This is topic Holiday specials I miss... in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=054442

Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
I used to rely on ABC Family to show all those corny-yet-heartfelt old Rankin Bass Christmas specials that (with a couple of exceptions) no longer get broadcast on the non-cable networks.

Like 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. You know, the one that reveals the mice in the poem were actually heavily involved in the story? I used to watch it on CBS year after year. It had some great songs.

But...it apparently has been dropped this year in favor of made-for-ABC-Family tweenfare. [Frown]

*wistful sigh*

Any specials you all miss?

Edit: Spelling corrected.

[ December 21, 2008, 07:52 AM: Message edited by: Puffy Treat ]
 
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
 
The Muppet Family Christmas and A Claymation Christmas Celebration.
I don't think either has been on tv for well over a decade, but my family still has both on tape, and they probably get watched at least once a year.
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
Sadly, home-recorded versions of A Muppet Family Christmas are the only way anyone can see the complete, uncut special. Music rights issues have made all home video and region 1 DVD releases of it a hash, with songs (and comedy and character bits leading up to and away from said songs) deleted. [Frown]

Plus, all three branches of the Muppet Family tree are owned by different companies these days, so Americans and Canadians are forced to rely on aging home-recorded versions and burned bootlegs of the non-region 1 DVDs.

Awww, man. I loved A Claymation Christmas Celebration so much! Is it on DVD?

*goes to check*
 
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puffy Treat:


Awww, man. I loved A Claymation Christmas Celebration so much! Is it on DVD?

*goes to check*

I believe so. It's packaged with the Claymation Halloween, which I've never watched.
 
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puffy Treat:
Sadly, home-recorded versions of A Muppet Family Christmas are the only way anyone can see the complete, uncut special. Music rights issues have made all home video and region 1 DVD releases of it a hash, with songs (and comedy and character bits leading up to and away from said songs) deleted. [Frown]

Plus, all three branches of the Muppet Family tree are owned by different companies these days, so Americans and Canadians are forced to rely on aging home-recorded versions and burned bootlegs of the non-region 1 DVDs.

Awww, man. I loved A Claymation Christmas Celebration so much! Is it on DVD?

*goes to check*

Ah, ah, ah...Muppet Family Christmas can be found uncut in five parts on youtube. Here's the first part.
 
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
Mr.Magoo's Christmas Carol, the best staging and performance bar none.
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by andi330:
]Ah, ah, ah...Muppet Family Christmas can be found uncut in five parts on youtube. Here's the first part.

andi, I posted a link to that in the "fun stuff on YouTube today" thread a couple of days ago.

Hence my reference to "home-recorded versions" being the only way to see it uncut these days. [Smile]
 
Posted by Tamlyn (Member # 11889) on :
 
You can watch 'Twas the Night Before Christmas at fanpop.com. There may be other places that have it too but that's the first one I ran across. That's what I had to do to get my Christmas mouse fix this year. It's my favorite Christmas special.

(Hi everyone. <waves> This is my first post but I've been lurking for a month or two.)
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
Thank you, Tamlyn. [Smile]
 
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
 
I miss The Christmas Toy. We recorded that off the tv and watched it many times. I don't know what happened to that tape, though. [Frown] The DVD doesn't have Kermit, otherwise I'd just buy that. I don't want to spend money on a partial product.

--Mel
 
Posted by Lisa (Member # 8384) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puffy Treat:
Plus, all three branches of the Muppet Family tree are owned by different companies these days,

Three branches? Sesame Street, Muppet Show, and...?
 
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
Kiss saves Santa
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Lisa:
Three branches? Sesame Street, Muppet Show, and...?

Fraggle Rock
 
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dagonee:
Kiss saves Santa

[ROFL]
 
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Dagonee:
Kiss saves Santa

oh man, the laughing at the end was like the cherry on top of something awesome.
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
I remember back in the 80s that The Wonderful World of Disney used to show Mickey's Christmas Carol each December. While not a very faithful adaptation of Dickens' story, it had its charms. But the real highlight of each annual broadcast for the young me was the pairing of it with cool 1930s-1940s vintage shorts in order to pad out the hour. Usually stuff like Goofy's How to Ski or Mickey's Good Deed...any classic Disney character short that had a winter holiday theme. [Smile]
 
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
 
We were in a hotel just yesterday and it turned out that ABC Family was having some kind of Rankin-Bass marathon. Including 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, the lesser-known Rudolph animations, etc.
 
Posted by Nighthawk (Member # 4176) on :
 
Hulu has Muppet Christmas on it, but in light of the above I guess I shouldn't bother.
 
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
 
Amahl and the Night Visitors was an opera written specifically to be a TV special. It is gorgous. They used to do it every year. But, it was in B&W and I guess that isn't acceptable any more. I wish they would do a new one. We try to go each year to a live performance. But this year it dosen't look like there will be one eather in the Great American Desert, or the Wasatch Front. I will miss it. I do have it on LP wax and a picture book with the lyrics. But, my record player is in Nevada, and we are in Utah for the Holidays. So, no Amahl.
 
Posted by katdog42 (Member # 4773) on :
 
I always liked Nester, the Long-Eared Donkey, but I haven't seen it for years now.
 
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
 
I have that one on VHS somewhere, actually.
 
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puffy Treat:
I remember back in the 80s that The Wonderful World of Disney used to show Mickey's Christmas Carol each December. While not a very faithful adaptation of Dickens' story, it had its charms. But the real highlight of each annual broadcast for the young me was the pairing of it with cool 1930s-1940s vintage shorts in order to pad out the hour. Usually stuff like Goofy's How to Ski or Mickey's Good Deed...any classic Disney character short that had a winter holiday theme. [Smile]

We watched that earlier this week-- but it was instead paired with "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too."
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
Somehow that doesn't sound as funny as How to Ski. Or as touching as Mickey's Good Deed. [Big Grin]
 
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
 
As kids, we loved Small One, the story of the donkey Mary and Joseph rode to Bethlehem. We still have it on an ancient VHS, but I've no idea if it can be bought on DVD now.
 
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puffy Treat:
I remember back in the 80s that The Wonderful World of Disney used to show Mickey's Christmas Carol each December. While not a very faithful adaptation of Dickens' story, it had its charms. But the real highlight of each annual broadcast for the young me was the pairing of it with cool 1930s-1940s vintage shorts in order to pad out the hour. Usually stuff like Goofy's How to Ski or Mickey's Good Deed...any classic Disney character short that had a winter holiday theme. [Smile]

You can get them on DVD if you look for them This DVD has Mickey's A Christmas Carol, Pluto's Christmas Tree, and Small One on it. It's too bad though, they used to broadcast them in a big 2 hour chunk that had several more shorts in them, but no longer. You'll have to hunt down the various classic DVD's that have been released to see them.
 
Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
 
Sesame Street, pre-Elmo.
 
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
 
Anyone remember a bizarre Chuck Jones-directed animated special starring Raggedy Ann and Andy? And a skate-boarding dog called "Raggedy Arthur"?

They fought a Wile-E-Coyote-esque wolf who was trying to take over Santa's workshop. They broadcast the special for several years when I was little, then in the 90s on the Disney channel...then I never saw it again.

Can anyone remember the title? Is it on DVD? [Smile]
 
Posted by Dobbie (Member # 3881) on :
 
They showed "Twas the Night Before Christmas" after The Polar Express a couple of weeks ago, but it was an edited version.
 
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
 
Various different old Nick Toon Christmas episodes. Nothing specific. I just remember some. And a few were pretty cool. Not so much specials though...
 


Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2