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Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Christmas TV Party 2014: Rob Martinez at The Nights Before Christmas


Christmas TV Party 2014: Rob Martinez at The Nights Before Christmas

1) What is the first Christmas special you remember watching?
A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first in the early 1970s.  Sponsored by Dolly Madison.
I especially loved Snoopy and always died laughing when Schroeder played "Jingle Bells" and the organ music came out of his toy piano.

2) Name one Christmas program/movie you enjoy watching all year round.
I purchased a VHS tape in the late 1980s called All Star Hollywood Christmas  (http://www.amazon.com/All-Star-Hollywood-Christmas-Bing-Crosby/dp/B000643138) that contains a lot of old newsreel clips, vintage Christmas theater ads, Christmas movie trailers, and a bunch of weirdness that works for me throughout the year.

3) Name one overlooked, or under-appreciated Christmas program.
Before Super Bowls crowded the list of Top 25 most watched TV shows of all time, two Christmas specials made the list.  For those of you not named Joanna Wilson or Jeff Fox, can you guess what they are?

4) Send us to 3 places on the internet.




5) What are your 3 favorite Christmas episodes of a TV sitcom or drama?
I only have one.  Hill Street Blues - "Santaclaustrophobia"  (http://www.hulu.com/watch/61428). 

"Let's be careful out there... hey, hey! HEY!  Merry Christmas". - Sgt. Phil Esterhaus

"Oh Lordy, it's Christmas Eve and I'm gonna get shot dead in a moose suit" - Renko.

The final scene with Belker sitting alone in his apartment watching Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol stirs me up every time.

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9 comments:

  1. CaptainOTJuly 9, 2014 at 7:46 AM

    Answer to number three:

    Bob Hope's 1969 and 1970 Christmas Specials. Recorded at the peak of the Vietnam War, they are time capsules in every sense of the word. Especially Bob's jokes... Seeing all those kids sitting near war zones and knowing some didn't come back at all... and most who did were affected deeply by the experience. Wow.

    http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/03/21/top-100-rated-tv-shows-of-all-time/14922/

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  2. LindaJuly 9, 2014 at 8:36 AM

    We love "Santaclaustrophobia"! And Coffey bringing Bates the runt Christmas tree...

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    1. CaptainOTJuly 10, 2014 at 7:44 AM

      LT. HOWARD HUNTER: (admiring what he thinks is a toy Uzi): "Valentine, this is a remarkable knock-off".

      GUN GOES OFF - BROKEN GLASS - PEOPLE SCREAMING - SHOT OF GOLDBLUME DIVING OUT OF HARM'S WAY. GUN STOPS. SILENCE. A LONE PHONE RINGS.

      HUNTER: "Judas H. Christmas!"

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  3. Wings1295July 9, 2014 at 8:56 AM

    Amazing the number and variety of obscure specials people find and fall in love with!

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    1. JoannaJuly 10, 2014 at 10:26 AM

      I know! I'm loving this too!

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    2. JeffcoJuly 10, 2014 at 3:18 PM

      I'm already pretty sure I'm going to miss this in August :)

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  4. J.A. MorrisJuly 9, 2014 at 9:07 PM

    Good music on 'The Nights Before Christmas', Rob, I'll make a point of visiting as Christmas gets closer.
    I didn't know whistler Fred Lowery had a Christmas album, I'll have to look for that. Lowery was a good friend of my great uncle John, who was big band drummer & singer. Lowery and John perform together in this link if you want to check it out:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYzWe2R7hv0

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    1. CaptainOTJuly 10, 2014 at 7:46 AM

      Fred Lowery's Christmas album is simply amazing. Thanks for the video link!

      And be sure to stop by next week - around the 14th or 15th of each month, I post a Christmas goodie for all to enjoy.

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  5. JimAugust 7, 2014 at 8:57 PM

    Thanks for this post, Rob. I too will check out The Nights Before Christmas. I love how you pointed out that A CB Christmas was sponsored by Dolly Madison... and it's awesome you pointed out Schroeder's piano playing. That scene is brilliant (and features Snoopy too!!

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