"The Island of Misfit Christmas Specials" Talkback

[twilicorn]

Sesame Street is churning out a new potential misfit this year called "Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas". From the press release it looks like some Princess Bride-esque thing about Elmo's dad telling him this story while it's acted out onscreen. It premieres on HBO on the 25th, but select PBS stations (not sure if OPB will be among them or not) will show it between December 12-26.

Here's a preview:

 

[mimitchi33]

Sesame Street is churning out a new potential misfit this year called "Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas". From the press release it looks like some Princess Bride-esque thing about Elmo's dad telling him this story while it's acted out onscreen. It premieres on HBO on the 25th, but select PBS stations (not sure if OPB will be among them or not) will show it between December 12-26.

Here's a preview:

That looks beautiful.

 

[VanceTheVHSGuy]

Remember when Peter reviewed the commercials from the 1979 airing of Rudolph? A man by the name of Michael Pannoni posted all the commercials from that airing.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

Remember when Peter reviewed the commercials from the 1979 airing of Rudolph? A man by the name of Michael Pannoni posted all the commercials from that airing.

So did I, actually; if you click on the pictures in that one you can watch the ads.

 

[twilicorn]

Remember when Peter reviewed the commercials from the 1979 airing of Rudolph? A man by the name of Michael Pannoni posted all the commercials from that airing.

Funny, I actually traded that very disc with him earlier this year!

 

[mimitchi33]

Remember when Peter reviewed the commercials from the 1979 airing of Rudolph? A man by the name of Michael Pannoni posted all the commercials from that airing.

I remember that article! I never knew the tape was THAT common.

 

[Dsneybuf]

Yet Platypus Comix became only the second website I know to acknowledge a period when CBS completely skipped "We Are Santa's Elves". (This marked the first time I read about it.)

EDIT: Watching the Rudolph Honest Trailer, and it actually uses an excerpt of "We Are Santa's Elves", as an example of a number that the public doesn't remember as strongly as they can the main song.

 

[Gear3dGryph0n]

EDIT: Watching the Rudolph Honest Trailer, and it actually uses an excerpt of "We Are Santa's Elves", as an example of a number that the public doesn't remember as strongly as they can the main song.

I have to say, that Honest Trailer was dope. Sure, some of the stuff they said in it had been circulated in articles on the Internet for a long time, but for a popular channel, they actually had the guts to skewer a show so many people hold sacred. Lots of respect.

 

[Dsneybuf]

They've riffed on countless "sacred" movies before, so the choice of Rudolph only surprised me because I can't think of a previous time they did a TV special.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

The Moo Family Holiday Hoedown

 

[mimitchi33]

The Moo Family Holiday Hoedown

Someone found this? I thought it was lost. It would make sense, since the Bubsy and Battletoads pilots (from the same day) have been on the Internet for a while.

Speaking of misfit specials, Robbie the Reindeer and Hooves of Fire were on last night on CBS. According to the promos, it was the dubbed version, which hasn't been seen in years. I didn't watch it, but I did tape it. It's odd that they would air it, seeing as it hasn't done so in years.
And this isn't the only one I saw this year: Last night, Lifetime aired The Flight Before Christmas (but I missed that).

 

[twilicorn]

Robbie the Reindeer and Hooves of Fire were on last night on CBS. According to the promos, it was the dubbed version, which hasn't been seen in years. I didn't watch it, but I did tape it. It's odd that they would air it, seeing as it hasn't done so in years.

UGHHHH THEY AIRED THEM BOTH AND I MISSED THEM?!? I really hope there's a rerun in sight! I did record Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer though - it was on Friday night on the CW, apparently still thinking they have a holiday classic on their hands...

Speaking of which, this is apparently a good year for the original versions of TV specials reairing. The Grinch was recently aired in its original length, some of the old Peanuts specials have also reaired in their original lengths with bonus cartoons padding them to an hour long, and even the long-lost original version of WPIX's Yule Log has somehow been found and restored, and will air on Christmas Eve just in time for its 50th anniversary.

 

[Dsneybuf]

The Moo Family Holiday Hoedown

Looks like you answered my question about whether or not anyone here still remembers the non-Rankin/Bass-or-Melendez specials from this trailer.

 

[Peter Paltridge]

The Moo Family Holiday Hoedown

You just made my day. Believe it or not, I've been sitting on a Moo Family special for a long time now; I taped it as a kid. I had no idea they did a Christmas one.

Speaking of misfit specials, Robbie the Reindeer and Hooves of Fire were on last night on CBS. According to the promos, it was the dubbed version, which hasn't been seen in years.

What -- get out! How is that possible? I had no idea either. Gonna have to start watching the schedule more closely.

 

[Norman Krasner]

looks like FHE sold a lot of other misfits on VHS

http://www.imdb.com/company/co0108311/?ref_=ttco_co_2

 

[mimitchi33]

You just made my day. Believe it or not, I've been sitting on a Moo Family special for a long time now; I taped it as a kid. I had no idea they did a Christmas one.


What -- get out! How is that possible? I had no idea either. Gonna have to start watching the schedule more closely.

I was the only one who knew about it, it seems. My mom was watching Ellen, and I saw a promo for it. If you're missing it, I could send you a copy of the airing, since it only aired once.

looks like FHE sold a lot of other misfits on VHS

http://www.imdb.com/company/co0108311/?ref_=ttco_co_2

Wow! Some of those titles brought back memories for me, especially the Rankin-Bass ones and the VeggieTales movie (one of my favorite childhood films).
Speaking of FHE, I actually have Santa's Christmas Crash on VHS by them, if anyone wants it. It's about Santa visiting a desert. I found it a few years back playing back old VHS tapes.

 

[Dsneybuf]

Another trailer for Misfits FHE released on VHS:
The absence of The Christmas Tree from any of these ads makes me wonder if they hand-picked which of their Christmas videos they would call "Classics", or if it just depended on whichever specials' makers would give them the most money.

BTW, this stands as the ad I remember seeing most often for their Christmas tapes, since it opened our copies of Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (my personal favorite R/B special). I didn't embed it because all of the specials it advertises still seem well-known (or at least readily available) today.

 

[J.E.Smith]

Hey there Peter, can't remember if I mentioned this one near the end of last year or not; but here's a Christmas special that was based off, of all things, those Wacky Wall Walkers toys:

 

[mimitchi33]

Another trailer for Misfits FHE released on VHS:
The absence of The Christmas Tree from any of these ads makes me wonder if they hand-picked which of their Christmas videos they would call "Classics", or if it just depended on whichever specials' makers would give them the most money.

BTW, this stands as the ad I remember seeing most often for their Christmas tapes, since it opened our copies of Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (my personal favorite R/B special). I didn't embed it because all of the specials it advertises still seem well-known (or at least readily available) today.

The second one is the one I remember the most, but I do remember seeing the first ad on some tape I watched as a kid.
Speaking of The Christmas Tree, is that or Rapsittie worse? To me, Rapsittie looks poorly animated, and the songs sound like they were recorded on an old tape player.

Hey there Peter, can't remember if I mentioned this one near the end of last year or not; but here's a Christmas special that was based off, of all things, those Wacky Wall Walkers toys:

You did.

 

[J.E.Smith]

I did? Oops. A year later and it being pushed back several pages I wasn't sure if I did or not. Just threw it back out just in case.