100 Inches

The post title refers to the amount of snow that has fallen in the past month in Boston, but if/when Ryan checks our blog, "100 inches" might make him giggle.  (Reader, please note that I am holding my thumb and index finger approximately two inches apart in our family's trademark "six inches" gesture.  We are a classy, classy group.)

Nobody likes a whiner, so it is for the best that I haven't posted since blizzards started pelting Boston with snow and the entire city fell apart.  This article captures the Armageddon-like atmosphere here over much of the past month.  The good news is that each day is a step closer to spring, a season that I will treasure in 2015.  (Okay, I will probably will not officially start "treasuring" spring until the threat of flooding passes and the mucky mud season wraps up.)

Last night, one of my all-time favorite shows ended.  "Parks and Recreation" was a funny and sweet sitcom with delightful characters.  I was sad to see "Parks and Rec" end, but I have decided to take the opportunity to tie a photo of one of the world's most celebrated carnivores, Ron Swanson, to an announcement.  Like "Parks and Recreation," my three-year stint as a vegetarian is coming to an end. 

Mad Men = ehhhhhhhhhh

Started watching the TV show, 'Mad Men' this week.  I'm 7 episodes into Season 1 and I still can't get over the amount of smoking, drinking, drinking and driving, etc in the show.  I've been Googling how realistic this show is for the 60s and a lot of folks say they downplayed it a bit.

Right now I would give the show 6 out of 10, but I am going to finish Season 1 and see if it moves up to an 8, which would make me continue on to Season 2.

Entourage

The new Entourage movie trailer is out and it reminds me how much of my life post college was dedicated to this show.  I've seen every episode from Seasons 1 through 5 at least 3 times each.  Great show that died out a bit on the last 2 seasons.  Hopefully they can start fresh with this movie.  Click on the link below to check it out.

Official Entourage Movie Trailer

Can't wait to catch this movie in 2015!

Death Comes to PBS

Today I came across an article about the "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" episode of Sesame Street.  The start of the article mentions that the actor who portrayed Mr. Hooper, Will Lee, passed away on December 7, 1982.  I have a clear memory of watching that episode at my grandparents' house and being upset by it.  I was surprised that I could remember an episode that aired before I was three years old.  Then I read that the episode aired on Thanksgiving day 1983, making me a little over three years old.  (The holiday airing also explains why I remember watching the episode at my grandparents' house with my cousin David.)  The comment section for the article includes memories by many people around my age who vividly remember watching "Farewell, Mr. Hooper."  It is kind of amazing how many people were affected by the episode.

The article reminded me the "Butterflies" episode of Today's Special, another children's show that aired on PBS in the '80s.  Today's Special took place in a department store and the cast included two humans and two puppets.  The elderly night watchman, Sam Crenshaw, was the reason I refused to be called "Sam" during elementary school; I was convinced Sam was a "boys' name."  The plot of "Butterflies" is outlined on this page.  Muffy the mouse befriends a monarch butterfly named Hazel.  I went into a full meltdown when Hazel died near the end of the episode.  I still feel queasy when I think about the song Muffy sang at Hazel's funeral.  "Butterflies" aired in 1984, so not long after "Farewell, Mr. Hooper."  I wish I could state that after three decades I am better equipped to handle death (at the very least on TV), but if I were to rewatch these episodes today, I would be a mess.  It is probably a good thing that I can't find a clip of Muffy singing "We Love You Hazel," as I would be openly weeping in my office if I were to hear it.

The Second Biggest Vacation Shock

Nothing can top the surprise of learning that an aquatic python was sharing our rental property last week, but the runner up for shocking vacation revelation was discovering that my dad believed Damon Wayans of "In Living Color" and his son Damon Wayans, Jr. of "Happy Endings" and "New Girl" were THE SAME PERSON.

Granted, they have the same name and look remarkably similar, but there is a 22-year age difference between father and son.  When I asked Dad if he thought Damon Wayans had Benjamin Button Syndrome, he explained that he had recently seen Keenan Ivory Wayans on TV and he had aged really well, so Dad assumed Keenan's brother Damon had as well.  My father watched the past season of "New Girl" believing Homey the Clown had joined the cast.  Hilarious. 

Six degrees of separation alert:  My brother and sometimes co-blogger's friend is engaged to the cousin of a "Happy Endings" cast member.  So, me--> Ryan--> Ryan's friend--> friend's fiancee--> fiancee's cousin--> Damon Wayans, Jr.  Boom! 

And because there is no other way to conclude a post that mentions Damon Wayans, here are a few of his greatest "Men on Film" costumes for you to enjoy.

Thank You For Being a Friend

This summer I am watching A LOT of "Golden Girls" reruns.  Although I would prefer fewer insults among these Miami ladies, I find the show both funny and comforting.  Binging on "The Golden Girls" has highlighted the similarities between the four friends featured on that show and the ladies from "Sex and the City."

Here are the character break-downs, as I see them. I am certainly not the first person to suggest that the ladies from "Sex and the City" owe a debt to their "Golden" predecessors, but I may be the first to work "The Wizard of Oz" into the discussion.

Dorothy Zbornak & Carrie Bradshaw: The Dorothy

The central "girl" of each group.  Dorothy is an English teacher and Carrie is a writer.  Both are witty and sarcastic.  Dorothy put up with her ex-husband Stan's garbage for over thirty years, while Carrie continues to put up with Big's nonsense through the series and movies.  Perhaps most importantly, Dorothy and Carrie are the glue in their respective friend groups.

Sophia Petrillo & Miranda Hobbes: The Brains

This is the most strained comparison, in my opinion.  Nevertheless, Sophia and Miranda both tell it like it is and are good at dispensing advice.  Miranda, a lawyer, tends to be very rational, while Sophia, an elderly Italian immigrant, favors embellished stories from her youth in Sicily.  "Picture it. . . ."

Rose Nylund & Charlotte York: The Heart

The sunny, naive friend.  Rose is a grief counselor and Charlotte is an art dealer.  While Rose is portrayed as not very bright, this isn't the case for Charlotte.  However, both are sweet and optimistic.

Blanche Devereaux & Samantha Jones: The Nerve

The friend with an insatiable appetite for men.*  Blanche works at a museum and Samantha works in public relations, but their identities are totally wrapped up in their sexual conquests.  These two women are bold and they would not hesitate to add that they are fabulous.


*Note: I am not suggesting that the Cowardly Lion was into dudes.  The king of the forest may have been gay, but if I had to guess, I would say that the Tin Man was the "Friend of Dorothy" in that group.  (The Tin Man is also my favorite.)

Know It?

Last night Ryan threw a surprise pizza party for two at my place.  He showed up at my bus stop and then drove us both back to my place, where food was promptly delivered.  We turned the TV on while we were eating and an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" popped onto the screen.  Each of us made half-hearted remarks like, "Feel free to change it," and then we settled into watching, criticizing, and enjoying the show. 

We spent a few minutes Googling before-and-after photos of various Kardashian/Jenner family members.  Their plastic surgery bills must rival those of the Jackson family.  They are wealthy enough to swim through their money like Scrooge McDuck though, so who am I to question their choices?  (And with the ludicrous storylines developed for that show, how have they not filmed Lord Disick backstroking through a pool of gold doubloons yet?)

We also called our Dad last night while we were together.  Ryan bestowed the nickname "Little Grampy" upon himself and proceeded to make comments he thought Grampy would have made in his prime, announcing "Little Grampy" after each one.  Anyone who knows our grandfather can assume that these were colorful remarks.  Grampy has always gotten a lot of mileage out of his own material and it turns out his namesake does as well.

Grampy & Little Grampy

Back In Business

One of my first lessons of 2013 is that, for me, blogging is like exercising.  If I get into a good routine, I'll do it on a daily basis.  Once that routine is disrupted, however, I'm toast.  Just like the exercise bicycle in my bedroom that has been serving as clothing storage, this blog has not been living up to its potential.  I took a little break for the holidays and then I took a longer break for the post-holiday depression that kicks in every January.  As days passed and The Boss ragged on me for not adding any new content to the blog, I started to feel pressure to post something a little more substantial than a photograph and a sentence upon returning.  Although inspiration hasn't really hit, I'm going to press the "publish" button this afternoon regardless of how lame this post is.  There has to be a first day back on the bike even if I pass out after ten minutes.

I am nearly half way through A Dance with Dragons, the fifth book in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series.  I feel like I've been making my way through these books for a decade.  I took a tiny pause in early December as I waited for book five to arrive at my house.  During those few days I reread Charlotte's Web.  What a delight.  Not only do I love that book, but it was also very portable.  My current hardcover is bulky and heavy and I am sick of lugging it around.  Now that I have roped my grandmother, father, and two uncles into this series, I should probably zip it and pretend that books four and five haven't been disappointing.  I am hoping that book six will be a return to form.  The Dude bought me a bunch of (paperback, perfect for commuting) books for Christmas and as soon as I finish A Dance with Dragons, I can't wait to start plowing through that stack.

Downton Abbey, Cougar Town, and Girls are back on TV, and Community starts back up shortly.  I may have to adjust my work schedule to part time in order to keep up with all of this programming.  On Downtown Abbey, Poor Lady Edith just can't catch a break.  I did appreciate learning from her that "Spinsters get up for breakfast."  That explains why my cats have not been bringing me breakfast in bed.  Mystery solved.

I watched Pitch Perfect with The Dude last week.  The non-musical content of the movie was not great, but I really liked the songs.  (Anna Kendrick's Beca was a giant B.  And based on her name, either she or her parents are dopes.  I strongly dislike creatively spelled names.)  The riff off was fun and I wish they had included more than two categories before ending it.  With the number of songs featured in just six minutes of the movie, I am sure they had to reign things in so they weren't paying royalties for 50 different songs.  The main guy in this movie loves The Breakfast Club, so that won serious fondness points with me.  I watched that movie SO HARD when I was a teenager.  I don't think I have watched it since graduating from college over ten years ago, so just seeing little snippets of it during Pitch Perfect put a smile on my face.  It didn't hurt that of the many songs featured in this movie, they made sure to include a song from The Jacksons too.  Nice!

Gossip Girl Out

One of The Dude's and my old favorites comes to an end tonight.  The quality of Gossip Girl episodes dropped off in the last couple of seasons and The Dude stopped watching, but there was a time when Chuck Bass's quips were a great source of amusement in our apartment.  Then a few weeks ago The Dude tuned into an episode just in time to catch this exchange (starting at about 1:30):

"She's a keeper, Nate."  Ed Westwick's delivery is priceless.

There are two things I shall miss about this show.  The first is Chuck Bass:

And the second is Blair Waldorf's usually stunning wardrobe, which has its own Facebook page.  Here are ten of my favorites:

And one final shot to illustrate our enjoyment of this show a few years ago.  A Christmas present from The Dude to me, labeled, "XOXO, Gossip Girl."

Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical

The nominees for Golden Globes were announced yesterday. Here are their selections for Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical:

The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

I have never seen Episodes or Smash, so I can't comment on their quality, but I do watch a lot of comedies.  Although I can crank through each episode in about 22 minutes, I am still surprised by the number of comedies that I have series recordings for on my DVR.    (Make that "HAD series recordings for on my DVR" as Comcast erased my DVR on 12/12/12.  The Dude was also hosed by Comcast on the 12th.)

There are the new comedies that I am still auditioning:  Ben and Kate and The Mindy Project.  I had no expectations for Ben and Kate and have been pleasantly surprised by that program.  On the other hand, I had high expectations for The Mindy Project because I think Mindy Kaling is hilarious and brilliant.  That show is still finding its footing, but I have confidence in Kaling sorting it out.  The Office and Parks and Recreation both had rough starts and ended up being the funniest shows on TV by their second seasons.

There are the shows that are wrapping up this year:  30 Rock and The Office.  30 Rock is still capable of making me laugh like crazy.  I thought Liz Lemon's wedding a couple of weeks ago was hysterical.  (It doesn't hurt that Tina Fey's television husband is played by James Marsden.  I had a ginormous crush on him in my teens.  I taped two photos of him ripped from teen magazines inside a linen closet in my childhood bedroom.  Photos inside a closet seemed a bit more discreet than the large Kathy Ireland poster The Dude had on his bedroom wall.)  Anyhow, any episode where Tina Fey declares, "Liz Lemon is getting married in a sweatshirt, no bra!" has my seal of approval.  And the return of Dennis "Dummy" Duffy always slays me.  The Office is pretty awful, but I am sticking with this former favorite until it ends this spring.  (Also pretty awful:  Up All Night.  I want so badly to love Will Arnett/Gob Bluth's latest show, but it just isn't working.)

There are the shows currently on hiatus:  Community and Girls.  The fans of Community are very passionate about that show.  I am often impressed by the crafting of complicated story lines (such as the multiple time line episode) and I enjoy the frequent and somewhat random pop culture references in each episode, but I don't love this show.  It seems a little cold to me.  Girls is another show that I like but don't love-- and when it started out, I didn't even like it.  As the first season progressed, I warmed up a bit to the characters on Girls.  I may end up liking it even better during the second season.  I think I prefer my comedies to be a little less prickly.  With the exception of the Bluth Family from Arrested Development, mean or selfish characters tend to turn me off a comedy.  And that is why Happy Endings juuuuust missed my top five comedies.  It is very funny and I like it a lot, but the characters are a bit too mean to each other for my taste.

My list only has one show that overlaps with the Golden Globe nominees.  Here are my top five TV series, comedy or musical:

The Big Bang Theory

The Middle

Modern Family

New Girl

Parks and Recreation

5.  The Big Bang Theory is in my number five slot.  It has been uneven this year.  The Wolowitz in space story line was a dud and went on for too long, but the scene that I wrote about earlier this year in which Sheldon and Leonard discussed their problems with the aid of a chess timer was classic.  Plus this is one of my parents' favorite shows and as the little mice in An American Tail know that they might be wishing on the same bright star, I know that my parents and I might be laughing at the same geek silliness on Thursday nights.

4.  The Middle snuck up on me.  I had no interest in watching this show because I thought Patricia Heaton was a shrew on Everybody Loves Raymond.  But then my dad kept telling me that I was Sue Heck from The Middle so I had to check it out.  Knowing my dad, I had no doubt that the Sue comparison was not going to be flattering.  Sue is a genuine weirdo, though I contend that her hyper enthusiasm is the exact opposite of my Eeyore gloom during high school.  Then this year there was an episode in which Sue was afraid to drive.  I watched it knowing that my dad's theory was being validated before my eyes.  Sue aside, I really enjoy this show.  Patricia Heaton doesn't bother me as the mother, the janitor from Scrubs is great as the father, and all three kids are strange yet realistic.  This is one of the few shows on TV that addresses financial struggles.  The Hecks discuss money, or the lack thereof, frequently, and live in a house that looks like a real working class home.  When you compare the sets from The Middle to those from Modern Family, there is a stark contrast.  I fought this show for a few years.  I refused to watch and then watched intermittently expecting to be annoyed.  Now it is a favorite.

3.  Modern Family gets a lot of attention from critics and viewers alike.  The writing and the acting on this show are great.  The entire cast, adults and children, are really talented.  (Okay, they seem to have faltered when it came to replacing Lily, but one can only be so critical of a kindergartner.)  I never thought I would be a fan of the former Al Bundy, but Ed O'Neill won me over on this show.  Ty Burrell's Phil Dunphy is my favorite character and I especially like his relationship with his son Luke.  I can't think of many representations of such a joyful parent/child relationship as the one depicted between Phil and Luke. 

2.  New Girl had me at Zooey Deschanel.  I know a lot of people find her to be a bit much, but I like her.  So I came for the Zooey but stayed for the roommates.  Schmidt is the breakout character but I think Nick is also very funny and when Winston has material to work with, he's great too.  When watching this week's episode I laughed the loudest I have at a show in a while when Schmidt jumped in to show Nick how to give a proper lap dance.  I appreciate the support between the four roommates on this show and even though I am the least fashionable person ever, I also enjoy checking out Deschanel's/Jess Day's killer wardrobe.  I was seriously coveting her aqua coat this week.  (Although this show does occasionally mention money issues, I have to wonder how an unemployed school teacher ended up with a $700 Kate Spade coat.  Did I mention that the characters on The Middle dress like they are actually on a tight budget?)  For reasons I can not comprehend, The Dude refuses to watch this show.  Need I mention that I recommended Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Arrested Development to him?  Or that I am the one who told him to crank through The Wire and Breaking Bad on DVD?  When have I steered this guy wrong?  What gives?

1.  Parks and Recreation is crazy hilarious.  Anyone who reads this blog and doesn't watch Parks and Rec needs to catch up on old episodes ASAP.  You'll thank me later.  As I mentioned earlier, Parks and Rec had a bumpy first season.  Like The Office, its first season was maybe six episodes and they needed to calibrate the lead performance to make the show work.  Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope very quickly evolved from a socially tone deaf government employee to an extremely competent, passionate, and sunny citizen of Pawnee, Indiana who loves her job, her town, and her friends.  Her friends/coworkers are across the board delightful.  Her boss Ron Swanson is one of the most original and entertaining characters on television.  The Leslie/Ron friendship is similar to the Liz/Jack friendship on 30 Rock-- a solid and funny relationship void of  any will they/won't they business.  I also really enjoy Chris Pratt, formerly Bright on Everwood, as the happy simpleton Andy.  And while I am singling out cast members, I have to mention that Ben Schwartz's guest appearances as Jean-Ralphio Sapperstein KILL ME.  I could go on and on because the show has populated Pawnee with dozens of strange, silly, and most of all funny characters.  Since I've come clean about my preference for comedies with a heart, it is no surprise that this show tops my list.  Leslie would do absolutely anything for the people she cares about and her over-the-top efforts inspire great loyalty and affection from her friends. 

And now I'm thinking that maybe I should swap Happy Endings in for The Big Bang Theory at number five.  I'm tempted but that would require more typing and I can't possibly delete my An American Tail reference.  Time to hit "Publish" and call it good.

Homeland

If you don't watch Homeland, I recommend you start.  Right now the show is in the second season and you can catch Season 1 and Season 2 on Showtime.  If you don't get Showtime, you can pick up Season 1 on Netflix right now.  Amazing show.

This and That

1) It is always such a drag to set the clocks back as Daylight Saving Time ends.  I would much rather have dark mornings and a sliver of sunlight when I exit my office for the day.  Sunset at 4:30pm is shocking every fall.  In addition, my cats don't care about the time adjustment and are extra annoying at this time of year.

2) I watched two movies this weekend.  Like Crazy was awful.  The characters were unsympathetic and the plot moved along at the speed of a glacier.  I think it was aiming to be Before Sunrise for a new generation, but it missed the mark.  I love Before Sunrise, and the sequel Before Sunset, but I gave Like Crazy two out of five stars.  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel may have benefited from following such a dud.  It featured a bunch of likable British actors playing (mostly) likable British folks who move to India for their retirement years.  I think the quality of the cast elevated the material, but it was a nice breezy movie.  Four out of five stars.

3) A few of my favorite TV shows had stellar episodes last week.  The Jack/Liz debate on "30 Rock" included probably my favorite bit of dialog from the very quotable series.  When Liz referenced Scottie Pippen in her debate against Jack, I got super excited.  But Jack's response delighted me beyond reason:

"Miss Lemon, I know Scottie Pippen.  I own a Fuddruckers with Scottie Pippen, and you, sir, look like Scottie Pippen."

I also thought that "The Big Bang Theory" presented its strongest episode of the season.  The following discussion between Sheldon and Leonard was the highlight of the episode:

And finally, "Modern Family" was very funny this week too.  Big week for sitcoms, though it would have benefited from "Parks and Rec" airing a new episode.  That show rarely disappoints.

4) I didn't blog much last week in part because my parents were visiting.  A week ago we were riding out Sandy (which ended up being a bit of a non-event in Boston) together at my place.  Best wishes for a speedy recovery for my mum, who had surgery last week.

Increased appreciation of a show

Been watching a decent amount of episodes of a TV show that spanned a decade and defined a generation, 'Friends'.  The show started in September of 1994 when I was 12 years old and finished in May of 2004 when I was 22 years old.  I've seen every episode at least once and over the last 6 months or so I've been watching episodes at random on TBS during odd evening hours or afternoon weekend time slots.  I don't think I fully appreciated the humor and acting of the show and cast as much as I could have due to my age during the first few seasons.  There weren't many shows that let me down and didn't have at least a few laughs, despite some of the story lines being played out and the show going on for 10 seasons.  My original favorite character was Chandler, but after revisiting the show it is hands-down Ross.  Chandler was the obvious choice for the younger and immature me, but no question that Ross is the best actor on the show and the funniest character.

PIVOT!

I lost over 1/2 my blog and some of the videos on here mid-blogging, so I think I lost some steam.  I'll soldier through the rest as best as possible.

Leather pants

Trivia Episode

Texas Forever

Oh MAN.  Romney is using the "Friday Night Lights" catchphrase "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose" on the campaign trail.  That bums me out.  I have a magnet with that saying stuck to a file cabinet above my desk at work.  Am I unknowingly endorsing Romney?  My intention was to endorse Coach Taylor.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter

I was crazy excited when I saw Ben "Jean-Ralphio" Schwartz plus Will "Gob Bluth" Arnett in the photo below.  But after obsessively rereading the caption I can't tell if Schwartz is actually going to be part of the new "Arrested Development" episodes or if he was just visiting Arnett on set.  I'm really hoping for the former.  What an outstanding combination.

Announcement

I can't wait for the new season of "Arrested Development" to hit Netflix.

That is all.

Christmas Entertainment, Part II

And for all zero of you who have been waiting for the follow up to the Christmas movie post-- Voila, a post about televised Christmas specials.  Looking at the release dates, it is hard to believe that all six of the programs were created in a ten-year span.  What makes these extra special is that they were not just part of The Dude's and my childhood, but part of our parents' childhoods as well. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this special is that almost everyone in the North Pole is a giant d-bag.  Rudolph's parents are ashamed of his nose and try to disguise it.  When the other reindeer kids find out about Rudolph's difference, they mercilessly make fun of him.  And who leads them in the taunting?  The coach/teacher.  (Bonus-- my uncle does an excellent impression of Coach Comet.)  Even Santa is prejudiced against poor Rudolph and his shnoz.  And Santa's horrible bias against individuals who don't fit the mold isn't just directed at Rudolph.  He's banished a whole population of toys to an island where they sing about their loneliness and lack of purpose. (The Dude and I spent years trying to figure out what the problem was with the doll on the Island of Misfit Toys.  We decided she had mental issues.  What a strange topic of conversation for little kids at Christmas.)  There are a few good guys in this story though-- Rudolph's lady friend Clarice, Hermey the elf (who is himself persecuted for his interest in dentistry), and my favorite, Yukon Cornelius.  Every Christmas-celebrating American has watched the heck out of this special.  Even though the intolerance that runs through this program doesn't hold up very well, we know the words to every song and we know that Bumbles bounce.  My mum bought me a full set of Rudolph ornaments when I was in college and they really mean a lot to me.  Every year when I unpack them, I think of Christmas, childhood, and my mother-- three of my favorite things. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

For some reason, this show about an unpopular depressed kid with an over-sized head and a love for Christmas has always spoken to me.  When the spotlight shines down on Linus and he explains the true meaning of Christmas by reciting the nativity story from the Bible, this heathen is a Catholic again for 30 seconds.  It is a Christmas miracle.  As is the tradition, this Christmas special features a bunch of jerks being jerky to the protagonist.  Of course they come around in the end when they revive Charlie Brown's pitiful tree and sing him a Christmas carol.  Vince Guaraldi's music for A Charlie Brown Christmas is phenomenal and makes me so happy that I listen to it all year.  When you add in the visual of the Peanuts dancing to the music. . . perfection.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

As much as I love Dr. Seuss's story, Boris Karloff's narration, the catchy songs, and the cheery colors, I used to struggle with this special because I felt so bad for the Grinch's dog Max.  I don't know why I was so focused on him when I've already mentioned the shabby treatment that Rudolph and Charlie Brown received.  Okay, I do know-- every year when Max makes the treacherous run through the mountains to reach Whoville and then makes the trip in reverse hauling all of the Whos' loot-- I mean he clearly almost dies, right?  As an adult I have managed to quell my anxiety about Max's fate and just enjoy this wonderful special.  It is truly a favorite.  (I will not speak of the Jim Carrey Grinch abomination.  To me, that movie does not exist.)

Frosty the Snowman (1969)

In the early '80s, my mother recorded the audio of Frosty onto a cassette tape for me and The Dude to enjoy.  By the late '80s we had a VCR and she created the world's greatest VHS tape, featuring every Christmas special on this list, as well as A Garfield Christmas and Christmas episodes from TGIF programming.  (The "Perfect Strangers" episode stands out in my mind.)  So with all of the effort that she put into our holiday programming, it is no small wonder that I am obsessed to this day.  Anyhow, that audio recording of Frosty started it all, so even though it isn't one of my very favorite programs, it holds a special place in my heart.  The villain in this show is a magician named Professor Hinkle.  He's creepy as heck and he is essentially trying to kill Frosty by taking back his magic hat, but his delivery of "Messy messy messy" always makes me and The Dude laugh when we quote it.  After being chased around for half an hour, Professor Hinkle locks Frosty in a greenhouse where he melts/dies.  Santa finds Karen weeping over his puddle corpse.  Fortunately he magics Frosty back to life and the show doesn't conclude with a snowman funeral.  Happy holidays!

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)

This special was always The Dude's favorite.  Perhaps his love for this show secretly motivated him to turn into Kris Kringle.  It is narrated by a Fred Astair mailman puppet, so with our dad's job as a letter carrier, we had that added connection to the material.  It features the same stop-motion animation that was used in Rudolph, and adds in puppet choreography when the Winter Warlock and Santa dance to "One Foot In Front of the Other."  The Burgermeister is the bad guy in this special.  He busts into homes, steals children's toys, and makes them watch as he burns them.  Apparently the casual bullying of earlier specials just wasn't enough, so Rankin-Bass upped the ante.  One awesome thing about this special is that when Santa comes to town to bring the children new toys, he performs a song with the lyrics, "If you sit on my lap today, a kiss a toy is the price you'll pay."  I noticed a few years back that this song wasn't included on the soundtrack.  I wonder if the exclusion has anything to do with the fact that the song is a pedophile anthem.

And for The Dude, who has always loved this exchange and still giggles when he utilizes the Kringle brother voice.
Dingle: Wiggle my ears and tickle my toes, methinks I see a baby's nose! It's more than a nose. There's a whole baby attached to it. Better call my brothers! Wingle! Bingle! Tingle! Zingle!
Zingle : What is it, Dingle?
Wingle : It's a baby, Zingle.
Tingle : A baby what, Wingle?
Bingle : A baby baby, Tingle.
Dingle : I like babies, Bingle.
Bingle : Our baby's the best baby of them all, Wingle.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974)

 

And last but not least, my favorite.  (Sometimes tied with Charlie Brown.)  This is probably the least known of the six specials on my list, but it is outstanding.  Albert the boy genius mouse writes an editorial to the newspaper stating that Santa Claus is not real.  Santa's ego can't take the hit, so he crosses Sombertown off his list of Christmas Eve destinations.  Papa Mouse shows his son Albert the sadness his letter has caused, bringing him to a children's hospital where the sick kids are extra depressed now that Santa has written them off.  You have to ask yourself, is the little mouse boy really the villain or could it be an incredibly thin-skinned Santa?  Anyhow, the human family that shares a home with the mice includes a clock-maker father who invents and builds a clock that will suck up to Santa with a song at midnight on Christmas Eve.  I absolutely love this special and the songs in it, especially "Even A Miracle Needs a Hand." 

One Less Sweathog

Shocking-- a second Sweathog has died in 2012.  It is devastating that we are down to only one Golden Girl, but at least those ladies were in my grandparents' age bracket.  The Sweathogs aren't much older than my parents.  Only Freddie Boom Boom Washington and Vinnie Barbarino remain.

I find the Welcome Back, Kotter theme song oddly comforting.  Off to listen to it again.

That's A Tough Choice

I didn't see the Taxi episode when it originally aired, but this has to be one of the funniest sitcom clips of all time.

I Don't Wanna Wait. . .

for a Dawson's reunion.

The real reason for the Holmes/Cruise split:

Tom Cruise Forbade Katie Holmes From Doing Dawson's Creek Reunion