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Favorite Christmas Episodes (1 Viewer)

Professor Echo

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So great to see the original and most comprehensive HTF TV Christmas episodes thread back in action! I can’t understand why other threads were started on the exact same topic when this one has already covered the subject just fine and has numerous great, fun posts to explore. Ah well, such is the nature of online forums and folks posting without researching first. (This common occurrence has become a particular pet peeve of mine, but lest I start to rant and rave and resemble our resident TV thread curmudgeon here, I’ll say no more!).

Back on topic, I have a question of this thread’s faithful: If you are watching a series on DVD/Blu in consecutive order and come to a Christmas episode in the rotation, do you wait until the holiday season to watch that particular show or do you just keep watching it as a part of the original episode order?
 

Ron1973

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I do things a bit differently. I like falling asleep to TV, so if I'm not watching something online, I have a flash drive full of The Beverly Hillbillies and Memphis Wrestling, and I'll choose what I want to doze off to. I keep the Christmas episodes in the rotation (yes, there's a clip of a Christmas special from 1976 with Jerry Lawler demanding the Christmas scene be took down so he can wrestle!). About November I plug that flash drive in my computer, create a new folder for Christmas episodes, move those episodes over to that folder, as well as adding some episodes from Ozzie and Harriet and various Christmas movies/videos and watch those until Christmas is over. After Christmas the new folder gets deleted and the Clampetts and wrestling Christmas episodes go back in rotation with the regular series.
 

Jack P

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I do not partake of Christmas episodes in August but right now as part of a project over the last few years of transferring reel to reel tapes something remarkable has surfaced. The bulk of what I've done are vintage sports broadcasts from the 70s and 80s but sometimes rare radio seeps through. In this case recordings from two Albany area radio stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1963.

The reverence of these *network* radio presentations for the season are astonishing and beautiful.....and they also make you want to weep for how this respectful observance of the day and the season was lost in the years to come.
 

Gary OS

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I do not partake of Christmas episodes in August but right now as part of a project over the last few years of transferring reel to reel tapes something remarkable has surfaced. The bulk of what I've done are vintage sports broadcasts from the 70s and 80s but sometimes rare radio seeps through. In this case recordings from two Albany area radio stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1963.

The reverence of these *network* radio presentations for the season are astonishing and beautiful.....and they also make you want to weep for how this respectful observance of the day and the season was lost in the years to come.

Thanks for sharing that, Jack. I echo your sentiments.

Gary “It was a very different world back then” O.
 

JoeDoakes

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I do not partake of Christmas episodes in August but right now as part of a project over the last few years of transferring reel to reel tapes something remarkable has surfaced. The bulk of what I've done are vintage sports broadcasts from the 70s and 80s but sometimes rare radio seeps through. In this case recordings from two Albany area radio stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1963.

The reverence of these *network* radio presentations for the season are astonishing and beautiful.....and they also make you want to weep for how this respectful observance of the day and the season was lost in the years to come.
are you posting these somewhere?
 

Professor Echo

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I do not partake of Christmas episodes in August but right now as part of a project over the last few years of transferring reel to reel tapes something remarkable has surfaced. The bulk of what I've done are vintage sports broadcasts from the 70s and 80s but sometimes rare radio seeps through. In this case recordings from two Albany area radio stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 1963.

The reverence of these *network* radio presentations for the season are astonishing and beautiful.....and they also make you want to weep for how this respectful observance of the day and the season was lost in the years to come.

I can only imagine that was a particularly solemn Christmas season in 1963, only a little more than a month after the President was assassinated. I agree that while there have been numerous gains in our lives and its commensurate culture since then, there are many instances of second nature propriety and everyday decency from back then which have faded. I live part of the year these days in Germany where all stores and businesses are still closed on Sundays. Sometimes it’s a hassle, spoiled American that I am, haha, but I often enjoy the slower pace and more restful atmosphere, in addition to the memories it evokes from my 60’s childhood.
 

Jack P

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This is the material. From Christmas 1963 and also Christmas 1966. One track shows the dying days of network radio with Art Linkletter's "House Party" and then Garry Moore had a ten minute filler thing following "House Party" and after that is Perry Como doing a Christmas oriented program that is all sacred.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xf5bnx1fgzgsbum/1963-12-24 WGY Christmas.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/180c8olysdj252g/1963-12-24 WTRY Christmas.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bj88wmlkm... Garry Moore & Perry Como (CBS-WROW).mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cygy0fjor8t7kqk/1963-12-25 WGY The Many Faces Of Christmas.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nunmm3n9z3acu85/1966-12-25 WGFM Sound Of Stereo.mp3?dl=0
 

Gary OS

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I can only imagine that was a particularly solemn Christmas season in 1963, only a little more than a month after the President was assassinated. I agree that while there have been numerous gains in our lives and its commensurate culture since then, there are many instances of second nature propriety and everyday decency from back then which have faded. I live part of the year these days in Germany where all stores and businesses are still closed on Sundays. Sometimes it’s a hassle, spoiled American that I am, haha, but I often enjoy the slower pace and more restful atmosphere, in addition to the memories it evokes from my 60’s childhood.

Sounds very nice, Glen!

Gary “I long for a return to those ideals and simpler times, especially as it pertains to the Christmas season” O.
 

Gary OS

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So great to see the original and most comprehensive HTF TV Christmas episodes thread back in action! I can’t understand why other threads were started on the exact same topic when this one has already covered the subject just fine and has numerous great, fun posts to explore. Ah well, such is the nature of online forums and folks posting without researching first. (This common occurrence has become a particular pet peeve of mine, but lest I start to rant and rave and resemble our resident TV thread curmudgeon here, I’ll say no more!).

Back on topic, I have a question of this thread’s faithful: If you are watching a series on DVD/Blu in consecutive order and come to a Christmas episode in the rotation, do you wait until the holiday season to watch that particular show or do you just keep watching it as a part of the original episode order?

I generally skip a Christmas episode and save it for the Yuletide season, Glen.

Gary “good question” O.
 

Gary OS

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Thanks to several nice TV on DVD releases this year I'll have a few more Christmas episodes to watch. In particular I'll be viewing the Public Defender and Deadline episodes for the first time. Perhaps a few others as well. Always glad to add new episodes to my collection.

Gary "I may start watching before Thanksgiving since that holiday falls so late in the calendar this year" O.
 

Jack P

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A few months back I posted some vintage Christmas radio from the early and mid-60s from Albany, NY stations which show how different the season was treated then in contrast sadly to what we see today. Here is some more from Christmas 1961 and notice how NBC considered it a public service to air the audio portion of its "Coming Of Christ" documentary that had aired on TV the previous night (unfortunately, except for some excerpts in the late 90s on the "Time And Again" series, this documentary has not been seen in full since the 70s)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c8gdn5y6e3c96tj/1961-12-23 WGY (Christmas).mp3?dl=0
 

Gary OS

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A few months back I posted some vintage Christmas radio from the early and mid-60s from Albany, NY stations which show how different the season was treated then in contrast sadly to what we see today. Here is some more from Christmas 1961 and notice how NBC considered it a public service to air the audio portion of its "Coming Of Christ" documentary that had aired on TV the previous night (unfortunately, except for some excerpts in the late 90s on the "Time And Again" series, this documentary has not been seen in full since the 70s)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/c8gdn5y6e3c96tj/1961-12-23 WGY (Christmas).mp3?dl=0

Thank you so much for sharing these treasures with us, Jack. A truly unique and important "gift" for this upcoming Christmas season!

Gary "please keep them coming as much as possible" O.
 

ScottRE

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Hmmm, gotta go with:

1) The Odd Couple: Scrooge Wins an Oscar
2) V: Reflections in Terror
3) The Six Million Dollar Man: A Bionic Christmas Carol
4) Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Long Live the King
5) The Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek

Those are the ones that spring to mind.
 

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