Christmas shows
November 30th, 2006
I watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with my son earlier this week, as well as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” It’s neat to sit with him as he enjoys the same Christmas shows that I recall so fondly from my own childhood.
One of my favorite Christmas programs is “Stingiest Man in Town.” How about you?
Tim’s already mentioned two of my favorites. My top three are probably “The Stingiest Man in Town” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “The Muppet Family Christmas.”
“A Christmas Story” is my all-time favorite. I brought it to school for the class to watch in 2nd grade and got in trouble because the dad was always cussing.
Last year was the 40th anniversary for A Charlie Brown Christmas. I love to watch it with my kids. In one part of the show, Linus quotes a portion of the account of the birth of Christ from the book of Luke. At the time, it was a controversial decision to include the quote on a show that would appear on network television. When Lee Mendholson,the show’s producer, approached Charles Schultz about the idea of taking it out, Schultz responded, “If we can’t quote the Bible here, when can we quote it?” One of the legacy’s of Charles Schultz is that millions of children will hear the real Christmas story at least once in their lives.
In rewatching a few Charlie Brown shows with the kiddos, I was surprised that they use the word stupid so much.
But since Chris went to movies, I have to say “It’s A Wonderful Life” is my favorite film ever.
I love so many Christmas movies it is hard to chose.
I would have to say favorite Christmas special is Charlie Brown (hands down). It may be the one time of year that the bible is actually quoted at length on network tv (I bet CBS hates it!).
The best movie for this time of year is “It’s A Wonderful Life.” I know that is what everyone says, but how can you beat Jimmy Stewart?
Merry Christmas
What’s that one movie with Jaclyn Smith, in which her husband’s company is going to drill for oil and in the process destroy Santa’s workshop?
I thought it was a nice prop film for the greenies…
I echo the sweet refrain of Charlie Brown and Jimmy Stewart.
Greer Garson’s “Little Drummer Boy” also is a classic.
A Christmas Story won’t be the same this year as we have lost Darren McGavin, the cussing dad Chris spoke of. Fascinating trivia. The censors slowed the tape down, attempting in vain to decipher the precise words used in the rants but failed because it was just gibberish.
As a Christian, I guess I should love one of the explicitly Christian-based movies. But, alas, I must admit that I was completely swept off my feet by The Polar Express. What really surprised me is that by about halfway through the film I started viewing it as an allegory of the Christian faith, so that by the time Santa came out I was in tears as I thought about what it will finally be like to see Christ face to face.
Other notables not already mentioned:
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned A Christmas Story. We watch it every Christmas and laugh harder every year. “You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”
There’s a good bit of salty language in this one though, so we wait till the kids are in bed. After all, as Ralphie reflected on his Dad’s tongue years later, as narrator: “My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium, a master.”
Frank Capra’s Meet John Doe with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. If you can handle an over-the-top plot and the melodrama, it’s a touching “everyman” movie. Not in my top five, but if it happens to be on TV, you might find it worthwhile.
Hey Brett –
Read the second comment above. And the one right above yours.
Not only did I mention it, I devoted an entire anecdote on it.
Hey that’s cool. Another reason I like the movie - I looked just like Ralphie with the thick ugly glasses and all - till I was 16 or so.
“A Christmas Story”, hands down. Those singing waiters in the Chinese restaurant are hilarious.
Oops. For some reason, when I read those previous comments, I would read A Christmas Story but my brain would register instead: It’s a Wonderful Life. Total brain fart, I guess. Or I’m still in a daze from this week’s shocking news. Either way, sorry Chris and T. T, that’s hilarious because I was even scratching my head thinking, “What is he talking about with the cussing?” Forgive me, my head is still in the clouds.
Here’s a recent pic of Ralpie, err, I mean Peter Billingsley:
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/hh/0082526/iid_947603.jpg.html?path=pgallery&path_key=Billingsley,%20Peter&seq=3
Aha! AhhhHAHHH! Its a CLINKER!!
ROTTEN HOSTICKLEFIFER!!
NOT-A-FIGNAH!!!
Darren McGaven. Christmas Story. Hands down.
I wish I could add the Star Wars special from 1979, but I didn’t watch it, and was only two anyway. But the Wookie family and the cookies should be a tradition for any American family.
I think Rudoiph is another. The buzzard and the Abominable snowmen still give me the shivers.
Uh, oh, Tim, Miss Lohan is posting covertly on your site.
Laz, that’s “The Night They Saved Christmas”! I watch it every year even though I’m not a greenie and it’s so bad. It’s SO cheesily bad it’s good.
Keep it up, Tim. My college-age daughter still looks forward to the traditional annual viewings.
Darren McGavin was always one of my favorites. He was great in “The Natural” as well.
There was a Muppets/Ed Sullivan/Art Carney Christmas special on years ago that I would love to see again, “The Great Santa Clause Caper,” but I don’t think it ever made it even to VHS. Sweetums made his debut in it. One of Santa’s elves was the hero, and he and his six friends had a theme song they sang: “I’m Ippity, Bippity, Boppity, Bing, Bang, Bong … and Fred.”