Advent Calendar House - TV Holiday & Christmas Specials
TV & Film:TV Reviews
On another Scrooge Sunday edition of the Advent Calendar House, we fly back in time to 1978 to revisit Rankin/Bass’s turn at “A Christmas Carol,” “The Stingiest Man in Town.”
On This EpisodeMike Westfall (@fallwestmike), your ghost host of Christmases Past and Present.Michael DiGiovanni (@theatomicgeeks), the scariest door knocker in all of Scroogedom, from the Classic Film Jerks, Pop Culture Retrofit, and The Atomic Geeks podcasts.Michael May (@michaelmaycomix), hobo insect taking a break from rockin’ and rollin’ all week long, from his Adventure Blog and the Sleigh Bell Cinema, Mystery Movie Night, and AfterLUNCH podcasts.Topics and TangentsThis is specifically an adaptation of a 1956 production on “The Alcoa Hour,” starring Basil Rathbone as Scrooge. Rankin/Bass uses most of the songs from that special.The original “Stingiest Man in Town” on Sleigh Bell Cinema.Michael May’s annual coverage of scenes from this and other “Christmas Carol” adaptations.Sonny Melendrez (Bob Cratchit) in “You and Me, Kid.”This has my all-time favorite, super creepy version of Marley’s face appearing on Scrooge’s door knocker.This special gets older Belle completely wrong.Tiny Tim has skinny robot legs.The eldest Cratchit sibling, Martha, is Debbie Clinger of the Clinger Sisters, a.k.a. Superchick from the “Krofft Supershow” host band Kaptain Kool and the Kongs.Rankin/Bass should have made a south seas-themed special called “Christmas Island.”Scrooge’s grave morphing into a giant devil face is a reminder in hindsight that this special was animated in Japan by Topcraft, the predecessor to Studio Ghibli.Previous Podcast Episodes MentionedThe First Easter Rabbit (Season 1, Bonus)’Twas the Night Before Christmas (Season 2, Episode 3)Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Season 3, Episode 1)Cricket on the Hearth (Season 3, Episode 4)Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (Season 4, Episode 2)The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold (Season 4, Episode 9)“The Stingiest Man in Town” © 1978 Rankin/Bass Productions.
Commercial Break: Glad Trash Bags Commercial starring Tom Bosley, 1981.
The Advent Calendar House is on the web at adventcalendar.house, on Twitter @adventcalhouse, and part of the Christmas Podcast Network.
Claymation Comedy of Horrors
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Alpha’s Magical Christmas
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Merry Christmas, Mr. Carroll
A Rugrats Passover
’Tis the Season to be Smurfy
The Berenstain Bears’ Comic Valentine
The New Batman Adventures: Holiday Knights
It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
The Snowman and The Snowdog
The Nanny: The Hanukkah Story
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: A Hearth’s Warming Tail
A Very Merry Cricket
The Wonder Years: A Very Cutlip Christmas
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow
TaleSpin: Jolly Molly Christmas
Pat Boone and Family Christmas Special
A Christmas Carol (1971)
Prep & Landing Trilogy
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
A Christmas Carol: Dramatic Reading
Tis the Podcast
Christmas Past
The Professional Santa Claus’ Podcast
Can’t Wait for Christmas