My picks for best Under-rated, Forgotten, Unknown Christmas Specials

[WingedSerpent]

Well, its a week before Christmas, so I want to get my list out before then.  This was to originally be about the under-rated classics-but as I did research on this subject I found out that a lot of people still remember and loved the ones I had on my list.  I expanded it to include specials that just don't seem to get played anymore.  Like before, nothing that had a theatrical release.  TV specials, Straight to DVD, and even special Christmas episodes or regular shows.

5. A Claymation Christmas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272045/
This one is propbly known to a lot of people.  It even won awards when it aired.  So why is it on my list.  Like I said-I don't see it getting regular broadcast with other classic Christmas specials.  I can only guess that references to the California Rasins seems dated-or something.  Which is a real shame, because this is one of the last great examples of stop-motion animation before CGI becae a legit animation technique.  Great songs, great segments, and its hosted by two dinosaurs!  What's not to love?  It just makes the list because it doesn't seem to be on anymore. 

(and I'm making a statement right here, despite the fact that even I'm guilty of it-simply watching something on youtube is NOT the same)

4The Tick loves Santa from The Tick
http://www.thetick.ws/car23.html
Our first Christmas-themed episode.  The Tick was a hilarious cartoon show that was at the same time a loving tribute and a lampoon of comic book super-heroes.  The Tick is incredibly good natured so naturally he loves Santa.  When an evil Santa tries to take over the city-the heroes have to stop him and his army of clones. Bu can the Tick punch Santa?  Watch any episode of the Tick-and you'll be quoting it for days.

3.  Christmas with the Joker from Batman TAS
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0519578/
Batman TAS was one of the few children's show-nay- any show period that maintained a high qualilty of wriitng through out its run.  This Christmas based episode sees the Joker committing a sereies of crimes at Christmas.  Great action and some moments that are funny and scary at the same time.  espcially when Joker gives Batman his Christmas present. 

2.  The Town Santa Forgot
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356140/
This one is done by Hanna Barbarrea.  We've seen the story of a spoiled brat learn the true meaning of Christmas before..but I like this one.  Jeremy Creek (the boy) will no longer get presents from his parents, so he writes an giant list to Santa.  St. Nick can't believe one child would ask for so much.  It's discovered that there is a town that he has not been delivering toys too-a town named Jeremy Creek.   The town childern get their first visit from Santa and Jeremy learns that giving is better than receiving.  (though lets be honest-receiving is pretty nice too.)

Finally ...Number one is...

1.The Snowman
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084701/
This one is just great.  Like the one I started this list with-lots of people liked it, critically praised-but doesnt seem to be around anymore.  I always remember it was on PBS when it aired-maybe they lost the rights or something.  Now apparently there are two different versions.  They differ in how the main story is introduced-but as long as the main part remains the same, I don't think it will make much difference. 

A little boy's snowman comes to life for one night, and the two are off on a magical adventure.  Literaly flying through the air, meeting Santa, and enjoying a snowman Christmas party.  The entire animated sequence doesn't have anywords-so the story is told through intrumental music and visuals.  Beautiful animation, great songs and unlike so many Christmas specials, this one ends on a rather somber note.  You might want to save this one for children who arn't so little because of that, but it is definately woth seeing.

There's my list.

Happy Hoildays Everyone!

[Allhallowsday]

J.T. (1969) A lost TV special, not shown in at least 30 years.  This TV film had an enormous impact on my vision of Christmas, what's Christmasy, what's kind, what's important. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158681/ 

[Andrew]

5. A Claymation Christmas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272045/
This one is propbly known to a lot of people.  It even won awards when it aired.  So why is it on my list.  Like I said-I don't see it getting regular broadcast with other classic Christmas specials.  I can only guess that references to the California Rasins seems dated-or something.  Which is a real shame, because this is one of the last great examples of stop-motion animation before CGI becae a legit animation technique.  Great songs, great segments, and its hosted by two dinosaurs!  What's not to love?  It just makes the list because it doesn't seem to be on anymore. 

We have this on DVD, and it is a great mix of styles built upon claymation.  The kids love Quasimodo directing the bell orchestra, and they fall over laughing at the walruses ice-skating (and penguin-punking).  I think that the first skit, with the camels and the wise men is my favorite, but I actually enjoy the connecting story with the two dinosaur hosts trying to get to the bottom of "Wassailing."

4The Tick loves Santa from The Tick
http://www.thetick.ws/car23.html
Our first Christmas-themed episode.  The Tick was a hilarious cartoon show that was at the same time a loving tribute and a lampoon of comic book super-heroes.  The Tick is incredibly good natured so naturally he loves Santa.  When an evil Santa tries to take over the city-the heroes have to stop him and his army of clones. Bu can the Tick punch Santa?  Watch any episode of the Tick-and you'll be quoting it for days.

This episode has one of the worst, but funniest puns, I have ever heard.  When the huge mass of Santas and snow comes churning down the frozen river Tick points at it and yells, "It's a yule tide!"  Hahahaha!  Then he swims upstream to the source of the Christmas evil!  "Like a mighty blue salmon of justice!"

[Mr. DS]

Quote from: WingedSerpent on December 18, 2008, 10:27:41 PM
5. A Claymation Christmas
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272045/
This one is propbly known to a lot of people.  It even won awards when it aired.  So why is it on my list.  Like I said-I don't see it getting regular broadcast with other classic Christmas specials.  I can only guess that references to the California Rasins seems dated-or something.  Which is a real shame, because this is one of the last great examples of stop-motion animation before CGI becae a legit animation technique.  Great songs, great segments, and its hosted by two dinosaurs!  What's not to love?  It just makes the list because it doesn't seem to be on anymore. 


We have this on DVD, and it is a great mix of styles built upon claymation.  The kids love Quasimodo directing the bell orchestra, and they fall over laughing at the walruses ice-skating (and penguin-punking).  I think that the first skit, with the camels and the wise men is my favorite, but I actually enjoy the connecting story with the two dinosaur hosts trying to get to the bottom of "Wassailing."

I loved this special.  Will Vinton was truly a master in his art.  The Dinosaurs were great with the wassaling debate.  They had a flock of geese show up singing "here we come a waddling" and then a bunch of dogs with waffles singing, "here we come a waffling".  Hilarious. 

The music was actually quite beautifully produced. I really loved the "joy to the world" one with the church windows.  Side note, here is a link to part 1. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD7BeutpkS4

[JJ80]

Anyone remember "Yogi's First Christmas" where the eponymous ursine awakens early from hibernation and stops an embittered young boy and his cantankerous hermit sidekick from ruining the festivities at a ski lodge in Jellystone National Park. It was pretty good and featured a lot of Hanna-Barbera's other characters like Huckleberry Hound and Snagglepuss.

[Mr. DS]

I'll throw in Christmas Eve On Sesame Street. 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0331217/
It was a staple of my childhood to watch this every year.  Now, its a bit harder to find on PBS but I saw it last year.  I honestly choked back tears during the Bert and Ernie segment with Mr. Hooper. 

[Raffine]

I always like the decidedly odd Rankin/Bass late-comer Jack Frost (1979). It featured some genuinely weird characters like Kubla Krauss ("The King of the Cossocks, only there weren't any more Cossacks to be king of") and his iron ventriloquist dummy 'Dommie' ("I like you best Kubla! jack Frost got cooold fingers!"). Buddy Hackett, playing a groundhog, narrates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=778pJ0SQXyA


Kubla has a great song at around the 1:35 mark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyMTGX6hMVY&eurl=http://www.badmovies.org/forum/index.php/topic,122527.msg233915.html&feature=player_embedded

[Allhallowsday]

J.T. (1969) has actually been posted over on YouTube in five parts, a real treat for those looking for a different kind of Christmas movie : 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqSgRsqK4aA 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSXKLRxqZ6s&feature=related 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mapzL66aApY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqjtmp3F6GQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9eKC9fb8Sc&feature=related

[WingedSerpent]

I  loved Kubla Kraus' song.  I find myself singing it sometimes.  The Family channel, which airs it usually, cuts it every year for time or something.

Just redicovered another one.  I remember seeing it once, too bad it didn't register when I was making my list.

It's called Peace on Earth.  It's kind of dark for a Christmas cartoon.  The story is that a world war has wiped out all of humanity.  (Full of Christmas Cheer right?)  The woodland animals find a Bible and decide to rebuilt society.  It was made in 1939.  There's some great animation early, depicting what the animals thought humans where like.  Here it is in it's entirety

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8OYvHPpGDY 

[Allhallowsday]

Looking for LUCY with VAN JOHNSON I found this, even better, LUCY with the real SANTA CLAUS in superior clips uncovered in the 1980s of the only one-time aired Christmas episode of "I Love Lucy"   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwn9A-1dhMU 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!