Advent Calendar House

🎄 It’s the 50th episode of the Advent Calendar House, so it’s time to address the spotted elephant in the room. 🎙 Joey O. and Brandon Medley fly in to tackle the 1964 Christmas special that put Rankin/Bass on the map and into our hearts. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Is Santa really this big of a jerk or just hangry? The History Channel on the creation of Rudolph. Mashable’s 12 ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ facts. Burger King and Hallmark’s Rodney Reindeer plushes, which at one point doubled as stockings. Rudolph almost had huge, glowing eyes instead of a red nose, and all I can think of is the terrifying original version of Mr. Snuffleupagus. The rare and expensive Santa’s Castle play set, which includes Santa and Mr. Claus’s tiny bed. A lot of voices in this cast were later part of the 1960s “Spider-Man” and “Marvel Super Heroes” animated series. The first mention of Santa having a wife was in a short story by Philadelphia missionary James Rees in 1849. The mystery of the head elf’s suddenly changing voice: Wikipedia claims it’s intentional, but we’re not buying it. Carl Banas (Head Elf) was also the original voice of Sweetums in “Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince.” “Fame and Fortune,” a song that replaced “We’re a Couple of Misfits” as Rudolph and Hermey’s duet from 1965 to 1997. You can meet characters from this version of Rudolph at SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Sesame Place. Arthur Rankin Jr. explains why Dolly’s on the Island of Misfit Toys on NPR’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me.” The original ending included Yukon Corneilius finding a peppermint mine. “The Enchanted World of Rankin/Bass: A Portfolio.” Original figures of Rudolph and Santa were found in an attic and appraised on Antiques Roadshow in 2005. They were later sold and restored. **** “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” ©1964 Rankin/Bass Productions. Closing music: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by the California Raisins, from “Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas Celebration.” Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🕎 Kick off Hanukkah with the objectively better son from “Growing Pains” spinning bad puns like he made them out of clay. 🎙️Sarah Shay stops by as we shine a light on a 1990 episode of “Shalom Sesame,” an on-again, off-again co-production of “Sesame Street” and its counterpart in Israel, “Rechov Sumsum.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “Shalom Sesame” on Muppet Wiki. Israel’s Big Bird stand-in, Kippi Ben Kippod, is mistranslated as a porcupine despite clearly being a hedgehog. A similar but unclothed costume was used in Spain’s Barrio Sésamo for Espinete, who’s identified as a hedgehog. Jeremy Miller, as Linus, sings “The Vigil” in “Snoopy! The Musical.” Yoav Tzafir’s other credits include the Hebrew-dubbed voices of Ninja Turtle Michaelangelo and Super Mario. Later he directed Israel’s version of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” The real, actual, annual Hanukkah Torch Relay. Moishe Oofnik, Israel’s counterpart to Oscar, looks less like a grouch and more like a standard Muppet monster. Probably because he has a nose. Baby Bear teaches Telly Monster how to play dreidel. A supposed folktale listed on the Wikipedia entry for sufganiyah may or may not be full of something that’s not jelly. Sarah met the head puppeteer from “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah.” Nell Carter, a Jewish convert, appeared on other episodes of “Shalom Sesame” as herself. **** “Shalom Sesame” © 1990 Children’s Television Workshop. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Set your sentient clocks back to 1988 for a very wound-up and thrown out into a pile of junk in another dimension episode of the Advent Calendar House. 🎙 Chad Young joins us for a one-time-only trip to Tattertown, the holiday brain-child of Ralph Bakshi and Nickelodeon’s first-ever original animated TV program. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “Christmas in Tattertown” sketches from Bakshi Productions. Nick Knacks on “Christmas in Tattertown.” Cameos by Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Flip the Frog, and Popeye. Today’s TV Trope: The Up the Real Rabbit Hole. A shout-out to the dearly departed Hollywood Video for staying open on Christmas Day for idiots like me who forgot to ask for required accessories like the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak. Wawa’s Holiday Gobbler hoagie. Bosko and Honey on “Tiny Toon Adventures.” A brief introduction to “snoap,” Florida’s fake snow. **** “Christmas in Tattertown” ©1988 Bakshi Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Every unstoppable monster has a beginning. 🎙️ Erin Evans, Joey O., and Brandon Medley squeeze onto the couch to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “The Simpsons” and its series premiere, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” or, as it was introduced to us in 1989, “The Simpsons’ Christmas Special.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The time I accidentally watched “The Tracey Ullman Show,” because I was too sick to get up and change the channel. We can’t talk about early Simpsons without mentioning Burger King toys, The Simpsons arcade game, and of course, “Do the Bartman.” Bart’s first Butterfinger commercial. Al Jean’s 5 favorite Simpsons episodes (The Wall Street Journal, 2014) Animator Eric Stefani had already founded some band with his sister while working on this episode. The crowdsourced origins of “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” and the “like a light bulb!” interjections to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Real, intentionally unfinished “Moth” tattoos. The tattoo artist was retroactively named Mervin Monroe, Dr. Marvin’s younger brother. Early, strange in hindsight prototypes of Springfield citizens, including a more competent Ralph Wiggum, a cockier Milhouse, and a Ned Flanders who says, “Happy holidays.” The time Brandon cut down his own Christmas tree. My guest appearance on the Two Bad Neighbors podcast for “Marge Be Not Proud.” **** “The Simpsons” and “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” ©1989 20th Century Fox Television. Closing Music: The Simpsons Theme, performed by Green Day, ©2007 Reprise Records. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Of all the animated Christmas specials we have covered and will cover, this is the nearsighted granddaddy of them all. 🎙 Anthony Caruso and Julia Colburn from Tis the Podcast visit the Advent Calendar House for a very special Scrooge Sunday episode as we nearly-blindly fumble back to 1962 to celebrate “Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol,” TV’s first ever animated Christmas special. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Jim Backus (Mister Magoo) based his portrayal of Thurston Howell III from “Gilligan’s Island” on another character he played on a radio show hosted by another famous future Scrooge, Alan Young. Scrooge’s nephew is cut entirely to make room for a song about Broadway that sometimes also gets cut entirely. The ghosts of Christmas Present and Past show up out of order for no clear reason, but an A.V. Club article from 2012 tried to find one. Tiny Tim is an English-speaking Gerald McBoing-Boing. This special invented a flavor! Razzleberry pie is now a thing that exists, made with raspberries and blackberries. The Ghost of Christmas Past looks like Toon Link. The last surviving member of the cast, Marie Matthews (Young Scrooge), was on a 2009 panel revisiting the special. Is Belle’s hair supposed to look like an actual bell? **** “Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol” © 1962 UPA Pictures, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Warning: If you usually let your children listen to your podcast feed with you, you may want to get the kids out of the pool for this one. 🎙 Zac Shipley dives in as we feast on a very festive, very inappropriate 2002 episode of the Adult Swim cartoon “Sealab 2021.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “Sealab 2020,” the very different, very boring original 1972 cartoon that serves as the butt of Sealab 2021’s joke. The usual Sealab theme song by Calamine is absent here to make room in the stable for the story of the birth of Alvis. The Church of Alvis, a blog last updated in 2007 with a cliffhanger, but the faithful still await that day with patience. Alvisism as explained by Sealab Wiki, which also exists. A series of quotes from this episode made into animated gif icons and posted on LiveJournal. This show is a very specific sort of old. **** “Sealab 2021” and “Feast of Alvis” ©2002 Cartoon Network. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s Glo! Join Hasbro’s hive of bioluminescent bugs, the Glo Friends, in their own Christmas special from 1985. 🎙️ Erin Evans and Joey O. join forces as we learn how to selectively melt only certain ice we’re radiating near to save Santa (Carroll O’Connor), who’s been locked in an icicle cage by Blanche, the Wicked Witch of the North Pole (Sally Struthers), who’s jealous of Santa’s publicity. Take notes, Great Pumpkin… or, perhaps, don’t. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: This was a pilot for an eventual series that aired alongside the original “My Little Pony & Friends.” A helpful guide to identifying every Glo Friend. Nancy Cartwright was the voice of Baby Glo Worm in the series, but in this pilot, it’s Laurie O’Brien doing her Baby Piggy voice. Joey interviews Pat Fraley (Glo Worm) on his later performance as Krang. Glo Worm’s purple outfit here, as opposed to the original toy’s green outfit, was apparently a “source of controversy,” according to Wikipedia. Can all antlered mammals fly if you go far enough north? Lorenzo Music doing a weird, nervous lisp instead of his usual Resting Garfield Voice™. Santa sings the least bluesy blues song ever while his reindeer do Rockettes kicks. More of Mike’s thoughts on The Glo Friends Save Christmas on the Can’t Wait for Christmas Podcast. **** “The Glo Friends Save Christmas” ©1985 Hasbro, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Everyone’s after the little guy for no reason. 🎙️ Chad Young joins us for a short-statured trip back to 1982 to explore “Ziggy’s Gift,” a one-off TV Christmas special starring no one’s favorite funny papers hero and featuring a beautifully animated puddle of dog pee. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “Ziggy’s Gift” on Dinosaur Dracula After Dark. “The Point,” a Harry Nilsson album turned into an animated movie. Ziggy’s toothpaste looks like Beetlejuice sandworms. Ziggy Theories: Is he adult Charlie Brown? A vegetarian? A guardian angel? The time Chad met Billy West, who stood on a chair because he thought Chad was too tall. The time I inquired about a job opportunity that wasn’t what I expected. The terrifying robot Santa window display reminded me a little too much of the equally terrifying “Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure.” Frank Welker voiced 25 characters in this special if you count each individual turkey. Ziggy’s kettle has the Glow from “The Last Dragon.” The “Linus moment” is out; the “Skeletor face turn” is in. **** “Ziggy’s Gift” ©1982 Universal Press Syndicate. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 For its first Christmas special after the success of “Rudolph,” Rankin/Bass presented us with a Dickens of a story, but not that one. 🎙️ Brian Earl from Christmas Past podcast visits the Advent Calendar House to experience 1967’s “Cricket on the Hearth,” as told by Danny Thomas, featuring a bizarre, burlesque performance of a song about Fish ’n’ Chips, and a clearly implied, off-camera murder. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The history of legends about crickets on hearths bringing good luck. The full “Cricket on the Hearth” soundtrack is on YouTube. Christmas Past on Golden Age Christmas TV Cartoons. Christmas TV History’s Joanna Wilson on Rankin/Bass Voice Actors. **** “Cricket on the Hearth” ©1967 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Opus the Penguin fails to take off in his own TV Christmas special from 1991. 🎙️ Erin Evans and Joey O. parachute in to rewatch “A Wish for Wings That Work,” starring Opus and Bill from the comic strip series “Bloom County” and “Outland.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: This is based on a book version you can watch someone read to you on YouTube, if you’d like. “Bloom County” creator Berkeley Breathed was not happy with this special. He also confirmed the animators hid some naughty bits in the opening. Bill the Cat’s 1988 presidential run, including the other candidates trying to translate the song “Louie Louie.” Joey interviews Michael Bell (Opus). “The Ant and the Aardvark” starring John Byner (Bill). Surprise cameos by Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, who may or may not have walked over from the set of “Hook.” Larry Walters has a flying lawn chair and a BB gun. “Lost Horizon.” “A Frog Thing,” a children’s book with a very similar plot, but less Christmassy. Opus plushes with Santa hats are pretty easy to find on eBay. **** “A Wish for Wings That Work” ©1991 Universal Cartoon Studios, Inc. / Amblin Entertainment, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 The Advent Calendar House gets overrun by earworms strong enough to burrow into wood. 🎙️ Michael DiGiovanni and Michael May drop in to help carve into a 1980 Rankin/Bass special starring that beloved Christmas icon… Pinocchio. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Two songs, “Dancin’” and “The Very Best Friend I Ever Had,” were cut from and later restored to TV broadcasts. “Starstuff,” a Philadelphia market, Saturday morning kids’ sci-fi TV series starring Todd Porter, the voice of Pinocchio. The most disappointing gifts we’ve ever received, including what Santa gave me after I allegedly misspelled “Alpha Critters.” How does Pinocchio’s nose detect lies, and does it grant him a mulligan here? The strange flash-forward to the rest of Pinocchio’s better-known adventures, even though Rankin/Bass already made a Pinocchio TV series, its first ever stop-motion animation project. **** “Pinocchio’s Christmas” ©1980 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Season 3 of the Advent Calendar House kicks off with a new regular feature: Scrooge Sunday, celebrating the many adaptations of “A Christmas Carol.” 🎙 Lizzie Twachtman and Adam Pope drop in as we begin with Disney’s 1983 featurette marking the big-screen debut of Scrooge McDuck playing his namesake. 📺 You can watch “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” on Disney+. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Before Disney+, almost all of this film was hiding on Netflix at the end of “Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. Adam’s well-preserved VHS copy. A 1974 Disneyland Records LP called “Dickens’ Christmas Carol,” Alan Young’s first recording as the voice of Scrooge. Mickey Mouse’s very detailed, fanmade family tree. Siskel and Ebert’s 2 Thumbs Down review. Goofy as Marley’s ghost at Disneyland. Mickey’s Christmas Carol animatronic window displays in the Magic Kingdom. We identify every Disney background character at Fezziwig’s party and lament the absence of Pluto from this entire thing. Quick shout-outs to Totally Minnie and “Disney’s DTV Romancin’” Valentine special. Willie the Giant as the Ghost of Christmas Present carefully wandering through the tiny streets of London calls back to the ending of “Fun and Fancy Free,” Disney’s 1947 package film featuring “Mickey and the Beanstalk,” which is also on Disney+. Your now-annual reminder that Pete has been a cat this entire time. **** Mickey’s Christmas Carol ©1983 Disney. Opening Music: “Christmas Was Better in the ’80s,” by The Futureheads, ©2010 Nul Records. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎃 Put out the oars and surrender yourself to the mercy of the rivers of time as they take us back to Garfield’s terrifying 1985 Halloween special.🎙️ Jeff Somogyi joins us to celebrate the special that turned a generation into scaredy cats. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Jim Davis wanted Garfield’s Halloween Adventure to “at least scare 4-year-olds” (The A.V. Club, 2014) Samples of the comic book adaptation, “Garfield in Disguise,” from Rotten Ink and Goodwill Hunting 4 Geeks, including even creepier drawings of the old man and pirate ghosts. The first appearance of Binky the Clown! The time a raccoon broke into Jeff’s attic and left a hornet’s nest inside a Nativity scene shepherd. Speaking of attics, the Pink Panther advertising Owens Corning fiberglass insulation. The Roy Ogle of “Roy Ogle’s roots” was a plant breeder at Clemson. They’re sweet potatoes. The black cat pajamas may be a callback to the killer panther from 1984’s “Garfield in the Rough,” another good special to put on if you want to give your kids nightmares. Was the ghost of Jon’s grandfather watching all the Christmas festivities in that special? C. Lindsay Workman (Old Man) as Garfield’s grandfather in “Garfield on the Town” and God in “Garfield: His 9 Lives.” The “double burn” glowing effect used on the ghosts reminds us of the “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence of Fantasia. We had to ask: Did Garfield and Odie really survive the night, or is everything thereafter really Garfield Minus Garfield? **** 📼 Commercials: McDonald’s Halloween Pumpkin Pails (1986) **** “Garfield’s Halloween Adventure” ©1985 United Feature Syndicate, Inc./Anderson Digital. Closing Music: “Witch’s Night Out,” performed by Razoreater, written by Peter Rochon. Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.

💝 Love and dynamite are in the air as I introduce 2 guests to an early pilot of what would eventually become “The Muppet Show,” guest-starring a pregnant Mia Farrow. 🎙️ Joey O. and Brian Arnold drop by as we fall head over heels for “The Muppets Valentine Show,” a 1974 TV special that misinformed me about where babies come from. 📺 You can find “The Muppets Valentine Show” on YouTube. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “The Muppets Valentine Show” on Muppet Wiki. Jim Henson’s Red Book entry about getting this pilot green-lit by some guy at ABC named “Mike” Eisner. We quickly touch on Crazy Harry’s original incarnation as “Crazy Donald” and then immediately drop it. Miss Mousey. George the Janitor is simultaneously UHF’s Stanley Spadowski and WWE’s Perry Saturn. George and Mildred At the Dance. Droop in the “Cosby Show” episode, “Cliff’s Nightmare.” The first appearance of Kermit the Frog riding a bicycle. “You gotta know what a crumpet is to understand cricket.” “Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms” and the Looney Tunes musical bomb gag. Brian’s blog post about “The Candy Apple News Company.” **** “The Muppets Valentine Show” © 1974 The Jim Henson Company. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s Christmas Eve, and we’re celebrating with the first Christmas special I ever remember watching, from 1978. 🎙️ Erin Evans and Joey O. help bring Advent to a close as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street,” in which Big Bird worries Santa’s unfit for skinny chimneys, Mr. Hooper spends his Hanukkah saving Christmas, and we get a possible clue into how to get to Sesame Street. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: My taped copy of this is interrupted in the middle by a WHYY telethon with Philadelphia TV legend Ed Cunningham. The Count’s amazing ice-skating cape. The wibbly-wobbly physics of Oscar’s trash can. Olivia married the Predator. A cameo by Mr. Macintosh. If you want to go read about Northern Calloway (David) and his off-screen troubles and tragic death, proceed with caution. The adorable 2-year-old girl too little for her own vocabulary trying to explain that Santa pushes a magic button to go down chimneys is now in her 40s. “Don’t Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” An oral history of Mr. Snuffleupagus’s revelation as not imaginary. Oscar holds a broom like it’s Not His Broom. Ernie’s pajamas look like the background of the “Trololo” video. Joey makes my Christmas by assuring me I didn’t imagine “The Candy Apple News Company.” **** 🏌️‍♂️ After This Episode: Listen to my guest appearance on the Two Bad Neighbors podcast discussing my favorite Christmas-adjacent episode of The Simpsons, “Marge Be Not Proud.” Then go relax or take a nap or something. Hope you enjoy your Christmas! **** “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street” © 1978 Children’s Television Workshop. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Remember ALF? He’s back, in podcast form! 🎙️ Jeff Somogyi drops by as we salute ALF’s two-part Christmas special from 1987, the single most depressing special starring a wisecracking alien puppet of all time. 🚨 Content Warning: In this Christmas special, the goofy alien with the jokes meets a terminally ill child and a man contemplating suicide. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The heartbreaking true story behind “ALF’s Special Christmas.” A study in human ignorance: Gordon Shumway has a name, which he’s told everyone, yet everyone still calls him HEY ALIEN! A study in willful alien ignorance: ALF opens everyone else’s Christmas gifts and succeeds in convincing me it’s because he doesn’t know how any of this works. Talking ALF: The Storytelling Alien. “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” **** “ALF’s Special Christmas” © 1987 Alien Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 We unearthed a Christmas special so low-quality, it happens in a sewer. 🎙️ Shawn Robare from the Cult Film Club and Jonathan Zelenak from The Sewer Den drop in for a radically recollection of “We Wish You a Turtle Christmas,” a 1994 cash-grab video starring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… or at least some version of them. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: About the Sewer Den, Jonathan’s massive TMNT collection, and his blog post about this special. The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour. The Turtles’ smiles look like they’re from Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” music video. A 1975 anime version of “The Little Mermaid” had a not-at-all-coincidental resurgence around 1990. Writer Tish Rabe also produced “Big Bird in China” and “3-2-1 Contact,” created The Cat in the Hat Learning Library after Dr. Seuss’s death, and has written over 160 children’s books. Y’all want to watch 43 minutes of the Ninja Turtles on Oprah? That time a warehouse that housed the Rock-afire Explosion actually exploded. The only pizza place willing to appear in this special is Sbarro, which has come a long way since the Fat Boys’ “All You Can Eat.” The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pizza Cookbook is a real book you should own. The cheapest gifts we’ve ever gotten our parents from our elementary school Christmas bazaar. Fun game: Sneak the “Wrap Rap” on a playlist in the middle of New Kids on the Block’s Christmas album and see if anyone notices. **** “We Wish You a Turtle Christmas” © 1994 Christopher Films, Inc. / Mirage Studios. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Tune in as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pee-wee Herman’s Christmas special the only way we know how: With lots of screaming, lots of fruitcake, and lots more screaming. 🎙️ Erin Evans, Lindy Kempe, and Joey O. call into the Podcast Phone to embrace the wackiest holiday party of 1988. 📺 The “Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special” is available for free on YouTube. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Magic Johnson recorded his segment hours before playing in — and winning — a Lakers game. We don’t know the precise date, but one win was against the SuperSonics, possibly (but probably not) on Ice Cube’s “Good Day.” One commercial break includes a bizarre Pringles commercial starring a young Brad Pitt. “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.” When did fruitcake become a punchline? Christmas Past has something of an answer. Or is fruitcake a byproduct of the Joys of Jell-O era? The working script and storyboards for this special. Who mailed Grace Jones to the Reagan White House? Pee-wee in “Back to the Beach.” The King of Cartoons’ cartoon: 1936’s “Christmas Comes But Once a Year.” My feelings about snow mirror this one, particular Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, published 5 days after this special aired. The awkward moment when we realize the Dinosaur Family has a pet dinosaur. **** “Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special” © 1988 Paul Reubens. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 In Part 2 of our Disney Christmas double feature, Mickey and the rest of the Fab Five — and Daisy, who’s somehow less important than the dog — enter the third-dimension. 🎙️ Drew Crowley and John Dedeke from The Hourchive return for “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas,” the main mouse’s first 3D-animated special. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: If you haven’t been to a Disney theme park in the last year or two, Mickey has a different face now. The hippo and crocodile from “Fantasia” have names. Chuck McCann (Santa) was the Dreamfinder in the original Journey Into Imagination. The grumpy dog who keeps showing up only to get beverages spilled on him is the Stan Lee of the Mickey Mouse universe, which I only mention because we recorded this the day after Stan died. Between the Goofys and the Plutos of this universe, there are talking reindeer who can own pets. The Hidden Mickeys Podcast. **** “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” © 2004 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Live from the Turducken Hunger Games comes Part 1 of a Disney Christmas double feature featuring Mickey Mouse and his pals. 🎙️ Drew Crowley and John Dedeke from The Hourchive help me attempt to make sense of time, space, and the Disney fowl food chain as we watch Disney’s 1999 direct to video Christmas special. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Donald Duck’s comically enormous, fanmade family tree. Happy Duck to the Future Day! The “Quack Pack” intro will tell you everything you need to know about “Quack Pack.” Donald Jr., a tiny, semi-realistic duck introduced in “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” The Fab Five supposedly live in the fictional U.S. state of Calisota, on the Pacific coast. Pete has been a cat this entire time! Pete smokes a cigar, something since reportedly banned from Disney movies, despite still showing up in Disney movies. Recycled animation alert: Mickey’s wacky, tongue-waggling dance first appeared in 1942’s “Mickey’s Birthday Party.” **** “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas” © 1999 Disney Enterprises, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 By the power of Grayskull, the only holiday podcast with Battle Damage action is back to be nice, kind, and wonderful to 1985’s He-Man and She-Ra Christmas special, in which Skeletor’s heart grows three sizes. 🎙️ Brandon Medley and Chad Young are here to help me identify everyone at Eternia’s first ever Christmas party. And Brandon’s dog stops by because he heard us talking about the Beast Monster! **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: He-Man and She-Ra are between 18 and 21 years old and gave children unreasonable expectations of what they’d look like when they grow up. Greyskull Wiki has an entire section of Queen Marlena’s entry dedicated to speculating about her religion. The Monstroids exist because the makers of He-Man toys want you to believe giant robots that can transform are evil. Skeletor and Hordak are basically Miracle Max and his wife from “The Princess Bride.” This may have been the first time I’d ever seen someone yank off Santa’s beard. **** “He-Man/She-Ra: A Christmas Special” © 1985 Mattel, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Tonight in the Advent Calendar House, we’re doing the same thing we do every night… watchin’ a bunch of holiday specials! 🎙️ Joey O. and special guest Joey Letson from The Animanicast joins the mission to apply North Pole to Pinky and the Brain’s 1996 Christmas special, probably the closest the lab mouse duo ever got to actually taking over the world. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: This special won the 1996 Primetime Emmy award for outstanding animated program. Joey O. interviewed Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche. The Animanicast interview with Maurice LaMarche. “Powerhouse,” Warner Bros.’ go-to “assembly line” music. io9 ranked this episode dead last among the Brain’s plans to take over the world. **** “A Pinky and the Brain Christmas” © 1996 Warner Bros. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Listen in as we gush over a 1977 Muppet Christmas special that probably doesn’t get the attention it deserves. 🎙️ Emily Rowley drops in to marvel at Kermit riding a bicycle, watch a drum roll out a door too many times to count, and rock out to the Riverbottom Nightmare Band. Pa would’ve loved this podcast. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Muppet Wiki has the lowdown of all 5 cuts of this. The official outtake reel and the one with the drum roll. Of Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show. The Christmas Price Index. The “ass sliding” scene from “Rad.” Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold sing “When the River Meets the Sea” at Jim Henson’s memorial. The Can’t Wait for Christmas podcast on Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. **** “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” © 1977 The Jim Henson Company. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Hang on to your creepy mistletoe hat as we hit the Bayside Mall for a 2-part “Saved by the Bell” Christmas special from 1991. 🎙️ Chad Young and Tommy Coombs drop in to watch Zack get way too shook upon learning the latest girl of his dreams is homeless. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Chad’s write-up on “Home for Christmas” from 2013. That time WWE’s Daniel Bryan got fired for choking out an announcer. Puppy Surprise, the dog that’s pregnant. Dustin Diamond’s terrible heel turn on “Celebrity Fit Club.” Homer Simpson beat Screech to the “What’s the number for 911?” joke by a year in “Bart vs. Thanksgiving.” Who waits until Christmas Eve to buy a tree? The Evolution of the Zack Morris phone. Funny or Die: The Time Zack Morris Gave Himself A Homeless Girl For Christmas. **** “Saved by the Bell” and “Home for Christmas” © 1991 National Broadcasting Company, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Coming to you from Gotham City, it’s the podcast nobody wanted to see, but everyone will hear. 🎙️ Jay from the Purple Stuff Podcast and Joey O. drop in to spend Christmas with the Joker on a 1992 episode of “Batman: The Animated Series.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The crowdsourced origins of Jingle Bells, Batman Smells. More discussion on “Christmas with the Joker” on Batman: The Animated Podcast and The Arkham Sessions. Gotham City is in New Jersey. Mark Hamill’s original performance as Ferris Boyle in “Heart of Ice.” “Comic Book: The Movie.” Mark Hamill’s longtime obsession with David Letterman. Charles Manson apparently spent this Christmas at Arkham Asylum before spending a later Christmas in Nebraska on “South Park.” Joker’s “Laffy” hand puppet reminds us of Señor Wences. His upside-down mouth puppet is even weirder. Betty Blooper looks like Toot from “Drawn Together.” Of course the Joker is hiding out at the Laffco Toy Factory. Look at it! **** “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Christmas with the Joker” © 1992 Warner Bros. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Part 2 of our Christmas donkey double feature presents a completely different origin story of the donkey who carried Mary to Bethlehem. 🎙️ Lindy Kempe and Brandon Medley return to talk “The Small One,” Don Bluth’s last Disney project, released in front of the 1978 re-release of “Pinocchio.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The original book, “The Small One: A Story for Those Who Like Christmas and Small Donkeys.” “Dragon’s Lair.” The Land Before Time toys from Pizza Hut. Mouse in Transition: When Everyone Left Disney (Cartoon Brew, 2014) Don Bluth visited Walt Disney Animation Studios 40 years later. Assistant director Richard Rich went on to direct all 8 Swan Princess movies. (I’m sorry if you just learned there are 8 Swan Princess movies.) One piece of silver, adjusted for inflation. Edits for home video include the Merchants’ song, and the Star of Bethlehem getting extra rays of light to look less cross-shaped. To avoid too much foreshadowing, I guess. Gordon Jump, the voice of Joseph, was on a very special episode of “Diff’rent Strokes.” Yeah. Sorry. **** “The Small One” © 1978 Walt Disney Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Extend your ears as we revisit a lesser-known Rankin/Bass special from 1977 that unravels a new side quest to the Nativity story. 🎙️ Lindy Kempe and Brandon Medley droop in to salute “Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey,” the first of a Christmas donkey double feature. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Roger Miller performing “Do Wacka Do” in 1966 with another guitarist, “Stubbs,” who’s wearing a Batman T-shirt. Roger Miller’s “Whistle Stop” in Disney’s “Robin Hood” is secretly the Hamster Dance. Tilly’s ascension back to heaven is strikingly similar to Poochie’s exit from “The Itchy and Scratchy Show.” Mary has the Glow from “The Last Dragon.” Annalee Santa dolls. **** “Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey” © 1977 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 We dug down like dogs to the bottom of the VHS bargain bin and found “Jingle Bell Rap,” an overlooked special from 1991 that had all the potential to become a Christmas classic, but none of the airtime. 🎙️ Chad Young drops in to introduce me to this special from Perennial Pictures, a studio that managed to spend the entire 1990s producing a whole slew of holiday specials I never knew about till now. 📺 You can watch “Jingle Bell Rap” in Tubi. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “Jingle Bell Rap” on Perennial Pictures. Fruity Pebbles’ “Master Rapper” commercial. Shout-out to the Cult Film Club and “Plot in 60 Seconds.” Rollover’s dad looks like angry Homer Simpson. Ralph Wiggum’s heart breaks in slow motion. New Kids on the Block perform “Funky Funky Xmas” on “The Arsenio Hall Show.” **** “Jingle Bell Rap” © 1991 Perennial Pictures. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Lace up your ice skates for a look at 3 classic holiday commercials starring 3 different iterations of McDonald’s clown in charge: “Happy Holidays” (the ice skating one), “Star Wish,” and “Runaway.” 🎙 Joey O. swoops in just in time to convince me not to leave home and run away to McDonaldland, which is honestly tempting. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Grape jelly is good on Sausage McMuffins. Try it. McDonald’s Wiki, which exists, runs down all 7 versions of the ice skating commercial. Yes, there are 7, and they’re all on YouTube: 1982: the original, with King Moody as Ronald and the “You Deserve a Break Today” jingle variant. 1983: with the “McDonald’s and You” jingle variant. 1984: with the “It’s a Good Time for the Great Taste” jingle variant. 1986: with Squire Fridell as Ronald, the version I remember most. 1988: with Fridell and the original jingle. 1990: with Fridell and the “Food, Folks and Fun” jingle variant. 1991: with Jack Doepke as Ronald, bad lighting, and “The Wish that Changed Christmas.” King Booker. Squire Fridell as Ronald McDonald in “Mac and Me” and Paul Rudd’s ongoing prank on Conan O’Brien. Grimace’s last appearance as of this recording was at Dodger Stadium, though as we know, nothing can kill the Grimace. The “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s” in Orlando, home to an animatronic Mac Tonight that hangs from the ceiling. **** “Happy Holidays,” “Star Wish,” and “Runaway” © McDonald’s. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s mime time at the Most Magical Place on Earth in 1978’s “Christmas at Walt Disney World.” 🎙️ Drew Crowley and John Dedeke from The Hourchive drop in to watch Shields and Yarnell as the most 1978 couple imaginable, Pablo Cruise and their indifference to help a screaming woman escape from pirates, Phyllis Diller in the world’s poofiest princess dress, the Doritos guy as a wildly off-model Geppetto, Dee from “What’s Happening?” as an ungrateful passenger in a magical pumpkin coach, and Broadway’s original Annie singing Christmas carols with surprisingly reverent Disney villains. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Map of what Walt Disney World looked like in 1978. Vault Disney. How “My Favorite Things” became a Christmas song. The opening music, “The Great Gate of Kiev” from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” or as I know it best, Jerry “The King” Lawler’s theme music. Shields and Yarnell on “American Bandstand” (1976) Drew eating a gigantic spoonful of mashed potatoes at the Liberty Tree Tavern. Photos from the long-abandoned Discovery Island in 2009. Disney’s short-lived plans of reopening Discovery Island as an attraction based on Myst. One-day admission to the Magic Kingdom plus a book of attraction tickets in 1978 cost $13, according to this Ticket Price Guide. “Ernest Goes to Splash Mountain.” Winnie-the-Pooh wearing a honey pot on his head. Giant, smoking cigars in a theme park parade for children. The (1970s) “Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World.” “Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World’s 10th Anniversary” (1981) The Hourchive on Walt Disney World: Part 1 and Part 2. **** “Christmas at Walt Disney World” © 1978 Walt Disney Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Merry Christmas, little Zachary. Enter the void as time, space, and reality blur around the 1979 TV special accompaniment to my favorite Christmas album of all time, “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together.”🎙️ Carlin Trammel and Bill Hanstock join the celebration of peace on Earth and good will to men, women, chickens, bears, Dizzy Gillespie, and Missy Piggy. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Bill’s Uncle Deadly tattoo. Pro-wrestler and “Muppets Most Wanted” cast member Hornswoggle’s Muppet tattoo. The Muppet Show Season 4 DVD promised at 2009’s D23 Expo, but which never came. Miss Piggy makes a sex joke, lest we forget the “Muppet Show” pilot opened with “Sex and Violence.” John Denver’s linear notes for the album’s 1996 re-release cite the Muppets as an inspiration for writing “Alfie, the Christmas Tree.” “A Baby Just Like You is one endpoint of the John Denver Christmas song emotional spectrum. The other is “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas).” “I Will Wait for You” in “Futurama.” Jesus Christ has His own entry on Muppet Wiki. Zachary Denver in the audience during “Silent Night,” and at his father’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in 2014. Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold sing “When the River Meets the Sea” at Jim Henson’s memorial service. Bill remembers Jim Henson on Scientific Podcast Goes Boink. **** “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together” © 1979 John Jer Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 In 1987, the California Raisins missed their bus, then made a sleigh out of garbage and flew it into space. 🎙️ The Advent Calendar House welcomes Erin Evans, Joey O., and Emily Rowley to join in the raisiny reindeer games that make up Will Vinton’s “Claymation Christmas Celebration,” the greatest holiday special out of all holiday specials hosted by clay dinosaurs. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: RIP Will Vinton (1947–2018), the creator of “capital-C” Claymation who may or may not have inspired Leap Day William, and who was still alive when we recorded this. Vinton also worked special effects on the EPCOT attraction “Captain EO.” Johnny Counterfit, the voice of Rex (and not at all Johnny Arcade), wrote a JFK time-travel novel. Rex and Herb’s original appearance in “Dinosaur,” which was later included in a “direct-to-video thing” starring Fred Savage. Related: “I Just Realized Why We Are All Mean,” by Jon Bois. “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven,” from “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” featuring Tim Conner (Herb) as a 3-headed alien in St. Peter’s Place at the wrong “Heaven.” The California Raisins’ cancelled Nintendo game: “The Grape Escape.” The California Prunes on “The Simpsons.” This special ends with a reference to the grossly enormous Mr. Creosote from “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.” **** “Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas Celebration” © 1987 Will Vinton Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Let’s have a good, old-fashioned Christmas down on the farm in 1987’s “A Garfield Christmas Special,” featuring the voices of Squiggy and Ursula. 🎙️ The Advent Calendar House welcomes Jeff Somogyi as we contemplate lasagna as a Christmas food, go long on the dinner prayer, and wonder how Binky, “The Clown Who Saved Christmas,” saved Christmas. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Joey O. interviews Gregg Berger, the voice of Odie. Dinosaur Dracula identifies all the presents in Garfield’s dream. Better “Weird Al” Yankovic Christmas song: “Christmas at Ground Zero” or “The Night Santa Went Crazy”? The simultaneously best and worst line in the history of animated Christmas specials for children: “Whoever invented Christmas trees should be drug out into the street and shot.” Jeff wanted a ringtone of that blaring trumpet when Garfield looks down from the top of the Christmas tree, so here it is! **** “A Garfield Christmas Special” © 1987 United Feature Syndicate, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 From the author of “The Wizard of Oz” comes one of the craziest Santa origin stories ever. 🎙️ Brandon Medley and Paxton Holley stop by to witness Rankin/Bass go off the rails in its last-ever stop motion animated Christmas special, 1985’s “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, based on the 1902 book by L. Frank Baum, which explains a lot. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Santa Claus’s growth to manhood, from J.D. Roth to Mumm-ra, and the rest of the Thundercats are here, too! L. Frank Baum’s original book on the Internet Archive, in ebook, PDF, and audiobook format. Pax’s review of the book and “Road to Oz,” which also features Santa. Baum’s sequel story, “A Kidnapped Santa Claus.” King Awgwa looks like My Pet Monster. The Most Pagan Christmas Special You Will Ever See (Fit for Dragon Con, 2013) That’s not Santa in “Return to Oz.” That’s the Shaggy Man. A Doom Metal Tribute to The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. **** “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” © 1985 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🕎 Hanukkah is here, so here’s a 1995 special starring sock puppets hanging out with Mr. Miyagi, the dad from Growing Pains, and the mayor of Gotham City. 🎙️ Sarah Shay returns to the Advent Calendar House to reintroduce me to “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah,” which miraculously brings together Pat Morita, Alan Thicke, and Lloyd Bochner as both dinner guests and computer-generated, one-dimensional superheroes. There’s now a better copy of “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah” on YouTube. The one we watched for this podcast was from some guy holding his iPad’s camera up to a TV. Check out Sarah’s albums: “You Have Queer Street Cred” and “The Shay & Shay Radio Hour.” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Shari Lewis’s amazing single-color red dreamcoat and stylin’ menorah. Alan Thicke on “Celebrity Family Feud.” “Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio,” an earlier Halloween special also featuring Alan Thicke. Charlie Horse’s prize-winning superhero, the stuff of someone’s very specific nightmares. They almost make it through a whole Hanukkah special without mentioning Christmas, but blow it at the end for no reason. **** “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah” © 1995 8 Candles Production, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄🐭 It’s the one with the mouse. Turn back the clock till it goes kerplunk — or kerplooey — to make some time for Rankin/Bass’s 1974 retelling of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas from the perspective of the mouse and his know-it-all nerdy son. 🎙️ Joey O. is in the Advent Calendar House to do what’s necessary, ’cause even a miracle needs a hand. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The worst thing we’ve broken that ruined multiple peoples’ day. We prepared for this episode by listening to Green Day’s “Kerplunk!” South Park’s cover of “Even a Miracle Needs a Hand.” A young Julia Stiles in a 1990s Apple Jacks cereal commercial. Dusty Rhodes’s “Hard Times” promo. **** “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” © 1974 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

💫 Get ready to blast off for space church as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special! 🎙️ Lizzie Twacthman joins our exploration of the farthest point from the bright center of our favorite galaxy far, far away. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “Some folks are in space for the benefit of nobody” (SB Nation, 2015) Our disappointment that Chewbacca’s family didn’t show up in Solo, but at least we got L3-37, who was great. High praise for the animated segment, marking our introduction to Boba Fett and the return of Luke’s awesome yellow jacket. Dihann Carroll was 43 years old in that erotic VR helmet sequence. Screen Junkies’ Honest Trailers of the Star Wars Holiday Special and other spinoffs. **** “Star Wars Holiday Special” © 1978 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s time once again to count down to Christmas Eve, starting with 3 versions of Dr. Seuss’s classic Christmas tale from 1966, 2000, and 2018. 🎙️ Michael DiGiovanni and Michael May drop by as all 3 Mikes compare and contrast 3 very different Grinches. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.,” Dr. Seuss’s first — and last — feature film screenplay. DiGio discovers Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice behind “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” was also Tony the Tiger. Grinchmas, the annual Christmas celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood and Islands of Adventure in Orlando. “How Murray Saved Christmas,” a 2014 animated TV special starring Jerry Stiller that just made my to-do list. “The Muppet Christmas Carol” on Sleigh Bell Cinema. **** “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” © 1966 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” © 2000 LUNI Productions GmbH & Co. KG. “The Grinch” © 2018 Universal Studios. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s time to dust off the cobwebs and get the Advent Calendar House ready for Season 2, featuring a new episode every day from December 1 through Christmas Eve, 2018. In between commercial teasers for all 24 episodes coming in Season 2 (though not necessarily in order) the members of the all-new Christmas Podcast Network share stories of Christmas music traditions: **** 🎙 Guests: Brian Earl (Christmas Past) Tim Babb (Can’t Wait for Christmas) Craig Kringle (Weird Christmas) Duane Bailey (Tinsel Tunes) Joseph Wade (Christmas Creeps), with Libby Cudmore Anthony Caruso, Julia Colburn, and Thom Crowe (Tis the Podcast) **** Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎃 The Advent Calendar House presents a dazzling display of magical mischief. 🎙️ Chad Young creeps in to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Witch’s Night Out,” an often remembered, then forgotten, then re-remembered Halloween classic from 1978. 📺 You can watch “Witch’s Night Out” on Tubi. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: WitchsNightOut.com, the official website. Anytown Series, a planned sequel, and other holiday specials in development. Toys “R” Us TV commercial from 1980, featuring ”the Big Bird Halloween costume and the Yoda Halloween costume.” Ghostbusters Fright Features action figures. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? Malicious’s food may or may not have been inspired by Joys of Jell-O. **** “Witch’s Night Out” © 1978 Leach/Rankin Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎆 We’re back for a surprise summertime episode on the 1986 animated movie, “The Adventures of the American Rabbit.” 🎙️ Chad Young from the Horror Movie BBQ joins our cross-country adventure through a star-spangled box-office bomb from Fred Wolf Films and Toei Animation, starring the voices of Donatello, Garfield, Baby Piggy, and King Triton. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The late Stewart Moskowitz’s archived gallery and current website, operated by his family. Too-Loose, the Chocolate Moose. Ping Pong, the Gorilla who ate Garfield. **** “The Adventures of the American Rabbit” © 1985 Wolfkill Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🐰 We’re back! This surprise springtime episode covers the 1976 Rankin/Bass special, “The First Easter Rabbit,” which despite its name and main theme, still relies heavily on Christmas. 🎙️ Brandon Medley hops by to discuss this special’s very obvious and very uncredited connection to “The Velveteen Rabbit,” Easter Valley’s odd location next door to the North Pole, and Rankin/Bass’s habit of giving bad directions. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: They named the talking snowball “Br-r-ruce,” a joke I didn’t notice until just now! **** “The First Easter Rabbit” © 1974 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 In our Christmas Eve season finale, the Advent Calendar House is haunted by 3 spirited guests — Sue London, Jonathan MacFarlane, and Joey O. — as we each draft our own casts of “A Christmas Carol” from a pool of characters from Christmas past. **** 🎩 “A Christmas Carol” versions mentioned, in chronological order: 1951: Scrooge (starring Alastair Sim). 1954: Shower of Stars’ A Christmas Carol. 1962: Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol. 1970: Scrooge (musical, starring Albert Finney). 1978: Rich Little’s Christmas Carol. 1979: Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol. 1983: Mickey’s Christmas Carol. 1984: A Christmas Carol (starring George C. Scott). 1986: The Real Ghostbusters: Xmas Marks the Spot. 1987ish: Honey Nut Cheerios Christmas Commercial (starring Bill Gavin). 1988: Scrooged (starring Bill Murray). 1992: The Muppet Christmas Carol. 1993: Animaniacs: A Christmas Plotz. 1994: A Flintstones Christmas Carol. 1997: A Christmas Carol (starring Tim Curry). 1999: A Christmas Carol (starring Patrick Stewart). 2003: A Carol Christmas (starring Tori Spelling). 2009: Disney’s A Christmas Carol (starring Jim Carrey). 2011: Batman: Noël. **** Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Joey O. returns to the Advent Calendar House bearing the gift of his favorite regional holiday commercial. Join us as we spend 17 times the length of a 30-second lottery commercial talking about the spot that had a whole commonwealth singing “Five Cash Fives!” **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The original Pennsylvania Lottery Christmas Commercial from 1992. The updated commercial from 2012, remade shot-for-shot like 1998’s Psycho. PA Lottery’s Holiday Ad Gets Makeover (CBS Philly, 2012) “Move Closer to Your World,” the greatest broadcast news theme song ever composed. Philadelphia Eagles fans’ longing for kelly green football uniforms. Major League Baseball’s endless array of ugly hats for every holiday. **** “Snowfall” © 1992, 2012 PA Lottery. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🕎 In the Advent Calendar House’s first Hanukkah episode, we follow the Rugrats on their mission to stop the “Meanie of Chanukah” and make him take a nap. 🎙️ Sarah Shay joins the search and helps count all the misspoken “babyisms” along the way. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Sarah’s top 2 favorite spellings of “Hanukkah.” E.G. Daily (Tommy) as Dottie in “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” A tale of 2 panics: Babies climbing up to open flames vs. babies trying to blow out Hanukkah candles. Stu’s giant, tacky menorah vs. the Miami Marlins’ home run celebration monstrosity. The TV trope of the Sitcom Arch-Nemesis. Our worst on-stage mishaps. **** “A Rugrats Chanukah” © 1996 Klasky-Csupo, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Ho-ho-ho, I’m hu-hu-hungry! Fill your soul with season’s greetings and another batch of cereal commercials from Christmas past. 🎙️ Uh-oh, here comes Joey O. to revisit a collection of seasonal ads for Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, starring Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: The main attraction: This Fruity Pebbles Christmas commercial, circa 1986, and a redubbed version with Jim Cummings as Santa from the early ’90s. An older Fruity Pebbles Christmas commercial, dated 1980. A Newer Cocoa Pebbles “Christmas Carol” commercial. “I’m the Master Rapper and I’m here to say, I love Fruity Pebbles in a major way!” The theory I’m going with: Fred and Barney know about Christmas because they live in a post-apocalyptic future. The Rock’s Fruity Pebbles promo on John Cena, 2011. WWE’s Christmas in Baghdad opening from 2003, featuring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin disguised as Santa Claus. **** Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles cereal commercials © Post Consumer Brands / Warner Bros. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Trudge back to 1974 as we dig up a rare gem, “The Gift of Winter,” which introduces a colorful cast of characters from Anytown, better known from its Halloween sequel, “Witch’s Night Out!” 🎙️ Chad Young from the Horror Movie BBQ joins the quest for an audience with Old Man Winter alongside pre-“Saturday Night Live” Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd. 📺 You can watch “The Gift of Winter” on Tubi. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Treatments for a whole Anytown Series, which includes sequel stories for Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day. Whenever Bazooey’s not on screen, all the other characters should be asking, “Where’s Bazooey?” The special’s true heroes: A couple of gay trees. Every parade should end at the Rocky steps. **** “The Gift of Winter” © 1974 Leach/Rankin Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 The taste of nuts and honey thaws Scrooge’s icy heart in this 30-second portrayal of Scrooge for a Christmastime cereal commercial. 🎙️ Joey O. stops by to share a sufficient helping of customary gruel as we squeeze every last drop of honey out of this commercial, officially titled “Ebenezer Scrooge Discovers Honey Nut Cheerios,” which ran from around 1987 through at least the end of the 20th century. Addendum: Thanks to Guy Hutchinson for identifying our Scrooge as actor Bill Gavin! **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: A tale of two Buzz Bees: “It’s Christmas,” vs. “It’s the holidays.” Arnold Stang, the original voice of the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, Top Cat, and Nestlé’s Chunky candy bar. A brief tangent questioning the lifespan and ancestral history of honeybees. **** Honey Nut Cheerios © General Mills. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 How many Muppets can fit inside a farmhouse? We took a head count. It’s a lot. 🎙️ Carlin Trammel from Nerd Lunch stops by the Advent Calendar House to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of “A Muppet Family Christmas,” the shredded wheat and cranberry sauce of TV specials. Together, we try and piece together the various home video cuts over music rights, and wrap around heads around the dizzying continuity issues surrounding the Muppet Babies. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Can you say “OshKosh B’gosh”? A milk PSA and the world’s most forward-thinking bullies. Osvaldo el Gruñón, Oscar the Grouch’s Puerto Rican counterpart. Parting words from the guy with the beard doing the dishes. **** “A Muppet Family Christmas” © 1987 Jim Henson Productions. Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Happy birthday! Join us as we begin our salute to all holiday specials, but mostly the Christmas ones by attempting to answer questions no one asked about the 1969 Rankin/Bass TV special, “Frosty the Snowman.” 🎙️ Brandon Medley joins the parade as we try to find out how hard it is to escape a locked greenhouse, when something you throw away stops legally being yours, and how long it would actually take to write, “I am very sorry for what I did to Frosty” a hundred zillion times. **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: Oatmeal is a perfectly adorable name for a snowman. Frosty Day in Armonk, New York. A closer look at the absurdly long and zigzagged train route to the North Pole. The stupidest places we’ve ever been dropped off. **** “Frosty the Snowman” © 1969 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. Find us at adventcalendar.house.