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Showing posts with label A Classic TV Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Classic TV Christmas. Show all posts
Well folks, we made it. Christmas is here! For today, my final Advent gift is a selection of my 5 favorite Saturday Night Live holiday themed skits of all-time! I hope you will enjoy. Merry Christmas! #5 Michael Buble Christmas Duets
#4 John Malkovich's T'was the Night Before Christmas
#3 Christmas in Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood
#2 Scheddy Balls
and the #1 holiday SNL skit of all-time- Dick in a Box!
It's Christmas Eve! Time for some last minute travels in hopes of making it in time for Christmas. But what if you get snowed in at the airport? What do you do then? Do you scavenge the vending machines for a Christmas dinner made of potato chips and candy bars? Do you decorate that potted plant next to the ticket counter with old tickets and barf bags? Do you use the luggage return as your own personal bedding?
Well that's exactly what happened to the Tanners from Full House. In the December 16, 1988 episode titled Our Very First Christmas Episode, the family and co-worker Rebecca are flying East to visit various relatives. Middle child Stephanie is scared to death that Santa doesn't know where to find them and once it becomes evident that they all have to spend the night at the airport, everyone along with Stef are convinced that Christmas is ruined. Of course, they all manage to make it work and Santa performs a little miracle or two in order to make it the best Christmas ever!
Personally, this is like my fantasy Christmas Eve. I so very want to have to spend a night at the airport. It's like a weird dream of mine, I know. But I just love the whole idea and believe me, I think I would have some crazy fun! Plus, unlimited time to read! Man, it's a win-win! I really thought that this episode took place later than season 2 of the show. But it is a episode that takes place on Christmas Eve and I really like it. So, here's the episode, in yet another odd format and in 2 parts. Enjoy and until tomorrow, Merry Christmas!
Are you sick of the commercialization of Christmas? Have you ever wanted to take off your shirt and just wrestle? Are you sick and tired of people and want a chance to tell them off? Do you wish that there was a special day just for you? Then have I got the holiday episode you've been asking for!!! It's December 23rd! That means it's Festivus- the holiday for the rest of us.
To celebrate, we have to travel back to the Big Apple to learn of it's mystical, okay made-up, origins. From the hit television show Seinfeld, we first learn of Festivus from the December 18, 1997 episode titled The Strike. A lot of things happen in this episode. But it's the Festivus related stuff that has captured the attention of the nation. See, George's father hates Christmas. So, a long time back, he invented a holiday called Festivus. During this event, people must perform feats of strength (wrassle), air their grievances, and put up a bare aluminum pole (no trees here...)
When George makes up a phony charity so he can get out of giving holiday presents to his co-workers, his boss catches him in the lie. In order to not get fired, George has to take his boss to his parents house to witness the Festivus festivities. Friends Kramer, Elaine, and Jerry join along and it's complete insanity. Actually, I don't know which is crazier... this episode or the fact that it has caught on among fans and Christmas haters alike. A few years ago, the ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's created a Festivus flavor that was so freakin' amazing. I hope every year that it will return but alas, I think it was a one and done deal. And I keep telling my wife that one year I am gonig to put up a spotlight in front of the bare metal pole in our yard where out satellite dish once set and invite folks to air their grievances.
Well, as my Advent gift to you, I present to you 2 gifts. First is the classic Seinfeld episode (sorry about the odd format) that debuted the concept of Festivus. Then a little primer on how to accurately celebrate the day. Who knows, maybe it'll score you an extra day off from work. Enjoy and until next time- Mer- uh HAPPY FESTIVUS!
Today is another one of my very favorite Christmas episodes. I love it so much that I must watch it every year or it's just not Christmas without watching it. It's a favorite to not just me but my sister. A family tradition from November 13, 1992.I'm not going to spend time explaining it. I am just gonna sit back and let this classic speak for itself... Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Batman: The Animated Series' Christmas With the Joker... Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!
As we head into the 90s, we are going into orbit to celebrate holidays with those misfits on the Satellite of Love. Yes, it's a Mystery Science Theater 3000 Christmas! While there, we'll write odd essays on what Christmas means to me, sing a Patrick Swayze Christmas carol, and be forced to watch one of the worst holiday films of all-time: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
The 1964 film is a classic in of itself. You know the kind of film! It's so bad, it's not good- it's GREAT!
Martians want to help teach their children about Santa. So they perform an alien abduction at the North Pole sending Santa to Mars, forcing him to give gifts to all the good little Martian boys and girls! But of course, Santa isn't having any of this and teaches the Martians what it means to be on the naughty list!
Unfortunately, I can no longer share this December 1991 episode with you. I used to be able to watch it all the time for free. But now that the gang at Rifftrax has the rights to it, I can only share it if I pay $9.99 for it and even then, I am not even sure if legally I can air it here. What I can do is share a copy of the unadulterated 1964 movie. Enjoy- but don't blame me if this movie becomes an annual tradition in your home.
Before we leave the 80s, there's one more stop to make. I'm not sure what state it's in, but the city is called Springfield.
You can't talk about classic TV show Christmases without mentioning The SimpsonsChristmas Special. Also known as Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, sparked a renaissance in Christmas episodes. Until the airing of this December 17, 1989 show, a series having a Christmas episode wasn't such a big deal anymore. Having fallen a little out of favor, producers would forgo a Christmas themed episode with either crafting a clip show, which was a big cheat, or skip over the holiday knowing that the broadcasters would rather air yet another showing of Rudolph or Frosty. But this episode was such a massive hit, it convinced studios that setting viewers favorite characters in holiday adventures could be just as huge of a ratings draw as a holiday special.
This episode also launched an empire. Already a fan favorite part of FOX's The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons would debut on this Sunday night in 1989 at 8pm and remain there for over 28 years! While many argue that the show has long jumped the shark, it's very true that those first 8 or 9 seasons were the absolute best. But if not for this special first episode, none of it would have happened in the first place. Here's a very quick plot synopsis: Dad Homer just learned that his boss isn't giving out Christmas bonuses. That's a good thing as mom Marge always sets aside some cash for Christmas shopping. However, when son Bart gets a tattoo, Marge is forced to spend all of it getting the 'Moth' tat surgically removed. Rather than tell Marge the truth, Homer gets a part-time job as a mall Santa. But when he finally gets paid on Christmas Eve, it turns out that renting a Santa costume isn't cheap. With only $12 in his name, Homer and Bart head to the race track to bet it all on a dog race. Though the dog comes in dead last, the Simpsons experience a Christmas miracle when the owner rejects the dog an it becomes the Simpsons' new family pet, Santa's Little Helper!
Unfortunately, I am unable to show you this episode. So for my Advent present for you, I present you with 2 great holiday clips starring the Simpsons. The first has the Simpson family posing for their annual Christmas card photo. The second is when the Simpsons did a Muppets parody with guest star Katy Perry. Both are quite funny. So, enjoy and until next time, Merry Christmas!
If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you would know that I am a big comic book collector. While I am a devotee to superhero books, one of my all-time favorite line of comics are the old EC Comics from the 1950s. These books were filled with sensational and quite controversial material that lead to a series of Senate hearings and eventually a comic book code of ethics being enforced. Despite their ages, EC Comics aren't hard to find as they are highly sought out by collectors. However, they are not cheap. Just this year, I was able to finally join the Original Issue Club when I purchased a copy of Shock SuspenStories #18. The title isn't one of EC's most well known titles, but I didn't care. I just wanted a copy of something EC to call my own.
Titles you, the average person not familiar with comics, might recognize are ones like WeirdScience, The Vault of Horror (my all-time favorite), and Tales From the Crypt. Oh, you remember that show from HBO and layer aired in syndication on Sci-Fi Channel? Well before it was a TV show, Tales was a comic book. The episode for today is called And All Through The House. Directed by Back to the Future's Robert Zemeckis, this episode, while a Christmas one, didn't air during the holidays. Instead, it was broadcast during a balmy evening in June, 1989.
The episode is based on a story of the same name from The Vault of Horror #35. In both the TV show and comic (as well as 1970s movie starring Joan Collins), a woman kills her husband on Christmas Eve. Desperately trying to remove the body, she is stymied by her young daughter who just can't go to sleep because of the excitement of Santa coming.
As the woman goes to work on disposing of hubby, the radio makes an announcement that a patient from a local mental hospital has escaped. He's wearing a Santa suit and brandishing an axe. Already having killed several people, he's considered armed and very dangerous. By the end of this classic thriller, the woman discovers that her daughter let Santa in and for some reason, he's carrying a bloody axe with him... Well as luck would have it, for today's Advent, I present to you the complete 1989 episode, minus the opening credits and Crypt Keeper intro, for your enjoyment. Be advised, this is not for kids! But if you are old enough to enjoy a cup of holiday fear, then by all means ENJOY! And until next time- Scary Christmas!
Yesterday was a tribute to one of my mom's favorite Christmas episodes. Well, today I am covering one of my very favorites. It comes from the short lived anthology TV series Amazing Stories. Produced and sometimes directed by Stephen Spielberg, I wouldn't miss a single episode from it's two year run (1985-1987.) This show had everything. Action, Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Horror, Humor. It was a return to magical television every Sunday night.
Santa '85 has the real Santa in trouble with the law. Those new fangled hi-tech burglar alarms have gotten Kris Kringle locked up. Claiming he's the real Santa won't do him any good as there's several other guys dressed as Santa in the clink for breaking the law while dressed as the Jolly Elf. Thankfully, there's somebody who believes he's the real deal. The little boy from whom his parents press charges against Santa, devises a way to help bust St. Nick out of jail. It's home free back to the North Pole. But not before a cross-town caper full of laughs and other crazy slapstick.
Another fun fact: the actor who plays Santa, Douglas Seale, would go on to play the role again in the feature film Ernest Saves Christmas. I guess he sleighed the role (Ha! I kill me...) So for today's Advent gift to all of you, I present this December 24, 1985 classic. I hope you will love it as much as I. Sorry again about the formatting. But it's better that nothing. Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!
Today's a very quick post. I'm still in NYC for a mini vacation and time is of the essence. The episode I choose is actually my mother's favorite Christmas episode. It's from the NBC detective series Riptide. It only lasted 3 seasons, but my mom was in love with Joe Penny who played Nick. Home For Christmas is the name of the classic TV episode. In it, Nick takes a case involving the father of a fallen solider. When the wrong body is delivered for burial. Nick and his detective partners Murray and Cody investigate and find that the fallen solider's death was part of a cover-up. The mystery reveals that the solider along with another died during a clandestine mission that was classified. However, without learning who the other soldier was, the detectives cannot recover the correct body. But when Nick finds another member of the mission in hiding, he's able to get the Army to reveal all of the details and allow for a proper burial. The final scene has the father accepting his son's flag in a snowy field while John Lennon's HappyXmas/War Is Over plays. Every time my mother would watch that scene, she would cry and cry and cry. Fun fact: the father was played by veteran actor James Whitmore. There's a bit of nepotism here as the director of this episode is James Whitmore Jr. So, as my Advent present for you today, I present to you that very same episode from December 17,1985. I am sorry that the format is a little wonky. But with the copyright, it's the best I could do. Enjoy and until tomorrow- Merry Christmas!
As you are reading this, I really am in New York City. I'm on a mini-vacation before the bulk of Christmas family visiting.
It's seems I forgot to pay the meter, so I have to go to the court house and pay off a fine. New York being such a busy city, they have court at all hours of the day. I'm supposed to be seeing a Judge Harold T. Stone in the Criminal Court Part 2. Yes, you guessed it- since I am in the Big Apple, I'm talking everyone to Night Court. This very goofy show debuted in 1984 and ran for an impressive 9 seasons. Even more impressive is considering how silly the show was, it won 7 Emmy awards!
The show had several Christmas episodes. One of my favorite's is when everybody gets snowed it due to a blizzard. But since I have talked some much about snow for a while, I am going to focus on the January 11, 1984 episode from the first season. Santa Goes Downtown actually is a Christmas episode. But it aired after Christmas. That's because Night Court was a mid-season replacement series. NBC was afraid to air a couple of episodes and then have fans lose interest when it went on holiday hiatus until the new year. Thus the show's very first Christmas episode was aired just in time for MLK Day! The episode features a very young- not quite a household name- Michael J. Fox. His TV series Family Ties had been running for just about a year when he filmed his role on Night Court as a teen runaway. But by 1985 and the release of the comedy sci-fi film Back to the Future, Fox would become one of the biggest stars around!
So back to Night Court. As I mentioned Fox plays a runaway, who along with his girlfriend get caught panhandling. With it being almost Christmas, Judge Stone (played by Harry Anderson) hopes to reunite the kids with their parents and holds them until they cant determine who the kids really are as neither are talking. As court continues, a man dressed as Santa is brought up on charges of trespassing. However, when he declares himself to be the real Santa. He too is held over until he can be evaluated by a psychologist. But he seems to know a lot about what all of the court officers got for Christmas when they were younger. Santa tries to make friends with teens. But the boy openly yells and mocks him. So Judge Stone makes the boy apologize. At this time a file has come in on the missing kids and Santa fools the kids into revealing their true names. At one point, Santa is picked up by the folks at the local mental hospital and the kids are reconciled with their families. But it is revealed that the kids in the file are different from the ones that just meet back with their folks. So was that Santa the real deal? And is that jingle bells in the distance??? I'm pretty sure I did not do that episode justice. But that's okay. As my Advent gift for you today, I have the episode in it's entry
for you to watch. Sorry that the frames are so small. But it will have to do. Oh, they're calling my case. Gotta run. Enjoy and until next time, Merry Christmas!
SORRY-BUT DUE TO COPYRIGHT, THE VIDEO HAS BEEN REMOVED.
Even though I am a huge fan of everything Pittsburgh, I'm taking us on a road trip to a rival city. Next stop, Ohio. The city is Cincinnati. I heard that they've got a rockin' radio station on the AM side. So let's turn the dial to WKRP in Cincinnati and see how those loony DJs from the Queen City celebrate the holidays.
Bah, Humbug- aired December 20, 1980 It's Christmas Eve at the station, time for the annual office holiday party. It seems like a fun time will be had by all until everyone has learned that station head Mr. Carlson, played by Gordon Jump, has forgone with Christmas bonuses! That quickly puts everyone in a bad mood and the party breaks up fast. Mr. Carson is the only one left and he decides to partake of some of the Christmas goodies leftover. The one thing in particular that he grabs is a brownie. As in morning DJ Dr. Johnny Fever's (Howard Hesseman) magic brownies. (They're laced with pot, okay???)
Anyways, the brownies put Carson to sleep where he ends up being visited by, you guessed it, the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The spirits in form of various cast members from the show, take him to his days as a young lad at the station when his dad ran it. Then he learns of how times are tough for his current staff. And then he learns of the horrors of automation in the future of radio before the Big Guy wakes up and has a change of heart giving out bonuses to his much deserving staff.
What I really like about this story is how it shows some of the characters when they were younger, albeit by different actors. Plus, it shows what could happen to the station in the future. True, this isn't as glorious a holiday episode as when WKRP dropped live turkeys on the people of the Pineville Shopping Center. But that was a Thanksgiving episode. Anyways, my Advent gift for your today is this very episode.
Well, that's all the time I have for today. Enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!
We're back in the 70s where we belong. Enough time travel for a while... I had mentioned a few days ago how the Gift of the Magi by O. Henry is my favorite Christmas story. We looked at a variation of that story when we visited the Honeymooners in New York. Well, I want to head back to the Big Apple to visit another couple who are having difficulties over purchasing gifts for the weekend. I have the address somewhere.... Oh, here it is- 123 Sesame Street.
In the holiday episode of the titular children's series Sesame Street from December 6, 1978 titled Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, a ton of things are happening. Oscar is getting into trouble telling a little girl and Big Bird that Santa isn't coming this year. Jose Feliciano is singing Felix Navidad. And Cookie Monster has eaten all of the Christmas cookies left out for Santa!
But the storyline I am most interested about involves those unlikely best friends and roommates, Bert and Ernie. Bert wants to get Ernie a dish for his rubber duckie to rest in when it's not bath time. Ernie wants to surprise Bert with box for his paperclip collection. Being short on funds, Bert trades his collection to Mr. Hooper. Ernie also is low on cash and trades his rubber duckie to local shop keep Hooper. Eventually, the buddies open their presents and they try really hard to not reveal that they gave their possessions away. Thankfully, it's Mr. Hooper to the rescue as he's come with presents- Ernie's rubber duckie and Bert's paperclips!
This award winning episode not only was eventually put on VHS and DVD, parts of it was also made into a record album. I remember as a very young kid listening to that album over and over. We could not decorate our Christmas tree for several years without this record playing. My favorite part was the Bert and Ernie adventure. One cool thing about the record was that if you opened it up, there was a comic book inside of several of the songs and stories. I loved pouring over the images as the record spun on my Smurfs record player...
AS luck would have it, I actually found a video of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. AS today's Advent gift, I am sharing it with you. I hope you and your family will treasure it as I have for almost 40 years. Enjoy and until tomorrow- Merry Christmas!
After a brief jump to the future, I am going back to the 70s AND the 50s to check out another classic TV series that had some dynamic Christmas episodes over the years. The show in question today is M*A*S*H*! (For the rest of this post I will just refer to it as MASH.)
MASH ran for 11 seasons, from 1972 to 1983. The sitcom based on an Army surgical hospital set during the Korean War ran for 3 times longer than the war lasted. With a number of great holiday themed episodes, it's really hard to choose a favorite. So, since the war lasted for 3 years, I am going to highlight 3 episodes, one for each Christmas away troops like my grandfather had to spend away from family and friends.
Dear Dad- Aired December 17, 1972
It's almost Christmas and Hawkeye is writing to his father about how the whole outfit is trying to make it through the season away from home. Father Mulcahy helps a standard issue dressed Klinger cool off after a spat with Major Burns. Col. Blake tries to give a lecture on sex to the enlisted men and fails miserably. But the part that stands out the most to me is when a wounded solider is in need of field surgery and Hawkeye takes a chopper dressed as Santa to answer the call.
Dear Sis- Aired December 18, 1978
Once again it is Christmas at the 4077th. Father Mulcahy is writing his sister the sister about how he feels unappreciated around the MASH because he's just a priest and not a doctor. But throughout the whole episode, it's revealed that Mulcahy is the soul of the camp as he helps Major Winchester get over his homesickness by gifting him a present from home. Well, the good Father does punch a solider, but the GI man did hit the head nurse first! The episode ends with the camp singing a Christmas carol in Latin to Mulcahy right before an ambulance arrives with wounded. The frozen end scene of the doctors rushing out in the snow to no soundtrack or laughter is eerily poignant.
Twas The Day After Christmas- Aired December 21, 1981
This very well may be my favorite of the holiday episodes. On Christmas night, the camp is having their normal holiday party. The guests of honor are a pair of British officers who have gifted the 4077th with some much needed fuel for the generators until delivery service begins again on the 26th. Here, Klinger learns that the British troops do a thing every year called Boxing Day where officers and enlisted men trade roles on the day after Christmas. So Colonel Potter agrees to do it as long as there are no medical emergencies. It's a great role reversal episode and plus it has my favorite thing- SNOW!
So there you have a look at some of the holiday escapades of the doctors of the 4077th MASH. For my Advent present today, I am showing you a full-length Christmas episode of the MASH spin-off After MASH. The show isn't really held in high regards so if you want to consider this a lump of coal in your stocking, I completely understand. ENJOY if you can and until next time- Merry Christmas!
Over the course of this year's Advent, I've been going in relative order from the early days of television through the 60s and now the 70s. But I have to jump ahead to the early 2000s. But there's a very good reason why. Tonight marks the first day of the festival of lights. Hanukkah, 2017 and you know what that means...that's right it's time for the Holiday Armadillo!
For tonight only, we jump ahead to December 14, 2000 and our show is Friends. In The One With the Holiday Armadillo, Jewish Ross is getting his son Ben for the holidays and wants to introduce him to Hanukkah. But Ben is so set on Santa coming. Desperate to make his son happy, Ross scrambles to find a Santa suit. Unfortunately, it's the day before Christmas Eve and all of the costume shops are out of red suits. So, Ross rents the next best thing- a giant armadillo costume! Bearing gifts, Ross announces himself as the Holiday Armadillo; Santa's Jewish representative to all of the mid-western states... AND Mexico!!! The Holiday Armadillo is about to tell Ben the story of the first Hanukkah when his brother-in-law Chandler comes bursting in as Santa.
After convincing Chandler, that he needs to leave, Ben gets upset and demands that Santa stay and the Armadillo leave. Defeated, Ross starts to go when next door neighbor Joey bursts in dressed as Superman! Thankfully after the initial chaos, things calm down and Ross is able to finally tell the story of the Maccabees and light the Hanukkah menorah with his son. This episode is a favorite in my mixed Jewish-Christian home. There's been several times I've quoted Ross' speech about the first Hanukkah, even going so far as to use the Holiday Armadillo's voice. Since it's the best part of the episode, and because I'm only allowed to provide a clip of this highly copyrighted show, my Advent present for today is the complete sequence with the Armadillo, Santa, and the Man of Steel. Enjoy- and until tomorrow, Mer--- uh, Happy Hanukkah!
I'm playing hard and loose with the time line today. While I am now progressing into classic TV Christmas episodes of the 1970s, I am also going back in time to the 1950s. If you've guessed that happy days are here again, then pat yourself on the back. We are going to spend the holidays with the Cunninghams of Milwaukee for a Happy Days Christmas. Happy Days was an extremely popular TV show on ABC. It was set in the 1950s and focus on the life of Richie Cunningham and his family. Well, that is until a certain greaser named the Fonz became the de facto star of the show.
The series ran for 11 seasons from 1974-1984 and had several holiday episodes. But my favorite was from Happy Days' eighth season. Titled White Christmas, the episode aired on December 19, 1980. It's Christmas Eve and a major blizzard has crippled Milwaukee. Mr. Cunningham and his daughter Joanie are stranded at Cunningham hardware. Mrs. Cunningham and Richie's pregnant wife Mary Beth are at home where the power has gone out and one of the upstairs windows has broken mysteriously (don't worry, it was just a bird...) Meanwhile Fonzie and some of the gang are stuck at Arnold's Drive-In thanks to Potsie screwing up and getting everybody snowed in thanks to a snow plow.
It looks like everybody is going to be spending Christmas away from each other. But thanks to a Christmas miracle of either the snow clean-up crew of Milwaukee being able to plow through 2-feet of snow or a stroke of coincidental genius by the writers, everyone is able to make it home in time for Christmas. Well, except for Richie who can't fly in because of the blizzard. (Although in reality, actor Ron Howard had left the show prior in order to become a big time door-to-door shoe salesman or something, forever forsaking Hollywood and it's wantonous beckoning call. On paper, this isn't really be one of my favorite episodes. In terms of a Christmas episode it's rather sad. Mr. Cunningham laments how soon Joanie will moving away for college. Mrs. Cunningham and Richie's wife are all sad that Richie got delayed. The only funny things are the scenes at Arnold's with Potsie getting on Fonzie's nerves. But what I love so very much about this episode is the snow! I am a winter weather junky. I am a Northerner born in a Southern state. As I write this post, it's snowing in North Carolina and it's not officially winter yet! And I could not be more thrilled. I just love getting snowed-in and this episode is all about being snowed-in! Since this post is all about snow and my love for it, I am forgoing a clip of the episode and instead giving to you for Advent a video of holiday tunes set to falling snow. It is 3 hours long, so if you don't sit through the whole thing, it will not hurt my feelings. So enjoy and until next time- Merry Christmas!
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!
