Christmas Television Specials, A History: Rich Little's Xmas Special

Tuesday:

8-9PM ABC, TV-G "A Charlie Brown Christmas"

"Nativity play! The actors are divas and the tree blows, but you can?t argue with a great script. Go, writers!"

Yes, we've all seen it. Many times.

 

http://www.djjohn.net/images/DJ_John_Mash___The_Christmas_massacre_of_Charlie_Brown_2005.mp3

One of my favorite mashups. It takes audio clips of the show/45 rpm vinyl record and mixes them over a sample of Led Zep's "When the Levee Breaks".

 

A classic. They tried to do a new Charlie Brown Christmas special, but it failed to capture the charm of its predecessor(sp?).

 

I'm very excited for Shrek the Halls.

 

Charlie Brown has probably become my favorite of the Christmas specials, simply because it actually refers to the event Christmas is meant to celebrate, and does so without being preachy or over-bearing. It's funny, touching, heart-warming and smart.

 

8:30-9PM ABC, TV-G

"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

"All cartoon, no CGI additives and naturally 100 percent Jim Carrey-free."

Yes!!! The Real McCoy. Accept no substitutes!

 

Charlie Brown has always been my favorite; Schultz had a cynical streak a mile wide.

"Find the true meaning of Christmas! Win Money! Money! Money!" a flier reads early in the proceedings. It's blisteringly funny, but the message of over commercializing Christmas rings ever truer with each passing year.

 

The Grinch: my oldest brother's favorite Christmas special. He knows the whole thing by heart, and isn't afraid to begin reciting it at the drop of a hat.

 

You know, perhaps this makes me Scrooge, but there isn't any Christmas television I can think of that I can stomach. Nor much in the way of modern Christmas music. Or many Christmas movies (Muppet Christmas Carol is probably the winner). I guess I'm just not a big fan of the modern Christmas.

-Paul

 

Well, I didn't like "Shrek the Halls", but this is very funny. Love Karloff's VO, and the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."

 

True story: the guy (now deceased) who sings "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is also the same guy who used to provide the voice for Tony the Tiger in Kellogg's Frosted Flakes TV ads (they're grrrrrreat!).

 

I agree completely with Rogue and yankee on A Charlie Brown Christmas. Absolutely classic, and for a reason.

The original Grinch cartoon is also fantastic. I don't understand why you would try to alter perfection; it hits just the right notes as it is. Karloff's narration and Thurle Ravenscroft's singing of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" are a joy to listen to.

 

Yes, it's a little gem.

 

It's starting yet again...

 

I don't blame you. I saw it last year and it was really good. Shrek's reading of The Night Before Christmas was a riot.

 

8-9PM
NBC, TV-PG

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
A-

"The holidays are all about visiting with loved ones. So who better to log quality time with than the Muppets? Charmingly cheesy compared with most of today's CGI-infused kid-tertainment, Muppets, which finds Kermit and Co. trying to deliver letters to St. Nick, offers what Muppets fans want: celeb cameos (Uma Thurman, Whoopi Goldberg) and corny comedy (Fozzie Bear is stopped at airport security for telling bad jokes). Miss Piggy suffers from a lack of screen time, but you can't get everything you want for Christmas. ?Tim Stack"

 

Tonight, tonight:

8-9PM
ABC

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

"Is Christmas really Christmas without the Whos and our favorite cantankerous green anti-hero? Check out interviews with beloved author Theodore ''Dr. Seuss'' Geisel, as well as a ''making of'' documentary. All together now: ''You're a mean one...''"


Succinct and witty. Beats the live action horror all to hell.

 

8-8:30PM
NBC, TV-PG

"Merry Madagascar"

"Presenting a new, animated holiday special is risky, especially when beloved mainstays like Frosty and Rudolph still work just fine. But like last year's Shrek the Halls, this decked-out TV holiday spin-off of the Madagascar movies succeeds in being lively and charming (if not surprising), even without the decades of tradition. The affable animal crew, led by Ben Stiller's lion king Alex, are out to save Christmas with a sled driven by flying penguins from the South Pole. And really, how does that not put you in the holiday spirit? B+ ? Tanner Stansky"

*Check local listings

 

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Shrek the Halls" are both on tonight on ABC; 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

 

And again:

8-9PM
ABC, TV-G

A Charlie Brown Christmas

"The 1965 Peanuts classic in which Charlie Brown bemoans holiday commercialism. (Tonight's special brought to you by holiday exploiting commercials.)"

 

Charlie Brown and Grinch are classics, but I never was a big fan of the stop motion christmas specials for some reason.

...and I agree with Sheldon on Big Bang Theory. The Grinch was a pretty compelling character until he had to go all soft and return all the presents to Whoville...

 

As I've said before in this very thread, Charlie Brown is the only Christmas special I watch. It was legitimately prescient; some of the lines read funnier and more cutting every year ("Find the TRUE MEANING of CHRISTMAS! WIN MONEY MONEY MONEY!"). And ultimately, it's a deeply moving little story about getting past all the glitter and remembering what Christmas is actually supposed to be about: the birth of Christ, narrated beautifully by Linus, and "Peace on earth, good will to men."

Amen; now if you'll excuse me I've got to go step on someone's face in the mall in order to rack up a credit card bill so that I'll have something meaningless and unnecessary to give to a relative I actually powerfully dislike. Ho ho ho.

 

'TV's Funniest Holiday Moments: A Paley Center for Media Special' hosted by Jane Lynch

"After (over-)sampling the Thanksgiving leftovers, why not take a stroll down memory lane with this special? Highlights include a food fight from an early episode of "Cheers," the "Married?With Children" episode with Al dressing up as Santa Claus, and the "Friends" where Joey got a turkey stuck on his head. Still not laughing? Luckily, "Glee" goddess Jane Lynch is hosting and will no doubt provide some giggles. Just be sure to swallow that turkey sandwich before watching, to avoid any upchuckles."

 

Merry Madagascar(First Aired: November 17, 2009)

"Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria must deliver the presents to save Christmas when Santa gets amnesia following an accident on his sleigh."

8:00 - 8:30 PM NBC