There's way too many Christmas specials on TV, and they come on way too early. Most of them are crap. I'm not one of those people who say that the TV specials were way better when I was a kid forty years ago. We had crappy Christmas specials then, too--creepy marionettes and a really dumb one based upon the carol "The Little Drummer Boy" that went way beyond the basics of that song. But there are way too many now that are plain garbage, and we need to get back to the basics. Here is my list--in no particular order--of
The Only 5 Christmas Specials We Really Need:
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. The House without a Christmas Tree
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. The House without a Christmas Tree
The Grinch cartoon is a classic narrated by Boris Karloff, and the singing is done by the legendary Thurl Ravenscroft, who, in addition to having a kick-ass name, did tons of voices for Disney including that of Kirby, the Brave Little Toaster. Doesn't matter. The Grinch is probably the best Christmas special in that it is a timeless classic. It has no product tie-ins, no pop culture references, and nothing to date it. Best thing? It's not sappy.
Rudolph is the most iconic Christmas special there is. Yes, it's hokey. Yes, it has that horrid musical sequence with Rudoph and Clarice. Yes, it has the incredibly cruel Santa scenes. (And what exactly is so horribly wrong with that misfit doll, anyway? No nose? Give a kid a Sharpie--FIXED!) But when Rudolph trumpets, "Ready, Santa!" in that goofy voice, you know you love it.
Mr. Magoo doing Ebenezer Scrooge was genius casting. This is the best version of the Dickens story that there ever was. As a rule, I'm no fan of musicals, but this one gave us the term "razzleberry dressing." Come on!
And, I'm sorry, if you do not love the Charlie Brown Christmas special, then you have no soul. In its place, you have a black, sulphurous, leeching void. What about Pigpen as the Innkeeper? What about the dancing twins? What about Snoopy's doghouse winning First Prize?
Finally, if you have never seen "The House without a Christmas Tree," then you have missed a really good Christmas special. It was televised in 1972, but is set in the 40s. Heavy-hitter Jason Robards stars in it, and it's a heartbreaker about a little girl whose father is left to raise her after her mom dies, and he just plain sucks at it. She desperately wants a Christmas tree, but he...well, not so much.
Probably since this is already December 3rd, the networks are done showing Christmas specials and have moved on to showing summer reruns. But you can put these on your October calendar for next year!
12 comments:
I'm with you. But it has to be the original cartoon Grinch. I am no fan of the movie.
There is a really, really old Bing Crosby film (I am really old) that I used to love as a kid called White Christmas.
How about Christmas books?
Mary G-- I don't really do Christmas books. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS is always solid and a winner, though. Other than that, I don't know. The problem really is that the best Christmas book of all time is A CHRISTMAS CAROL and that isn't really something you can read to children on Christmas Eve around the fireplace.
"A Charlie Brown Christmas" is my fave. So brilliantly done. (Also: I have known, owned and decorated many Charlie Brown Christmas trees in my lifetime. One of which is worthy of a blog post. If I ever get a blog again.)
JPD: agree with you totally on best Christmas book of all time.
:-) Bah humbook to the rest!
This is a fun blog! Onward, comrades!
Rudolph was on TV just last night! Love it. I've never seen The House Without a Christmas Tree, but I'll keep my eyes open for it.
Two more favorites of ours are It's A Wonderful Life, and Scrooged. Love them both.
J@jj--I didn't consider films in this list, just TV specials. But, I've never seen "Scrooged", and I have to say, I don't care for IAWL. And dammit, I missed Rudolph!
Ortizzle--You came out of your books for this blog! We're blessed! Thanks. And feel free to speak Spanish to JPD...a little. Oops, I'd better not speak for him. I'm a huge CB fan--remember the Halloween special: "I got a rock." Classic.
Hey, JPD--Is Christmas Carol considered a book or a short story? I have to Google that.
Mary G--Ditto on the cartoon, which was the one I listed. I agree with JPD on the books. Other than that, Christmas "books", per se, get all goofed up with licensed characters and riffs on other stuff. Christmas should be all about the classics.
Ah, Nance, my heart grew when I read this post! Not for The Grinch LOL (although I agree as far as the original one, but the Jim Carey one, sacrilege!), but for The House Without A Christmas Tree. My sister gave that to me last year because it's one of our absolute favorites and has long since been played regularly on TV. Jason Robards is perfect in the role. And, Mildred Natwick is always a dear. I've always wondered what happened to the actress who played the little girl. Will have to do some Google research. I was thinking at Thanksgiving that it was time to watch A House Without A Christmas Tree again. I think it used to always be aired on Thanksgiving weekend.
I like all your choices (admittedly, a little weak on Mr. Magoo though). I have to agree with J that Scrooged is a great one.
Just for the record, re: Christmas books, I collect children's Christmas books. It's something I started when I was an elementary school teacher. I have to restrain myself from buying more than one each year. There are so many fabulous ones.
I can't believe you've been holding out on us. This blog has three posts already! Congrats to you and Jared on your new collaboraton! :-)
ugh on my typo ... collaboration.
Shirley--I had forgotten all about "House...Tree" until I saw the listings for Christmas specials in our paper and it inspired this post. I scanned the list for it and, as always, was disappointed. I miss that special. I may have to buy it. It's been decades since I've seen it. I hope it's still as good as I remember.
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is probably one of the most underrated specials of them all. It really should be on Network TV again. And often. Well, you know the name of my food blog "And Razzleberry Dressing." I think that says it all. This special has got me for life.
Anali--I totally agree with you. I wonder why it hasn't been revived and re-aired. Maybe we should start a petition drive!
I went back and read this and realized something: You are totally hating on Clarice and Rudolph's amazing duet. "There's always tomorrow for dreams to coem true". If you don't like that sequence, I don't know if you can be helped.
Also, Mr. Magoo is not where it's at. Substitute Frosty and we have a deal.
Nance - Stop it. Yes, I have seen it. And all of the things that you mentioned about Frosty, are all of the very reasons that it is golden. A golden classic. So you shut up. You are a fingerpointingbossyblamer.
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