Christmas in July 2019: Aaron Henton

 

Christmas in July 2019: Aaron Henton (Der Bingle)  www.merryandbright.blogspot.com

1. What is your favorite Saturday Night Live Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year's sketch?

It's without a doubt the song from when Candice Bergen hosted in season one.  Candice, Jane, Gilda, Laraine backing up Garrett Morris, then John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Dan Ackroyd joining in.  It was a really simple little song performance, but so wonderful and in the spirit of the season.


2. Do you most look forward to watching holiday episodes from series? Specials? Movies? Animation? or, all of it? 

One of my favorite traditions is watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (and it's on my bucket list to go in person some day). This tops my list because it's a new live broadcast every year.  We also watch the Christmas from Rockefeller Center program for the lighting of the tree. As far as the classics, a year never goes by without A Charlie Brown Christmas. I seem to find some new nuance in it every time I watch.

3. What's your favorite soundtrack from a holiday program? (it doesn't have to have been officially released as an album--just what program features your favorite collection of music?) 

The Star Wars Holiday Special?  No, nope, not that. A Christmas Story includes a great selection of music, but I'll narrow it down to White Christmas.  Interestingly, the soundtrack album does not include Rosemary Clooney because of record label nonsense.  The album has Trudy Stevens performing Rosemary's parts.


4. What one program are you patiently (or impatiently) waiting for me to review on this blog? 

How about Santa Claus' Workshop that ran on KAKE-TV from Wichita KS every year as I was growing up in the early '70s?  Hard to find anything you haven't reviewed yet! :-)


5. What change in Christmas entertainment have you noticed over the years? Do you like the trend? 

The Hallmark Christmas movies is certainly most notable. I shied away from them the first few years, but have become more accepting of them the last couple, and do enjoy a few of them.  I've noticed some attempted returns to the Christmas variety show format, with mixed results. Overall there seems to be more Christmas programming now then in the decade or two prior, which is a very good thing!