So here I am at college. Don’t own a television set, but my roommate has one that I can watch if I feel I must. Usually I don’t want to watch TV but now it’s the holiday season! There are Christmas specials! I want - no, I need to watch my Christmas specials! It’s just not the holiday season for me if I can’t watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and maybe get to see the Muppet Christmas show, and if I’m really lucky I’ll get to watch The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus!
So I head over to tvguide.com to check their listings. Sure enough, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is on tonight, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas is on every evening next week thanks to Cartoon Network… but - but - when’s Muppet Christmas? Even worse - I CAN’T FIND RUDOLPH!
I suppose I can live without the Muppets if I MUST, but when is Rudolph going to be on? I can find listings for Rudolph’s Shiny New Year but I just want the original with the Abominable Snowman and Hermie who doesn’t want to make toys and Yukon Cornelius! What channel is it on?
I’ve noticed that the cable company that provides free TV to college students living in the dorm has 2 ABCs plus the ABC family channel but doesn’t seem to have a CBS. Is Rudolph on CBS, then? Are they denying me my Rudolph??
Frosty The Snowman was on last night, followed by Frosty Returns. That doesn’t help you much, I know. I watched Frosty, probably for the first time in over twenty years. Why didn’t the kids wear warm clothes? The main chracter, Karen, looked like she wasn’t even wearing pants! No wonder she got cold in the refrigerated boxcar.
Man, I watched Frosty last night and I don’t think I’ve ever had such a powerful attack of nostalgia. I always really loved the whole train bit for some reason. (Although as a kid I was kinda disturbed by the police officer who swallowed his whistle, because I thought he could never speak again.)
Anyway, there seems to be a Rankin-Bass Christmas special marathon airing on Fox Family in about an hour. I know what I’m doing this afternoon…
My first year at college (1987 if anyone’s wondering), some student club had a very successful fundraiser by showing three hours of animated Christmas specials in one of the big university auditoriums. Just a hint out there for next year, if anyone reading this needs a way to raise money for their student organization…
flodnak, I wouldn’t recommend that since such an event would be breaking any number of copyright laws (particularly since you’re charging admission). I’m not surprised it happened in the late 80s since no university in their right mind would approve such a proposal today.
I wish I had it on tape.