You'd better watch out. Why? Because Santa Claus is coming to town. How do we know this? Because that song is played over and over again on the radio for six weeks every year. Not only that, but the popular kids holiday song is also a very popular TV special. In fact, there are very few popular Christmas songs that have not been turned into TV specials or movies for the holiday season. Everyone has a favorite Christmas TV special, and below are five random facts about some that might just be on your "Best Of" list every year.
5. You've Probably Never Seen Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town In Its Entirety. This 1970 Rankin-Bass production (the same Rankin-Bass that produced tons of holiday TV specials) starred Mickey Rooney as the voice of Kris Kringle, otherwise known as Santa Claus. With Fred Astaire lending his voice (and likeness) as the narrator, this special told the story of Santa's origin and rise to fame. Although a holiday staple constantly played every year on TV, The "Santa Claus is Comin'" special that most people see is a shortened version of the original 1970 broadcast. To make room for commercials, several songs have been cut over the years, including one considered a bit sappy for kids (Love songs! Blech!) and one deemed a bit too harsh, where the villain (The Burgermeister!) sets fire to toys. All of the cut scenes appear on the DVD releases, however, for those who wish to see this TV classic in its entirety.
4. Twas The Night Before Christmas Edited Old Songs Because of Modern Slang. The 1974 animated Twas The Night Before Christmas featured the story of a little town being passed over by Santa Claus one Christmas, all because of a prank played by the son of a local mouse. Yes, a mouse. Featuring voice work by Broadway legend Joel Grey, "Twas" has some very recognizable holiday songs in it, most notably "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand", sung by Grey as the aforementioned mouse. Over the years, however, the original song "Give Your Heart a Try" has typically been cut from the TV broadcasts. The song was cut because of lyrics that mention how the holiday really is very "gay", which was used, of course, to mean "happy". These days, the word "gay" typically means something completely different (or the same, if you think about it). Because of the change in meaning, the song is often cut out of TV broadcasts. Like many TV specials with parts edited out, the DVD of "Twas" includes the song.
3. Santa Almost Forgot The Misfit Toys. The song "The Most Wonderful Day of The Year" has become a holiday favorite. It originally was sung by the sad Misfit Toys in 1964's legendary TV special Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Stuck on an island with toys no kid could ever want, Rudolph befriends such toys as a choo-choo with square wheels and Charlie-In-The-Box ("Nobody Wants a Charlie-In-The-Box!"), and promises to return with Santa Claus and find each of the Misfit Toys. In the original 1964 broadcast special, however, Rudolph never returns. The special ends with our hero guiding Santa's sleigh and becoming the legendary reindeer who would go down in his-stor-y. Parents wrote and called to complain that there was no closure with the Misfit Toys. What became of the choo-choo with square wheels? To appease upset viewers, the producers (Rankin-Bass) included a scene the following year with the lovable Misfits being picked up by Santa and ol' Rudolph, bring joy to children (and their parents) everywhere. The scene has been included ever since.
2. Magoo Did It First. With such popular Christmas TV specials as Rudolph and How The Grinch Stole Christmas airing on broadcast television every single year, there are bound to be several that don't get as much attention as the years roll on. For every Grinch there is a Cricket on the Hearth. One special that remains more of a cult classic than enormous holiday event is Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. In this animated story, the near-sighted Mr. Magoo plays Ebeneezer Scrooge in a re-telling of the classic Dickens tale. What many people do not realize is that Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol is the first-ever animated special made specifically for broadcast television. Airing originally in 1962, the special pre-dates Rudolph, The Grinch, and even Charlie Brown. Many consider this to be the Cream of the Crop in regards to Christmas specials, mostly because of the music by Broadway composers Merrill and Styne (Funny Girl) and great voice work by Jim Backus (Thurston Howell III to TV fans) as Magoo. Every year, Magoo's Scrooge often places in the Top Five of listener polls of favorite Carol adaptations, proving that it has a bigger fan club than many realize.
1. The Anti-Commercial Peanuts Were Pretty Commercial. Although it is now considered by many to be the definitive Christmas television special, A Charlie Brown Christmas almost never made it to air. The 1965 special was produced on a shoestring budget, contained several editing flaws, and even had Linus quoting The Bible on prime-time television. The special was, of course, an enormous hit and many today praise its sentiment and the anti-commercialism message it teaches. In 1965, however, this special was pretty commercial itself, and even included product placement throughout. Today, opening credits have erased a scene where Linus crashes through a billboard for Coca-Cola, the special's original sponsor. Also removed since is a scene where the gang throws snowballs at a Coke can (the can was replaced by an unlabeled can in later broadcasts) and, in the closing credits, a voice-over telling everyone that the special was brought to you by--you guessed it--COKE!
By the time December arrives every year, kids from one to ninety-two will flock to the TV to watch their favorite annual holiday specials. New ones are created every year, but the classics will remain and make new fans out of younger viewers each Christmas. Behind each TV special there is a story, and sometimes that little bit of history is just as interesting as the program itself. These are just Five Random Facts about some Christmas specials you may love. What are some of your favorites not mentioned on this list?
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