Top Christmas television specials of all time
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- DirectorTony CharmoliStarsMikhail BaryshnikovGelsey KirklandAlexander MinzThe television adaptation of the Baryshnikov production.The great Baryshnikov production of Tchaikovsky's ballet. It doesn't matter if the picture and sound aren't truly state-of-the-art. It still looks better than it ever did on its network (and especially its PBS) telecasts; in fact, it hasn't looked this good since CBS first telecast it, and even then, I doubt analog TV sets made it look as vivid as it looks here.
- DirectorBill MelendezStarsAnn AltieriChris DoranSally DryerDepressed at the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find a deeper meaning to Christmas.The best animated Christmas special ever made. Not to be confused with any of the later Charlie Brown Christmas specials (watch out if you check the YouTube clips).
- DirectorsChuck JonesBen WashamStarsBoris KarloffThurl RavenscroftJune ForayA grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.The best version of this story. Forget Jim Carrey's awful remake.
- DirectorDavid Hugh JonesStarsPatrick StewartRichard E. GrantJoel GreyAn bitter old miser who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.Because this is a list of made-for-TV Christmas specials, this Patrick Stewart version of the classic jumps to the top of my "Christmas Carol" list. (Yes, it's better than the George C. Scott one.) But the best made-for-theatres version of the Dickens story is still the 1951 production with Alastair Sim.
- DirectorDerek BaileyStarsJames Earl JonesMartin SheenRobert MacNeilAn abridged dramatic reading of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", performed live at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York, and based on Dickens's own adaptation for his dramatic readings.Once televised annually on PBS, but not recently. Martin Sheen and James Earl Jones perform a dramatic reading of the story taken from Dickens's own adapted script for public readings. Magnificent, and once available on VHS, but still not available on DVD. Journalist and former "News Hour" anchorman Robert MacNeil provides fascinating commentary about Dickens's era and the writing of the novel.
- DirectorLarry RoemerStarsBillie Mae RichardsBurl IvesLarry D. MannA young reindeer Rudolph lives at the North Pole. His father is one of Santa's reindeer and it is expected that Rudolph will eventually be one too. However, he has a feature which is a setback and causes him to be ostracized: his red nose.Like the 1966 "Grinch", this is the best version of the story.
- StarsHarry SmithForrest ChurchA.W. PurdueThe history of Christmas and the traditions that make the holidays the most wonderful time of the year.A fascinating documentary about the holiday, showing how customs from pagan celebrations were borrowed for our traditional Christmas, how much influence the origins of the sun-god Mithra had on the Biblical story of Christ's birth, how Santa Claus evolved into the figure we know today, and how we celebrate the holiday in modern times. Overlooked by those who don't watch the History Channel, which used to telecast it every year, before they started substituting crappy reality shows for interesting historical documentaries.
- StarsJane WyattBil BairdCora Baird1. Jane Wyatt - Introduction; 2. Lennon Sisters - Santa Claus is Coming to Town 3. Jane Wyatt - Letter To Virginia; 4. Lisa Della Casa - Gesu Bambino; 5. Violette Verdy & Edward Villella - Ballet - Nutcracker; 6. Bil Baird Marionettes - Night Before Christmas; 7. Earl Wrightson &Lois Hunt - God Rest You Merry Gentlemen; Good King Wenceslas; 8. Dance; 9. American Boychoir - Carols; 10. Jane Wyatt -Reading From St Luke; 11. Phyllis Curtin (with boychoir) - O Holy Night. John Raitt is not on the VHS video of this show (still available though its packaging states he is) nor is Jane Weintraub nor Schola Cantorum nor Frederick R. Kappel.Really corny - in fact, incredibly corny - by modern standards in the dialogue sections, but most of the ones that emphasize singing and dancing are quite good, though not on the level of the Robert Shaw program or the Baryshnikov "Nutcracker". This offering, however, is an excellent example of the kind of family Christmas special that was a regular part of holiday programming in the pre- rock and roll era. (The cover picture you see is of an entirely different program.) And yes, it was made and telecast in color. Once available complete on VHS, but only sections of it have made it to DVD, in a "Bell Telephone Hour" compilation of several of their Christmas specials.
- DirectorAbe LevitowStarsJim BackusMorey AmsterdamJack CassidyThis musical adaptation of the classic tale by Charles Dickens stars Magoo as the cold-hearted old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge.By far the best musical animated version of the story.
