The Island of Misfit Christmas Specials

[wildojinx]

Peter Paltridge of Platypus Comix has been cataloging a bunch of the lesser-known Christmas specials for a while now. He's got some more coming up this year, but for now, here's a list of what he does have:

www.platypuscomix.net/darkvault/misfits/index.html

[Ultimo Gallos]

Just read about the Siskel and Ebert 87 Video guide special. I vaguely remember watching that back when it aired.

[A Platypus Rave]

the design of that homepage is awful.

[Ultimo Gallos]

Going thru the list of misfit Xmas specials I have seen a bunch of them. For years my mother would record each new Xmas cartoon,to Betamax and then VHS. And until about 96 I had those tapes. Then some evil person burnt them at the same time they burnt about half my comic collection.

[Deleted]

Nov 26, 2017 17:16:15 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

the design of that homepage is awful.

Ironically, that makes it very mobile friendly.

I was pleased to see the awful Muppet movie from 2004 on the list. As bad as the failed sitcom was, it didn't have blatant references to TV shows on the network, "parodies" of contemporary things (I refer to Seltzerberg quality), and Joan Cusack.

I still hold out for The Legend of Frosty, where Frosty was literally a zombie who only grunted out "Birthday?"

[BrodietheSlayer]

I'm just happy that "A Wish For Wings That Work" was on there. In a perfect world, Bloom County (and its characters) would have been as well known as the characters from Peanuts were/are, and this special would have been thrown in that yearly rotation of Christmas specials.

[Rumble McSkirmish]

Nov 26, 2017 18:16:33 GMT -5 @jdogindy said:

Nov 26, 2017 17:16:15 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

the design of that homepage is awful.

Ironically, that makes it very mobile friendly.

I was pleased to see the awful Muppet movie from 2004 on the list. As bad as the failed sitcom was, it didn't have blatant references to TV shows on the network, "parodies" of contemporary things (I refer to Seltzerberg quality), and Joan Cusack.

I remember one year my mom buying that on DVD mistaking it for the vast vast vast vastly superior Muppet Family Christmas (Which sadly has never gotten a proper DVD release...lousy music rights issues.) I tried watching it anyways, fell asleep halfway through and never bothered with it again...looks like I made the right call there.

[James Fabiano]

Nov 27, 2017 5:01:49 GMT -5 Rumble McSkirmish said:

Nov 26, 2017 18:16:33 GMT -5 @jdogindy said:

Ironically, that makes it very mobile friendly.

I was pleased to see the awful Muppet movie from 2004 on the list. As bad as the failed sitcom was, it didn't have blatant references to TV shows on the network, "parodies" of contemporary things (I refer to Seltzerberg quality), and Joan Cusack.

I remember one year my mom buying that on DVD mistaking it for the vast vast vast vastly superior Muppet Family Christmas (Which sadly has never gotten a proper DVD release...lousy music rights issues.) I tried watching it anyways, fell asleep halfway through and never bothered with it again...looks like I made the right call there.

The most memorable things to me are A) yes, Beaker's Kermitless World form and B) I had a friend who thought Miss Piggy had become a prostitute.

And I maintain the sitcom DID have some bright spots.

The site did lead me to watch the Lady Gaga/Muppets special, though, which...isn't that bad.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Nov 28, 2017 15:09:08 GMT -5 James Fabiano said:

Nov 27, 2017 5:01:49 GMT -5 Rumble McSkirmish said:

I remember one year my mom buying that on DVD mistaking it for the vast vast vast vastly superior Muppet Family Christmas (Which sadly has never gotten a proper DVD release...lousy music rights issues.) I tried watching it anyways, fell asleep halfway through and never bothered with it again...looks like I made the right call there.

The most memorable things to me are A) yes, Beaker's Kermitless World form and B) I had a friend who thought Miss Piggy had become a prostitute.

And I maintain the sitcom DID have some bright spots.

The site did lead me to watch the Lady Gaga/Muppets special, though, which...isn't that bad.

I was really was looking forward to the Lady Gaga/Muppets special after her awesome Oscar performance and that album with Tony Bennet

It just never clicked for me. As I recall Gaga had just no personality on it, and there was surprisingly little in it that was holiday related.

[YAKMAN is ICHIBAN]

Oh man that analysis about Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is spot on

This has been one lucky misfit: it's owned by a network that continues to run it, year after year, under the delusion that they've created another holiday classic. The WB, now the CW, has aired this every holiday season for what is now approaching a decade's worth of time. Normally, if these specials fail out of the gate, they'll get rerun twice if they're lucky. But this one just refuses to die, depite the truth that no one on Earth wants to watch it. And there are many reasons why they don't.

[A Platypus Rave]

Nov 28, 2017 15:25:09 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

Oh man that analysis about Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is spot on

This has been one lucky misfit: it's owned by a network that continues to run it, year after year, under the delusion that they've created another holiday classic. The WB, now the CW, has aired this every holiday season for what is now approaching a decade's worth of time. Normally, if these specials fail out of the gate, they'll get rerun twice if they're lucky. But this one just refuses to die, depite the truth that no one on Earth wants to watch it. And there are many reasons why they don't.

and now they play it constantly on CN

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2017 16:08:59 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

Nov 28, 2017 15:25:09 GMT -5 YAKMAN is ICHIBAN said:

Oh man that analysis about Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is spot on

and now they play it constantly on CN

That & Teen Titans Go is their entire December schedule.

[BlackoutCreature]

I've been checking out this website the last two days. It inspired me to watch the John Denver/Muppets special when I had some free time today. My god that was incredibly boring. And why did Floyd get top billing among the Muppets? Don't get me wrong, I love the Electric Mayhem crew, but that just seemed random.

Speaking of old Christmas specials, does anybody remember a Night Before Christmas cartoon that had something to do with mice writing letters to a newspaper? I haven't seen it in forever and barely remember it, but I recall it being in fairly regular rotation among the Christmas specials back in the 80's.

[A Platypus Rave]

My Mom always played the John Denver and hte Muppets CD.

I didn't realize it was an actual special

Nov 29, 2017 19:55:46 GMT -5 BlackoutCreature said:

I've been checking out this website the last two days. It inspired me to watch the John Denver/Muppets special when I had some free time today. My god that was incredibly boring. And why did Floyd get top billing among the Muppets? Don't get me wrong, I love the Electric Mayhem crew, but that just seemed random.

Speaking of old Christmas specials, does anybody remember a Night Before Christmas cartoon that had something to do with mice writing letters to a newspaper? I haven't seen it in forever and barely remember it, but I recall it being in fairly regular rotation among the Christmas specials back in the 80's.

I do I believe it was literally called "Twas the night before Christmas."

Like the smarty pants Mouse basically caused Santa to skip that town due to him writing a letter that said he doesn't exist or something.

[Bub (BLM)]

I loved that John Denver Muppets special as a kid.

[pegasuswarrior]

Nov 29, 2017 20:14:20 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

My Mom always played the John Denver and hte Muppets CD.

I didn't realize it was an actual special

Nov 29, 2017 19:55:46 GMT -5 BlackoutCreature said:

I've been checking out this website the last two days. It inspired me to watch the John Denver/Muppets special when I had some free time today. My god that was incredibly boring. And why did Floyd get top billing among the Muppets? Don't get me wrong, I love the Electric Mayhem crew, but that just seemed random.

Speaking of old Christmas specials, does anybody remember a Night Before Christmas cartoon that had something to do with mice writing letters to a newspaper? I haven't seen it in forever and barely remember it, but I recall it being in fairly regular rotation among the Christmas specials back in the 80's.

I do I believe it was literally called "Twas the night before Christmas."

Like the smarty pants Mouse basically caused Santa to skip that town due to him writing a letter that said he doesn't exist or something.

Yeah. Confirm that. Have seen it.

Has those awkward, slightly creepy sound cuts/pauses in there.

(Laughing at how last three posts here sounds like how a Creepypasta could start.)

[A Platypus Rave]

Nov 29, 2017 21:45:43 GMT -5 pegasuswarrior said:

Nov 29, 2017 20:14:20 GMT -5 A Platypus Rave said:

My Mom always played the John Denver and hte Muppets CD.

I didn't realize it was an actual special

I do I believe it was literally called "Twas the night before Christmas."

Like the smarty pants Mouse basically caused Santa to skip that town due to him writing a letter that said he doesn't exist or something.

Yeah. Confirm that. Have seen it.

Has those awkward, slightly creepy sound cuts/pauses in there.

(Laughing at how last three posts here sounds like how a Creepypasta could start.)

It might have been one of Rankin Bass's traditionally animated specials.

[Nikki Heyman]

Nov 29, 2017 19:55:46 GMT -5 BlackoutCreature said:

I've been checking out this website the last two days. It inspired me to watch the John Denver/Muppets special when I had some free time today. My god that was incredibly boring. And why did Floyd get top billing among the Muppets? Don't get me wrong, I love the Electric Mayhem crew, but that just seemed random.

Speaking of old Christmas specials, does anybody remember a Night Before Christmas cartoon that had something to do with mice writing letters to a newspaper? I haven't seen it in forever and barely remember it, but I recall it being in fairly regular rotation among the Christmas specials back in the 80's.

"Twas the night before Christmas" is still one of my favorites.

Essentially, it's a story about a small turn-of-the-century village of people and mice who have adapted human customs. Santa notifies the town he will not be there because he read a disparaging letter about how he is nothing but a myth. The mayor hires the local clockmaker to make the town hall clock play a celebratory song to Santa in hopes he will hear it and stop. One of the mice (the one who wrote the letter) accidentally breaks it trying to figure out how it works, and there's a race against time to get the clock working for midnight on Christmas eve.

It's an odd premise, but the songs in it are catchy and the animation is a step up from Rankin-Bass' more popular works like Frosty the snowman

[Deleted]

This website has been brought to you by the year 1998.

[wildojinx]

And here's his newest one, yet another review of Rapsitte Kids Believe in Santa:
www.platypuscomix.net/darkvault/misfits/misfit60.html
(i'm pretty sure the fact that Nostalgia Critic released his review the same day was coincidence)