About Christmas TV History

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Christmas in July 2018: John D.

from 1992's Muppet Christmas Carol

Christmas in July 2018: John D.

1) Name your favorite Henson's Muppet Christmas program and why.

A Muppet Christmas Carol, easy. I'm a Christmas Carol nut as you will see from some of my other responses, so this is a no-brainer. It's one of my favorite versions of Dickens' story, and I'm surprised it took them so long before they did a version of it!

2) Which decade produced the bulk of your favorite Christmas entertainment?

I'm going to bridge decades a little bit here. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the 60's and early 70's, so I was there for everything from Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, Rudolph, Charlie Brown and the Grinch up to about The Year Without A Santa Claus in the mid 70's. I'd say that was the golden age of Christmas specials in general and Rankin-Bass Christmas specials in particular.


from 1987's A Garfield Christmas

3) Imagine the entertainment behind your ideal Christmas Eve dinner. Name the appetizer, entré, and dessert.

Appetizer: Garfield's Christmas Special
Entre: A Christmas Carol. The 1984 version with George C. Scott.
Dessert: A Charlie Brown Christmas.
These three Christmas specials are my absolute favorites and move me to tears every time I see them. I hope they always will!


4) What Christmas episode, special or movie doesn't exist--that you wish did? Feel free to get creative.

In Dickens' A Christmas Carol, my favorite character is Jacob Marley. There is a book by author Tom Mula, called Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, in which we get to see more of the character's back story, as well as what went on behind the scenes while he was helping to save Scrooge. And because of his involvement in saving Scrooge, he redeems himself and is freed of his chains. It's a wonderful, wonderful book. I highly recommend it to everyone, and I really, really wish someone would make it into a movie. I have no doubt it would be great!


George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge

5) If one Christmas movie, special or episode was to be selected for a time capsule to opened in 1,000 years, which title do you think should be included?

A Christmas Carol. It's absolutely timeless. I think I'll go with my favorite version, the 1984 version with George C. Scott.

A close second would be A Charlie Brown Christmas. Its message is simple, beautiful, profound and ageless.

3 comments:

  1. The George C Scott version is one of my favorite adaptations as well.

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  2. You cannot go wrong with George C. Scott...
    and last night I watched Garfield's Christmas. Such a great special!

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  3. Yes--George C. Scott's Carol would keep well in a time capsule. Great responses!

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