacting Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Timex came on board as a sponsor, and Broadway veterans Jule Styne and Bob Merrill were tapped to provide the score and lyrics. The result was a hit that was re-aired every holiday season for…a few years, until slicker, more elaborate animated specials entered the market, and it became un-PC to find humor in disabilities like Mr. Magoo’s near-sightedness.

Time for another commercial break…this time featuring a three-year-old Corey Feldman in his very first role. By the way, a 50-cent McDonald’s gift certificate may not seem like much now, but back in 1975 it could buy you a hamburger and a small pop (soda to some of you).

3. Amahl and the Night Visitors

No one knew it at the time, but the December 25, 1966, airing on NBC of Amahl and the Night Visitors was the last time Gian Carlo Menotti’s made-for-TV opera would ever be broadcast on network television. And, thanks to my second grade music teacher, I was one of those in the viewing audience that night.

amahlJust prior to Christmas break, she instructed us to watch Amahl and the Night Visitors because she would give us a test on it once school resumed. I was banished to the basement to watch it on our old blurry Zenith TV set because my Dad wasn’t going to sit through some (profane adjective) opera. All these years later I can still remember specific scenes, like the Three Wise Men knocking at the door of Amahl’s house, and he and his mother singing about it for half an hour before finally opening the darned door. Obviously I was too young to appreciate the historical perspective of the show—it was specially commissioned in 1950 by NBC to appeal to their then-target audience. When Amahl first aired in 1951, TV sets were an expensive luxury item, and those who had the disposable income to purchase one were most likely the type to have advanced degrees and who would appreciate “prestige” programming.

Time for another quick break—contrary to urban legend, Coca-Cola didn’t invent the present-day image of Santa Claus. They did, however, invent some very catchy tunes.

4. Star Wars Holiday Special

The original Star Wars film was actually an unexpected hit, so in retrospect, it’s no surprise that some enterprising TV network would win a bidding war to host a Christmas TV special. Of course, after the show laid a massive ratings goose egg, everyone from George Lucas to Carrie Fisher would first deny the show’s existence, then later make elaborate excuses for its suckage.

The Star Wars Holiday Special aired only once in its entirety, on November 17, 1978. Among the many unfortunate choices made by the producers, the storyline focused on Chewbacca and his Wookie family, who could only communicate via weird whiny noises that sounded like an arctic wolf being shot from a helicopter. Art Carney, Harvey Korman, Bea Arthur and Diahann Carroll were the special guest stars. The actual stars of the film made what could best be described as a cameo appearance, during which Carrie Fisher sang a heartfelt “Happy Life Day” to the tune of the Star Wars theme song.

Before we depart, let’s transport to a happier time, when you could purchase a Michael Jackson talking ViewMaster thingie for just under $30.

Happy holidays to all, and all please chime in with your Christmas TV memories!

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Comments (84)

  1. A few years ago, I was given DVD of the Star Wars Holiday Special as a white elephant gift. It’s taped off of tv and has a ‘special feature’ of all the old Star Wars toys comercials. I don’t know where or how the ‘giver’ came into having this special, but I was so happy that no one took it from me.

    posted by Chris on 12-10-2009 at 10:02 pm

  2. I loved Amahl! My mother was super restrictive with our viewing time and so to even be able to watch was a treat. I must have been about 7; and was just entranced with the sight of people talking by singing! and figuring out what the story was about as it developed in front of me… Magical moment of childhood recalled by this posting; thank you!

    posted by Aurora on 12-10-2009 at 10:09 pm

  3. How ’bout Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas from the 70s? I have a vague recollection of it because I had loved the book. I looked it up on Amazon and apparently was made by Jim Henson, starred some Muppets and had songs written by Paul Williams, who wrote The Rainbow Connection.

    posted by Debi on 12-10-2009 at 10:15 pm

  4. Claymation Christmas by Will Vinton made December in the 1980′s tremendous! I don’t know how many years it aired but by chance my parents recorded it one year so it became a family tradition. Oddly enough I just watched it earlier tonight with my husband who I now force to enjoy it :)

    posted by Jeannie on 12-10-2009 at 10:22 pm

  5. @Debi
    Emmet Otter’s Christmas is actually being performed live at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT (complete with Muppets) until January 3. Go to http://www.goodspeed.org for more info!

    I loved that Emmet Otter special as a kid! There are some funny outtakes from it on youtube.

    posted by Lori on 12-10-2009 at 10:25 pm

  6. This is too funny – just last weekend my boyfriend and I were talking about the Santa in the Norelco shaver commercial, and one morning this week I heard the real version of “I’d Like To Teach the World to Sing”. The thing about it, though, is that I only knew the Coke commercial lyrics! =)

    posted by Heidi on 12-10-2009 at 10:33 pm

  7. @ Lori – I’ll have to check out You Tube – I’m a few thousand miles too far from CT to see that, but I bet it’s great!

    posted by Debi on 12-10-2009 at 10:39 pm

  8. So we got Little Corey Feldman (what a cutie pie!), AND Little Jenny Lewis at the beginning of the Toys ‘R’ Us commercial!!

    posted by Amanda Mae on 12-10-2009 at 10:50 pm

  9. oooh! Totally remember (and loved) Emmet Otter’s Christmas – also, I remember The Little Drummer Boy – and one made by the same folks about a donkey with really long ears that carried Mary to Bethlehem.

    posted by swss on 12-10-2009 at 11:03 pm

  10. I really, really want to see the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas special again. It boggles my mind that that has never been released in any home video format.

    posted by CamilleR on 12-10-2009 at 11:06 pm

  11. The Star Wars Holiday Special is viewable in its entirely on Google Video:

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=323909610753051544&hl=en#

    It’s worse than you’ve heard; To make it go down easier, purchase the “Rifftrax” that goes with it:

    http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax/star-wars-holiday-special

    posted by Tim Harrod on 12-10-2009 at 11:21 pm

  12. @ Lori…loved the special back in ’77 and OMG I watched the outtakes last week and was on the floor…especially the one of Emmett and his mom outside the music store. “Spare change for my mom? She needs a bottle of ripple!”

    posted by Marty on 12-10-2009 at 11:56 pm

  13. Ha! As a Detroit native I loved that you used pop first then soda!!

    posted by Katey on 12-11-2009 at 12:01 am

  14. Oooh! Can anybody help? I remember seeing (once) a (classically hand) animated special where there were three space aliens that resembled the three wise men. In the end they link arms to join a human chain to help pull somebody out who has fallen through the ice.

    Anyone? Bueller?

    posted by Bill Siderski on 12-11-2009 at 12:20 am

  15. i was 5, so forgive my horrible taste, but i remember liking “the electric grandmother” quite a bit.

    i found a two-pack of dvd’s in the best buy bargain bin a few years ago, containing the muppet christmas special and emmet otter’s jugband christmas. a great find.

    posted by steverino on 12-11-2009 at 12:38 am

  16. I’m old enough to remember many of these. Mr. Magoo is a particular favorite, and I actually caught an airing of it last Christmas, I believe, with my kids. They couldn’t understand why I kept singing “la…la..lalalalala…” through the entire show. And I am one who wouldn’t have dared miss anything to do with Star Wars back in the day, so my brother and I saw that aired for it’s one TV viewing. I seem to recall my dad saying it was the dumbest thing he ever saw…

    posted by shirleyfeeney on 12-11-2009 at 1:46 am

  17. Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas ruled the landscape.

    I didn’t realize it was from 1977 or whenever until very recently. I saw it on (I think) HBO around 1986, so I just always assumed it was made around that time. Cultural solipsism, I guess.

    posted by clint on 12-11-2009 at 7:40 am

  18. To Bill S. – I vaguely remember a Flintstones Christmas episode with that alien guy – Perhaps that is what you are thinking of?

    posted by KJ on 12-11-2009 at 9:11 am

  19. Anyone else remember the California Raisins’ Christmas special? I want to say either a broccoli or asparagus also had a lead role…

    posted by Daphne on 12-11-2009 at 9:47 am

  20. @Heidi

    “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” actually was a commercial jingle before it was what you call the real version. The song was so popular that the group hired to sing for the commercial, the New Seekers, re-recorded the song with different lyrics and released it as a single. Later, they included on a full length album. My parents bought the album on 8-track and we listened to it alot it the early 70s, what memories!

    posted by Will on 12-11-2009 at 10:02 am

  21. i remember watching the original broadcast of “the house without a christmas tree” as a 13-year old and absolutely loved it. i wish it would be re-broadcast one day or put to dvd. the entire cast was amazing. that film brings back some wonderful memories.

    posted by Nathan on 12-11-2009 at 10:05 am

  22. Emmet Otter Rocks! That being said, does anyone know if I can get the “Bump in the Night” holiday episode on dvd?

    posted by peach on 12-11-2009 at 10:08 am

  23. @Bill Siderski

    The Christmas special with the aliens you’re thinking of is Nelvana’s “A Cosmic Christmas” (1977). I love that one! They also produced a Thanksgiving special at some point called “An Intergalactic Thanksgiving.” I don’t know how hard they would be to find these days… I’m lucky enough to have a VHS of them that my dad made for me when I was young.

    posted by Kate on 12-11-2009 at 10:20 am

  24. Claymation Christmas rules! and they finally released it to DVD, so now I can enjoy it every year (the Joy to the World segment just blows me away, and you gotta LOVE the boogie camels in We Three Kings)

    One that hasn’t been mentioned is Annabelle’s Wish, which ran for two Christmases and was never heard from again. I can’t find it in any format, and that’s one I’d love to own, too.

    And steverino — I thought The Electric Grandmother was wonderful! As for the Star Wars special … well, the less said about that the better. Frankly, “Hardware Wars” had better production values …. lol.

    posted by ceallaig on 12-11-2009 at 10:33 am

  25. The Small One, an animated special about a little boy who has to sell his beloved pet donkey, ran on the Disney channel at Christmas time for years. Ultimately, Small One ends up being the donkey who carries Mary to Bethlehem.

    I vaguely remember an animated special about an orphaned girl named Ivy who gets sent to a new orphanage right before Christmas. A power shortage in the town’s light display makes it read “Welcome Home Ivy” and she believes a family is waiting for her. I think she gets adopted by the town spinster. I feel like this only aired once, but I really wish I could find it.

    There’s a Jim Henson special about a toy tiger who has ruled the playroom as top toy and now feels replaced by the new doll in the room. Early “Toy Story” now I think about it.

    My mom has fond memories of a tv movie called “The Christmas Tree,” about a tree grown at a convent that gets selected as the Rockefeller Center tree.

    steverino – I LOVED the electric grandmother. my mom got me a copy for my birthday one year. still one of the best presents ever.

    posted by Chelsea on 12-11-2009 at 10:47 am

  26. Daphne, the California Raisins special is Claymation Christmas. Will Vinton was the creator of the singing raisins. And double second to Small One! Just got that on dvd recently also!

    posted by Jeannie on 12-11-2009 at 10:56 am

  27. Emmett Otter’s Jugband Christmas was cool! Who could forget “There Aint No Hole in the Washtub”? Or The Riverbottom Nightmare Band?

    posted by Dave on 12-11-2009 at 10:57 am

  28. Oh, the power of Wikipedia. I was thinking of “The Story of Holly and Ivy,” a 1958 children’s book retitled “The Wish That Changed Christmas” for the 1991 animated special.

    *sigh* content satisfaction.

    posted by Chelsea on 12-11-2009 at 10:57 am

  29. I LOVE Emmit Otter!!
    A few years back I was able to find it on VHS.. now my kids & I watch it every year. It is the only reason I keep a VCR.
    Just isn’t Christmas without Emmit.

    posted by Jennifer on 12-11-2009 at 11:33 am

  30. I love Emmet Otter! I also liked one about mice in a clock and a boy who stops believing in Santa. They used to show it on tv in the mid-80s.

    posted by vegebrarian on 12-11-2009 at 11:45 am

  31. I’m so nostalgic for “The House Without a Christmas Tree.” I think they also did specials for Thanksgiving, Easter, and Valentine’s Day. They were so poignant and well-acted. I wonder whatever happened to the child actress, she was so good.

    posted by Rob on 12-11-2009 at 12:07 pm

  32. I know this is more recent than many that have been mentioned… But I always loved the Garfield Christmas Special…

    posted by MDav on 12-11-2009 at 12:18 pm

  33. YES YES YES!

    Thank you, Kate! That’s it exactly. This has been bugging me since… oh, 1977, I guess. It was one of those things I thought I’d never have answered. Thank you, again.

    Nelvana, eh? Who would have thought?

    posted by Bill Siderski on 12-11-2009 at 12:19 pm

  34. What about “The Christmas Toy” by Jim Henson. That was my fav. growing up.

    posted by Jeremy on 12-11-2009 at 12:24 pm

  35. I’ve read about that Star Wars Christmas special! I figured you’d post on it. George Lucas HATED it, and Carrie Fisher said she was “heavily medicated” while she sang that song. I read about it in an Uncle John’s- either the jingle bell collection or the Christmas collection.

    posted by Sara in AL on 12-11-2009 at 12:25 pm

  36. I remember Emmet Otter Jug band christmas. It frustrated me as a child.
    It made me angry that Emmett kept ruining his mother’s washtubs and didn’t have the foresight to save the washtub from last time he made a washtub bass.
    I really didn’t understand how you made an instrument out of a washtub but a few years later the new pastor at my church pulled out a washtub connected to a long staff by insulated wire to play alongside his wife uke. OMG a real live washtub bass. jaw dropped.

    posted by Lewen on 12-11-2009 at 12:25 pm

  37. I definitely remember “The Christmas Toy” aw well. I had forgotten what it was called.

    posted by Bert on 12-11-2009 at 1:25 pm

  38. You can buy The Christmas Toy and Emmett Otter on DVD together at Amazon. I picked mine up at wegman’s on Thanksgiving in Syracuse.

    I remember being terrified by Meteora in Christmas Toy. love, love, love those movies!

    posted by patty on 12-11-2009 at 1:31 pm

  39. @ Chris – Go to any comic or sci-fi convention and you’ll find lots of bootlegged tv shows. I had a roommate a long time ago that bought a few and they all had old commercials on them. Kind of neat. I would imagine the bootleg trade is doing worse lately as more old tv shows come out on dvd.

    posted by crocostimpy on 12-11-2009 at 1:35 pm

  40. “Emmet Otter” and “The Christmas Toy” aren’t misfit … they’re delightful. Star Wars … that one was misfit.

    Recaptcha: muffin 8,638,000. That’s a whole lotta muffins.

    posted by Dinosaur on 12-11-2009 at 1:41 pm

  41. Did anyone else ever see Nestor the Long Eared Donkey? That was the saddest f’in show ever. I cried to hard that my mom wouldn’t let me watch it again. I finally re-watched it a few years ago (I’m 37 now)and still cried.

    As someone who lives in SE Michigan, I also want to say thanks for saying “pop” :)

    posted by TeacherPatti on 12-11-2009 at 1:53 pm

  42. Nestor,the Long Eared Donkey OMG! The very mention of that show makes me tear up! But I still loved it anyway. Don’t know if I could watch it now tho.

    posted by helen on 12-11-2009 at 2:11 pm

  43. oh goodness! I remember Small One, Chelsea! Does anyone remember the 1985 Hanna Barbara cartoon The Little Troll Prince? *sigh* There are just some childhood objects that you shouldn’t revisit. My parents still have the video and I watched it again this year… bad idea. What happened to the version I watched when I was 8, when I could sing along to all 45 minutes of it? I miss being a kid.

    posted by KitKat on 12-11-2009 at 2:20 pm

  44. I loved “The House Without a Christmas Tree”! I have a vague recollection that there may also have been a book of that story. I would love to see that again.

    posted by Lois on 12-11-2009 at 2:25 pm

  45. Since we’re all tripping down memory lane…I can’t believe (well, maybe I can) nobody’s mentioned A Muppet Family Christmas. (The one where all the Muppets end up at Fozzie’s mother’s house.) It was amazing, and if you do have the DVD, make sure you go to YouTube (or something) and see the scenes that were cut out–the Muppet Muppet Babies (it makes sense, trust me) alone made the show worth it. Plus Fraggles! Plus Swedish Chef trying to cook the gobbla-gobbla-humonga! Oh, memories.

    posted by Optramark on 12-11-2009 at 2:34 pm

  46. I just got done watching Pee-Wee’s Christmas Special (you can view it in its entirety at http://www.peewee.com) and I think I love it even more as an adult than I did back when I was a kid! It is crazy-trippy, with all kinds of sarcastic humor and like 500 guest stars (even Oprah with her big 80s hair!)Unfortunately, due to Pee-Wee’s, ahem, legal trouble back in the day, I think they only aired it once or twice on TV before they cancelled his show.

    Also, where the heck has Mickey’s Christmas Carol gone? I remember watching that every single year, with Scrooge MacDuck, Mickey as Bob Cratchett, and Goofy as the ghost of Marley, etc. And now, all of a sudden, it’s nowhere to be found- all I see these days are that really lame 3-D animated Mickey Christmas special, which totally sucks in comparison to Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Bring it back, Disney!!!

    posted by FizzyGurrl on 12-11-2009 at 2:46 pm

  47. I remember watching the Star Wars Holiday Special as a kid back in 1978 and loving it. Watched it a few years ago online and I still love it. I love all the horrible, cheesy goodness about it. My favourite scene has to be Lumpy (Chewbacca’s dad, or maybe it was Itchy. I can’t remember which one was his father and which one was his son) watching what could only be described as internet porn of Diahann Carroll, way too funny! I should qualify this by saying I’m an uber-geek for anything Star Wars (original trilogy).

    As a kid there was a cartoon that only aired around Christmas. I think it was based on a Hans Christian Andersen story and was called something like The Danish Prince or The Little Prince and had to do with a statue and sparrow and the statue would ask the sparrow to take his eyes and give it to a blind kid. I vaguely remember this, but I do remember my sister loving this show. I haven’t seen that show in probably 30 years.

    Is the show with Sun Miser and Snow Miser still airing? I haven’t seen that one in ages either.

    LOVE the commercials from the 70s and 80s!! More of them please!! I didn’t remember the Corey Feldman McDonald’s one until right at the end when he had his “surprised” look on his face, then the whole thing came right back.

    posted by Ted Lange As Your Bartender on 12-11-2009 at 3:09 pm

  48. I also loved the Electric Grandmother. My favorite movie is the Truman Capote Christmas story–the original with Geraldine Chapman, I believe. I don’t think it ever came out on DVD but I bought a used VHS copy a few years ago.

    posted by Kathy on 12-11-2009 at 3:21 pm

  49. I thought the Star Wars Holiday Special was brilliant when it first aired, I loved (and still love) everything Star Wars.

    My uncle lent me his DVD copy of it awhile back and I tried to watch it for nostalgia’s sake…I couldn’t stand it. Had to turn it off, it was SOOO bad!

    BTW, Ted Lange As Your Bartender, Lumpy is Chewie’s son, Itchy is Chewie’s dad (or maybe even his grandfather)

    posted by Carole on 12-11-2009 at 3:41 pm

  50. Hey Ted:

    It’s actually by Oscar Wilde – The Happy Prince, and the eyes were sapphires to be given to the poor… eventually he also asks the swallow to strip off his gold leaf coating… spoiler! the swallow dies at the end – it was too late for him to migrate to Egypt… but the story ends with God calling them to Heaven.

    Wilde wrote some awesome religious allegorical tales for children – youtube The Selfish Giant and see if I’m wrong.

    And you’re thinking The Heat Miser.

    Treehouse in Canada aired The Little Drummer Boy last year several times, but before that, I hadn’t seen it in YEARS. Why? Too depressing? Too stereotyping of the Arabic? Too religious? Whattup?

    I also remember an animated? or was it Muppet? about the night the animals talked… hmm… fuzzy memory. Anybody?

    posted by Marion on 12-11-2009 at 3:46 pm

  51. I remember a wonder special on PBS called “Simple Gifts.” It was five or six short vignettes about Christmas. It was narrated by Colleen Dewhurst and the animations featured the voices of Hermoine Gingold and Jose Ferrer.

    Why do they never show this anymore? I loved it. I recorded it on a tape recorder because there were no VCRs back then, or at least, we didn’t have one.

    They sell it on Ebay and Craig’s list every so often, but the prices are astronomical!

    posted by Lynxx on 12-11-2009 at 3:52 pm

  52. spoke too soon… you can find The Night the Animals Talked (animated) on the ytube, and happily for your sister, Ted, The Happy Prince is also there!

    thanks for bringing it up… gonna make my little one watch it… now to find the The Gift of the Magi!

    posted by Marion on 12-11-2009 at 3:55 pm

  53. My favorite is “A Wish for Wings that Work.” I don’t think it aired more than a couple of times but I got the book and the DVD. It always makes me cry.

    posted by Barbara on 12-11-2009 at 4:01 pm

  54. I have “The House Without A Christmas Tree” on VHS (I’ve had it for about 7 years). You made a small snaffu – Addie drags the Christmas tree to a poor neighbor’s house, not an orphanage. Just an FYI! I absolutely love the movie – watch it every year at Christmas.

    posted by Dee on 12-11-2009 at 4:45 pm

  55. Magoo’s version of Christmas Carol is my favorite! He did an excellent Don Quixote as well.

    posted by PartiallyDeflected on 12-11-2009 at 4:45 pm

  56. Yes! John Denver and the Muppets. We have the phonograph record, a tape and now a CD of it. It’s a family favorite of three generations! We’d love to see the whole show again.

    posted by Eileen on 12-11-2009 at 4:49 pm

  57. Mmmm…just because I tell you you’re wrong about a fact in “The House Without A Christmas Tree” you don’t post my comment? Can’t admit you’re not the “knowledge junkie” you pretend to be, huh?

    posted by Dee on 12-11-2009 at 5:02 pm

  58. OK, you finally posted it. I take it back.

    posted by Dee on 12-11-2009 at 5:05 pm

  59. Ah The Homecoming..is a favorite..Then again I alway have been a Waltons fan.

    posted by sue on 12-11-2009 at 5:05 pm

  60. As for the John Denver and the muppets…still love the music and yes we still yell “watch out for the icy patch” because of that show!

    posted by sue on 12-11-2009 at 5:07 pm

  61. Hi Marion

    Ok, so I got the name of the author wrong, the name of the story wrong, the gist of the story wrong, even the type of bird wrong. Well done being able to sift through all that! I tried googling it but came up with nothing.
    Thanks for the heads up on the youtube tip. I’m going to send the link to my sister, she’ll love it! I appreciate your help with that.

    @Carole – thanks for the Itchy/Lumpy clarification!

    posted by Ted Lange As Your Bartender on 12-11-2009 at 5:25 pm

  62. I remember there was a cartoon special called Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus back in the 1970s and the theme song was sung by Jimmy Osmond.

    There was also a special called the Night The Animals Talked.

    Anybody remember that? I loved that so much!

    posted by Maura on 12-11-2009 at 6:46 pm

  63. My favorite is “A Family Circus Christmas” Hopefully, it will come out on DVD someday.

    posted by Don on 12-11-2009 at 7:05 pm

  64. Luckly, I purchased one of the early vcr’s and taped most all the Christmas shows and cartoon starting back in the late 70′s(one blank tape:$20)and now I’ve put them all on dvd. Two of my favorites are “Opus and Bill’s Christmas” and “Ziggy’s Christmas Present”. Even have a Christmas cartoon show that WTBS did back in the mid 80′s. Merry Christmas everyone, Jerry

    posted by Jerry W on 12-11-2009 at 7:33 pm

  65. How about “The little match girl”? Very beautiful, but very sad too. Was also a book.

    posted by Trish P on 12-12-2009 at 9:06 am

  66. Nestor the Christmas Donkey was on just this morning (ABC Family, I think,) and it’s coming on again this Thursday night at 6:30. (I live in SE Pennsylvania, so I’m sure the time will be different depending where you are.)

    posted by Kim on 12-12-2009 at 11:21 am

  67. As for your comment that Coke did not invent the current day image of Santa, I would like to know where you get your information. There is a show on the History Channel I believe that runs every year that is about Coke and the fat Santa that is a true American creation. Before the ads that Coke ran where they created the image of a “robust” and jolly Santa, the image was of Santa was more Victorian in nature and slim, with a long robe instead of a two piece suit.

    posted by Patti on 12-12-2009 at 12:46 pm

  68. Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey always made me cry…

    posted by Tammy on 12-12-2009 at 2:42 pm

  69. I LOVE Mr. Magoo!! That has always been the favorite Christmas special for our family. Magoo has the perfect Scrooge voice, and his “I’m All Alone in the World” makes me puddle up every time I hear it.

    The Muppet Family Christmas – ah, yes. One line has stuck in my head for years – at the end, all the Muppets are in the living room singing or doing something Muppety, and Jim Henson is standing in the doorway watching. He says, “I like to see them all together enjoying themselves,” and I got the feeling that he MEANT it.

    posted by BB/VA on 12-12-2009 at 8:53 pm

  70. “Scrooge” with Albert Finney (a musical ‘Christmas Carol’), “The Christmas that Almost Wasn’t”, and the “Littlest Angel” starring Johnny Whitaker (from ‘Family Affair’)- I remember “The House Without a Christmas Tree” It was on Channel 54 out of Worcester Massachusetts, I watched it a hundred times.

    posted by Laura on 12-14-2009 at 7:24 am

  71. Does anyone remember The Littlest Angel? It was about a boy who dies right before Christmas and has unfinished business with his family so is allowed to go back to earth as an angel. There was a box under his bed that he wanted his parents to find. Was so sad. Loved Mr Magoos Christmas Carol and there was another claymation one where a boy who is blind gets his sight back for Christmas. And why dont they show Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus? That is one of the best!!!

    posted by joanie on 12-14-2009 at 8:19 am

  72. @ Maura, OMG!!!! I remember The Night The Animals Talked. I loved that one! I would love to find that. My kids would love it.

    posted by joanie on 12-14-2009 at 8:24 am

  73. I loved ” The Story Lady”

    posted by ems911brat on 12-14-2009 at 8:58 am

  74. “The House Without a Christmas Tree” IS available on DVD now. I just bought it last year, cheap, on Amazon. It’s totally no-frills, but like I said, it’s cheap. :-)

    posted by dazy on 12-14-2009 at 9:28 am

  75. Ahhh, Mr Magoo and the razzleberry dressing! My brother and I were just takling about that the other day and how they don’t show it anymore.

    I remember seeing Emmet Otter back in the late 70′s, and managed to find a copy of it on DVD…that and The Walton’s Homecoming. Both classics.

    Does anyone remember the Chipmunks Christmas, with Alvin’s quest for a “Golden Echo” Harmonica?

    posted by Jean on 12-14-2009 at 11:45 am

  76. this was a great trip down memory lane. I loved “A Mister Magoo Chirstmas Carol”. But then, I loved almost all the versions of this timeless story! It wasn’t christmas without them! I felt lucky if I got to watch them. I had a large family, and one television in the apartment, so you know how that is. If I missed any of the classics, I would be upset. Now, thanks to DVD, I can watch the specials at my leisure :)

    posted by adrianne on 12-14-2009 at 11:50 am

  77. For those who are looking for these classic tv shows, if you have Time Warner cable, They are on the Family channel.

    posted by adrianne on 12-14-2009 at 12:11 pm

  78. @ Ted Lange:

    Heat Miser and Snow Miser are in the Rankin & Bass show called “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” I’m not sure if it’s shown on TV much anymore, but it’s available on dvd. I still watch it (and a bunch of the other Rankin & Bass stuff) with my son every year.

    posted by Lee on 12-14-2009 at 12:46 pm

  79. Thank you for putting “House Without A Christmas Tree” at the top of the list. I remember bawling (not misting) over it, and my dear sister presented me with the book a few years back.

    My 2nd favorite never-to-be-seen again is the Chuck Jones version of A Christmas Carol — beautiful illustrations capturing a Dickensian era — and it’s selling on Amazon for something like $60. YouTube has snippets of it.

    posted by Jenifer on 12-14-2009 at 2:10 pm

  80. Another one I watch every year (I have a copy on Video) is The Gathering
    with Ed Asner and the Mom from 8 is enough. Originally done for TV, this movie is a must see; believe me! It is a tear-jerker, but still a hopeful, wonderful story. I keep hoping to see it re-released on DVD someday, but alas, as yet it’s not to be. Track it down if you can.

    posted by Ed Gannon on 12-15-2009 at 1:09 pm

  81. Wow, all these really great shows & I can’t believe not 1 person mentioned (especially everyone who mentioned Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Electric Grandmother’-which is AWESOME!!-& I canNOT find on DVD at a reasonable price ANYWHERE!!!) a program called..”The Christmas Box” (Maybe “The Christmas Gift”) EITHER WAY–it was based on a book, it stared the late Ron Moody, who was in the shape of a human w/ a lacky (I think he was really a fox?).. Some children (3-2 boys & a girl if I recall) had gone to thier aunts’ house for the holiday for some reason, around christmas time & they find this ‘box’ & I can’t remember if it had a magic ring in it, or the box was magic..somehow they discover their (desceased/or perhaps missing?) Uncle was a Magcian..and the rest of the storey gets muddled in my mind. I think it was told in a few episodes (maybe 3parts) but it was set around Christmas-and it was a ‘Very’ well acted, I think they showed it either on Bravo or CBC in the late 80s. But it was filmed before then.

    posted by Gunner on 12-18-2009 at 9:53 pm

  82. Jenifer (12-14-09 2:10) {Or anyone actually} I used to work at a Videostore-if you like a film enough, ask your local Videostore Clerk Manager if they’ll sell you the Previously Viewed Tape. Sometimes (if it’s not the last copy-or even if it is) they’ll sell it to you at a very reasonable price, especially if it’s a Title they’re not renting out a LOT. And if they can’t sell you ‘that’ copy-sometimes they can check other stores-or order it for you (maybe brand new)for less than getting it someplace else. Don’t forget to check your local library-because if ‘they’re’ not renting out a title a lot-they COULD want it off their shelf for something that will. Especially if you’ll purchase it AND you bring in something else to replace it they want more…And I haven’t even mentioned checking your local 2nd Hand Charity Resale Shops-you’d be really suprised what you can find, if you have the time to go out junking-or if you let the right sales clerk at your local 2nd Hand Shop know you’re looking for. I got a boxed set of ‘new’ DVDs of a Current Season of a Popular TV Program that’s around $200..for $5.00-And there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with the set-the $ went to Charity too. IT was Win/Win any way you looked at it. Hope it helps. (Btw-Great Blog Topic! Happy Holidays,Bah Humbug if you’re a Grinch..& Happy Day Off because it’s the 24th if You’re Athiest LOL.)

    posted by Gunner on 12-18-2009 at 10:06 pm

  83. The only TV show or movie EVER to make me misty-eyed 2 years in a row was Nestor (which I remembered as Chester), the Long-Eared Donkey. Darned if it wasn’t that bit at the end where he sees the ghost of his mother in the sky- messed me up like nothing else before or since. But who remembers “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?” “HEY! UNTO YOU A CHILD IS BORN!”

    posted by Wendi on 12-20-2009 at 1:12 am

  84. Seriously, people…tears here. Amahl and the Night Visitors is a long-time favorite of mine, ever since my babysitter (later Miss America 1977 Dorothy Benham) performed the roll of Amahl at the local high school when I was in 3rd grade. And Mr. Magoo? I have it on VHS, and keep a tape machine in my house ONLY for the purpose of watching it every year. This is one of the greatest posts on Mental Floss EVER!

    posted by Dixon on 12-29-2009 at 8:40 pm

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