The Christmas Raccoons (Reblog from 2010)

 

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.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 2025 Countdown to Christmas!

 

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!

Thanks, CBS Sitcom Pilot, August 2, 1999

 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!

WOR-TV Channel 9 New York TV Commercials from Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1981

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!

Thanks!

Post-Halloween Palette Cleanser

Hello all! I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween season! Let's do it again next year!

This is just a quick note to say that the blog might be quiet between now and Thanksgiving. One reason is I have a thousand things going on that need my attention, and the other is that I'll likely spend any time I do have to blog to write up posts for a Countdown to Christmas I want to do. Last year, I only had one Christmas article and that was it. I want to do better than that! But to do that, I'll need to write stuff in advance and schedule it to appear in December.

So please stay tuned for great Christmas stuff coming up, but please be patient until then. Of course, if I can post something before Thanksgiving, that would be great. Keep me in your blog feed and look out for me soon.

Thanks!

Happy Halloween 2025!

 

And that's a mummy wrap on the 2025 Countdown to Halloween!

I hope you had as much fun reading and watching as I've had blogging. To celebrate the season, we've shared our time with the Pink Panther, Fred Flintstone, Parker Stevenson, the Banana Splits, space aliens, and our beloved Vincent Price, just to name a few. I hope you've had plenty of ghoulish fun!

Thanks again to Dex of AEIOU and Sometimes Why for orgnaizing the Countdown--many good spooky vibes to you, sir! And of course, the most important person throughout all this is YOU, the reader/watcher/listener. The Countdown would be meainingless without your care and support. THANK YOU!

Please enjoy the season finale tonight, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy an entire spooky weekend! I'm sure everyone will keep festivities going straight through Sunday evening. When the sun rises Monday morning, then we'll officially close the books on Halloween 2025.

Thank you once again, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

And coming soon!

Vincent Price's Dracula: The Great Undead (1982)

 

Hello! It's the last week of the Halloween season! And this is the next-to-last post of the Countdown to Halloween. And I celebrate this week by going full circle back to the beginning of my part in the Countdown--Vincent Price.

Today I present Vincent Price's Dracula: The Great Undead, a documentary about the Dracula legend from Bram Stoker's titular Count to real-life inspirations for the same. This was first released directly to home video in 1982, then in later years shown on PBS stations.

Price presents the material as a wealthy eccentric hosting the viewer in his gothic abode, telling the legends and history of the character with Price's usual wry wit and pomp. Perfect Price!

Enjoy below or directly on YouTube here. Thanks!

See you on the 31st, when I'll wrap up the Countdown!