Tuesday's Overlooked TV: Simple Gifts, "No Room At The Inn"

For the last Tuesday before Christmas, I present the last installment of the long-lost PBS holiday special Simple Gifts. This installment is "No Room At The Inn" by R. O. Blechman, and it details Joseph and Mary's travel to Bethlehem and their inability to get a proper place to stay for Jesus' birth. Beautiful in its simplicity, it's easily my favorite segment of the special.

This isn't the first time I've featured Blechman's work. Here are two short promo pieces for CBS television from the 1960s that showcase Blechman's heartfelt style.



Thanks!

Popeye The Sailor, "Spinach Greetings"

Ahoy sailor! Sit ye down for a sea shanty tale, that of Popeye and his yuletide run-in with the witchy Sea Hag, who tries to stop Santa Claus from making his Christmas Eve ride! Well blow me down!

Enjoy!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: The Royal Guardsmen, "Snoopy's Christmas"

If you know me at all, you knew I had to include this at some point!

Tuesday's Overlooked TV: Simple Gifts, "My Christmas" and "December 25, 1914"

Tuesday's Overlooked TV continues to present the obscure PBS animated special Simple Gifts this holiday season. This week, the short segment "My Christmas," describing a Christmas of a childhood-era Theodore Roosevelt, and "December 25, 1914," a soldier's telling of the Christmas truce that took place that year during World War I.

Enjoy!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: The Monkees, "Riu Chiu"

The Monkees wish you a Merry Christmas!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: Clarence Carter, "Back Door Santa" (1968)

A weekend during the holidays deserves a holiday weekend song!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: The Futureheads, "Christmas Was Better In The 80s"

I completely agree!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: Alabama, "Thistlehair The Christmas Bear"

This is one of my wife's favorites!

Tuesday's Overlooked TV: Simple Gifts, "Lost and Found"

Tuesday's Overlooked TV continues to showcase segments of the 1978 PBS holiday special Simple Gifts with "Lost and Found." This segment was based on the early 20th century comic strip Toonerville Trolley (aka Toonerville Folks), which ran in newspaper syndication from 1908 to 1955.

The most lighthearted portion of the program, this brief short is played strictly for laughs. As it's comprised of just a few gags, I'll let the segment speak for itself. Enjoy!

I've been having a hard time trying to find the official order of the segments, so I may be presenting them out of order. I hope this isn't a problem for anyone. :)

Thanks!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: John Aneilio, "Batman Smells, A Rebuttal"

Christmas is a hard time of year for Batman, all thanks to that kids song. The Caped Crusader deserves better!

You can find more musical finery like this from musician and podcaster John Aneilio. Go there. Now. You'll be glad you did!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: Stone Temple Pilots, "Christmas Time Is Here"

Sorry, Scott. See you on the other side.

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: Dropkick Murphys, "The Season's Upon Us"

It's Friday, so the weekend demands a more irreverent take on the holidays. Enjoy!

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: Bananarama, "Baby It's Christmas"

Brian's Musical Advent Calendar: J.D. McPherson, "Twinkle"

Dancing is required for this one!

Tuesday's Overlooked TV: Simple Gifts, "A Memory of Christmas"

As promised last week, Tuesday's Overlooked TV this month is another portion of the dormant PBS Christmas special Simple Gifts. In "A Memory of Christmas," Jose Ferrer narrates a man's remembrance of a long ago Christmas during the Depression spent with his father while looking for a Christmas gift. This is a bittersweet segment, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless. Thanks!