What’s up, dudes? It’s half way to Christmas, so Merry Halfmas, everyone! To celebrate, I’ve got CJ from Christmas Sessions and Ashley Dunbar from The Magic of the Season with me to talk about the awesomeness that is Dolly Parton! Did you know she had a 1987 variety show? Well, she did, and that show had a Christmas episode: “A Down Home Country Christmas!”

Dolly introduces us to her Christmas show dressed in a Santa suit on the roof of the studio. After sliding down the chimney, her guests Burl Ives and Mac Davis appear on sleds. They all sing a few songs together, “I’ll Be Home with Bells On” and “A Down Home Country Christmas.” Dolly also tell us the story of a very special Christmas in which her dad bought her mom a wedding ring and she got a new baby brother.

Burl sings “A Holly, Jolly Christmas” and Mac sings “Christmas is for Kids.” Dolly reminisces about her first Christmas alone in Nashville, and Mac Davis joins her on guitar. It segues nicely to the show’s staple sketch Dixie’s Place. Socialites Mr. and Mrs. Fulbright’s car breaks down, and they find themselves at Dixie’s. Mr. Fulbright encounters the ghost of Mr. Pruitt, and rediscovers his spirit of Christmas and family.

The show ends in a huge Christmas carol medley with everyone joining in at an icy pond. Dolly, rather than singing us out with “I Will Always Love You,” ends the festivities by singing “Once Upon a Christmas.” She then thanks all her guests and wishes us a merry time.

Puppets? Check. Fake Dolly legs hanging from inside the chimney? Yep. cursed corn husk doll? Definitely! So grab your spoons, play your washboard, and take a sled to this episode!

The Magic of the Season
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What’s up, dudes? I’ve got Justice Ducks Laramy Wells from Moving Panels and Art Kilmer  from A Cozy Christmas here with me to talk about the Terror that Flaps in the Night! Yes, it’s Darkwing Duck! The hero had a Christmas episode in ‘91 entitled “It’s a Wonderful Leaf!” DW’s old nemesis Bushroot is up to no good, and only we can stop him!

When plant/duck hybrid Dr. Reginald Bushroot goes shopping on Christmas Eve, he’s bullied into returning to crime. Meanwhile, Darkwing Duck and his sidekick Launchpad trim the tree at home. Gosalyn is excited for Christmas, and can scarcely contain her desire for presents. Bushroot  gets revenge on the mall goers who dehumanized him with the help of anthropomorphic Christmas trees. Luckily, DW happens to be there too.

After a thrilling fight, Bushroot creates tree toppers that can extend his command over many Christmas trees. He uses them to steal presents a la Dr. Seuss. A chase ensues, and DW manages to freeze the garden-variety (pun intended) criminal and recover the presents. Well, he recovers all except his neighbors’ presents. In an act of charity, Gosalyn donates her presents to Honker and his family.

Christmas tree mutants? Yep. Candy cane and Christmas light weapons? Got ‘em. Rosebud? That’s in there too! So don your costume, equip your grappling gun, and let’s get dangerous with this episode on Darkwing Duck!

Moving Panels
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IG: @movingpanels

A Cozy Christmas
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IG: @cozychristmaspodcast
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Bookshelf Odyssey

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Darkwing Duck “It’s a Wonderful Leaf” (w/ Laramy and Art)

What’s up, dudes? Matt Spaulding from North Pole Radio and Vinnie Brezinsky from Huey and Bax join me to talk all about the game show “Hollywood Squares!” It’s a full size tic tac toe with celebrities giving zingers and singing songs!

In a 1987 episode, it’s Scott versus Becky with guest panelists Joan Rivers, Jim J. Bullock, Tracey Gold, Alyssa Milano, and Gary Coleman. The secret square contained a trip to Disney World! Talk about a prize! As it turns out, Scott came out with $150 and a bike, and Becky really made out like a bandit with $300, bikes, and that dope trip to Disney! Get it, girl!

The following year in 1988, Tommy and Suzy are contestants. The grid was filled Joan Rivers, Debbie Reynolds, Jim J. Bullock, Tina Yothers, Jason Hervey, and Janice from “The Price is Right!” Debbie Reynolds serenaded us with Rudolph while Tommy raked up the dollars. No one won the secret square, so there was no trip to Hawaii, unfortunately. Tommy wins, but also doesn’t get the car. Talk about super random final challenges!

Celebrities singing? Yep. Matching red “Hollywood Squares” jackets. For sure! Alyssa Milano looking disinterested and bored? Oh yeah! So choose Xs or Os, call on your favorite TV star, and listen to this episode!

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What’s up, dudes? I’m running up that hill with Mike and Rusty from Snow in Southtown to talk about Kate: Kate Bush Christmas Special and her song “December Will Be Magic Again!” Released in 1979, it proves that the singer, only 21 at the time, was already a tour de force. A year later she released the Christmas song as a single.

The special is a mix of live performances and choreographed dance to prerecorded music. The live portion was recorded BBC Pebble Mills Studios in front of an audience. The music for the dance was done at EMI Studios in London. After a rotoscoped animated introduction, Kate launches into renditions off “Violin,” Gymnopédie No. 1 by Satie, and “Symphony in Blue.” “Them Heavy People” follows with Kate garbed in sequins. Immediately a trio sings Peter Gabriel’s in, and he serenades the audience with “Here Comes the Flood.” Kate performs “Ran Tan Waltz” then premieres “December Will Be Magic Again” on solo piano. Next comes “The Wedding List” about a vengeful bride and the duet “Another Day” with Peter Gabriel about a failed marriage. Finally, Kate enthralls us with “Egypt,” “The Man with a Child in His Eyes,” and “Don’t Push Your Foot on the Heart Brake.” Does she hop in a garbage can and come out dressed like Sandy from the end of “Grease?” Why, yes. Yes she does.

Stevie Nicks-like flowing black outfit? Yep. Fake beard and “Fiddler on the Roof” getup? Uh huh.  Kate doing interpretative dance superimposed over her playing piano? Definitely! So grab your violin and head to Egypt to this episode about Kate Bush!

Snow in Southtown

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 What’s up, dudes? It’s the 250th episode! So, we’ll open up Rad Santa’s Mail Fanny Pack and answer some listener questions! Then special guest Danny Davila and I dive into the Christmas-adjacent movie “Funny Farm!” Starring Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith, it’s a squirrel out of water story! Er…fish out of water!

Andy and Elizabeth Farmer leave the big city to live in the quaint little town of Red Bud. Andy has aspirations to be a novelist. Misadventures ensue! First, their movers get lost and arrive late. Then the Farmers discover a dead body in their garden. Snakes, runaway dogs, and angry fishing buddies soon after threaten their idyllic dream. Elizabeth writes and publishes a children’s book giving Andy feelings of resentment and failure. Friction between the couple inevitably ensues. When Andy, in a moment of desperation, submits Elizabeth’s manuscript as his own to his publisher, she leaves him. The couple bribe the town to help them sell their house at Christmas time. However, Andy and Elizabeth fall in love with the town and each other when they see how beautiful and friendly the town can actually be.

Ducks? Yep. Kitchen payphones? Got ’em. Lamb fries? Only if a record can be broken! So grab your yellow dog, climb into your runaway mail truck, and listen to this episode on “Funny Farm!”

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What’s up, dudes? It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! That’s right! It’s the 4th Annual Totally Rad Christmas Awards! This year I’m joined by ‘Tis the Podcast elves Anthony and Thom, Ashley Dunbar from The Magic of the Season, Mike Westfall from Advent Calendar House, Robert Nicholas from Behind the Bells, and CJ Belanger from Christmas Sessions!! After the Academy refined the nomination and voting process last year, the star-studded evening went off without a hitch…sort of!  Who did you vote for? Did they win? Find out to the max in the 3rd Annual Raddies!

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What’s up, dudes? It was 1989, and the Griswolds had an amazing and quirky holiday staycation adventure with fantastic music woven throughout! Kevin Williams from ‘Tis the Soundtrack joins me to discuss the fabulous song selection and Badalamenti’s orchestral score to “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!”

A supposed 10th Anniversary Edition soundtrack CD was released by Warner Brothers in print-on-demand kiosks for their Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park. Apparently, only seven thousand of the twenty thousand allotment were sold, and so the rest were shipped back to Warner Brothers. A company acquired the lot in a bulk sale, and decided to sell them online. Or did they? Spoilers: the entire story was a hoax to help sell bootleg copies of the album. One piece of music—a Christmas Medley—allegedly by Badalamenti is actually by John Williams from the “Home Alone 2” score!

The score to the movie was indeed composed by Angelo Badalamenti, known for his eerie, synth-heavy, atmospheric work with director David Lynch. Badalamenti wrote an unobtrusive orchestral hit peppered with comedic polkas and uptempo motif-laden piano trios. The glockenspiel Advent calendar theme is ethereal, while the orchestra weaves traditional carols through search section seamlessly.

The needle drops are timed to perfection with hits by the Moonglows, Bing Crosby, and Gene Autry. Mavis Staples flawlessly sings the gospel-tinged pop titular song “Christmas Vacation.” It’s a shame there hasn’t been an official release!

Animated intro music? Check. Sweet string melodies? Got ‘em. Tuba lead over a guy in a bathrobe? Definitely! So grab your Discman, put on your headphones, and listen to this episode on the music of “Christmas Vacation!”

‘Tis the Soundtrack
YouTube: @TisTheSoundtrack
IG:  @tisthesoundtrack

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What’s up, dudes? Well, it seems that Little #1, Little #2, and Little #3 hijacked my recording studio and held their own episode all about the 1976 Rankin Bass Easter special “The First Easter Rabbit!” It’s an adaptation of the children’s book “The Velveteen Rabbit,” and it’s wild!

A young girl named Glinda gets a stuffed bunny for Christmas which she names Stuffy. She loves it unconditionally, but when she contracts scarlet fever, it has to be burned. Stuffy is approached by a magical sprite named Calliope, who transforms him into a real rabbit. She mandates that he become the first Easter Bunny.

Stuffy meets Santa Claus and moves into Easter Valley, an area of the North Pole perpetually existing in Spring. Unfortunately, an ice wizard (perhaps a former servant of Winterbolt?) named Zero steals the Golden Easter Lily, causing the valley to freeze and snow. Santa rescues Stuffy and helps him deliver his Easter goods to Glinda’s hometown. He also forces Zero to return the Lily. All’s well that ends well.

A fairy that knows substitutiary locomotion? Check. A Savage Land type headquarters? Got it. A remorseful sentient snowball? For sure! So grab your Easter eggs, put on your bonnet, and take Santa’s sleigh to this episode!

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