Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Who can resist the story of the little reindeer that could? Not only does he have a nose that glows, but in this holiday classic, he also has an interesting noise to go along with that shiny nose. Plus, you have to love the fact that those snooty reindeer that wouldn't allow him to join in any reindeer games got theirs when good old Rudolph ended up leading that sleigh. It's the classic misfit story set to a Christmas theme. What could be better?
Frosty the Snowman - How awesome is this take on the classic holiday song? Not only do we have an animated Frosty, but also a mean magician and his rabbit sidekick! And don't even lie to me and tell me that you didn't have tears running down your face when you thought Frosty had melted in that greenhouse! I was so relieved when he came back to life.
A Charlie Brown Christmas - It really isn't the holiday season until I've seen Charlie Brown pick out that poor tree. Plus, this special highlights an ongoing theme for the Christmas season: What is the true meaning and how does it get so lost in the commercialism? No one does it better than Charlie Brown. And how great is it that Snoopy represents all the commercialism with his heavily decorated, prize winning dog house?
It's A Wonderful Life - This movie reminds us all how lucky we are, and yet, how much we take the important things in life for granted. The story of George Bailey and his feelings of ending his life on Christmas Eve takes on the sometimes dreary undertones to the holiday season. As the movie progresses, though, we get a sense of the value of a life and we end on a heartwarming note that reminds us all to hug our loved ones. It's no accident that this movie is a classic.
Mickey's Christmas Carol - This has to be one of my top holiday favorites. Charles Dickens' classic story has been told over and over again, but my favorite features Mickey and the gang. Scrooge McDuck is perfect for the role, and Mickey and his poor struggling family just break your heart. I love the Goofy ghost as well. This special does a nice job of telling the classic tale.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Sometimes you just want to watch a holiday movie and laugh over and over again. This movie is still funny to me, and I've seen it every year since it came out (1989). In fact, some parts get funnier as I get older and get even more out of it. This movie has so many classic moments, but some of my favorites are when Clark takes his family out to the middle of nowhere to get a tree and ends up under a tractor trailer, Clark's light fiasco, and Clark's sledding adventure. Just a hilarious holiday movie.
One Magic Christmas - The story of the family about to lose it all because of financial problems and an angel named Gideon that comes to their rescue is always one of my favorite holiday heartwarmers. It's just the quintessential Christmas movie because it reminds us all what truly matters.
Elf - This is the newest member of my holiday favorites club. This movie does a nice job of blending comedy with a Christmas message. I love watching the adventures of Buddy in the big city, but I also enjoy the journey he makes in finding his father and building a relationship with him. Plus, you've gotta love the Christmas spirit in the park at the end.
Those are just some of my holiday favorites. Which Christmas specials and movies do you watch every year when they light up our televisions? Leave a comment with your picks.
About Last Night... CBS won the first hour of the night with the first hour of its 2-hour Survivor finale, followed by the first half of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC and The West Wing on NBC. At 9, the second hour of Survivor on CBS came in first, followed by the second half of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and NBC's Law & Order: CI (r). The final hour of the night went to a tie between ABC's Grey's Anatomy and CBS's Survivor reunion show. NBC's Crossing Jordan came in third. For more on last night's ratings, visit Zap2it.
~Primetime Pass~
@8 p.m. - Michael reaches out to Lucille after his break up with Rita, but learns a disturbing secret about her. Meanwhile, George Sr. makes some plans in the "Prison Break" episode of Fox's Arrested Development. Over on NBC, Elton John's Las Vegas show comes to television in the special Elton John: The Red Piano
@10 p.m. - CBS's CSI: Miami borrows a page from fellow Bruckheimer crime show Cold Case's playbook tonight as the CSIs investigate a cold rape case after new technology reveals the true rapist.
7th Heaven - The Camdens help out during the holidays by taking part in a living nativity scene at the church, Eric dresses up as Santa at a convalescent home, Ruthie volunteers at a hospital, Lucy works with Habitat for Humanity and Kevin considers adopting a dog from the local shelter. 8 p.m. WB
Related - It's Christmas time in the Sorelli house and Ginnie is thrown for a loop when she learns at the last minute that her in-laws are coming into town for the holiday. 9 p.m. WB
QUICK CUTS
*Which new shows receive the most buzz? Well it's not NBC's Inconceivable or Fox's Head Cases, which might be why both shows are now canceled (the "buzz" factor was measured before each show's demise). According to research firm Bandimensions (which used its propriety technology to round up written comments from Internet chatrooms, message boards, blogs, etc) NBC's My Name is Earl gets the most buzz of any new show, followed by Fox's Prison Break. Overall, CBS's new slate of shows received the collective best buzz. For more on the study and Brandimensions research, visit Yahoo! News.
*In case you didn't see it or haven't heard, 30-year-old Danni Boatwright is the latest Survivor to outwit, outplay, and outlast them all. The sports radio host from Kansas walked away with a 2006 Pontiac Torrent SUV in addition to the million dollar prize. Boatwright is a former Miss Teen and Miss USA contestant.
*And finally, it's TV on DVD Monday! Look for the fifth season of Gilmore Girls on store shelves tomorrow in time for the holiday season. Also making debuts tomorrow, The Simpsons (season 7), Miami Vice (season 2), and The Dukes of Hazzard (season 5). For a complete list of tomorrow's releases, visit tvshowsondvd.com.
That's all for today. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a list all the wonderful things on television that I'm thankful for this year. Plus, all the latest television news!
1 comment:
I can't think of the name of it ,but one classic holiday movie to see every year would be the one about the red rider bb gun. Do you know the one I mean? Peter Billingsly plays the little boy. Another movie I find very magical is Prancer.
Post a Comment