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...)