[QUOTE=The Sausage Creature]
I want my California Raisins Claymation Christmas back, dammit!!!
[/QUOTE]
My sister bought a copy of Claymation Christmas at Walmart. Not only did it have the Christmas special, but it also included the Claymation Halloween and Easter specials as well.
[QUOTE=mobo85]
Was recently re-released on DVD last year by HIT Entertainment, who has a licensing agreement with Jim Henson Productions. Due to rivalries between HIT and the Walt Disney Company, HIT was, however, unable to obtain permission to use the Kermit character who appears in the opening and closing.
[/QUOTE]
Hmm. I must have an older DVD, because I have Kermit on mine. My absolutely favorite Christmas watching-thing of all time. Screw Rudolph, says I. 
I might feel differently if Rudolph had a jug band, though.
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
1.) Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol.
[/QUOTE]
Best…Christmas special…ever. At the very least, it forms a holy trinity with Charlie Brown and the Grinch.
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy]
It seems to have had a resurgence of interest recently, but for the longest time, my favorite was the terribly sad Jack Frost, which was impossible to find and never, ever repeated.
[/QUOTE]
I remember that one. I even used to sing the song “Put one foot in front of the other…a and soon you’ll be walking cross the floo-oo-oor… Put one foot in front of the other… And soon you’ll be walking out the door.”
It was also one of my favourites because it was sad. I was excitedly looking forward to it the following year, but I don’t believe I saw it again as a child. The look of the Jack Frost puppet reminded me of a strange cross between Danny Kaye and Johnny Cash.
I also remember a stop animation story about a donkey with extremely long ears. It was sort of like an “ugly duckling” type tale, crossed with the nativity story. Like Rudolph with the glowing nose, the young donkey was ashamed of his enormous ears, but I think he ended up at the manger when Wee Baby Jesus was born.
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone]
I remember that one. I even used to sing the song “Put one foot in front of the other…a and soon you’ll be walking cross the floo-oo-oor… Put one foot in front of the other… And soon you’ll be walking out the door.”
<SNIP>
[/QUOTE]
I haven’t seen Jack Frost, so maybe the song is on there too - but I first heard that song on Santa Clause is comin’ to Town
[QUOTE=Khadaji]
I haven’t seen Jack Frost, so maybe the song is on there too - but I first heard that song on Santa Clause is comin’ to Town
[/QUOTE]
:smack: You are correct. I just conflated the two. Jack Frost bears quite a resemblance to the young, clean shaven Kris Kringle puppet, but Jack was Blond.
The Jack Frost story was compelling and at the time had an ending that was unresolved compared to many of the happily-ever-afters I was used to seeing at the time.
[QUOTE=Swallowed My Cellphone]
I also remember a stop animation story about a donkey with extremely long ears. It was sort of like an “ugly duckling” type tale, crossed with the nativity story. Like Rudolph with the glowing nose, the young donkey was ashamed of his enormous ears, but I think he ended up at the manger when Wee Baby Jesus was born.
[/QUOTE]
This would be the aforementioned Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (see about the 11th post above by Caratacus Potts).
There is also a Rankin Bass version of the Little Drummer Boy that is very dark and never aired anymore.
Obscure? How’s The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1965 - Liza Minnelli, Cyril Ritchard)? I only remember it vaguely from seeing it as a kid, but the one comment makes me think it would be interesting to see again.
The Mr. Magoo does show up every year on cable, I believe. I’ve seen it and listened carefully for Morey Amsterdam, but AFAICT he has only one line. IIRC it’s from one of the men talking about going to Scrooge’s funeral.
And I’d love to see the uncut Muppet Family Christmas.
[QUOTE=Caractacus Pott]
Nuveau,
It’s on a triple-header DVD in the $9.99 bin, sharing billing with Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey, with The Year without a Santa Claus as the headliner act. Talk about your obscure Christmas specials. I’d forgotten about poor Nestor and his ears dragging in the sand until I got this disk.
[/QUOTE]
I must find this.
Thanks for the head’s up!!
the Hallmark Hall of Fame
presents
AMAL
and the
NIGHT VISITORS
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle]
And I’d love to see the uncut Muppet Family Christmas.
[/QUOTE]
Well, I think Henson was Jewish, so good luck with that.
OTOH, most of them appear to be wearing pants of some sort, so, how would you tell?
[QUOTE=kaylasdad99]
Well, I think Henson was Jewish, so good luck with that.
[/QUOTE]
Christian Scientist, actually. Which may have played a part in his demise — he had come down with a severe Streptococcus infection, and delayed getting medical help until he was critical.
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle]
The Mr. Magoo does show up every year on cable, I believe. I’ve seen it and listened carefully for Morey Amsterdam, but AFAICT he has only one line. IIRC it’s from one of the men talking about going to Scrooge’s funeral.
[/QUOTE]
IMDB shows him as having two roles, Brady and James…but offhand I don’t know who either of those characters is. Presumably one of them is the character in the scene you referred to, who does only have one or two lines. Oddly, the cast list doesn’t include any of the characters from my favorite scene: the charwoman, the laundress, the undertaker, and the pawnbroker! I was amazed to learn just now from IMDB that the song “People” (as in “People who need people…”) was originally written for this show but missed the deadline.
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew]
Oddly, the cast list doesn’t include any of the characters from my favorite scene: the charwoman, the laundress, the undertaker, and the pawnbroker!
[/QUOTE]
The undertaker is, I’m 99% certain, voiced by Paul Frees.
My holy trinity of Christmas specials: Magoo, Claymation and Grinch.
[QUOTE=Raguleader]
IIRC, there was a Star Wars Christmas Special (not to be confused with the Star Wars Holiday Special) that was never aired, about a pair of Rebel soldiers stuck on Hoth after the Rebels evacuated Echo Base, and their attempts to protect a Wampa cub from the Imperials. This is where the name “Darth Tyranus” (Count Dooku’s not-often-used Sith name) comes from, with the same guy playing a Sith lord in both Episode II-III and the Christmas Special, with the name being recycled.
[/QUOTE]
That was an April Fools Joke at StompTokyo.com
And then there was Mr. T’s Christmas Special. It was based on that Mr T Saturday cartoon, with the gymnasts, white boy acting like Mr. T, and a dog with a mohawk.
[QUOTE=DianaG]
Not sure that it qualifies as “obscure”, but since to my great consternation it’s not available on DVD, I submit the Muppet special The Christmas Toy. It’s one of my favorites, and I would love to buy it for my nieces, but they don’t have a VHS.
I also love A Muppet Family Christmas (Careful the icy patch!!!) and Olive, the Other Reindeer.
[/QUOTE]
I came in to say The Muppet Family Christmas, but then you reminded me of my most favorite movie of all, The Christmas Toy. I watched that all year round. I sooooo loved Rugby.
Am I the only one who remembers A Merry Mirthworm Christmas?
It is about 3 aliens (I equated them with the wisemen) who come down to find out about this ‘Christmas’ thing…
I recall watching it a couple times as a youngster, but never see it show up in the TV guide. It appears to be obscure at best. It doesn’t look like it has ever been released for purchase. My memories of almost 30 years ago suggest that it was ‘interesting’. Maybe that is why it isn’t available.
Bumped because I was going to ask the same question and the prompt came up with this previous thread.
P.S. are any of these “lost” shows now available on YouTube?
P.P.S. expand topic to include Christmas episodes of regular shows.