A Classic TV Christmas- Advent 2017 Day 10

Yesterday's visit to the LAPD had an early appearance by Barry Williams in Dragnet. That got me thinking about another show that starred the young actor and took place in California. That show is The Brady Bunch. 

In the episode titled The Voice of Christmas from December 19, 1969, the Bradys are getting ready for Christmas. Mom Brady, Carol, sings every year during church services. But that's not looking possible this year as Mrs. Brady has laryngitis. Desperately wanting her mom to be able to sing, little Cindy asks Santa to bring her mother's voice back. It's a down to the wire Christmas miracle as right before services, Carol regains the ability to sing and regales the congregation with a rendition of O Come all Ye Faithful. 

As Christmas episodes go, this is the standard holiday schlock. It's sappy. It's predictable. And it's medically unlikely to ever occur. Sure, Mrs. Brady could get her voice back in time for Christmas. But in no way would it be wise for someone just coming off laryngitis to sing in full commanding voice without doing further damage.

You call it a Christmas miracle. I call it implausible screenwriting.

The main reason I am covering this episode today isn't because of what happened in 1969 but what would later happen in 1988 for the TV reunion movie A  Very Brady Christmas. 

In that holiday special, the Mr. and Mrs. Brady are planning on going on a trip for Christmas. Since all the kids are grown and have families of their own, there's no point staying in such a big house for the holidays. But just as the Bradys are getting ready to leave- the whole family surprises mom and dad! Things are rocky with a crowded house of kids, grand kids and spouses but by Christmas day everyone is all cheery and happy. That is until Mike gets a fateful phone call. 

It turns out one of the businesses he designed was made with shoddy materials to cut costs. As a result two security guards are trapped in the collapsed remains. Being the building's architect, Mike has the the plans in his home office and runs to the site. There, he runs in to save the guards and gets trapped in the process.

Over the night, the family holds a vigil. Cindy reminds Carol in flashbacks of the Christmas miracle in which she got her voice back and Mrs. Brady begins to sing. Inspired, Mike in a Herculean bout of strength frees himself before the building comes crashing down. Thus it's the best Brady Christmas ever!!!

I don't know what was more ridiculous- the fact the actress playing Cindy in the special was not the same actress from the original series flashbacks or the fact that Mrs. Brady's singing gives Mr. Brady super powers like spinach does to Popeye. 

Since this whole day has in some way dealt with Bradys and singing, my Advent present for you today is a selection of holiday songs from the 1970 album Christmas with the Bradys. Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!

Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #10

 It seems that even a suave superspy can't enjoy a peaceful Christmas Eve at their bachelor pad. Col. Fury is called upon SHIELD to save the world from the Hate-Monger. The villain's plan is to drop a germ warfare bomb upon the Big Apple. Upon detonation, the missile would release a contagion eventually wiping out the 'inferior' races of planet earth. With time running out, Nick Fury will meet the enemy in earth's orbit. But if he's not able to stop the Hate-Monger before the clock strikes Midnight over Manhattan, this will be their last Christmas ever...

   When I last encountered the Hate-Monger it was in the pages of Fantastic Four (#s 21-22). Seemingly, the foe had died but this is comic books and well bad guys don't tend to stay deceased for long. But the Hate-Monger's return wasn't the only thing that perplexed me about this issue.

    I bought Nick Fury #10 for a song. Not in great shape, but to pay only $4 for an original 1969 reader's copy with the cover still intact is not a bad deal. Being complete like that, this book shouldn't be missing any pages. Yet my copy started on page 4. There was no splash page, no title, and no credits. Why the book even starts off with Fury beating the crap outta a group of punks for no apparent reason.  

   Now artist/ writer Jim Steranko was known to be very experimental with his books- especially Nick Fury. So, having the book start in the middle of the action with no warning might have been one of his tests. If so, it failed completely on me because I spent a lot of time trying to find the title page elsewhere in the comic.

   (And for those of you saying that this book was an error with pages missing from the print run or that they were torn out- there is no evidence of any ripped pages and the book has a definite ending and the ubiquitous letters page and Stan's Soapbox editorial are both included at the end of this issue. So, there... But if anyone could scan me those missing pages, that'd be sweet!)

    Regardless of the strange beginning, this was a fun read. The art was classy and very Steranko. The painted cover is so retro cool! The dialogue was a little cheesy but so were most spy films of the era. Plus, it's a Christmas themed issue, people! That's like printed gold.

    Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.