Stocking Stuffers

 

Ho ho ho no! Christmas Day is just mere days away! I'm as busy as everyone else is during this home stretch to the holidays, so I'll keep this short. Consider these various short clips as "stocking stuffers" to enjoy until the big day arrives!

Here is a lovely rendition of "Frosty The Snowman" by the late great Leon Redbone and Dr. John!

It's The Brave and The Bold starring Batman & Robin and...Santa Claus!

One commercial I remember seeing frequently on TV when I was a kid was this commercial for Disneyland Records's collection of Christmas songs recording specifically for release by Disney. This instantly brings me back to my childhood Christmases!

A couple of weeks ago we lost actor Eddie Mekka, who played Carmine Ragusa, "The Big Ragu," on Laverne & Shirley. Here he is from a famous Christmas episode of the series singing and dancing to "Jingle Bell Rock!"

Finally, here is a wonderfully fun recording of "The Merry Old Philosopher," by comedian Eddie Lawrence. The Old Philosopher was a long-running act of Lawrence's that spawned many novelty records; this one may be my favorite!

This will likely be my last post before Christmas Day, but I hope to have my Christmas greeting on the day itself, followed by a couple articles during my annual Christmas vacation next week.

If you don't get a chance to stop by before Saturday, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Classic Christmas TV Commercials 2021 Edition Part 2

 

As we return to the Countdown to Christmas, we check in with a promised second edition of classic Christmas TV commercials!

We start with our pals at Wendy's again, doing their best to sell their restaurants as holiday destinations.

This commercial for retailer McDade's helps men find the perfect gift for that "special lady."

Department store Wieboldt's hopes their gifts help make it a "Wonderful World of Christmas!"

The late, lamented Gimbel's helps you "Bring Christmas Home."

Finally, a double shot from our friends at Kmart. Long before Walmart and Target were a thing in my area, Kmart was key for Christmas shopping!

Now go do some Christmas shopping!

Michael Nesmith, 1942-2021

Man. This sucks.

I've mentioned several times before my deep love for the Monkees, but I don't know if I've mentioned that I've always found Michael Nesmith the most talented members of the band (no disrespect to the other members at all). His songwriting was excellent, and he was just so funny too. I watched his Television Parts series on NBC as a kid and highly enjoyed it, without knowing he was a Monkee. He could pretty much do it all.

And now we've lost him.

When I heard of his death, I was surprised but also not surprised. I followed Nesmith on social media, and he didn't look well, even for his age. Plus he had to postpone a previous tour a couple years ago due to health issues, so I've suspected for awhile that he was not in the best of health. Still, I was sad to hear of his passing, and I couldn't let his death go unnoted here.

Here is a clip from The Monkees in which he espouses the love for music and for life that guides musicians, including his bandmate Peter Tork.

Here are just a few of my many favorite Nesmith-penned tunes.

While we're in the Christmas season, please see my previous post from several years ago featuring the one and only Christmas episode of The Monkees here.

Rest in peace, Mike. Share a drink with Davey and Peter for us.

Classic Christmas Commercials 2021 Edition

 

It's time for one of my favorite blog articles of the year! It's my annual look at fun Christmas commercials of the past. Let's get going!

Cats could use Commodore computers in the '80s. It's true.

Sticking with the electronics theme, Sears was a great place to get these new things called video games in 1981!

The holidays are definitely the best times to get the best homemade food, but even then it's convenient to stop at Wendy's in a pinch.

K-Mart was such an important Christmas shopping destination growing up. Where else could you buy an affordable butter melter? And yes, that IS Tim Allen at the very end of the commercial.

Why look, it's our friends at Sears again! And looking very '80s!

It wouldn't be the Christmas season without listening to the classic Time-Life Treasury of Christmas music collection!

Lastly, if cookies for Santa are in short supply, you can't go wrong with Little Debbie snack cakes!

I hope to have more great commercials later this season. Thanks!

Classic Promos for Classic Christmas TV Specials

Happy Saint Nicholas Day! I hope he left candy in your shoes last night!

It's unimaginable to celebrate Christmas without the classic Christmas TV specials that have aired for decades, from Charlie Brown to Rudolph to Frosty and beyond. When watching TV during the holidays, a minute of excitement would arise when a quick promotional spot for these specials would air during regular programming, letting us know that our beloved favorites were on their way.

Here are several shorts promos for classic Christmas TV specials from various years and networks. Let them remind you to keep an eye out for these classics this year, whether on broadcast TV, cable, and streaming services.

Enjoy!