Favorite "lost" Christmas specials.

I'm talking about ones that are no longer broadcast...but should be.

1. Steven Speilberg Presents: A Pinky And The Brain Christmas (1995, WB). Emmy award winner, and IMHO among the best of the genre.
Available on Pinky And The Brain, Vol. 1 DVD

2. Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas (1977). Suprised this one hasn't been aired in years. Would love to see HBO pick this one up again (for nostalgia's sake...as they used to air it yearly for over a decade).
Available on DVD (though in edited form).

3. A Muppet Family Christmas (1987).
Available on DVD (Region 1 version highly edited for music copyright, Region 2 version has only minor edits).

 

What's missing from the Emmet Otter DVD?
That's absolutely one of my favorites.

 

I'll probably get Pinky and the Brain on Amazon's On Demand. And of course the Muppet's are just classic. Thanks for the tip on the music.

 

All appearances of Kermit The Frog (intro, narration) have been removed (due to Disney's ownership of the character).

There is also a line of dialogue cut (Ma Otter telling Mrs Fox to "fall off the dock") and a few minor scene edits, which appear as bonus features on the DVD.

Some info here: http://www.muppetcentral.com/help/faq/collectibles.shtml#10
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Emmet_Otter's_Jug-Band_Christmas

There is a 1983 VHS/Selectavision release that is mostly complete, though.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star_Wars_Holiday_Special

 

Brutal. Good thing I got the old VHS. Would have loved to upgrade though.
Thank ye kindly.

 

My late mother's favourite, "House Without A Christmas Tree"(1972).

Robards was good but 'Addie' (Lisa Lucas) stole the show. Very sweet.

 

I always think of "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" from 1978 - I haven't seen that in years. I vaguely recall happening upon it when I was in college, which was around the time it first was aired, and being profoundly moved by it.

I see it's on DVD now.

 

On the DVD that was released in 2001, Kemits segments were intact.

 

Berkley Breathed's Opus n' Bill: A Wish For Wings That Work

http://www.amazon.com/Opus-Bill-Wish-Wings-That/dp/6302884764, it's only ever officially released on VHS, I'd love to have this on dvd.

 

The 1969 Zoran Janjic animated classic of A Christmas Carol--with the best version of Jacob Marley's ghost ever! I looked forward to seeing this every year growing up. I still love it. Now that's a ghost to scare you good.

 

Here you go....put this on your list for Santa :

http://www.amazon.com/Opus-Bill-Wis...ef=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1259899239&sr=8-1

Right you are, except for his scene near the end (inside the Riverside Rest).

 

I remember that. It -was- creepy.

 

Not as obscure as what's been listed but "Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas" Special is wonderful and now bizarrely dated. It's readily available, fortunately, on DVD. I doubt we'll ever see it on TV again.

 

Thank ye kindly. Unfortunately at Amazon the 2001 DVD
prices are very high. Ouch. But I'll keep on the look out for one;
now that I know what to get.
Thanx again for the info.

 

Is the Rankin Bass "Little Drummer Boy" still shown?

 

B.C. - A Special Christmas, based on Johnny Hart's comic strip (back when it was still funny) and starring the voices of Bob & Ray.

http://www.amazon.com/B-C-Special-Christmas-John-Stocker/dp/B00008EY6D

 

Yup...on ABC Family (12/12), along with most of the Rankin Bass specials (minus "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer"and "Frosty The Snowman"..which CBS has broadcast rights to).

 

Rich Little's "A Christmas Carol" was a favorite of mine and my wife's. Haven't seen it in years.

 

Zoran Jangic's A Christmas Carol has already been mentioned, so let me put in a plug for Richard Williams' Oscar-winning animated version of the tale (which features the voice of the greatest Scrooge actor of them all, Alistair Sim). You can watch it online here, and it was also issued on VHS years ago; the lack of a DVD release absolutely boggles my mind.

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Animated-Version-VHS/dp/6305107645

 

Get thou to a Big Lots and rummage through the 3 dollar DVDs. You SHOULD get lucky.

 

I've seen it mentioned as being on a public domain Christmas compilation video (put out by Good Times). No idea which one, though.

 

No way !

I hadn't seen this listing before and had thought it was only ever on tape.

Time to leave some well-placed hints around the house !

Thank you, O Obtuse1 !

 

Not a 'favorite'. but I remember this only being shown once:
"Yes Virginia There Is A Santa Claus".

 

Here's one I found on a PD DVD. The Littlest Angel Starring Johnny Whitaker, Fred Gwynn, Cab Calloway and Connie Stevens. Originally a Hallmark Hall Of Fame presentation, somehow it fell through the cracks. The musical numbers are very good, and I defy you to find Fred Gwynn singing ANYWHERE else.