Santa needs a little break

Really nothing to see past here (placeholder for next year's Christmas stuff)

The Essentials
If you can only watch a couple of holiday specials, these are the ones to watch. This is the proverbial 'hall of fame' of Christmas programming.

1. It's a Wonderful Life (click to watch)

How It Should Have Ended : It's A Wonderful Life
http://youtu.be/9mjaeMlNIi4

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (click to watch)

3. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (click to watch)

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (click to watch)

5. Frosty the Snowman (click to watch)

Cartoons

6. Disney's Very Merry Christmas Sing-Along

7. The Smurfs Christmas Special (click to watch)

8. The SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas Special (click to watch)

9. A Garfield Christmas (click to watch)

10. The Boondocks Christmas Special (click to watch)

11. Disney: A Christmas Gift (click to watch)

12. Batman: Holiday Knights (click to watch)

13. The Madagascar Penguins: Christmas Caper (click to watch)

14. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (click to watch)

15. Bugs Bunny: The Fright Before Christmas (click to watch)

16. Tom & Jerry: The Night Before Christmas (click to watch)

17. Scooby Doo's Christmas Special (click to watch)

18. Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Christmas Blast (click to watch)

19. Vintage Rudolph Cartoon from 1948 (click to watch)

20. Vintage Frosty the Snowman Cartoon (click to watch)

21. Donald Duck's Christmas (click to watch)

22. A Space Ghost Christmas (click to watch)

23. Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (click to watch)

24. Darkwing Duck: It's a Wonderful Leaf (click to watch)

25. Arthur the Aardvark: Arthur's Perfect Christmas (click...ch)

26. Chip 'n Dale: The Christmas Tree (click to watch)

27. A Cosmic Christmas (click to watch)

28. Little Audrey: Santa's Surprise (click to watch)

29. Christmas Comes but Once a Year (click to watch)

30. Ginger Nutt's Christmas Circus (click to watch)

Stop-Motion Animation (Claymation)

31. Santa Claus is Coming to Town (click to watch)

32. The Year Without a Santa Claus (click to watch)

33. Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (click to watch)

34. Davey & Goliath: Christmas Lost & Found (click...ch)

35. Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas Celebration (click ...ch)

Versions of 'A Christmas Carol'

36. Mickey's Christmas Carol (click to watch)

37. Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol (click to watch)

38. Richard Williams' A Christmas Carol (click to watch)

Sitcoms
The sitcom is another mainstay of Christmas.

39. The Simpsons Christmas Episode (click to watch)

40. The Flinstones Christmas Episode (click to watch)

41. Scrubs: Christmas Episode (click to watch)

42. The Beverly Hillbillies: Christmas Episode (click to watch)

43. That 70's Show: Christmas Episode (click to watch)

44. Friends: Season 6 Christmas Episode (click to watch)

45. Seinfeld: Festivus (click to watch)

46. Ozzie & Harriet: Christmas Episode (click to watch)

47. Mork & Mindy: Mork's 1st Christmas (click to watch)

48. Veronica's Closet: Veronica's Christmas (click to watch)

49. The Brady Bunch: The Voice of Christmas (click to watch)

50. A Very Brady Christmas (click to watch)

51. Family Ties: A Christmas Story (click to watch)

52. Family Ties: A Keaton Xmas Carol (click to watch)

Music Videos

53. Bing Crosby: White Christmas (click to watch)

54. Karen Carpenter: Merry Christmas Darling (click to watch)

55. Band Aid: do They Know it's Christmas? (click to watch)

56. Faith Hill: where Are You Christmas (click to watch)

57. Elmo & Patsy: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (...ch)

58. Mariah Carey: All I Want for Christmas is You (click t...ch)

59. Paul McCartney: Wonderful Christmas Time (click to watch)

60. Judy Garland: Silent Night (click to watch)

61. Run DMC: Christmas in Hollis (click to watch)

62. David Bowie & Bing Crosby: Drummer Boy (click to watch)

63. Elvis Presley: Blue Christmas (click to watch)

64. Billy Idol: Jingle Bell Rock (click to watch)

65. Kenny G: Merry Little Christmas (click to watch)

66. U2: It's Christmas Baby (click to watch)

67. John Lennon: Happy Xmas (War is Over) (click to watch)

68. Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra: It's a Marshmallow Wo...ch)

69. Trans Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Canon (click to watch)

70. Christina Aguilera & Brian McKnight: Merry Little ...ch)

71. Wham!: Last Christmas (click to watch)

72. Kelly Clarkson: O Holy Night (click to watch)

73. Whitney Houston: Do You Hear What I Hear (click to watch)

74. Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song (click to watch)

75. Johnny Mathis: Silver Bells (click to watch)

Miscellaneous Specials & Documentaries
This is a mish-mash of some different Christmas programming that I didn't know how to categorize

otherwise. Still, you'll find some interesting (non-animated) stuff.

76. Ali G Christmas Message (click to watch)

77. Mythbusters Christmas Special (click to watch)

78. Christmas Unwrapped: The Truth About Christmas (click ...ch)

79. The Naked Chef: Christmas Comes Early (click to watch)

80. The Worst Christmas Jobs in History (click to watch)

The Commercials
Of course, with all that Christmas television programming there's bound to be an equal amount of holiday-themed advertising. Here are some of my favorites. I'm partial to the Hershey's Kisses commercial.

81. The Coca-Cola Holiday Truck (click to watch)

82. Fruity Pebbles Christmas Commercial (click to watch)

83. McDonalds : Ice-Skating Ronald McDonald (click to watch)

84. Honey Nut Cheerios (click to watch)

85. Hershey's Kisses Christmas Commercial (click to watch)

86. DirectTV: Bad Guys Become Good for the Holidays (click...ch)

87. Coca-Cola: Teach the World to Sing (click to watch)

88. Victoria's: Dazzle Me (click to watch)

The Parodies, Sketches & Spoofs
Because poking fun at Christmas may be irreverant, but it can also be pretty damned funny. Here are some short clips and sketches that have some fun with Christmas.

89. The Three Little Pigs' Christmas (click to watch)

90. South Park: Merry F@%#%ing Christmas (click to watch)

91. Mad TV: Raging Rudolph (click to watch)

92. Indian Santa Claus: Funny Sketch (click to watch)

93. Family Guy: Christmas CD Ad (click to watch)

94. Christmas with Mr. Bill (click to watch)

95. Jeff Foxworthy: The Redneck 12 Days of Christmas (clic...ch)

96. Scrubs Performs 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' (click to watch)

97. Dogs Barking 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' (click t...ch)

98. A Christmas Gory: Christmas Story Spoof (http://youtu.be/UlcYUL9srn8)

99. If Santa Claus Were Like Fox TV's '24' (x)

The Abominations
Of course, not all holiday specials are created equal. Folks have create a lot of horrible Christmas programming over the years. I'm not about to subject myself to watching or cataloging all of them, but here are a few to get you started. But note that you have been warned - these will have you crying out: "oh the humanity" before too long.

100. Star Wars Holiday Special ( http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xn5gsj_the-star-wars-holiday-special_shortfilms )

101. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (http://youtu.be/Oyrb-iSkpFE)

It's just around the corner

Here's a Christmas greeting from Iggy Pop -



Happy Holidays to you, Iggy




We're all having our Christmas Eve dinner of the seven fishes, we keep losing track of how many fishes we've consumed, (it might have something to do with the number of bottles of white wine that we've consumed.) 

Why not watch these cartoons for your family while we try to sober up -

Claus and Effect or Yule… Be Sorry  Rocky and Bullwinkle -




 A Christmas Plotz, Little Drummer Warners   Animaniacs -




One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.


Now that you're in the proper mood for the holidays - I'll leave you with these thoughts from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his poem, Christmas Bells:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
    And wild and sweet
    The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
    Had rolled along
    The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
    A voice, a chime,
    A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
    And with the sound
    The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
    And made forlorn
    The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
    "For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The Wrong shall fail,
    The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."



I've told my kids and maybe you'll tell yours - Dammit kids, get to bed!  The sooner you go to sleep, the quicker Christmas will be here.



Norad Santa

And so it goes.


Here's a just released CIA photo of Dr. Caligari's father not being so charmed by the dr.'s shenanigans.

A little 'less syrupy' holiday special

In case you've grown tired of all of those kids holiday specials, here's one that's a tad more adult - Pee Wee's Christmas Special:



So what did we learn by watching this special - when Cher says the secret word 'year' you better scream really loud!


Today’s Christmas video countdown – A Hip Hop Christmas (Old School)

Christmas Rappin   Kurtis Blow -




Christmas in Hollis  Run D.M.C. -




Beat Street Santa's Christmas Xmas Rap -




Cold Chillin' Christmas  the Juice Crew  -




Let The Jingle Bells Rock  Sweet Tee -




The Christmas Song   David Banner  -




Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto   Snoop Doggy Dogg -





And so it goes.

Songs we sing in the car

( I am behind my time. I was making rather merry yesterday...to quote Bob Cratchit.)
Today's Christmas Countdown - first time guest programmer: Mary's favorite songs

Santa Baby -




Over the river and through the wood -




Jingle Bells -




O Holy Night -




Angels We Have Heard On High -





And so it goes.

On TV, it's Christmas 365 days a year.

Today's Christmas Countdown - It's a TV Christmas

No Room At The Inn  Newhart




Merry Christmas Mr. Bean




Christmas and the Hard Luck Kid  The Mary Tyler Moore Show




Christmas Cheers  Cheers -




The Holiday Armadillo  Friends -



The Monkees Christmas Show




Twas The Night Before Christmas  The Honeymooners





And so it goes.

No man is a failure who has friends

December 20, 1946 -
The Frank Capra film It's A Wonderful Life had a preview showing for charity at New York City's Globe Theatre, (a day before its official premiere) on this date.



The film is regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world, although, due to its high production costs and stiff competition at the box office, financially, it was considered a flop.

(Another, more adult alternate ending of the film) -



This is truly a strange little film.


It really now the start of the Christmas season: Darlene Love makes her annual appearance on the David Letterman Show tonight to sing Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) -

Darlene Love's 2012 appearance




And here's Darlene Love's very first Christmas appearance




Our Second Christmas video countdown – Happy Holiday from Prisoner 1073015

Phil Spector - Biography




The Phil Spector Christmas Album



Jay Thomas and the Lone Ranger Story  (2012)





And so it goes.

It's only fair play

Today's Christmas video countdown - Male Rockers Perform:

Merry Christmas, Baby  James Brown -




Pretty Paper  Roy Orbison -




Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)  The Ramones  -




Blue Christmas  Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -




Christmas Bells (I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day)  Bob Dylan -




Christmas Island   Leon Redbone  -




Feliz Navidad  Jose Feliciano -




Fairytale Of New York   The Pogues & Kirsty McColl -



And speaking of alcoholic holidays, here the wonderful poem A Child's Christmas in Wales read by it's author, Dylan Thomas -




And so it goes.