Journey through Christmases Past: TV Dads through the Decades

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The history and traditions of the holiday.
• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me on a journey through Christmases past.

Happy Sunday! Today is the first day of summer, and there are only 187 days until Christmas! 

I will be honest. Work is leaving little time for blogging, so this week's post comes with a bit of an assist from AI. In honor of Father's Day, I wanted to share something fun about dads through the decades. Then it turned into TV dads. Enjoy reminiscing. 

Photo from a Facebook post

1950s Dad — The Classic Christmas Commander

He wore a cardigan, carved the turkey with precision, and strung lights with military-level seriousness. He read the newspaper while the kids played with new toys and made sure the tree was perfectly centered in the picture window. His gift? Something practical, like slippers or a pipe, which he accepted with a proud nod.

While this dad was before my time, I can totally see Ward Cleaver from Leave It to Beaver at work here.

Photo from IMDB

1960s Dad — The Cool, Calm, and Slightly Groovy One

He introduced color TV, insisted on tinsel one strand at a time, and played Christmas albums on the hi-fi. He might’ve assembled a bike or two, but only after “studying” the instructions with a cup of coffee. He loved a good gadget. Electric carving knife, anyone?

Do you recall the episode "Steve and the Computer" from My Three Sons? I totally see patriarch Steve Douglas in the above description.

Photo from this Facebook post

1970s Dad — The DIY Holiday Hero

This was the dad who built toys, fixed toys, and occasionally broke toys while fixing them. He hung those giant C9 bulbs that could heat a small home and drove the family around in a wood-paneled station wagon to see the neighborhood lights. His Christmas morning uniform: plaid robe, slippers, and a mug of Folgers.

Minus the plaid robe, didn't you immediately think of Mike from The Brady Bunch here?

Photo found on Christmas TV History

1980s Dad — The King of Christmas Morning Chaos

He was the master of assembling anything that required batteries, screws, or a PhD in engineering. He recorded Christmas on a giant camcorder that weighed as much as a toddler. He stayed up late wrapping gifts in paper featuring Garfield or He-Man and pretended not to hear the kids at 4:30 AM.

Steven Keaton from Family Ties, won't you please stand up and take a bow for being the dad we all wanted in the 80s.

Photo from People article

1990s Dad — The Tech-Savvy (Sort Of) Holiday Innovator

He programmed the VCR to record every holiday special, even though half of them cut off early. He helped set up the Super Nintendo, installed the new cordless phone, and proudly handed out gifts in those shiny metallic gift bags that required zero wrapping. He loved a good mall Santa photo and a trip to Blockbuster after Christmas dinner.

There were a lot of great TV dads in the 90s: Philip Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Carl Winslow from Family Matters, and Tim Taylor from Home Improvement, but my favorite is Danny Tanner from Full House. I loved the 80s, but I think the 90s is my next favorite decade.

Photo from Mainlining Christmas

2000s Dad — The Digital Christmas Dad

He downloaded Christmas music onto the family computer, burned holiday CDs, and tried to figure out the new digital camera before the big day. He assembled Razor scooters, replaced AA batteries like a champ, and documented everything on early Facebook. His favorite gift? Anything with a power cord.

Hal Wilkerson was crazy on Malcom in the Middle, but he definitely loved his kids. Do you remember the episode where Reese turns Hal into a viral sensation by posting his father's embarrassing moments online? I think he deserved coal in his stocking for that one.

Photo from IMDB

2010s Dad — The Pinterest-Project Participant

He helped hang the “rustic farmhouse” stockings, wrapped gifts with kraft paper and twine, and tried to recreate a Pinterest-worthy Christmas breakfast. He set up the Elf on the Shelf (sometimes creatively, sometimes at 11:59 PM). He FaceTimed relatives during gift opening and took 200 photos on his phone.

You have to admit that Andre "Dre" Johnson on Black-ish tries hard. He is still seeking Pops' approval. He has wild overreactions that are hilarious — like the time he set the Christmas tree on fire ("Just Christmas, Baby") and picked up his favorite daughter, then rushed off to safety, pushing one of his other kids out of the way. And he has a deep appreciation of Black history and culture, which he uses to educate his family. While he actually has a tough time navigating social media trends, that was a pretty nice tree he and his daughter put together before it burned down.

Here's to all the TV dads and real dads doing their best.

Journey through Christmases Past - Christmas 1982

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and journey with me through Christmases past.

1982

Welcome to Christmas 1982. This had been a year of significance locally, nationally, and across the world. The Space Shuttle Columbia, which had been introduced in 1981, completed three missions in 1982. The Falklands War broke out between Argentina and the United Kingdom. A late storm in April blanketed the Northeast with record snowfall, causing traffic accidents, travel disruptions, and power outages. A tampering with Tylenol in Chicago led to seven deaths, a large-scale recall, and the FDA requirement of tamper-resistant packaging for most over-the-counter products. In June, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial befriended a young boy after he had been left behind by his species. The first CD player was released in Japan by Sony. And at the end of November, Michael Jackson released his Thriller album, which made him a global superstar. 

For Christmas that year, I found a hair dryer under the tree, the last gift my mother made sure my father bought for me before she passed away. What were some of the other popular gift items that year?

• Cabbage Patch Kids (I still have mine)
• The Atari 2600 and 5200 (this one debuted in late 1982)
• Care Bears and My Little Pony
• He-Man and The Masters of the Universe figures (my son loved these toys in the late 80s)
• Sony Walkman and boomboxes
• Jordache and Gloria Vanderbilt designer jeans 
• The homemaker might have asked for CorningWare in the Cornflower Blue pattern (my mom had those)
• If you enjoyed movies or wanted to record off television, you might have had one of those 30-pound JVC or RCA video recorders/players. 

Here are two Christmas shows you might have seen that debuted in 1982.

 

The Smurfs' Christmas 

 

 The Snowman

What memories can you share from 1982?

New Feature: Journey Through Christmases Past - Christmas 1968

 

Welcome to our newest feature, Journey through Christmases Past. This series is a nostalgic celebration of the holidays we all remember...

• The décor that filled our homes.
• The toys that defined each decade.
• The television and movie shows that brightened the season.
• The outfits we adored (and the ones we definitely didn’t).

Along the way, I’ll sprinkle in a few of my own Christmas memories. So settle in with a cup of your favorite hot beverage and journey with me through Christmases past.

1968

Here we are at Christmas 1968. After a year filled with social and political unrest, major sports and music accomplishments, and the Apollo 8 launch, out came the Sears Christmas Book. Inside its pages, one could find fashions for women, men, and children, jewelry, toys, home decor, Christmas decorations and, for the outdoorsperson, a Ted Williams "Gamefisher" fiberglass boat.  

Of course, six-month-old me had no idea about these things. Nor did I have any idea which of my favorite classic Christmas shows shared the year of my birth. 

The Little Drummer Boy 

 

The Night Before Christmas

Dean Martin, Bob Hope, and Andy Williams would all have Christmas specials on television, and Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Heather Ripley, and Adrian Hall would star in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which was released in the United States in the middle of December.

Do you have any memories of Christmas 1968?

Christmas on TV: Little House on the Prairie Christmas Episodes

I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie. Some of my favorite episodes were the Christmas ones, and there weren't many of them. The pilot movie had Christmas scenes, and there were four other episodes set during Christmas: "Christmas at Plum Creek" (Season 1), "Blizzard" (Season 3), "A Christmas They Never Forgot" (Season 8), and "Bless All the Dear Children" (TV Movie). 

In the pilot, the Ingalls family has moved to Kansas and befriended a bachelor named Mr. Edwards. Caroline isn't a fan because he likes to frequent saloons and teaches Laura how to spit. However, at Christmastime, Mr. Edwards goes all the way to Independence and crosses an overflowing body of water to deliver presents for the three Ingalls girls and to bring a special treat for Christmas dinner, which softens Ma's attitude toward the rough and tumble bachelor. 

The episode "Christmas at Plum Creek" is the only time I recall the Oleson's Mercantile being decorated for the holidays. It is a Christmas of secrets, as the Ingalls family hides what they are working on for each other despite not having a lot of money for gifts. Though there are a couple of sad moments in this episode, it ends on a happy note with Carrie saying a happy birthday to Baby Jesus.

"Blizzard" is not exactly a Christmas episode. It happens to be set on Christmas Eve, but it is all about survival on the harsh, open prairie. When it begins snowing, Miss Beadle releases the children early. However, the flurries quickly turn into a full-blown blizzard, with many of the children struggling to get back home. The school is turned into a hospital, and the women help Doc Baker as the men search for the missing children. Charles reads the Christmas story on Christmas morning after the blizzard is over. Michael Landon was thought to have used "The Children's Blizzard" as inspiration for this episode. 

Viewers didn't get another Christmas episode until Season 8, and Landon went all out, with another blizzard trapping the Ingalls family, the Wilders, the Kendalls, and Hester Sue at the little house on Plum Creek on Christmas Eve. As they wait out the storm, they share stories of Christmases past. Laura talks about Mr. Edwards bringing presents to them in Kansas. Caroline shares the story of how she came to love her stepfather, Papa Holbrook. Almanzo gives them a glimpse into his childhood and the year he almost stopped believing in Santa Claus, and Hester Sue shares a special Christmas growing up during the Civil War. 

After the series ended, there were three made-for-TV movies. One of them was "Bless All the Dear Children." While shopping in Mankato, Rose Wilder goes missing, so Almamzo, Laura, and Mr. Edwards search for her. Back in Walnut Grove, Mr. Montague refuses to celebrate the commercialization of Christmas, and John Carter--who gave Almanzo money to buy gifts--worries the Wilders won't be home in time. 

At my Laura Ingalls Wilder blog, Laura's Little Houses, I used to run an annual poll to gauge everyone's favorite Little House on the Prairie Christmas episode. It would change year to year, but it was either "Christmas at Plum Creek" or "A Christmas They Never Forgot."

Have you seen these episodes? Do you have a favorite? 

Christmas on TV: Scouting for Christmas (Hallmark Channel, 2024 Premiere)

 

If you are looking for sweet, funny, and romantic, then you need to watch Scouting for Christmas, starring Tamera Mowry-Housley and Carlo Marks. 

Scouting for Christmas is another new premiere for this year's COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS. It features Mowry-Housley as a real estate agent and single mom of Brooklyn (Audrey Wise Alvarez). Always on the run, she is often late in getting her daughter to and from scouts, which irks the perfectionist troop leader. Divorced from Dakota, a paleontologist out on his latest adventure, Angela has finally settled into her post-divorce life, even if it is hectic. 

When it is time to decide on who to cater the troop's annual holiday event, Brooklyn suggests her mother work with local bakery owner William (Marks) to pitch his ideas to the other moms. Angela and William grow closer as they work together, but Angela isn't ready to jump into romance again. Then, Dakota returns unexpectedly, hoping for a happy reunion with his family. Angela is forced with the unenviable choice of making a decision that will impact Brooklyn no matter which man she chooses.

Scouting for Christmas is such a sweet movie. Here is poor Angela trying to do it all and making a good life for Brooklyn on their own, when her world is suddenly turned upside down. She isn't ready to welcome William into her life as more than a friend, and then Dakota arrives to set her once orderly life even more off-kilter. 

As for William, played wonderfully by Carlo Marks, he loves his bakery, and he is hoping for a fresh start with Angela. There is pressure from his ex to take the bakery in a different direction, so William will have other decisions to make other than hoping for a future with Angela.

With a great supplementary cast that includes William's mother, Angela's supportive and wise sister, and the overly perfect troop leader Elizabeth, Scouting for Christmas is an equal dose of romance and humor.

Release date: October 20, 2024

Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes

Christmas on TV: Holiday Crashers (Hallmark Channel, 2024 Premiere)

Photo credit: IMDB

Are you looking for some double holiday pleasure, then you will want to watch another stellar Hallmark Channel's 2024 COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS premiere, Holiday Crashers. 

Best friends Toni (Lyndsy Fonseca) and Bri (Daniella Monet) have worked at the same card shop for years while they struggle to find their life's purpose. But when opportunity presents itself, they begin crashing exclusive Christmas parties and weaving exciting stories about the lives they supposedly live. They are having a blast until Toni is mistaken for an attorney. Toni and Bri find themselves whisked off to a Christmas retreat in Vermont with business mogul Justin (Chris McNally) where Bri meets his trusty valet Vinny (Jag Bal). As Justin and Toni grow closer, her secret might just be their undoing. And Vinny might have his own secret, throwing Bri for a loop. Will this end in disaster or be two helpings of happily ever after?

Holiday Crashers was such a fun movie. Toni made it through Harvard Law School, but suffered a horrible panic attack when taking the bar exam. Her father still hopes one day she will join his law firm. Bri has always been good at event planning, but she lacks the confidence to make a go of it. Together, they work at a card store while dreaming of better lives. Then one day, Bri swipes an invitation to an exclusive Christmas party and the two friends crash it. This leads them on a spree of holiday party crashing, until one day when Toni is mistaken for a lawyer and is persuaded to attend a Christmas retreat put on by Justin's company to act as a legal consultant. With Bri's prodding, they go, but it doesn't take long for things to get challenging. 

The setting of this movie was amazing. Who doesn't like holiday retreats in the Vermont mountains? As stories and backstories for the characters unfold, you can't help rooting for Justin and Toni and Bri and Vinny to get together. The acting in this one was superb, and I need to give a special shout out to Monet, who I haven't seen since her Victorious days. Holiday Crashers wouldn't have been the same without her. 

Holiday Crashers was a spritely, sweet, and charming holiday romance. I would love to see more movies like this one.

Release date: October 19, 2024

I live streamed this movie through Frndly TV. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas on TV: 'Twas the Date Before Christmas (Hallmark Channel, 2024 Premiere)

 

Photo credit: IMDB

Hallmark Channel's 2024 COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS starts off strong with this delightful romantic comedy starring Robert Buckley and Amy Groening. 

Feeling the pressure to bring someone home for the holidays, Jessie (Groening) invites Bryan (Buckley) to the "Chamberlain Family Christmas Olympics." Even though they just met through a dating app, Bryan, not looking forward to spending the holidays alone, agrees. Jessie's mother, played by Karen Waddell, is excited about her daughter's new boyfriend, but no one in the family realizes this is their first date. As the zany holiday activities continue, Jessie finds it hard to keep their secret. And while Bryan warms to Jessie and her family, he needs to hope other things in his life won't get in the way. 

I live streamed  'Twas the Date Before Christmas last night, and I am so glad I did. What a great way to kick off COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS. Groening and Buckley, Hallmark Channel veterans, are sweet, funny, and have amazing chemistry as their characters secretly hide they just met earlier in the day. Jessie and Bryan have touching backstories, which I won't share in case you didn't see 'Twas the Date Before Christmas last night, but those backstories play a role in how they begin to develop feelings for each other while partaking in the gift wrapping contest, snowball fight, baking competition, and more. Secondary characters have their own storylines, making this a wonderful movie for all. 

'Twas the Date Before Christmas is a classic Hallmark Channel holiday romance with such a unique and charming plot that you can't help but fall in love with it. 

Release date: October 18, 2024

Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes

I live streamed this movie through Frndly TV. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. 

Christmas on TV: Little House on the Prairie, Season 8: A Christmas They Never Forgot

Christmas always inspires me to share my thoughts, and this episode of Little House on the Prairie remains a favorite.

While the show ran for nine seasons, plus three additional movies, we didn't see episodes surrounding Christmas often--and I don't think the last Christmas episode (Bless All the Dear Children) had any snow in it. Most likely because the show was filmed in California, and based upon my conversation with Kent McCray, it seems to have taken a great deal of effort to create those snowy scenes. (Rolled up sleeves around Christmas in Minnesota?)

That the little house on Plum Creek got blasted with so much snow that all their guests had to spend the night, is just one of the many things that makes this episode so special, as does the wonderful music that Michael Landon decided to use.

This is the last time we see every member of the Ingalls clan together. By this time, Mary and Adam are living in New York, and Hester Sue brings them to Walnut Grove as a surprise. We don't see Mary and Adam again, something that always makes me sad, as I wish they could have returned for the final movie.

The family sits around telling stories of Christmases past. Caroline, Almanzo, Laura, and Hester Sue share a bit of themselves with the entire group. We learn how Caroline came to accept Papa Holbrook, and the Christmas that Almanzo almost stopped believing in Santa Claus. Laura shares the memory of Mr. Edwards coming for Christmas dinner when the Ingalls family lived in their little cabin in Kansas, and Hester Sue shares a Christmas as a Black child living in the South during the Civil War.

Each story is touching and encompasses what we have come to love about Little House on the Prairie.

One thing that sticks out to me in this episode is how much a part of the cast Dean Butler and his character Almanzo have become by this point. Now, I know I am slightly biased because I am a huge fan of Dean's, but Charles and Almanzo have many wonderful scenes together in this episode. I especially enjoy when Almanzo and Charles head out to fix the barn door.

Almanzo says, "Let's go, pop."

Charles replies, "Follow me, son." 

A far cry from their relationship at the beginning, where Charles punched the daylights out of Almanzo for possibly kissing his young daughter. Watching Charles's feelings toward Almanzo change is one of the best parts of the series for me. That's why I've written several fan fiction stories that involve these two men. 

Have you seen this Little House episode? What are your thoughts on it?

Christmas on TV: An Elf's Story: The Elf on the Shelf (2011)

 

An Elf's Story: The Elf on the Shelf  is the first TV movie based upon The Elf on a Shelf: A Christmas Tradition picture book written by Carol Aebersold and Chandra Bell. It tells the story of a scout elf who is sent to the family of Taylor McTuttle with a mission: to help Taylor, who is questioning the magic of Christmas.

Renamed Chippy by his family, he does his best to convince Taylor that Santa and Christmas magic are real, but he is soon discouraged. With the help of his elf friends, Santa, and a special letter, Chippy is glad to call his mission a success.

This half-hour animated special aired on CBS in 2011. As a parent who despised the Elf on the Shelf tradition, and found the spying elf a bit creepy--even if Stringbean (our elf) is cute--I found this TV movie enchanting, because it captures all the magic and joy without the whole spying on the kids and convincing them to behave aspect. 

Taylor's sisters are thrilled with their elf's arrival, and their song about Christmas captures everything that Christmas is all about: love, joy, peace, faith to believe, spending time with family, sharing, caring, and forgiveness. Taylor is the lone family skeptic, who ultimately ends up believing in Christmas thanks to Chippy. The movie ends with Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve, and he encourages the viewers to wish each boy and girl a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy as Chippy flies home to the North Pole. 

This movie was released on DVD the following year. 

I watched this movie on NetFlix. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas on TV: Little House on the Prairie, Season 10: Bless All the Dear Children

Little House on the Prairie ran for nine seasons, with three movies that aired after the series was canceled. One of these episodes is a Christmas one titled, "Bless All the Dear Children." Though my least favorite Little House episode set around Christmas, there are good moments to celebrate or at least mention. Here is my list of nitpicks and memorable moments. 

Nitpicks

• Pa's narration opens the episode by stating this story takes place in the winter of 1896. Rose Wilder was born in 1886. She would have been 10. 
• Pa also says that while they were used to cold winters, the winter of 1896 brought with it warm temperatures (hence people walking around with no coats and their sleeves rolled up in December in Minnesota). That year, the Midwest had experienced a long Indian summer, but by Thanksgiving, temperatures were well below average, with some areas reporting record breaking cold (-50).  
• Mr. Edwards gets into a bar fight, which is why Almanzo leaves Rose and she is abducted. Didn't he pretty much stop drinking after the whole incident with Albert? 
• Somehow, Samuel hid in the back of their wagon, undetected, even though they had to ride half a day to get to their first stop.
• Mr. Edwards doesn't apologize. Not when Almanzo feels guilty and breaks down, or when Laura is upset they will never find Rose. 
• The star in the sky leading them to Samuel after he runs away is just too corny, even if I am a huge fan.
• The Carters living in the little house on Plum Creek will never sit right with me. 

Memorable Moments

• Seeing the family together and happy. The Wilders endured Almanzo's illness and paralysis, a tornado destroying their first house, the loss of Royal Wilder, the loss of Baby Wilder, Rose contracting small pox, Jenny Wilder almost dying twice, and the death of Laura's beloved brother, Albert. Thank goodness we see some happy times, too.
• The way the actors portrayed a married couple in crisis. By now, they should be experts at it. We should remember, however, that neither was married, and Melissa Gilbert was only 19 when this episode aired. 
• Mr. Montague delivering presents to the Carters and Jenny Wilder dressed as Santa Claus. Though he rallied against the commercialization of Christmas--something I'm pretty sure never came up in the late 1800s--he puts aside his feelings when the Wilders are delayed, leaving the Carters with nothing to give their boys. 
• A strong Almanzo defending his family. When they find Rose, Patrick Norris still believes the story his wife has told him about the little girl she brought home belonging to them. It doesn't take long for him to grab his gun. Though Laura pleads with both men to stop arguing, Almanzo isn't about to back down from protecting his family. Seeing him so dedicated to his family is not new, but if you think of how despondent he was when Rose was born and he thought he would never walk again, this strong protector is truly a different man.
• Sam being adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Norris. Not sure everything was legal, but they all ended up happy. 

This remains a classic Michael Landon Little House on the Prairie episode that blends drama, humor, and Christmas joy into one story that tugs at the heartstrings. What are your thoughts on this episode? 

Christmas on TV: iCarly, Season 2: iChristmas (Nickelodeon, 2008)

 

Photo credit: Nickelodeon

Christmas is coming, and Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) is eager to get a nice Christmas tree for the apartment she shares with her brother, Spencer (Jerry Trainor). She is disappointed with Spencer's junkyard metal tree, but he assures her it will be great. When the tree catches fire overnight, destroying the gifts Carly made for her friends, Freddy Benson (Nathan Kress) and Sam Puckett (Jeanette McCurdy), she screams at Spencer that she wishes he would have been normal. 

In comes Mitch (Danny Woodburn), an angel that grants her wish. In the blink of an eye, Spencer is normal, and Carly's life turns into a twisted tale of woe as she discovers the implications of her wish. 

If It's A Wonderful Life was set in modern day Seattle with zanier characters, you would have the "iChristmas" episode. Since Spencer has been born normal, Carly's entire life has changed. She, just like Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey, learns a valuable lesson about appreciating the people and life that you have. At the end, once everything is back to the way it should be, Carly, Spencer, Sam, and Freddy stand around the burned metal Christmas tree they have decorated, humming "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," just like the ending of A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Mitch dives into his plate of chicken wings. 

This episode is classic iCarly antics, but its tribute to other Christmas classics make it a holiday special not to miss. This show was one of our family favorites when it originally aired on Nickelodeon. iCarly currently streams on Paramount+. 

I watched this episode when it originally aired. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.  

Christmas on TV: Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas 2023 Schedule

Get ready Christmas movie lovers! The 2023 Countdown to Christmas on Hallmark Channel kicks off with their new movies on Friday, October 20th! Check out more information at https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/christmas/movie-guide-countdown-to-christmas-2023

Christmas on TV: Great American Family's Countdown to Great American Christmas 2023

Get ready Christmas movie lovers! Great American Family's Countdown to Great American Christmas launches new movies starting on October 21st! For more information, you can visit https://www.greatamericanfamily.com/celebrations

Us Magazine provided their movie guide back in September. You can view it here.

Christmas on TV: Little House on the Prairie, Season 3: Blizzard

With Little House on the Prairie shot in California, there weren't many episodes where viewers saw snow--even though Walnut Grove was in Minnesota. Of the episodes that featured snow--The Pilot, Christmas at Plum Creek (Season 1), Survival (Season 1), Blizzard (Season 3), and A Christmas They Never Forgot (Season 8)--only two portrayed the challenges the pioneers faced on the prairie in the 1870's (Survival and Blizzard), and only one of them (Blizzard) is set around Christmas.

It is well known that Michael Landon often used real life for inspiration when writing episodes, and it is thought that when he wrote this one, he drew inspiration from The Children's Blizzard that happened on the Dakota-Nebraska prairie in 1888. The day started out unseasonably warm, and many children walked to school without coats and gloves. But that afternoon, with no warning, temperatures plunged, and a blizzard ripped through the area. By the next morning, over 500 people had died, many children on their way home from school.

Though tough to watch, I always enjoyed LHOP episodes that portrayed the difficulties the pioneers faced on a daily basis. It wasn't done all the time, but when the writers and producers decided to create such an episode, it was done well.

Blizzard is set on Christmas Eve. Carrie is a guest at school, and Miss Beadle releases the children early because it has started to snow. What was only flurries when the children left, soon turns into a huge storm. When the women arrive at the schoolhouse, they are distraught to find the children gone. Isaiah and Charles return from hauling freight and arrive at the schoolhouse. They organize the men in town to begin searching for the children. The school is turned into a clinic, as children arrive and need medical attention. One man dies searching for his son. Near the end of the episode, all the families are back safe and sound except for Mr. Edwards and his children.

When Christmas Day arrives, the blizzard is over, and Charles rousts everyone to look for Edwards and his kids. The door to the school opens, and in walks Isaiah and his children. Everyone rejoices, but poor Mrs. McGinnis and her son, Henry, feel the loss of their beloved husband and father. Charles picks up the Bible from Miss Beadle's desk and recites the Christmas story for a dramatic ending.

Even though this is a sad episode, there is much to enjoy about it: the children's joy over the coming of Christmas; the way the town pulls together (Mrs. Oleson even offers coats, lamps, and kerosene to the men without considering the cost); and the joyous reunion of Grace with her husband and children. Definitely a classic Little House on the Prairie episode.

Christmas on TV: Little House on the Prairie, Season 1: Christmas at Plum Creek

Photo credit: Carol http://lhotp.editboard.com/t292-christmas-at-plum-creek

Christmas at Plum Creek is one of those feel good, classic Little House on the Prairie episodes. Just like the many Christmases Laura Ingalls Wilder shares in her books, you get the feeling that while the Ingalls family didn't have much to spare, they are happy and blessed by what they have.

This episode opens in town, with some not often seen snow piling up around the edges of the buildings and bases of trees. Nellie wants Laura's pony, Bunny, but Laura refuses to sell her. Back at home, the family starts talking about Christmas, and Charles tells young Carrie what Christmas is all about.

It soon becomes a Christmas of secrets. Each family taking out their secret stash of coins and not coming up with much. The family visits Oleson's Mercantile, where Charles and Laura spy Caroline looking at the cook stove, and Carrie is captivated by a foil star hanging from the ceiling. Mary takes on a job sewing with Mrs. Whipple. Caroline works on a special gift for Charles, and Charles makes a deal with Mr. Oleson to refurbish a set of wheels so he will have enough money to purchase the stove for Caroline. He doesn't know, however, that Laura has entered into a deal with Mr. Oleson to sell Bunny so that she can buy the stove for Ma.

Photo credit: Carol http://lhotp.editboard.com/t292-christmas-at-plum-creek

If ever there was an episode about selfless love, Christmas at Plum Creek is it. Mr. Oleson is so great in this episode as he works to keep everyone's secrets, and how he helps Carrie buy the star that ends up on the top of their tree. My heart aches each time I see the Olesons arrive to collect Bunny. I also love the ending with Carrie putting the star on top of the tree and announcing, "Happy birthday, Baby Jesus!"

This is one episode you need to watch this time of year.

Christmas on TV: The Christmas Pageant (Hallmark Channel, 2011)

Director Vera Parks (Melissa Gilbert) has a career that is going nowhere fast. Labeled as difficult, she gets fired from several jobs in a row. Her manager, Peter (Steve Lawrence), manages to get her a job directing a small town Christmas pageant.

Things go from bad to worse quickly. While some are eager to work with her, others are destined to fight any change Vera suggests. Vera has problems adjusting from her glamorous life in New York City to the simple life in Ashton Falls. Then she runs into her ex-fiancé, Jack Harmond (Robert Mailhouse). Vera is soon considering whether she should return to New York or stick it out in Ashton Falls.

If ever there was a movie that Melissa Gilbert was born to star in, it's The Christmas Pageant. If Little House on the Prairie was set in modern times, then the storyline from this movie would be a perfect fit. A woman whose life centers around her career and posh city life, ends up in a simple town where there is one mail carrier and everyone knows each other. It's not long before Ashton Falls and its people begin to grow on Vera.

A blend of funny and sweet, this is a classic Hallmark romance. With a superb cast and quaint setting you can't go wrong. If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart and remind you of the joys of being home, be sure to catch this movie.

I watched this movie when it first aired on Hallmark Channel. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. 

Christmas on TV: The Three Gifts (Hallmark Channel, 2009)

In the midst of taking a break from baking, I stumbled upon The Three Gifts, a 2009 Hallmark Channel movie starring Dean Cain (Lois and Clark) and Jean Louisa Kelly as a childless couple who have been unsuccessful in starting a family of their own.

Jack (Cain) and Cherie (Kelly) Green are local toymakers who agree to take on three orphans when the orphanage run by Jack's aunt (Mimi Kennedy) is forced to close for repairs. Wary of fatherhood, Jack is concerned by the orphanage's holy terrors. When Ray (Spencir Bridges) thinks he overhears the Greens might adopt one of the boys, Mike (Dylan Sprayberry) and Henry (Alex Zubarey) begin competing along with Ray to be the one that gets adopted.

This is a touching and funny seasonal movie that families will love. Cain is such a fabulous actor, it would be difficult not enjoy his performance as the childlike toymaker whose not certain becoming a father is his cup of tea. Though Cherie is thrilled to have the boys with them for Christmas, the reality is that the business is struggling because costs are up and profits are down.

Veteran actor Reginald VelJohnson (Families Matter) portrays Rodney, one of the workers at the toy factory. He's a superb actor, and you can't seem to go wrong when he's part of a film. I love his touching scene with Ray when the boy is talking about losing his parents.

Seasonal movies don't get better than this one!

This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Christmas on TV: A Season for Miracles (Hallmark Channel, 1999)

Miracles, romance, and family blend together in this heartwarming tale of the season.

A Season for Miracles is a typical Hallmark Hall of Fame movie. It has conflict. It has a family in trouble. It features small town America and its nosy neighbors. But most of all, it touches the heart from beginning to end.

This movie stars Carla Gugino as Emilie Thompson, the aunt to Alanna (Mae Whitman) and J.T. (Evan Sabara). After Emilie's sister (Laura Dern) overdoses again, the children are threatened with foster care. Not wanting her niece and nephew to be separated, Emilie runs off with them and arrives in the little town of Bethlehem. With guidance from an angel, portrayed by Academy Award® winner Patty Duke, Emilie and the children take over an abandoned Victorian home across from an angel statue in the town square.

Nosy neighbors assume Emilie is the niece of Miriam Pierce, who owned the house and left it to her niece when she passed away. When her car breaks down and Emilie must find a job to pay for the repairs, she pretends to be Miriam's niece so that the children have a warm place to stay until they can move on. She doesn't count on falling in love with Police Captain Nathan Blair (David Conrad) or on the blessing of many friends who help her while in town. Can David's love convince her to stay in Bethlehem? What will happen if her secret is found out?

A Season for Miracles is one of the sweetest movies I've ever seen. I didn't know that it was based upon the book, Season for Miracles by Marilyn Pappano. According to the reviews of the book on Amazon, many were disappointed the book wasn't as good as the movie. 

David Conrad plays the honest, caring Nathan to a tee. As the story unfolds, you can't help but like him. You want this situation to work out for all of them. The viewer gets a chance to see the kids come out of their shell the longer they stay in Bethlehem and have what resembles a normal life. Toward the end, when Alanna is sitting before the judge (Lynn Redgrave) and sharing some of what her life was like when she was with her mother, it was almost impossible not to cry.

You have to suspend a little bit of reality when you watch this movie. Not because of how the angel helps guide these people along, but because I just don't see how in real life this truly would have worked out in any good way. That said, if you get a chance to watch this movie, it will be time well spent.

Release Date: 12 December 1999 (USA)
Runtime: 100 minutes

I recorded this movie on my DVR off the Hallmark Channel. This movie contains my honest opinions, for which I haven't been compensated in any way.

Christmas on TV: Fallen Angel (Hallmark Channel, 2003)

Another tear-jerker from the Hallmark Hall of Fame collection, Fallen Angel is a superb seasonal movie.

A tense relationship with his father, forced Terry McQuinn (Gary Sinise) to leave Maine and never look back. Now a successful L.A. attorney, he returns after the death of his father to settle the estate. Terry has no plans to stay in Rosepoint, but when he learns that Katherine Wentworth (Joely Richardson), who he met when he was only a boy, wants Serenity Cottage opened for Christmas, he decides to help get it ready for her.

As Terry's past and present collide, he is drawn to Katherine and her young daughter, and his once fulfilling life in L.A. doesn't seem so satisfying any more.

Oh, my goodness, what a great movie this is. Sinise is a fabulous actor who can play rough and bitter guys like Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump, a hero fighting evil in The Stand, and a romantic lead in this touching 2003 movie that will make you laugh and cry.

Sinise and Richardson had such chemistry in this movie. And because the character of Terry has memories of their first meeting that Katherine doesn't have--for reasons I can't reveal or it will ruin the movie for you--the viewer watches Terry's struggle unfold. Should he help her reconnect with the past? Should he let the memories stay hidden?

This movie started with backstory. We first meet Terry McQuinn at the age of nine. His mother is deceased, and he lives with his detached father in Rosepoint. His father is the caretaker for the cottages inhabited by wealthy residents who visit Maine, so he's working a lot of the time. After a tragedy that takes place around Christmas that year, his father never allows Terry to join him at work again, and the chasm between them widens.

We then see Terry at 18, graduating from high school. It's at this point he decides to leave Rosepoint and his father behind. So, the first half hour of the movie pretty much sets the stage for the rest of it. I felt the short scene between Terry and his dad at age 18 could have been left out, but perhaps the viewer needed to see that tension explode and push Terry to the edge so that his return to Maine was more meaningful.

Despite the title, there are no angels in this movie. It's a term used by one of the characters to describe the homeless people who lean across car hoods to get warmth from recently shut off engines. That's another tidbit I can't explain, but I thought it should be clear there are no heavenly spirits involved in this one.

Release Date: 23 November 2003 (USA)
Runtime: 120 minutes


I recorded this movie on my DVR off the Hallmark Channel. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.

Christmas on TV: Naughty or Nice (Hallmark Channel, 2012)

Hilarie Burton plays Krissy Kringle, an ad executive who lives on Candy Cane Lane. Having worked her tail off to get new business for her company, she doesn't have time to worry about participating in the neighborhood's house decorating contest. When she is unexpectedly fired by her boss, Helen (Michelle Hurd), she's also not in the mood for the misdirected pile of mail intended for Kris Kringle.

As she's plowing through Santa Claus's mail, she discovers a package that contains his "Naughty or Nice" book, which he had left behind while visiting a child. She soon discovers the book is magical and allows her to see the bad deeds of those around her. But when the naughty list hits too close to home, it causes problems between Krissy and her long-time boyfriend, Lance (Matt Dallas) and one of her neighbors.

Naughty or Nice is a fabulous movie. While funny, dramatic, and romantic all in one, the subtle theme behind this movie is the danger of jumping to conclusions. Krissy makes a lot of mistakes along the way, but eventually turns things around.

It was great to see Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross together again as Krissy's parents, Carol and Walter Kringle. I loved them on Family Ties, and it was like no time had passed for the actors as they fell into that sweet, loving chemistry they portrayed when they were the Keatons.

My favorite character, however, is Marco (Gabriel Tigerman). Once Krissy loses her job, her mother secures her a place at the local mall working as an elf in the gift wrapping area, which is where she meets Marco, who's also playing an elf. I was wondering where they were going to take their relationship, but you'll just have to see the movie to find out. 

Release Date: 24 November 2012 (USA)

I recorded this movie on my DVR off the Hallmark Channel. This review contains my honest opinions, for which I have not been compensated in any way.