Favorite "lost" Christmas specials.

54 minute version available to view on the side bar of the link. Been added in the 3 years since you posted.

 

While it's not as iconic as the other Rankin/Bass specials (and has precious little to do with Clement Clarke Moore's poem), I've always had a soft spot for 1974's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Catchy songs and a great voice cast including Joel Grey, George Gobel, and John McGiver.

 

Unfortunately the animation hasn't held up as well as their stop-motion productions. It looks awful on Blu-ray for the most part.

 

I had, and loved, the album of this for years before I ever saw the special itself. RIP, John and Jim (and Richard and Jerry).

 

Man, from that perspective that is now one depressing Christmas special. I keep forgetting Jerry is gone because it happened so recently.

 

poor John... I play his music often...thanks for the clip.

 

Ebenezer with Jack Palance...damn he did a fine job as Scrooge! love him...not lost but OOP and ridiculous prices over at Amazon!

 

Here's B.C.: A Special Christmas, produced in 1981 adapted from Johnny Hart's comic strip. The main attraction (for me anyway) is the great comedy team of Bob & Ray providing the voices of Peter and Wiley, respectively.

 

Here's Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1974), animated by Bill Melendez of Peanuts specials fame and based on the famous newspaper editorial. Jim Backus narrates and does the voice of Santa.

 

Here's one that many of us who grew up in or near Canada will remember:

 

The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, the original 1971 pilot movie for The Waltons:

 

They almost never play this one on television anymore. I've noticed in recent years the Christmas specials with more overtly Christian messages have been shown less frequently.

 

How about the monkees Christmas episode? I love the "riu Chiu" segment. Also they have butch Patrick "Eddie munster" as the spoiled brat child. Another great moment when Mickey and davey go down the chimney...

 

I came across these two videos covering 24 "forgotten"/lost Christmas Specials and wanted to share.

12 Forgotten Christmas Specials:

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/teamt/cr/ff/29204-ff46

Next 12 Forgotten Christmas Specials:

http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/vi...isode-72-next-12-forgotten-christmas-specials








I hadn't heard of most of those.

 

2014 seasonal bump...

 

Since this thread goes back 5 years, I'm not sure what I originally posted. I always liked the Judy Garland Show Christmas Special. I own the DVD and try to watch every year. A recent find was Bernard and the Genie from 1991. It starred Alan Cumming. The Christmas episode of All Creatures Great and Small is also one of my favorites.

 

Not big into those shows but I remember Julie Andrews's Sound Of Christmas displayed some good singing when I saw it back in the 80s.

 

I always enjoy watching the 1977 Honeymooners Christmas reunion special where Ralph performs A Christmas Carol as a favor for his boss. This is the one 1970s reunion not on DVD. Too bad, besides featuring Gale Gordon has Ralph's boss this special also features what I believe is the last time Gleason did his "One of these days ..." bit. Plus Audrey Meadows is back as Alice, too.

One of the best bits has Gale Gordon referring to an old secretary he had named Lucy, "A real screwball."

 

I remember this one as well, a sweet and tender piece of nostalgia as I recall. Shame that it's disappeared, as I don't think I've seen it (or its non-holiday related sequels) in over 40 years.

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but I still remember a cartoon from that same period that was based upon A Christmas Carol. It always stuck out in my mind as the animation was done in a sepia-toned Victorian style. Think I saw it a couple of times, but like so many other things from that period it seems to have disappeared as well.

 

When 'Young Pioneers' Christmas' was first aired in the 70s I had become enchanted with Linda Purl. Perhaps I still am. Picked it up on dvd last year-don't think that's been on tv for quite some time.

 

There was a TV movie from the late 70s/early 80s starring Glenn Ford and the son from "Family", adopted from a Pete Hamill story about his family in Brooklyn in the 1950s. It aired once on CBS0 I'm trying to recall the title...

 

Used to cry every year, watching The Happy Prince.

 

They made a few of those. We always watched those as a kid. Been trying to remember the name of them for years. Thanks!!!