Happy Christmas in July! It's Day #31 of the Christmas in July party. All month long I have been celebrating Christmas TV episodes, specials, and movies with a FUN IN THE SUN attitude. We have seen a run of Christmas in July stories, tropical yuletides, and island themes. Just a little something different and a way for me to show off the diversity of holiday stories I've collected in the encyclopedia Tis the Season TV (the updated and expanded 2nd edition being released later this year).
For today's final Christmas in July discussion, let's look at another holiday story set Down Under, in Australia where Christmas takes place in the summer time: the 2005 episode "Outback Christmas" from the Playhouse Disney series The Koala Brothers. (Playhouse Disney was the precursor to Disney Jr.) The series is a stop motion animated, international production.
In the third season episode"Outback Christmas," Penny the Penguin has hurt her wing and is unable to travel to the Outback for the Koala Brothers’ Christmas party. Koala Brothers Buster and Frank don’t feel much like celebrating without their friend Penny so they fly to the South Pole to pick her up. But the aviators’ long journey is arduous due to snowy weather conditions and a lost map. The rest of the gang tries to help out by decorating the Koala Brothers’ homestead to prepare for the party. Once at the South Pole, Frank takes a turn learning to ski before flying home to the Outback. Ned figures out how to work the two-way radio and guides the brothers in a nighttime landing using the holiday lights and decorations. Later everyone celebrates together with paper crowns, crackers, and a Christmas dinner.
The voice cast for this hour-long stop motion animated series includes Keith Wickham as Frank, Rob Rackstraw as Buster, and Janet James as Penny.
This is the final FUN IN THE SUN discussion for the Christmas in July party, however tomorrow I'll be posting a list of links to all 31 of the daily discussions. Happy Christmas in July! Thanks for following along.
Joanna Wilson is a TV researcher and book author specializing
in Christmas entertainment. More about the TV programs mentioned on this website can
be found in her book "Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials, and Made-for-TV Movies." Her latest book "Triple Dog Dare:
Watching--& Surviving--the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story"
was released in 2016. She is currently updating and expanding the
encyclopedia for a 2021 release. Her books can be found at the publisher's website:
1701 press.com
*Support this website and its research by purchasing the books at 1701 press.com
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