My winner for last
week’s prize is Joanne Guidoccio. Thanks for entering, Joanne!
Winding down toward Christmas. It’s snowy here, which makes
it easy to anticipate the holiday and relish memories. Some of my favorite
Christmas memories have taken place in front of a television set, an oddity for
someone like me, who thinks a TV screen’s main purpose is to collect dust.
We didn’t go to movies when I was a kid. Partly because we
lived way out in the country and society wasn’t as mobile as it is now. “Town”
was one day a week then, to get groceries. I live five miles from where I grew
up, but I go to town most every day for one thing or another.
Oops, digressing,
but yes, we didn’t go to movies, so my first time for seeing old standards was
when they came to television. I remember icy weekends watching Shirley Temple
movies and becoming acquainted with Bing Crosby’s Father O’Malley from Bells of St. Mary’s and Going My Way. TV is where I first saw Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, The Bishop’s Wife, Holiday Inn, It’s A Wonderful Life, and…I’m
digressing again. I didn’t even make it a whole paragraph!
What I am writing about—really!—is Christmas episodes of TV
shows. Do you have favorites? I certainly do.
I love watching the cast of The Andy Griffith Show spending the day at the Mayberry courthouse
because of the community Scrooge. Another favorite is the Gunsmoke episode with Jeanette Nolan, Jack Elam, and a very young
Erin Moran guest-starring in a story about orphans. Then there was the episode
of M*A*S*H* where the doctors on the
show falsified the time of a soldier’s death so that his kids wouldn’t have to
remember that their daddy died on Christmas. Even writing about those episodes makes my eyes tear up a little and revives some heartache that usually stays buried.
The nice thing about Christmas episodes is that, other than a few like the ones listed above, I don’t remember them. This means several things. (1) I enjoy seeing
them again. (2) They leave little warm places that can’t necessarily be defined
because I don’t know what caused those particular sweet spots. And (3) I enjoy
seeing them again. I said this twice because I will watch them no matter how
many times they’re televised.
So, what’s your
favorite? Got another giveaway going on, so leave a comment!
Oh, and a bonus
question. (The other Wranglers are going to get ticked at me for taking the
good questions, but that’s what happens when you’re the Monday girl. J)
Who’s your favorite movie or TV Santa? Mine is Edmund Gwenn from the original Miracle on 34th Street.
Hey, quit asking all the good questions! ;-) Great post--I don't have a lot of TV memories from my childhood because we didn't have a TV until I was a teenager, but I do have a couple of holiday faves that I'll share tomorrow. Oh, and unquestionably, my favorite Santa is Richard Attenborough from the same movie, but the updated version of Miracle. He was so adorable.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was 11 when we got our first TV--I do think it makes a difference in the life experience!
DeleteI love Father O'Malley! The Bells of St Maryowas one of our yearly Christmas traditions! I don't really have a favorite tv Santa... I like them all!
ReplyDeleteOops, darn fat fingers. I meant "Mary's "
DeleteI had a long siege of wanting to be a Catholic because of Father O'Malley. Duane says not all priests and nuns are exactly like Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman...such a disappointment.
DeleteI always liked the episode of Happy Days where Fonzie doesn't have a Christmas and won't intrude on the Cunningham's Christmas plans...so they trick him into coming over to fix something. Ahhhhh... I mean, eyyyyyy!
ReplyDeleteAs for my favorite movie-Santa...probably Edmund G, too.
Oh, I remember that one! I haven't seen it in years, but I love it, too.
DeleteEdmund Gwenn is my favorite as well. I just watched A Christmas Spirit last night and it may be my new favorite!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I've seen that! Thanks for coming by.
DeleteThere are too many Santas to choose from! Santa from 'Rudolph'...Kris Kringle from 'Santa Claus is Coming To Town'...Tim Allen's Santa from 'The Santa Claus'....and yes, Edmund Gwenn from Miracle:) As for holiday episodes, I also remember that Happy Days one:)
ReplyDeleteAll good ones, Molly. We just watched Santa Claus is Coming to Town last night--it hasn't lost a thing over the years!
DeleteI'm a big M*A*S*H fan so I remember that Christmas episode, too. It was very touching. That one sticks in my mind though I know I must have seen hundreds of Christmas specials of other TV shows over the years.
DeleteIt's hard to pin down my favorite Santa, but you can't not like Edmund Gwenn. He just looks like how Santa is supposed to look!
He does, doesn't he? Plus he was human enough to get bubble gum in his beard. :-)
DeleteI love everything M*A*S*H. I also loved Scrubs. The doctors delivered a baby on Christmas Eve in a park. But the best is Star in the Sky, an Academy award-winning short set in the fifties. It's on youtube. Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of that, Vicki. Thanks for the heads-up. I never really warmed up to Scrubs, but the truth is I don't like much new TV at all. My curmudgeon genes are showing up. :-) Thanks for coming by!
DeleteEdmund Gwenn was my favorite as well. I really enjoy that movie.
ReplyDeleteMe, too! Thanks for coming by!
DeleteKris Kringle from Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Edmund Gwenn is classic--capitol C, and I think I have to echo Molly, Tim Allen in the Santa Clause.
ReplyDeleteLove Kris Kringle. We were talking the other night when we watched it about how great that Mickey Rooney's and Fred Astaire's voices are still with us-especially in such heartwarming parts.
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