Christmas Classics

Sometimes, I feel, Lisa and I came of age at the perfect time. Where television is concerned, this is especially true.

Many of my favorite sitcoms aired for the first time in the late 1960s.

On Monday night, ABC ran the Christmas Classic, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Last week, the two of us watched “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” on CBS. Both of those holiday shows aired for the first time when we were tiny tots (Charlie Brown in ’65, Rudolph a year earlier).

Both shows have been annual “must see tv” for generations of young Americans. Those two, along with other 1960s favorites (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Frosty the Snowman”) have been a part of the fabric of our national yuletide tradition.

How fortunate we are that we have enjoyed them from the start.

I was not able to see Charlie Brown on Monday night because I was in a church meeting. In ‘olden times’ that would have been a catastrophe.

As we have explained on several occasions to Holly and Paul, in the pre-cable/pre-DVD era, you just had one chance to see each special when December rolled around. Often, you wouldn’t get much notice – maybe a buzz of excitement going around the classroom when someone began the rumor.  Maybe nothing at all.

If, for some reason, you missed the show that night, you were out of luck. Much like the fictitious community of Brigadoon, it was gone from sight until ‘the next time’ rolled around 

Of course, now, you can see multiple showings of Charlie Brown or Rudolph. And if you don’t catch them on network tv or cable, there’s always the DVD cabinet.

Each of those children’s Christmas classics had its own message. No doubt, there were some deep social messages embedded in the storyline of Rudolph. And Linus’ speech to Charlie Brown near the end of that special, crystalizes the ‘meaning of Christmas.’ 

Of course, when we were kids in the 60s, we didn’t get all that. We just enjoyed the fun. It’s only when you add the perspective of time, you consider what might have been really meant. 

We didn’t get all the social turmoil stuff, either! Maybe it’s just as well. There was plenty of time to learn about that later.

At the time, it was just good fun and good clean lessons on morality. Who among us didn’t find it offensive that mean old Professor Hinkle wanted to swipe the magic hat from atop Frosty’s head.

Even a six year old knows that stealing is wrong.

Speaking of “Frosty,” I see that show is scheduled for broadcast on CBS this Friday night at 8 p.m. I’m not sure what I will be doing then, but there is a good chance we might have to tune in to enjoy more holiday nostalgia. 

But you know what, if we are out and about that night, Lisa and I might just have to set the DVR to record it for later viewing. (Note to the kids – we didn’t have DVRs in the 1960s, either). 

JG

Originally posted 12/4/2013