Robin PottratzThe Second Tier of TV's Animated Christmas Specials
December 15th 2008 23:04
Well it is that time of year again. The holiday season is in full bloom, people are trying to find gifts for their loved ones and in less than ten days, families all over the world will gather to celebrate Christmas. As per the annual custom, the television airwaves are full of holiday cheer as they air numerous animated holiday treats throughout network and cable TV. There are always the dependable usuals: for example "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." However, this past weekend on the ABC Family channel, they dedicated an entire day to airing the animated Christmas specials that are on the 2nd level of standard holiday viewing.
Now, I love the classics like "Rudolph" and "Frosty" but there is nothing like the B-list holiday specials that feature rehashed stories and retread characters from other, more popular stories and shows. This post is dedicated to those yuletide nuggets of joy that nobody knows about. As a public service to my faithful readers, I will give so a handful of lesser known Christmas specials to watch...and a few to avoid.
Ones to watch:
1. "A Garfield Christmas" (1987) - this one used to be on the top tier of holiday specials. The morbidly obese cat goes with his owner Jon and dog Odie to the Arbuckle family farm where Garfield develops a bond with Jon's widowed grandmother. Other delightful parts of this story include Odie building Garfield a back scratcher for a gift, the Arbuckle's collective "OOOO" when the Christmas tree is lit, and middle-aged Jon and his brother Doc-Boy bothering their parents in the middle of the night wanting to open presents because "it technically is Christmas morning." This special is fun, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming and should be standard holiday viewing.
2. "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (1985) - This is the one holiday special that takes a more philosophical approach to the story of Santa Claus. The main plot concerns the Great Ak who meets with a council of immortals in order to ask for Santa Claus to be bestowed with the honor of immortality. To justify, Ak tells the story of how the immortals raised Claus when he was a baby and how he became Santa Claus in order to combat evil in the world in his own good-hearted way. Due to the more thought-provoking nature of the story, this one is often ignored in the pantheon of holiday specials, but it is a fun claymation story and the design of all the immortal and other characters is something that has since been unmatched in holiday television.
3. "Nestor the Long-eared Christmas Donkey" (1977) - This may be the most unoriginal program on my list of ones to watch. It is basically the plot of "Dumbo" but with Donkeys instead of Elephants. A descendant of Nestor tells the story of how Nestor was born in a stable and was alienated and teased because of his long ears. He and his loving mother are eventually thrown out of the stable and his mother sacrifices her life shielding him from a blizzard. Nestor then meets a guardian angel named Tilly who leads him to the Virgin Mary and Joseph. Mary gets on his back, and protected by Nestor's huge ears during a sandstorm they reach Bethlehem and the baby Jesus is born in a stable. The religious overtones are no bother, the real treat in this special is the Nestor theme song.
"Nestor was a donkey who seldom laughed or played
cause no one ever used him in the stable where they stayed
Everybody teased him, and the other donkeys too
they said 'look at little Nestor, there's nothing he can do'
Look at little Nestor, he's got ears that drag the ground
they whispered as they mocked him, but he heard every sound
Nestor's heart was broken and his eyes were full of tears
If only there was something he could do about his ears"
4. "The Little Drummer Boy" (1968) - like "Garfield" this used to be on the top tier of Christmas specials. The show is based on a Christmas song, and the special incorporates an orphaned boy who is present at the birth of Jesus. During the story we find out that the boy is named Aaron and his parents are killed. After the event he develops a hatred for humanity and befriends a lamb named Baabaa, a donkey named Samson, and a camel named Joshua. After Joshua is sold to three kings (I think you know where this is going) Aaron follows the guiding star to find Joshua and eventually leads him to be present at the birth of Jesus. This is basically a darker version of Nestor, but it is still a great story and hearing the song "The Little Drummer Boy" sung by the Vienna Boys Choir just adds to the feeling of the holidays.
5. "Santa Claus is Comin to Town" (1970) - A crescent shaped mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) tells the story of how Kris Kringle becomes Santa Claus by delivering toys to children in Sombertown, has to contend with the Burgermeister Meisterburger who wants to remove all toys, falls in love with Jessica - who becomes Mrs. Claus, and warms the heart of a winter warlock by giving him a choo choo train. Getting to hear Fred Astaire sing the title song is alone worth your 60 minutes, but the story is fun and this show is very close to the top level of holiday specials.
Now here are the holiday specials to avoid:
1. "Rudolph and Frosty Christmas in July" - We meet Frosty's children, his wife and even poor Rudolph is dragged into this crapfest that is as bad as expired egg nog.
2. "A Cranberry Christmas" - there are only four words you need to know - narrated by Barry Manilow.
3. "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" - Rudolph has to find baby new years - why Rudolph why?
4. "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" - the kids make lonely Frosty a wife. Neither snowperson is anatomically correct, this special doesn't make me feel in the holiday spirit...just confused.
5. "Frosty Returns" - John Goodman is the voice of Frosty and Brian Doyle Murray plays the creator of "Summer Wheeze" that would eliminate all snow, as well as frosty. Believe me it is as stupid as it sounds...and not to mention Frosty singing "Let There Be Snow."
I hope you all have a joyous holiday viewing experience. I hope that I was able to steer you in the right direction, being able to do that is enough of a Christmas gift for me. Have a Merry Christmas, I will write between now and the holiday, but none will be as Christmasy.
Happy Holidays,
Robin Pottratz
Now, I love the classics like "Rudolph" and "Frosty" but there is nothing like the B-list holiday specials that feature rehashed stories and retread characters from other, more popular stories and shows. This post is dedicated to those yuletide nuggets of joy that nobody knows about. As a public service to my faithful readers, I will give so a handful of lesser known Christmas specials to watch...and a few to avoid.
Ones to watch:
1. "A Garfield Christmas" (1987) - this one used to be on the top tier of holiday specials. The morbidly obese cat goes with his owner Jon and dog Odie to the Arbuckle family farm where Garfield develops a bond with Jon's widowed grandmother. Other delightful parts of this story include Odie building Garfield a back scratcher for a gift, the Arbuckle's collective "OOOO" when the Christmas tree is lit, and middle-aged Jon and his brother Doc-Boy bothering their parents in the middle of the night wanting to open presents because "it technically is Christmas morning." This special is fun, funny, and surprisingly heartwarming and should be standard holiday viewing.
2. "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (1985) - This is the one holiday special that takes a more philosophical approach to the story of Santa Claus. The main plot concerns the Great Ak who meets with a council of immortals in order to ask for Santa Claus to be bestowed with the honor of immortality. To justify, Ak tells the story of how the immortals raised Claus when he was a baby and how he became Santa Claus in order to combat evil in the world in his own good-hearted way. Due to the more thought-provoking nature of the story, this one is often ignored in the pantheon of holiday specials, but it is a fun claymation story and the design of all the immortal and other characters is something that has since been unmatched in holiday television.
3. "Nestor the Long-eared Christmas Donkey" (1977) - This may be the most unoriginal program on my list of ones to watch. It is basically the plot of "Dumbo" but with Donkeys instead of Elephants. A descendant of Nestor tells the story of how Nestor was born in a stable and was alienated and teased because of his long ears. He and his loving mother are eventually thrown out of the stable and his mother sacrifices her life shielding him from a blizzard. Nestor then meets a guardian angel named Tilly who leads him to the Virgin Mary and Joseph. Mary gets on his back, and protected by Nestor's huge ears during a sandstorm they reach Bethlehem and the baby Jesus is born in a stable. The religious overtones are no bother, the real treat in this special is the Nestor theme song.
"Nestor was a donkey who seldom laughed or played
cause no one ever used him in the stable where they stayed
Everybody teased him, and the other donkeys too
they said 'look at little Nestor, there's nothing he can do'
Look at little Nestor, he's got ears that drag the ground
they whispered as they mocked him, but he heard every sound
Nestor's heart was broken and his eyes were full of tears
If only there was something he could do about his ears"
4. "The Little Drummer Boy" (1968) - like "Garfield" this used to be on the top tier of Christmas specials. The show is based on a Christmas song, and the special incorporates an orphaned boy who is present at the birth of Jesus. During the story we find out that the boy is named Aaron and his parents are killed. After the event he develops a hatred for humanity and befriends a lamb named Baabaa, a donkey named Samson, and a camel named Joshua. After Joshua is sold to three kings (I think you know where this is going) Aaron follows the guiding star to find Joshua and eventually leads him to be present at the birth of Jesus. This is basically a darker version of Nestor, but it is still a great story and hearing the song "The Little Drummer Boy" sung by the Vienna Boys Choir just adds to the feeling of the holidays.
5. "Santa Claus is Comin to Town" (1970) - A crescent shaped mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) tells the story of how Kris Kringle becomes Santa Claus by delivering toys to children in Sombertown, has to contend with the Burgermeister Meisterburger who wants to remove all toys, falls in love with Jessica - who becomes Mrs. Claus, and warms the heart of a winter warlock by giving him a choo choo train. Getting to hear Fred Astaire sing the title song is alone worth your 60 minutes, but the story is fun and this show is very close to the top level of holiday specials.
Now here are the holiday specials to avoid:
1. "Rudolph and Frosty Christmas in July" - We meet Frosty's children, his wife and even poor Rudolph is dragged into this crapfest that is as bad as expired egg nog.
2. "A Cranberry Christmas" - there are only four words you need to know - narrated by Barry Manilow.
3. "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" - Rudolph has to find baby new years - why Rudolph why?
4. "Frosty's Winter Wonderland" - the kids make lonely Frosty a wife. Neither snowperson is anatomically correct, this special doesn't make me feel in the holiday spirit...just confused.
5. "Frosty Returns" - John Goodman is the voice of Frosty and Brian Doyle Murray plays the creator of "Summer Wheeze" that would eliminate all snow, as well as frosty. Believe me it is as stupid as it sounds...and not to mention Frosty singing "Let There Be Snow."
I hope you all have a joyous holiday viewing experience. I hope that I was able to steer you in the right direction, being able to do that is enough of a Christmas gift for me. Have a Merry Christmas, I will write between now and the holiday, but none will be as Christmasy.
Happy Holidays,
Robin Pottratz
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