Favorite "lost" Christmas specials.

Everyone should see the Star Wars Holiday Special, at least once. It's a fave of mine in all of it's horrible-ness. Wookies...Christmas trees...Jefferson Starship....how can it go wrong?

 

I just bought a copy. Will probably force the family to watch it this weekend.

 

It appears to me that after six pages, very few are truly lost.

 

Several do appear to be lost, but you're right. It is a great thread, though, for people trying to locate shows that appear lost.

For many years my mother wanted to rewatch "The Night the Animals Talked" which was the holiday special of The Goldbergs. In the mid 80's when my father was involved heavily with vintage VHS collectors, it was unavailable. Then sometime in the late 90's I went several pages into an altavista (pre-Google) search and found a university in Georgia had it. A few emails and a check later, she had a copy sent to her. Of course it wasn't as magical as she remembered it from the 1950s, but the search was over.

Mark

 

"Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol", I remember seeing this air for the first time when I was a kid.
Looking recently at the DVD release, it's the songs that are really outstanding.
Really, listen closely. The songs make up for the cheap animation of the production.

 

The Berenstain Bears Christmas.

 

It's been mentioned, but it's still a sin that Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" (1966) is not available legitimately in good quality color. I have a crappy B&W dupe of it and it still packs a powerful emotional payload. What a great program...

 

Magoo always was a favorite of mine. Glad to see it'll be on a few times this season!

More info about Razzleberry Dressing here.

 

I just watched this today. What a great special!

 

I can't believe NBC is actually airing this...of course minus the Timex billboards and spots and with their logo...
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

Saturday, December 22 on NBC (8-9 p.m. ET)

The 50th anniversary celebration of "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol -- a popular musical adaptation of the Dicken's classic which was first telecast on NBC on December 17th, 1962 -- stars the voice talents of Jim Backus, Morey Amsterdam and Jack Cassidy. The loveable, nearsighted Mr. Magoo doesn't have a ghost of a chance as Ebenezer Scrooge, unless he learns the true meaning of Christmas from the three spirits who haunt him one Christmas Eve.

 

Thanks for the link , I will have to take a trip down memory lane and check that out.

 

yea, nothing like a grouch in a cartoon...I wasn't a huge fan when I was young, but I bought the DVD box set and enjoyed it.

 

I'd better program our Tivo for this before I forget! Hopefully it's been freshly transferred to HD. Looking forward to seeing it again.

dan c

 

I saw it at a friend's house during a 'horrible movie night' party. Not a 'movie', but it was a good idea.

It was actually quite booooring. Once you get past how overwhelmingly terrible the whole thing is, there's not much to keep you interested. His bootleg came off a broadcast tape from the CBS affiliate in Baltimore, IIRC. We enjoyed the vintage ads but actually lamented that there were so few commercial breaks during the show.

Anyway, glad to have seen this mysterious piece of pop culture trash but if you haven't seen it don't sweat it. It sucks and it's a snooze.

dan c

 

The SCTV X-mas specials are essential viewing indeed.
Shout did release the first 2 specials, but since the Cinemax season has been ignored the 3rd special ("It's a Wonderful Film") and imo the best one has not been broadcast since the mid 80's. Making this one truly lost.

Here's a brief snippet

 

How about It Happened One Christmas, a made-for-TV remake of It's A Wonderful Life, with Marlo Thomas, Orson Welles, Cloris Leachman and Doris Roberts? I really liked this when I saw it in 1977. Of course, at the time, I hadn't actually seen It's A Wonderful Life. I began anxiously scanning the TV listings every year around Christmas, hoping to see it again. I finally got the chance sometime in the mid-80s. By then, I'd seen It's A Wonderful Life a number of times, and I was shocked at how bad It Happened One Christmas was in comparison. I haven't seen it since, but I would sort of like to see it once more, to see if it has any redeeming qualities at all.

 

It's on YouTube.

 

That one has been broadcast before on the SCTV half hour the Comedy Network shows in Canada.
Who knows how much is uncut though to make room for commercials.
My favorite is the skit involving Johnny LaRue being forced to do Street Beef on Christmas.

 

Yes. But the FULL 1 hour episode with the 2 X-mas Driftwood Inn promos have never been shown since it's orginal airdate on Cinemax. I's be nice if the Comedy network could show full episodes.

 

Thanx for the information, I did not know that the original was that long. Was the Driftwood Inn a real place?(There is more than one listed on the net)
I can't stand the whole 'Wonderful life' story(the only thing good about that was Donna Reed), or I might be able to appreciate the parody more.

 

People interested in Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol really should buy the Blu-ray version, it absolutely looks amazing for vintage television animation. One of the best transfers I've ever seen on the format.

http://www.amazon.com/MAGOOS-CHRIST...=1-2&keywords=mr.+magoo's+christmas+carol+blu

 

David Bowie was mentioned earlier. I'd like to see "The Snowman" again. Originally the version I saw on tv had Bowie introducing it. Apparently the dvd offered doesn't necessarily include his appearance or narration and I'm not sure whether to get it on disc or not. I'll definitely look for it on Canadian public tv this year.

 

Well, I did find "The Snowman"^ on YT. Not sure quite why, but Bowie's voice is superb for the introduction. The animation & music reminds me a little of that much older animated story, "The Selfish Giant".

 

I agree the songs are great, but I really like the style of the animation. BTW, this is supposed to be the first animated Chriatmas special.