Holiday TV Viewing Habits

[dreamflower]

I'm just wondering how other people feel about Christmas TV specials and movies. My husband is a die-hard holiday special fan, and he's in seventh heaven when cable TV has that "25 days of Christmas" thing going. He'll watch Christmas shows for hours on end. Me? Well, of course I sit through a lot of them I'm not especially fond of, to keep him company, but there are a few that I feel like it's just not quite Christmas if I don't get to see them. And there are some that are so painful I can't even stay in the room with them. I found this list of all the Christmas specials--I was shocked that it wasn't longer:

http://www.answers.com/topic/christmas-television-special

The Frank Sinatra Timex Show Christmas Special (1957) with Bing Crosby
The Bing Crosby Christmas Show (1961)
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)
The Bing Crosby Christmas Show (1962)
Judy Garland Show Christmas Special (1963)
The Promise (1963) [narrated by Bing Crosby]
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, Rankin-Bass)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Little Drummer Boy (1968, Rankin-Bass)
Bing and Carol Together Again for the First Time (1969) Bing Crosby, with Carol Burnett
Frosty the Snowman (1969, Rankin-Bass)
Bing Crosby's Christmas Show (1970)
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (1970, Rankin-Bass)
Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas (1971)
A Christmas with the Bing Crosbys (1972)
Bing Crosby's Sun Valley Christmas Show (1973)
Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974, Rankin-Bass)
Christmas with the Bing Crosbys (1974)
The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974, Rankin-Bass)
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (1974)
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975, Rankin-Bass)
Merry Christmas, Fred, from the Crosbys (1975) Bing Crosby, with Fred Astaire
John Denver's Rocky Mountain Christmas (1975)
The Bing Crosby White Christmas Special (1976)
Perry Como's Olde English Christmas (1977)
Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas (1977) with David Bowie
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
The Fat Albert Christmas Special (1977)
The Carpenters at Christmas (1977)
Raggedy Ann and Andy in: the Great Santa Claus Caper (1978, directed by Chuck Jones)
The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
A Special Sesame Street Christmas (1978)
The Pink Panther's Christmas (1978)
Perry Como's Early American Christmas (1978)
The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait (1978)
Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales (1979)
Perry Como's Christmas in New Mexico (1979)
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
Perry Como's Christmas in the Holy Land (1980)
The Osmond Family Christmas Special (1980)
Perry Como's French-Canadian Christmas (1981)
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1982)
John Denver and the Muppets: Rocky Mountain Holiday (1982)
The Christmas Toy (1986)
A Claymation Christmas Celebration (1987)
A Garfield Christmas (1987)
Julie Andrews: The Sound of Christmas (1987)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Pee-Wee Herman's Christmas Special (1988)
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (1989)
Shining Time Station: 'Tis A Gift (1990)
A Wish for Wings That Work (1991)
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too (1991)
A Chipmunk Christmas (1992)
Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas (1992)
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992)
A Flintstones Family Christmas (1993)
A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)
Perry Como's Irish Christmas (1994)
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (1995)
The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas (1996)
Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)
Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales (2002)
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)


I messed up. That sixth one is suppose to say "I don't like them, I only watch them to MST3K them."
[Poll #633363]

Comments

[isil-elensar.livejournal.com]

Look out... reply is long!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, Rankin-Bass)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Frosty the Snowman (1969, Rankin-Bass)
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (1970, Rankin-Bass)
Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974, Rankin-Bass)
The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974, Rankin-Bass)
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975, Rankin-Bass)
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
John Denver and the Muppets: Rocky Mountain Holiday (1982)
A Garfield Christmas (1987)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too (1991)
A Chipmunk Christmas (1992)
It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992)

White Christmas (1954, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947, Natalie Wood)
Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Meet Me In St. Louis (1944, Judy Garland)
Little Women (1949, June Allyson & 1994, Wynona Rider)

I’ve only seen the bolded ones. But the other ones are familiar to me, so I might’ve seen them but not remember them. I know ‘Meet Me In St. Louis’ might not be considered a Christmassy type movie, but it’s got a long Christmassy scene, so we include it in the repetoire. Same with ‘Little Women’.

[dreamflower]

I was surprised reading the list how many of them I *did* remember! Especially some of the really *old* variety show-type specials.

Yeah. Christmas movies would make another whole list, wouldn't they? I like all the ones you listed, and would add the old Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas Carol" (don't remember the year, but it's *really* old) and the Albert Finney musical version of "Scrooge" and of course, "It's a Wonderful Life". I also like "A Christmas Story", though the DH is *not* especially fond of that one. But then, he likes "Scrooged" with Bill Murray, and while I got a kick out of it on the first viewing, it rather leaves me cold now. Both of us *heartily*dislike* the Jim Carrey "Grinch" and much prefer the short animated version. ("Da-hoo-dorry, da-hoo-dorry, welcome Christmas...)

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

I couldn't decide between two and three. When I grew up the shows were at the same time each year so we always watched them but now I don¨t even know when they are aired (except for one) so I just watch if I come across them. I would try not to miss them if I know when they are aired though, but it isn¨t a very big deal. I have after all seen them so many times, lol.

[dreamflower]

Yes, TV scheduling has become much more complicated these days. It's even become hard to find regular shows every week, and hiatus is a word all of us have come to dread.

But we have this one cable channel over here that starts on the first of December, and runs nothing but Christmas specials and movies right through the 25th. That just tickles my husband to death. I on the other hand could do without *ever* seeing "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" again.

[pippinfan1.livejournal.com]

"I can't stand them. Rankin-Bass should be boiled like a pudding and have a holly stake driven through their heart." LOL!!!! (really, I'm not a violent person, except in cases of excess, as stated below)

How about this? At work, I am forced to listen to Oldies throughout the year over the speaker system. I used to like music from the 60's and 70's...not anymore. Now it's Christmas music for 8 hours, all day, whether I want to listen to it or not. I hear the same songs repeated every 2-3 hours. I know them by heart--if I didn't before. Bing Crosby's White Christmas, Elvis' Blue Christmas, Jingle Bell, Silver Bells...they all run together anymore, and the list goes on and on. I used to like Christmas music. Not anymore. Whenever I hear "I want a Hippopatamus for Christmas", I want to put a holly stake through my own heart! Last week, when I heard Miss Piggy screech "Five Golden Rings!" in the Muppets version of the 12 Days of Christmas, I had visions of jumping off the Empire State Building (jesting, of course). Now "Merry Christmas", performed by the Siberian Orchestra, is in danger of being trampled to death, and I still really like that song.

Don't get me wrong--I do like certain Christmast music that is NOT played constantly over the radio waves. What sort is that, you ask? I love Michael W. Smith's Christmas album; I have only heard Christmas Waltz played in the store, so his music is not killed on the radio. I play it every year and never grow tired of it. Not only is Christian music left alone during the rest of the year, but it seems its black-balled during the very season it should support, too. So, if anyone is in the market for music rarely killed on the radio, Christian artists have the music for you.

PF

[dreamflower]

I do understand about being forced to listen to music at work. When I first started at Michael's, they had this same CD they played *over* and *over* (I don't remember what it was or who the artist was--it mostly these half-jazz half-rock instrumentals) FOR FOUR SOLID YEARS!!! Except of course, at Christmas. By September most of us were *ready* for the Christmas music, just to have a change--except the Christmas CD was just as bad. I know I often had fantasies of taking an AK-47 to the speakers! About two years ago, they finally put in some new music for the rest of the year--mostly salsa, for some reason. At first we were glad of the change, but pretty soon it got just as stale as the first one.

I don't listen a lot to commercial radio, so I don't get the effect of them "killing" the songs. But there are certain songs that certain people should not be allowed near. When I hear a version of "Silent Night" or "Joy to the World" that has been jazzed up and embellished--now *that* makes me want to scream!

I mostly listen to CDs as well, and I must have six completely different CDs, by completely different recording companies and artists, entitled "Celtic Christmas" LOL!

[pippinfan1.livejournal.com]

To have six completely different CDs with the same title *is* definitely a marvel! Gee...to listen to Silent Night with bagpipes...I'll bet that's cool! I have a CD that is Blue Grass Christmas music (I love banjos), so I have to look out for a Celtic one now. :-)

After I posted my comment, I thought, 'oh, she's going to think I'm a scroogette!' I really do love the Christmas season, and for the most part, I still like certain Christmas music--except those two mentioned above. :-P To be honest, the song that is running through my head at this second is the song from Charlie Brown's Christmas where they decorate the spindly branches of the tree--I think. LOL, I hear it at least twice a day.

Take care.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "A Christmas Carol" and I like "Scrooged", but other than that, I don't bother keeping track anymore. I'd rather crank up my stereo and play my favorites, like Shedaisy's Christmas album, and Amy Grant's albums. Selah and Emmy Lou Harris have beautiful, unusual albums. And Kathy Mattea's album has some things on it I've never heard anyplace else.

[dreamflower]

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" and the Alistair Sim "A Christmas Carol" are favorites of mine. But I don't especially like "Scrooged". The whole thing is just a little over the top, and the "happy ending" doesn't cancel out the cynicism and sarcasm--Bill Murray did the cynical jerk who learns a lesson much better in "Groundhog Day". But different strokes: my husband loves it.

I didn't know Kathy Mattea had a Christmas album. I love Kathy Mattea.

[melilot-hill.livejournal.com]

I don't even know if we have these kinds of things on the tv here LOL. I do remember occasionally watching a christmas movie, but that's all.