Here is almost three hours of programming that aired on MTV on Christmas Day, 1985. Nina Blackwood and Martha Quinn are the VJs. There appear to be some edits here and there, so it's not three consistent hours, but it's more than enough to simulate leaving the tube on MTV in the background while sipping your eggnog and playing your newly gifted ColecoVision that long-past Christmas Day.
I've also thrown in some holiday-related bumpers and segments (some that may also appear in the larger video, but hey, repeats are a part of television). Enjoy!
Starting off this second week of the Countdown to Christmas is a holiday-themed episode of the '70s sitcom Phyllis.
Phyllis, a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, starred the late Cloris Leachman as the titular Phyllis, living as a single woman in San Francisco. In this episode, "The Christmas Party," Phyllis tries to throw a large office party for her coworkers to avoid spending the holiday alone, against the wishes of her politician boss.
Consider yourself invited to the party! Enjoy below or directly on YouTube here. Thanks!
Music is a very important part of enjoying the holidays. I can't imagine a Christmas season without it! Just as enjoyable much of the time are Christmas music videos, which have really blossomed the past few years, even for music recordings that are decades old.
Here below are several Christmas music videos that have caught my eye in recent years. I may feature one or two I've blogged in the past, but write it off as being a Christmas tradition.
My first entry in this year's Countdown to Christmas is a program I originally blogged way back on December 15, 2010. I don't usually like to blog stuff I've blogged before, but since it's been 15 years, and the original video link is now broken, I figured I can forgive myself the repeat.
The Christmas Raccoons is the first appearance of the titular raccoons from the famous Nelvana animation studios, a Canadian production house that gave us some memorable, if weird, 70s TV specials such as A Cosmic Christmas, The Devil and Daniel Mouse, and other trippy cartoons. In this special from 1980, which stars Rich Little as the narrator, Rupert Holmes as a forest ranger, and Rita Coolidge as the sister raccoon, three raccoon siblings lose their forest home due to the machinations of Cyril Sneer, a capitalistic, oligarch aardvark. Who smokes a cigar.
A capitalistic, oligarch aardvark. Who smokes a cigar.
It's much cuter than it sounds.
The raccoons proved very popular, having had three more TV specials like this, followed by a regular series in 1985. If you're a Gen Xer but don't recall this special, give it a look, it will likely jog your memory.
Ho Ho Ho! Welcome one and all to the 2025 Countdown to Christmas! I hope this month to bring holly to your jolly, kisses to your mistletoe, and stuffing to your stocking!
Throughout the month of December, I'll present to you Yuletide cartoons, TV episodes, movies, music, and all sorts of good cheer. Stay tuned every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (real life permitting) for holiday fun and frivolity.
Below is just a warmup for the festivities. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!
Hello all! I have one other Thanksgiving item to show you before the big weekend. I'm just getting this in under the wire!
Thanks is a short-lived sitcom that aired on CBS for six weeks starting in August of 1999, about the Pilgrims that settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Of course, this is NOT historically accurate, as the creators are going for modern-day laughs rather than a history lesson.
The series was panned by both critics and audiences and is now largely forgotten. I only remember it because it debuted during my early years working for TV Guide magazine, but I didn't see it until I looked it up on YouTube this month. I've only seen this first episode, and I found it mildly amusing enough. Plus, it was fun to see some familiar faces, notably the late Cloris Leachman and Erika Christensen (Parenthood, Will Trent).
Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving!
And please be here Monday, December 1st, for the 2025 Countdown to Christmas!
The holiday season is nearly here--some people consider the season officially begun--and what better way to get into the holiday spirit than to enjoy these TV commercials that aired on Channel 9 New York, WOR-TV, from Thanksgiving Day, 1981?
While WNBC-TV Channel 4 showed the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, this station had an annual tradition of showing King Kong movies on Thanksgiving Day, followed by a Godzilla movie marathon on Black Friday. Sounds awesome to me!
As you can imagine, there are plenty of Christmas-related commercials here, and some good, local ones too, especially if you're a fan of the commercials for the Crazy Eddie electronics store chain. After all, their prices were INSANE!
This collection is courtesy of one of my favorite YouTube channels, 80s Commercial Vault. Do yourself a favor and subscribe to the channel here. Amazing stuff!
