Christmas Specials

Every year, families and friends gather 'round the TV to participate in a little known tradition called "watching Christmas Specials on T.V." Many have become holiday staples. Many are forgotten. So here I bring you some of the best Holiday Telivision Specials I can remember.

This holiday special was a staple in my family when hit the air. I was only about four years old, but for some reason I cannot remember now, I was really looking forward to watching it for the first time. Basically, a bumbling elf who cannot seem to do anything right sneeks into Santa's bag of toys to save Christmas for a poor family, in a manner appropriate to earning his nickname "Blue Toes."

I'd tell you how he earned his monicker, but that would spoil the movie if any of you ever get a chance to watch it.

Okay, Who doesn't love this special. Mom and her famous "EAT, EAT, EAT!" Doc Boy "Don't Call me Doc Boy!" Arbuckle and his famous sibling rivalry with Jon, a very hip Grandma, and of course, America's favourite tabby Garfield.

Magical Moment: When the usually greedy Garfield gives Odie a hug and declares "Christmas. It's not the giving, it's not the getting, it's the loving." *Grab for my tissue as I reminisce*

Very, Very, Loosely based on The Nutcracker Suite. While still retaining much of Tchaikovsky's original ballet music, the storyline (divided amongst 3 episodes) really only covers about the first twenty minutes of the original ballet. Which is okay, because in the ballet, the main storyline is done entirely in the first act, The second act is pretty much a giant party hosted by the Sugarplum Fairy, who also has nothing to do with the storyline except she hosts a party.

I enjoy this still because it's one of the few Care Bears shows that is both parent friendly as well as child friendly.

At the turn of the century, a young mouse puts the entire town on Santa's "Naughty" list, because he doesn't believe in Santa Clause. He then makes things worse when he sabatoges the town's attempts to get back in Santa's good books (or list if you prefer).

Needless to say, he learns his lesson and becomes a believer. Ever notice that in all these Christmas specials all of the adults believe in Santa Clause, and it's usually the children who doubt his existence? Kind of backwards if you ask me...

This is it... The specials among Specials. Merry Christmas Charlie Brown is the second highest rated special of all time, and the highest rated special to be syndicated. With it's deeply religious overtones (See the video to the right), and finger waging at the commercialism of Christmas, combined with the religious pulse of America, this has gone on to be wildly successful, even to this very day.

When this special first aired, the hippie movement was fully underway, which had probably pushed this show to success with it's condemnation of commercialism and return to religion as the source of Christmas. The late Charles Schultz was also a baptist youth minister, and had never hid from using religion or placing religious messages in his work. This show was no exception, as Linus retells the Christmas story (which any Peanuts fan could tell you, Linus could never remember this part for the Christmas Pageant at school).

Of course, there is many other Christmas specials, so come back over the next month as I will be writing more hubs on Christmas specials and commercials and movies. Is there a special you would like me to mention on my next hub on Christmas Shows? Write me at bekindplzrewind@gmail.com