Favorite "lost" TV Christmas special? (1 Viewer)

[JamesSmith]

Dear Guys

There have been many Christmas specials on television in the past sixty years. We all know the famous ones: Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, Grinch, etc. But what about the ones that were shown decades ago and have been semi forgotten? Some of them made it to DVD or digital and others didn't.
I'd like to ask my fellow DVD fans here, what "forgotten" tv Christmas special should be given attention again? That you wish could make it into the Charlie Brown "A" group. Please discount any Rankin Bass specials that have been included on their collections.

I'd like to recommend:

The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. Voices include Tommy Smothers and Barbara Feldon. A young bear leaves his beloved BearWorld so he can experience Christmas. Cute film. Do any of you remember this? It should have come out on DVD or Blu Ray.

A Christmas Carol. Yeah! Yeah. I know, but I'm talking about the 1970 Richard Williams animated version. Won an Oscar for best short, and is considered to be the best animated version by many critics. Based on the novel's original drawings by Leech. It's short and to the point. Wish more people were aware of it.

Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Clause. Late sixties, early seventies version. Voices include Jim Backus. I love this for the quaintness of the art style, but I can't remember which studio produced it. Not sure about the more recent version.

OK. people, what forgotten holiday special deserves more notoriety? Would love to hear what you think? Does the Magoo Christmas special qualify as "forgotten?" NBC showed it a few years ago.

--jthree

 

[Likecats]

I recorded The Bear that Slept Through Christmas on TV 38 Boston years ago when I lived in Binghamton, and I still have it. I did tape Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus on YouTube a few years ago and still watch it. Others lost Christmas specials I have are Yogi's First Christmas, A Family Circus Christmas, John Denver and the Muppets, a Christmas Together, Casper's First Christmas, A Christmas Carol animated 1969, and The Burbank animated Christmas Carol version 1982.

 

[Jack P]

I think there's a difference between "forgotten" and "lost" because the latter to me more implies that it's not available anywhere, period. Not just not on commercially released DVD or Blu-Ray but you can't even find it on YT or in general circulation which you can with the Richard Williams version of "A Christmas Carol" (and in pretty good quality). I'd certainly though rate that as something that should get a bells and whistles commercial release because it is the best animated version with the only flaw being it should have been longer.

I am still frustrated that there is no full video available of the 1960 NBC documentary "The Coming Of Christ" narrated by Alexander Scourby which was an annual Christmas staple for a decade. Parts of it were shown in an episode of the late 90s MSNBC documentary series "Time And Again" for a program on Christmas, drawing from archival NBC News material and Jane Pauley the host noted how the program had not been seen for over 25 years when these clips were shown. An LP of the narration and music can be found on YT but I still can't understand why this documentary never even got so much as a VHS release since many other NBC documentaries of this era from the "Project XX" series *were* released on VHS in the early 90s.

 

[JamesSmith]

Anybody remember?
The Tiny Tree (narrated by Buddy Ebsen). Cute little folksy cartoon about a small tree (like Charlie Brown's) who grows up in a forest surrounded by little animals that do its best to make sure it becomes a Christmas tree. How does that rank up there compared to the classics?

--jthree

 

[JamesSmith]

I think there's a difference between "forgotten" and "lost" because the latter to me more implies that it's not available anywhere, period. Not just not on commercially released DVD or Blu-Ray but you can't even find it on YT or in general circulation which you can with the Richard Williams version of "A Christmas Carol" (and in pretty good quality). I'd certainly though rate that as something that should get a bells and whistles commercial release because it is the best animated version with the only flaw being it should have been longer.

I am still frustrated that there is no full video available of the 1960 NBC documentary "The Coming Of Christ" narrated by Alexander Scourby which was an annual Christmas staple for a decade. Parts of it were shown in an episode of the late 90s MSNBC documentary series "Time And Again" for a program on Christmas, drawing from archival NBC News material and Jane Pauley the host noted how the program had not been seen for over 25 years when these clips were shown. An LP of the narration and music can be found on YT but I still can't understand why this documentary never even got so much as a VHS release since many other NBC documentaries of this era from the "Project XX" series *were* released on VHS in the early 90s.

I hope your Coming of Christ makes it out to a better audience someday. Those old classics really hit the heart, don't they? Alexander Scourby had such a voice.

--jthree

 

[JamesSmith]

What does everything think of the CBS Kenner hour long version of A Christmas Carol, that aired for almost a decade on Saturday afternoons before Christmas. Some consider it to be the worst animated version, but these days I think it has its charms, and the music kind of sticks in your mind. It was part of the CBS Animated Classics done by some sort of Australian company and some Hanna Barbara, I think.

==jthree

 

[Ron Lee Green]

Anybody remember?
The Tiny Tree (narrated by Buddy Ebsen). Cute little folksy cartoon about a small tree (like Charlie Brown's) who grows up in a forest surrounded by little animals that do its best to make sure it becomes a Christmas tree. How does that rank up there compared to the classics?

--jthree

I recently re-watched that again on youtube about two weeks ago. I liked it as a kid. I was sad for the little girl in the wheelchair. It stuck with me all those years. Watching it as an adult, I kinda zoned out at some point. I guess my tastes have changed. LOL However, I do appreciate the Roberta Flack song more now then I did as a kid.

 

[anytimepally]

A couple of my lesser known favorites:
A Christmas Gift (1980)
The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)

 

[JamesSmith]

A couple of my lesser known favorites:
A Christmas Gift (1980)
The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)

Know it's been on youtube, but I really wish the Great Santa Switch had a proper DVD and/or Blu Ray release. Never seen it in its entirety.

--jthree

 

[RobertMG]

Dear Guys

There have been many Christmas specials on television in the past sixty years. We all know the famous ones: Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, Grinch, etc. But what about the ones that were shown decades ago and have been semi forgotten? Some of them made it to DVD or digital and others didn't.
I'd like to ask my fellow DVD fans here, what "forgotten" tv Christmas special should be given attention again? That you wish could make it into the Charlie Brown "A" group. Please discount any Rankin Bass specials that have been included on their collections.

I'd like to recommend:

The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas. Voices include Tommy Smothers and Barbara Feldon. A young bear leaves his beloved BearWorld so he can experience Christmas. Cute film. Do any of you remember this? It should have come out on DVD or Blu Ray.

A Christmas Carol. Yeah! Yeah. I know, but I'm talking about the 1970 Richard Williams animated version. Won an Oscar for best short, and is considered to be the best animated version by many critics. Based on the novel's original drawings by Leech. It's short and to the point. Wish more people were aware of it.

Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Clause. Late sixties, early seventies version. Voices include Jim Backus. I love this for the quaintness of the art style, but I can't remember which studio produced it. Not sure about the more recent version.

OK. people, what forgotten holiday special deserves more notoriety? Would love to hear what you think? Does the Magoo Christmas special qualify as "forgotten?" NBC showed it a few years ago.

--jthree

Sad Mr Magoo never has reached the yearly broadcast status one of the best!

 

[Jack P]

Anybody remember?
The Tiny Tree (narrated by Buddy Ebsen). Cute little folksy cartoon about a small tree (like Charlie Brown's) who grows up in a forest surrounded by little animals that do its best to make sure it becomes a Christmas tree. How does that rank up there compared to the classics?

--jthree

I had a vague memory of seeing it when it aired in the late 70s, but I didn't rediscover it until last year when someone had a 1978 CBS recording put up on YT that has since been taken down. It was "okay" in the context of being nice when seeing a large gaggle of specials as was tradition in that era. I wouldn't rate it as a particularly great one though.

 

[JamesSmith]

How about this one? The Night the Animals Talked. Premiered on ABC in the early 70's, along with the Richard Williams version of A Christmas Carol. Shown twice, and than showed up a few times on the Family Channel and another cable system. Animation so-so, possibly European but it had a nice message, and a killer ending, when the animals lose their temporary gift of speaking. Perhaps not the best by today's standards, but to an indiscriminate seven year old, it was ok. Any opinions?

==jthree

 

[JamesSmith]

How about these two gems:
Hanna Barbara's mid sixties Silent Night and Twas the Night Before Christmas. They were half hour specials in the HB house style. Silent Night was a version how the the famous carol was written in mid Europe two centuries ago. The latter was a story how Moore came up with his famous poem which he read to his daughter when she at death's door from a sickness. Reading the poem to her helped keep her strength up till the fever passed. How true that is, I don't know? But they were quaint, and IMHO had some heart. I know many current animation specialists would consider it primitive, but I liked it.

Strike any bells?

--jthree

 

[moviebuff75]

Yep. I have both on PD DVDs.

 

[RobertMG]

 

[mskaye]

How about these two gems:
Hanna Barbara's mid sixties Silent Night and Twas the Night Before Christmas. They were half hour specials in the HB house style. Silent Night was a version how the the famous carol was written in mid Europe two centuries ago. The latter was a story how Moore came up with his famous poem which he read to his daughter when she at death's door from a sickness. Reading the poem to her helped keep her strength up till the fever passed. How true that is, I don't know? But they were quaint, and IMHO had some heart. I know many current animation specialists would consider it primitive, but I liked it.

Strike any bells?

--jthree

two good ones -not really lost or forgotten but hardly A Charlie Brown Christmas.
1-Dragnet 1970 (aka Season 2 - avail on Prime - Episode 15: The Christmas Story. Excellent episode of this great show and one of my guilty pleasures.
2-The Twilight Zone - Night of the Meek - Season 2 Episode 11 - one of the few TZs that were shot on video. Starring the great great Art Carney. If I were an actor, I would think of this episode if I had to cry in a scene. Very powerful, sweet, sentimental and timeless. And the closing narration was one of Rod Serling's most eloquent.

 

[JamesSmith]

Yep. I have both on PD DVDs.

Is "PD" public domain?

--jthree

 

[JamesSmith]

Beautiful. Wish Hollywood still did things like this? In 1982, NBC had a NBC Christmas Party hosted by the Cheers people. The NBC stars did things like this. That was before the great darkness and cynicism overtook Hollywood, and became what it is now.

--jthree

 

[RobertMG]

 

[moviebuff75]

Yes. They are in cartoon collections on DVD.