🎄 What if Mr. Christmas was on the naughty list this entire time, thanks to a curse on his family for generations?

Gerry Davila (Totally Rad Christmas) and Guy Hutchinson (Pointless Nostalgia) join us on a Christmas quest back to 1985 as Andy Williams leads a dozen “true believers” on a trip to Finland to find Santa and answer for his totally-not-made-up ancestor.

📺 You can watch “Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Search for Santa” on the Internet Archive.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

The NBC Kids are: Soleil Moon Frye, Cherie Johnson, Ami Foster, and Casey Ellison from “Punky Brewster”; Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner from “The Cosby Show”; Alfonso Ribeiro from “Silver Spoons”; and Joey and Matthew Lawrence from “Gimme a Break!” But not Mindy Cohn from “The Facts of Life,” who shows up, sings half a line, and that’s it.

Guy visits New York City’s Christmas cinematic landmarks, including the locations from “Mr. T and Emmanuel Lewis in A Christmas Dream.”

Not Just Theo: Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Surprising Career.

Alfonso Ribeiro’s Pepsi Commercial with Michael Jackson (1984)

The painting supposedly featuring Lars Sven Olaf Williams, from 1863.

The Sàmi.

“Sea for Catwoman!”

Porvoo Cathedral (pronounced like “Borga”).

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📼 Commercials:

NBC “Let’s All Be There” ID with Santa (1985)

Polaroid: “Christmas – Santa Claus” (1985)

Tinsel Tunes – The Christmas Music Podcast.

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“Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Search for Santa” © 1985 Pierre Cossette / Barnaby Productions.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.
Hosted by The Retro Network.

🎄 It is once again Scrooge Sunday, and the time has come to awkwardly smoosh our spirits through the walls of our bedchamber and float back to 2004 for a special TV movie based on Alan Menken’s musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” starring Kelsey Grammer as Scrooge, Jason Alexander as Marley’s Ghost, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Belle, and Jane Krakowski as the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Michael May and Rob Graham from After Lunch join the celebration of abundance, charity, and good will toward men as we forge this podcast link by link and dumb joke by dumb joke.

📺 You can watch “A Christmas Carol: The Musical” for free on YouTube.

Plus: After this episode, listen to the 3 of us on After Lunch review “A Christmas Carol” on “Shower of Stars” from 1954.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

Julian Ovenden (Fred) in “Downton Abbey.”

Today’s TV Trope: And You Were There.

Jacob Collier (Tiny Tim) on YouTube, including his Grammy-winning arrangement of “The Flintstones” theme.

Brian Bedford (Fezziwig) on “Frasier” and as Disney’s Robin Hood.

Ebenezer Scrooges Ranked by How Redeemed They Are (FilmHounds, 2024)

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📼 Commercials:

KFC “Christmas with Jason Alexander” (2001)

Merry Britsmas.

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“A Christmas Carol: The Musical” © 2004 Hallmark Entertainment Distribution, LLC.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.
Hosted by The Retro Network.

🎄 Put on your cute little helmet and join us on a journey back to 1984 for a Christmas special based on the toy craze that turned holiday shopping from a winter wonderland to a warzone.

Julia (Tis the Podcast) and Steven (The Bigfoot Club) join the adventure from the hidden home of the Cabbage Patch Kids to the unnamed but totally identifiable big city in search of the Christmas spirit, while we evade 2 nearly identical but probably not related trios trying to kidnap us. It’ll all make sense.

Actually, no. It will not.

📺 “The Cabbage Patch Kids’ First Christmas” is well preserved on YouTube. Here’s an upscaled version.

Watch Steven’s film, “The Bigfoot Club,” on Prime Video.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

The totally official, extremely bonkers Legend of the Cabbage Patch Kids.

Babyland General Hospital.

‘Custody’ fight over Cabbage Patch dolls (Christian Science Monitor, 1983)

Josh Rodine (Dawson Glenn) in “Sparky’s Magic Piano” (1987)

Sparky Marcus (Xavier) as Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979)

“Kudzu: The Invasive Vine that Ate the South.”

Piedmont Park.

What idiot took the gay out of “Don we now our gay apparel”?

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📼 Commercials:

Cabbage Patch Kids Talking Phone (1984)

Cabbage Patch Kids Hide and Seek Game (1984)

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“The Cabbage Patch Kids’ First Christmas” © 1984 Ruby-Spears Enterprises, Inc.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.
Hosted by The Retro Network.

🎄 If you thought Christmas was fast approaching, hang onto something as we zip back to 1996 and do our best to keep up with Sonic the Hedgehog on a mission to save Christmas.

Mike (Bitter Karella) and Ethan (The Hungry Reader) from A Special Presentation, or ALF Will Not Be Seen Tonight join the quest to rescue Santa from the evil Robotnik Claus, obtain the Secret to Ultimate Velocity, and find a gift for Sonic’s girlfriend from another universe.

📺 You can watch “Sonic Christmas Blast” for free on YouTube.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

How Sonic scored two different animated series at the same time (Polygon, 2020)

This specially was originally called “An X-tremely Sonic Christmas” to promote a Sega Saturn game that ended up getting canceled.

Jay Brazeau (Santa) as the referee in “Air Bud” who says the line.

The robot queen in “The Great Mouse Detective.”

“Let the Heartaches Begin” by Long John Baldry (Robotnik).

The original “Ugly Sonic” movie trailer.

Dr. Robotnik’s in-game design looks like both an Eggman and a walrus.

The other cartoon’s theme song.

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📼 Commercials:

Sonic & Knuckles Christmas Elves Commercial (1994)

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“Sonic Christmas Blast” © 1996 DIC Productions, L.P.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.
Hosted by The Retro Network.

🎄 “This just in: Santa Claus is dead… or he might as well be, because there’s an even fatter man who’s holding families at nice-point!”

’Tis the Advent Calendar House’s 15th season, so this December’s dozen begins with a similarly titled episode of “The Simpsons” from 2003.

Shane Keating from ToughPigs.com, Erin Evans, and Joey O. join the mission to stop being selfish and start being good.

📺 As of this recording, “’Tis the Fifteenth Season” (Season 15, Episode 7) is available on Disney+.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

This episode premiered the day after Saddam Hussein was caught.

Marge’s couch gag anime costume: Jun the Swan from “Gatchaman.”

“How Low Can DVD Players Go?” (New York Times, 2003)

Kathy from Personnel.

The Joe DiMaggio rookie card is real.

Today’s TV Trope: Art Shift — “Christmas with the California Prunes” and “The Year Santa Got Lost,” animated by the Chiodo Bros.

Animaniacs’ 50 State Capitals.

Of course I looked up the astrolabe’s coordinates.

Convoy, and the cover by Sifl & Olly.

Operation: The Simpsons Edition.

The first on-screen appearance of Nelson’s mom.

The end of “Treehouse of Horror IV.”

Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television — and America — Forever, by Alan Siegel.

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📼 Commercials:

Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991)

Butterfinger – The Power Cut (1993)

A Bomb for Christmas 2: Past, Present, and Future on the Can’t Wait for Christmas Podcast.

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“The Simpsons” and “’Tis the Fifteenth Season” © 2003 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.
Hosted by The Retro Network.

🎄 We wrap up Christmas in July with an old-fashioned scary ghost story. Join us as we fire up the Mystery Machine and take a drive back to 1984 for Scooby-Doo’s very first Christmas special, in which the gang tries to save an orphanage with the power of pageantry, and stop the mysterious Ghost of Christmas Never.

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🎙 Guests:

Adam Pope (Wizards: The Podcast Guide to Comics, Remember That Show?, Bluesky)

Donnie Storms (Bronwen’s Ghost, Bluesky)

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

“The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries” opening was riding the “Thriller” wave.

Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue.

Oops, I made the same Strong Bad reference twice in one season.

Mr. Wizard and the Talking Head Illusion.

Our experience with Christmas pageants, including some unfortunate elementary school play featuring the song, “Santa Claus, Santa Claus, you are much too fat.”

The elf costumes look like Tingle.

The Mystery Sleigh!

Go-Gurt + Scooby-Doo = Ro-Gurt!

Today’s TV Trope: Read the Fine Print.

The Scooby-Doo Character Reference Guide.

“The PTA has disbanded!”

“The Little Rascals” (1994) Boys Crash the Ballet.

Mr. Burns collapses on a sundial after being shot.

Scooby Apocalypse.

Adam’s stitched Scooby-Doo portrait.

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📼 Commercials:

The Kodak Disc (1984)

Remember That Show?

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“The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries” and “The Nutcracker Scoob” © 1984 Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Join us for a short spin back to 1993 as we spend 48 minutes blah blah blah yackety schmacketing about Taz’s attempt to spread Christmas cheer in a land that’s way under Down Under.

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🎙 Guests:

Sammy Hain (Sammy’s Easter Tails, Bluesky)

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, Bluesky)

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

Tasmania was once home to the world’s tallest decorated Christmas tree.

John Astin (Bull Gator) in “Return of the Killer Tomatoes.”

How the origins of Taz’s creation involve Errol Flynn and the Los Angeles Zoo.

Hot Dr. Pepper.

Bing Crosby’s Minute Maid Orange Juice Commercials.

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📼 Commercials:

Tornado Taz Plush (1997)

Christmas Creeps.

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“Taz-Mania” and “No Time for Christmas” © 1993 Warner Bros. Inc.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Now it’s time for a Muppety holiday fix, so let’s turn the clock back to 1996, to a show I’m excited to reintroduce: it’s “The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss.” So go get your fanciest Jingle Bells on for “Mrs. Zabarelli’s Holiday Baton.”

You can watch it on the Jim Henson’s Family Hub YouTube channel.

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🎙 Guests:

Tony Whitaker (Muppet Wiki, Bluesky)

Shane Keating (ToughPigs.com, MuppetWiki, Bluesky, Letterboxd)

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

Where in the who-heck is the Grinch?

“The noozle at the end of the hoose!”

Michael K. Frith on Muppet Wiki.

The Muppets on “Family Feud” (2001).

Kathy Mullen (Morton) interview with ToughPigs.com (2013).

These aren’t Whatnots; they’re Whozits.

“Sesame English,” an English as a second language “Sesame Street” series.

“Good grief! The comedian’s a bear!”

Cindy Lou Who’s on First?

Defunctland Podcast: Working in a Wubbulous World with Stephanie D’Abruzzo and Craig Shemin.

There’s a rolling drum gag, so here’s the “Emmet Otter” outtake reel again.

“You’re the poet laureate of…”

Shane and the ToughPigs staff visit the “Sesame Street” set.

Shane’s supercut of Gordon from “Sesame Street” saying, “Oh, hi!”

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📼 Commercials:

Hallmark’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Collection (1998)

Closer to Christmas.

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“The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss” and “Mrs. Zabarelli’s Holiday Baton” © 1996 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Hey, remember the Christmas episode of that show on ABC where Snow White and Prince Charming are transported by the Evil Queen to a land without magic and have to adjust to modern-day America? No, you don’t, because you’re thinking of “Once Upon a Time,” which didn’t have a Christmas episode, which was rude. But we’re going back an even longer time ago to the enchanted year of 1987 to meet The Charmings, who did have a Christmas episode!

You can watch “Yes, Lillian, There Is a Santa Claus” on YouTube, or this VHS-recorded copy with commercials.

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🎙 Guests:

Kristi and Bri from Bad Princess Movies.

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💬 Topics & Tangents:

This episode was advertised during the original broadcast of “A Muppet Family Christmas.”

The first season’s opening credits explains the backstory.

Judy Parfitt (Lillian) as another fairytale queen in “Ever After: A Cinderella Story.”

Carol Huston Signs for ‘The Charmings’ (L.A. Times, 1987).

The Calgary Castle and the even crazier themed vacation homes being built near me.

The Enchanted Forest park in British Columbia.

John Astin as the Devil in another episode of “The Charmings.”

The “He-Man village” was actually the massive Eternia playset.

Tony Steedman (Santa) as Socrates in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.”

Judy Parfitt on the pain of losing her husband (Steedman) to dementia (Daily Mail, 2014).

Dick Van Dyke’s Learn Not to Burn hot door PSA.

Gordon Ramsay should play Santa.

Robert Bork, or: Yes, Virginia, You Can Reject a Supreme Court Nominee.

One originally cut episode finally aired on CTV in 2021.

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📼 Commercials:

Masters of the Universe: Eternia Playset (1986)

Bad Princess Movies.

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“The Charmings” and “Yes, Lillian, There Is a Santa Claus” © 1987 Embassy Communications.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.