Posts

🎄 It’s 1975, and a shepherd boy just lost his sight after staring directly at a lightning bolt.

Join us as we return to enchanted world of Rankin/Bass Christmas specials for an overlooked, underrated, and redundantly titled hidden gem about neither the first Christmas, nor the first Christmas snow.

****

🎙 Guest:

Mike Troxell (@Prune_Tracy, Mastodon: PruneTracy@sharetron.com).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Vox’s Emily St. James ranks all the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.

2. A very brief history of the Christmas card.

3. Was There Really Any Winter’s Snow at the Time of the Nativity in Bethlehem?

4. Flash blindness is real.

5. Arthur Rankin Jr. recalling how Irving Berlin really, REALLY didn’t want “White Christmas” in the special.

6. This exact sound of a wolf howling (or, actually, a coyote) is heard over and over again.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Toys “R” Us Time of Year Christmas Commercial, 1976.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Christmas Creeps, keeping the Christmas spirit alive through the magic of terrible holiday films.

****

“The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow” © 1975 Rankin/Bass Productions.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.

Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1990, and a little girl’s Christmas wish is about to get shot out of the sky. Join us for the podcast’s first voyage into the Disney Afternoon as Baloo the cargo pilot bear attempts to save his boss’s daughter’s belief in Santa.

****

🎙 Guest:

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, Words With Nerds, @imgonnadj24).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Joey’s Christmas TV lineup that he wrote on a piece of paper around 1991 and found again 30 years later.

2. The TaleSpin/Quantum Leap joke.

3. Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” the animated one, is somehow Germany’s biggest box office draw ever.

4. “Tales of the Gold Monkey,” a single-season TV show that inspired “TaleSpin.”

5. “What a Dummy,” an even shorter single-season TV show featuring Janna Michaels (Molly) and a living ventriloquist’s dummy.

6. Joey’s Interview with Pat Fraley (Wildcat), again!

7. Today’s TV Trope: String-on-Finger Reminder.

8. Cape Suzette and Louie’s Place on the Disney Wiki.

9. Flunkey, the Einstein-haired monkey from “The Jungle Book” whose “TaleSpin” counterpart appears to be Santa Louie’s “elf,” Waldo.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

McDonald’s TaleSpin Happy Meal Toys, 1990.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Snow in Southtown, holiday TV specials, movies, music, and more!

****

“TaleSpin” and “Jolly Molly Christmas” © 1990 The Walt Disney Company.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.

Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: TaleSpin: Jolly Molly Christmas
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1979, and no one wants to go to Pat Boone’s lame Christmas party, but we hope you’ll accept our invitation to discover this bizarre but wholesome special featuring the Hudson Brothers, the stars of “The Ropers” as themselves but also still as the Ropers, and a criminally brief appearance by Yogi Bear and his Hanna-Barbera friends.

****

🎙 Guest:

Guy Hutchinson (GuyHutchinson.com, Drunk on Disney).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Watch the Pat Boone and Family Christmas Special on Tubi.

2. Pat Boone’s album of heavy metal covers from 1997.

3. TV Guide’s ad for the special, prominently featuring Yogi Bear and friends.

4. The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, as seen in a “Family Guy” cutaway gag.

5. “The Seventh Python,” Brett Hudson’s 2008 documentary about frequent Monty Python collaborator Neil Innes.

6. “Largo al Factotum,” the “Figaro” song from “The Barber of Seville.”

7. Dinah Shore’s giant belt buckle.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Master Charge Christmas Commercial, 1979.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Season’s Eatings, exploring the origins and history of your favourite Christmas foods.

****

“Pat Boone and Family Christmas Special” © 1979 Cooga Mooga Productions.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.

Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Pat Boone and Family Christmas Special
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1971, and Alastair Sim is delivering an even more animated performance as Scrooge.

Join us as we invade your personal space for salute an animated adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” that bent the rules and became the last TV special to win an Oscar, directed by Richard Williams and executive produced by Chuck Jones.

****

🎙 Guests:

Michael May (MichaelMay.online, AfterLUNCH).

Rob Graham (AfterLUNCH, @spidey004).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Michael May’s Christmas Carol Project entries on 1971’s “A Christmas Carol.”

2. CED Magic’s “Christmas Carol” screen adaptation directory.

3. John Leech’s original illustrations for the Dickens story.

4. AfterLUNCH on Christmas Ghosts (And One Carol in Particular).

5. The rarely seen Phantom Hearse.

6. Visions of Young Scrooge’s favorite stories dancing in his head.

7. Alex Williams’s website and blog post about his memory of voicing Tiny Tim at age 4.

8. One notable businessman from the future and his gross nose.

9. The Making of Richard Williams’s “A Christmas Carol.”

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

NyQuil Scrooge Commercial, circa 1968.

Bell Telephone Christmas Commercial, 1978.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

The Christmas Book: The Ultimate Guide to Your Favorite Holiday, by Ed Daly.

****

“A Christmas Carol” (1971) © Richard Williams Productions.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.

Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: A Christmas Carol (1971)
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s the Advent Calendar House’s 5th anniversary, so instead of celebrating one Christmas special, we watched three! Clear the runway as we salute Disney’s trilogy of 2009’s “Prep & Landing,” 2010’s “Operation: Secret Santa,” and 2011’s “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice.”

SANTA SPOILER WARNING: This episode contains Santa-adjacent spoilers from 1:24:28 to 1:26:49.

****

🎙 Guests:

Jeff Somogyi (Linktree: @sommerjam).

Paxton Holley (Cavalcade of Awesome, Cult Film Club, Hellbent for Letterbox).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Disney’s Prep & Landing Website from 2009 is still up with character and gadget profiles.

2. “Tiny’s Big Adventure,” a minute-long short starring Magee’s assistant.

3. Super Golden Crisp Cereal’s Sugar Bear musical Christmas ornament.

4. Prep & Landing Easter eggs.

5. Santa’s castle looks familiar.

6. Noel’s early cameo in “Operation: Secret Santa.”

7. A hat tip to the Classic Film Jerks.

8. Captain Avalanche and Snowball’s poster looks like a Batman and Robin Detective Comics cover.

9. “Naughty, Naughty Children” by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals.

10. “Nuttin’ for Christmas” by the Plain White T’s.

11. “The Ballad of Nessie,” who makes 2 cameos.

12. Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” appears.

13. “Mansion: Impossible,” featuring Wayne and Lanny prepping the Avengers Mansion.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Coca-Cola: Santa Packs are Coming, 1994.

Campbell’s Soup: Snowman, 1995.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Can’t Wait for Christmas’s reminder to play “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson more.

****

“Prep & Landing,” “Operation: Secret Santa,” and “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” © Disney.

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.

Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title:

Prep & Landing Trilogy

Advent Calendar House

🎄 November 1st is Christmas Podcast Day! I don’t make the rules; I just use the hashtag. So join us as on a very important mission to dig up the original animated adventures of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in a 1948 short film that predates the song. On the way, we’ll wonder why Rudolph’s mother is the only reindeer wearing clothes, why all the deer have bright green antlers, how Santa really gets into houses.

You can follow #ChristmasPodcastDay on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And probably TikTok, but I’m not on that.

****

🎙 Guests:

Gerry Davila (Totally Rad Christmas, @RadChristmas).

Matt Spaulding (North Pole Radio).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: With Christmas Greetings from Montgomery Ward (Library of Congress).

2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s First Starring Film Role (Library of Congress, 2014).

3. The 1951 re-release, featuring the new Rudolph song.

4. The Advent Calendar House episode on Rankin/Bass’s Rudolph.

5. Disney’s Very Merry Christmas Sing-Along Songs from 1988 featuring clips from this Rudolph short.

6. Water Polo, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Chevrolet: The Life of Jam Handy (Collegiate Water Polo Association, 2019).

7. Matt’s Little Golden Book of Rudolph, illustrated by Richard Scarry.

8. Paul Wing’s Rudolph record from 1947.

9. Rudolph’s 2nd Christmas.

10. George Klensinger, who arranged the original Silent Night intro, also composed the music to Tubby the Tuba.

11. The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree.

12. James Bond and Blofeld fight on a bobsled in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

13. Ear trumpets, and Daisy Duck’s mother using one in Donald’s Diary.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Closer to Christmas.

****

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” ©1948 The Jam Handy Organization.

Say hi on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1997, and we couldn’t decide which holiday to end the season with, so we’re celebrating them all. Pack up your accordion and join us on a journey 20 miles below the surface of the Earth to the very Pee-wee’s Playhouse-like split-level cave of “Weird Al” Yankovic as he learns to listen to his friends and family.

****

🎙 Guests:

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, Words With Nerds, @imgonnadj24).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Weirdle, the “Weird Al”-themed offshoot of Heardle, the music-themed offshoot of Wordle.

2. The Weird Accordion to Al, by Nathan Rabin.

3. Joey interviews Ben Kweller about his appearance with Radish on The Weird Al Show.

4. Al’s got a thing for the number 27, which makes its way into this episode.

5. Stan Freberg’s Christmas Dragnet, which I know from a compilation CD from Philadelphia radio station WOGL.

6. Ed Marques (Varna) as the Surf Guru on ZDTV’s Internet Tonight.

7. I had no idea I Lost on Jeopardy! was a full parody of an actual song.

8. “Weird Al,” Paul Reubens, and Danny Elfman singing Kidnap the Sandy Claws.

9. National Hamster Day exists. It’s May 10.

10. Funny or Die’s original fake trailer for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

11. “Weird Al” Yankovic: There’s No Going Home, part of The Disney Channel’s Going Home concert/documentary series.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

1990 Encyclopedia Britannica commercial starring Donavan Freberg (Baby Boolie).

****

“The Weird Al Show” and “The Obligatory Holiday Episode” © 1997.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: The Weird Al Show: The Obligatory Holiday Episode
Advent Calendar House

🦃 It’s 1983, and we’re spending Thanksgiving in July at the Saturday Supercade. Join us as we take a cue from Q*bert and pals and try to stay on topic as they learn how to build a Q home in a Q land.

****

🎙 Guests:

Chad Young (The Horror Movie BBQ, TPIF: Thank Pod It’s Funny, @horrormoviebbq).

Tom Coombs (The Pop Daddy, @thepopdaddy).

Jayme Kilsby (@brainexploderrr).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. We all tried to remember who brought up the Q*bert special last year while talking about A Thanksgiving Tale, and we were all wrong.

2. Even Kangaroo got a Saturday Supercade segment eventually.

3. Peter Cullen was the first voice of Mario in the Donkey Kong segment.

4. The Kingdom Chums: Little David’s Adventure, an animated retelling of David and Goliath featuring Billy Bowles (Q*bert) as a stuffed lion come to life.

5. Pauline and her return in Super Mario Odyssey.

6. We accidentally introduce Chad to Spookley, the Square Pumpkin.

7. They gave the snakes arms!

8. Viper has a Mae West voice, which leads into a tangent about Quasi at the Quackadero.

9. Chief Q*Eagle reminded me of Randall Cunningham’s name in Tecmo Super Bowl.

10. Saturday Supercade’s extensive use of the Hanna-Barbera Sound Effects Library.

11. Home Movies: “Don’t Put Marbles in Your Nose.”

12. Mike guests on TPIF: Thank Pod It’s Funny to discuss the Perfect Strangers Thanksgiving episode, Wild Turkey.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

John Wanamaker’s 1988 Thanksgiving Sale.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Tis the Podcast.

“Saturday Supercade,” “Q*bert,” and “Thanksgiving for the Memories” © 1983 Ruby-Spears Productions.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Q*bert: Thanksgiving for the Memories
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1992, and a group of 30-year-old teenagers are on a bus trip to their doom unless an angel in training can convince her supervisor they’re worth saving.

Join us for a very strange and very special visit to America’s most famous ZIP code in our first adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life, even though this episode seems to have forgotten to actually adapt it.

****

🎙 Guest:

Ed Daly (The Christmas Book: The Ultimate Guide to Your Favorite Holiday, EZEdDaly.com, @ezeddaly).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Bonnie Urseth (Miriam) in We’ve Got It Made.

2. Brian Austin Green (David) as Metallo in Smallville.

3. Luke Perry (Dylan) in The Sandlot: Heading Home.

4. Of course Donna’s birthday is on Christmas Day.

4. Brandon’s amazing, generic FOOTBALL/SPORTS poster above his bed.

5. The West Beverly High Madrigal Singers (no relation) sing the original, drinking song lyrics to Deck the Hall.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

7up Cool Spot Christmas Commercial, 1992.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Can’t Wait for Christmas Podcast.

****

“Beverly Hills 90210” and “It’s a Totally Happening Life” © 1992 Torand Productions, Inc.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Beverly Hills 90210: It’s a Totally Happening Life
Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1985, but we’re rocketing into the future, when apparently urgent veterinary care no longer exists.

It’s Scrooge Sunday, so join us for a glimpse into the space-age year of 2062 to find out if 3 robotic ghosts of Christmas can convince Mr. Spacely to change his stingy ways, while the clock is ticking for the Jetsons’ dog, Astro, on his deathbed.

****

🎙 Guest:

Jack Ford (The Total Christmas Podcast).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. George Jetson apparently was/will be born at the end of July 2022.

2. George O’Hanlon (George Jetson) as Joe McDoakes in a series of instructional parody short films from the 1940s and ’50s.

3. The Jetsons’ “laser tree.”

4. “Bongo Feet and Zip,” the classic Hanna-Barbara running sound effect, is heard 9 times in this episode.

5. This episode marks the last appearance speaking appearance of the Jetsons’ pet alien, Orbitty.

6. Astro’s supposed fever is normal for dogs.

7. How the Flintstones movie teenage Spacely and his future wife watch changes the theory that both shows take place in the same time period.

8. The robotic Ghost of Christmas Past, Present (literally a talking wrapped Christmas present), and “Yet to Be.”

9. I had to look up whether Spacely even had a pet to warrant having a personal veterinarian. Meet Zero.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

George Jetson’s Air Pollution PSA, National Clean Air Coalition, 1990.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Cool Kids Club, a nostalgia-fueled trip back to the ’80s and ’90s.

****

“The Jetsons” and “A Jetson Christmas Carol” © 1985 Hanna-Barbara Productions, Inc.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: The Jetsons: A Jetson Christmas Carol
Avent Calendar House

Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1995, and a couple of giant space monsters with swords are about to lose a snowball fight against the powerless Power Rangers, who can’t Morph at the North Pole due to a cross-current of holiday magic. And also magnets.

You can watch I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger on the official Powers Rangers YouTube Channel.

****

🎙 Guests:

Andre Bennett (@AndreBennettGO).

Lindy Kempe (@ieatvideogames).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger on Ranger Wiki.

2. Dynaman, an English-dubbed parody of Super Sentai on the USA Network’s Night Flight, circa 1988.

3. Rubber Suit Rumble! and Cult Cinema Cloister Facebook groups, maintained by Andre.

4. Differences between the aired TV episode and the VHS cut, which was released 2 months earlier.

5. The Order, a proposed, Expendables-style film starring former Power Rangers.

6. Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly) directed a Season 2 episode of Superman & Lois.

7. The Ranger “in jail” we alluded to isn’t even in this episode.

8. Affirmative Clothing Company, co-founded by David Yost (Billy).

9. Paul Schrier (Bulk) finally got to play a legit Ranger in 2017 in the web series Power Rangers Hyperforce.

10. Robert von Fliss has 4 credits on IMDb, and they’re all as Santa Claus.

11. The real-life Command Center: The House of the Book at the American Jewish University.

12. Rito Revolto, a giant skeleton warrior, learning about holiday spirit is just the Skeletor scene all over again.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Pizza Hut: “Right Field,” 1990, from the VHS release of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Diet Coke: “Choose Wisely,” 1990, from the VHS release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

OnStar: “Batcave,” 2000, featuring Batman and Michael Gough as Alfred, except I was probably thinking of the Diet Coke ad before Batman ’89.

Saban’s 4½ minutes of commercials in front of the VHS release of I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger, including an ad for THE VIDEO YOU’RE ALREADY WATCHING.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Behind the Bells, a one-horse open sleigh ride into the world of Christmas movies.

****

“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and “I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger” © 1995 Saban Entertainment, Inc.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger

Advent Calendar House

🎃 It’s 1989, and Rue McClanahan is trapped in an underground castle inhabited by a bunch of Gremlin-looking puppets called Greevils — and for some reason wants to leave.

Join us for a Halloween in July celebration of The Wickedest Witch, co-written and produced by ALF creator Paul Fusco, and starring Blanche from The Golden Girls as the evil Avarissa. As far as we know, this Halloween special only ever aired once, but somehow managed to capture our hearts and burrow itself into the cavernous depths of our memories.

****

🎙 Guest:

Matt from Dinosaur Dracula (The Purple Stuff Podcast, @dinosaurdracula).

****

📺 Watch It:

There are 3 copies on YouTube — some include commercials, others hit record a second too late. For the closest we can get to a full picture of the special, here are all 3, courtesy of:

1. Dinosaur Dracula,
2. Jared’s VHS Treasures,
3. trivialord.

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. The Wickedest Witch on Dinosaur Dracula.

2. Rue McClanahan on Entertainment Tonight, October 27, 1989 (Interview starts at 6:57).

3. Ronn Lucas (Sammy), creator of Scorch and the 1988 Disney Channel channel special, Who’s in Charge Here?

4. Judge Doom murdering a clown shoe in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

5. Free Stuff for Kids.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

McDonald’s Halloween Gift Certificate Books, 1989 during the airing of The Wickedest Witch.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Weird Christmas, all things holly, jolly, and odd-ly.

****

“The Wickedest Witch” © 1989 Boo You Productions.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: The Wickedest Witch

Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1983, and a young bear and fox are lost in the Big City after accidentally riding the rails on the apparently famous Christmas Tree Train in an obscure special that has little to do with Christmas trees or trains. Climb aboard as we explore the first holiday special starring Buttons and Rusty, known later as the Chucklewood Critters.

You can watch The Christmas Tree Train on the Internet Archive.

****

🎙 Guest:

Ethan (The Hungry Reader, A Special Presentation or ALF Will Not Be Seen Tonight, @TeeAitchAre).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. The Unofficial Chucklewood Critters Home Page, which looks like it was created in 2003, last updated in 2011, and is a perfect specimen of an early 2000s Internet fan page.

2. William Boyett (Ranger Jones) in Last Clear Chance, a 1959 driving safety film later featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

3. Foxes actually hang out around bears in nature (Nature.org, 2021).

4. A random shout-out to mid-1990s Sonic the Hedgehog wannabe Bubsy the Bobcat.

5. A very difficult jump in a sewer level in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nintendo game.

6. All the human characters in this special look like they’re related to Gargamel from The Smurfs.

7. RiffTrax Christmas Circus with Whizzo the Clown.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Santa’s Village in Southern California, circa 1983 during an airing of The Christmas Tree Train.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

North Pole Radio, covering the art of representing Santa and all things Christmas.

****

“The Christmas Tree Train” © 1983 Encore Enterprises, Inc.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: The Christmas Tree Train

Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1984, and all we want for Christmas is our mom back. Join us as we turn around back to 1984 with Punky Brewster during her very special, very crucial first Christmas with her new family.

WARNING: This episode contains Santa spoilers from 23:45 to 27:31.

****

🎙 Guests:

Adam Pope (The Retro Network, @hojukoolander).

Steven (UFO Club).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. I totally missed the 2021 Punky Brewster revival series on Peacock.

2. Ami Foster (Margaux) in Wrinkles in Need of Cuddles.

3. The Punky Brewster Wiki exists and is very helpful.

4. What do you mean, “Nobody would want A Bomb for Christmas?”

5. “Santa Claus Lives in Santa Cruz” is a very obscure single that may or may not have been written for this episode.

6. “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning” from Annie Get Your Gun.

7. Today’s TV Trope: Santa’s Existence Clause.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

NBC’s One to Grow On interstitial with Soleil Moon Frye, circa 1984.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Wizards! The Podcast Guide to Comics.

****

“Punky Brewster” and “Yes, Punky, There Is a Santa Claus” © 1984 NBC Productions.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Punky Brewster: Yes, Punky, There Is a Santa Claus

Advent Calendar House

🐰 It’s 1983, and despite replacing our entire body with robot parts, we still can’t plow faster than a rapidly growing magic forest baby. Join us as we get things rolling with the mascots of Paas Easter egg coloring kits in a secret hit piece on landlords disguised as a wacky Easter story. On the way, we’ll meet the ever-looming shadow of the Easter Bunny and teach animals to talk by giving them clothes.

****

🎙 Guests:

Sammy Hain (@SammyHain).

Chad Young (The Horror Movie BBQ, TPIF: Thank Pod It’s Funny, @horrormoviebbq).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. The History of Paas.

2. Patton Oswalt on Paas and its short-lived competitors.

3. This special was written by Rankin/Bass legend Romeo Muller, with songs composed by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan of The Turtles.

4. Charles Woolf (Terrence) in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.

5. The origin of a farmer’s “South 40” and the Homestead Act of 1862.

6. Paas replaced their mascot characters. The only original one left is Feathers — if that’s even the same Feathers.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Paas Easter Egg Coloring Kit, 1984.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Holidays After Dark, exploring the strange, unusual, and dark sides of the holidays.

****

“Peter and the Magic Egg” © 1983 RLR Associates, Ltd. / Romeo Productions, Inc.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Peter and the Magic Egg

Advent Calendar House

🎄

It’s 1990, and we’re looking a gift horse in the mouth. Join us on a wild ride to the Bar None Ranch for a Very Special Episode™ of Nickelodeon’s Hey Dude disguised as a barely festive Christmas in July special.

WARNING: This episode contains Santa spoilers from 27:07 to 28:58.

****

🎙 Guest:

Justin O’Connor (@jm_oconnor).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. An ode to our childhood friends who lied about having an Uncle Who Worked For Nintendo.

2. Hey Dude Reviewed’s episode rankings and review of Ride, She Said.

3. Kelly Brown (Brad) in Danger Zone 4: Mad Girls, Bad Girls (NSFW).

4. Kelly Brown’s boutique on Long Island.

5. Christine Taylor (Melody) in Showdown.

6. Susan Sindelar (Cindy) in the background of a fight scene in Smokey and the Bandit.

6. TROT (Therapeutic Riding of Tucson) is a real place.

7. The Hey Dude set is still somewhat standing in a secluded area of another, actual ranch.

8. The Hangin’ Out Gang.

9. The Huron Carol, believed to be the oldest North American Christmas carol, was written in an indigenous language.

10. The poster for Miracle on 34th Street gives no indication that it’s a Christmas movie.

10 . You know what? I’ll just let y’all search for “star registry” on your own if you want to actually look naming a star after someone.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

California Games for Nintendo, 1987.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Christmas Creeps, keeping the Christmas spirit alive year-round through the magic of terrible holiday films.

****

“Hey Dude” and “Ride She Said” © 1990 MTV Networks.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Hey Dude: Ride, She Said

Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s 1983, and Young Republican Alex P. Keaton is sick and tired of hearing “Merry Christmas.” It was a different time. Join us as we airlift our dirty laundry back to before Back to the Future for a Scrooge Sunday edition of Family Ties, in which Michael J. Fox is taken 30 years into the future to fix his family.

****

🎙 Guests:

Molly Patton (MollyPatton.com, @molly_patton, @MoMakesStuffUp).

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, Words With Nerds, @imgonnadj24).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. Michael Gross (Steven) on making the Christmas movie Noelle.

2. Chris Hebert (Young Alex) in Fuzzbucket.

3. Justine Bateman as Mallory as the Ghost of Christmas Future is the Best Dressed Ghost of Christmas Future.

4. Justine Bateman as Lady Zara, Superman’s long-lost betrothed wife-to-be on Lois and Clark.

5. Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter (Elyse) as Santa and Mrs. Claus in the 2015 Lifetime Original Movie, Becoming Santa.

6. The time I went shopping on Christmas Day in the year 2000 and ended up finding the loneliest Hollywood Video employee.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Atari Christmas Commercial, 1983.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

The Christmas Alphabet Podcast, Christmas from A to Z.

****

“Family Ties” and “A Keaton Christmas Carol” © 1983 Paramount Pictures Corp.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: Family Ties: A Keaton Christmas Carol

Advent Calendar House

It’s 1984, and it’s time to let the music play down in Fraggle Rock as we ring in Christmas in July on a quest to find the true meaning of the Festival of the Bells. On the way, we’ll visit Outer Space as Doc teaches Sprocket — and us — about the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, and Christmas around the world.

****

🎙 Guests:

Tom Coombs (The Pop Daddy, @thepopdaddy).

Donnie Storms (Bronwen’s Ghost, @boxcar45).

****

💬 Topics & Tangents:

1. A clip from the British airing of The Bells of Fraggle Rock, in which Doc is replaced by a lighthouse captain.

2. Gerald Parkes (Doc) in An American Christmas Carol as the Ghost of Christmas Present.

3. Doc’s tool-themed Christmas tree.

4. Macy’s Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village in Philadelphia.

5. The Weebabeast, in pictures.

6. Gobo’s maze-like map to the Cave of the Great Bell.

7. St. Nicholas Day.

8. Mokey and the Festival of the Bells, a Christmas-themed Fraggle Rock storybook.

****

📼 Retro Commercial Break:

Fraggle Rock Book Club, 1985.

McDonald’s Fraggle Rock Happy Meal Toys, 1988.

****

🎤 And Now, These Messages:

Hyrule Podcasters, an audio “Let’s Play” through The Legend of Zelda.

****

“The Bells of Fraggle Rock” © 1984 Jim Henson Productions.

Say hi on Twitter and Instagram.
Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

Listen to this episode of the Advent Calendar House podcast
Author:
Title: The Bells of Fraggle Rock