The Time When a Draft Dodger Visited the Bunkers for Christmas Dinner

As a child of the '60s and '70s, I've always appreciated Nick at Nite and TV Land for celebrating the television fare I grew up with. I don't watch much TV of any type these days, and I didn't watch a whole lot after about the 10th grade. But I do enjoy the old shows, which take us back to a simpler time and provide a virtual escape from today's challenges. 

A few years ago, TV Land put together its Top 10 Holiday Moments from the shows of the classic television era. Included in the list were moments from The Andy Griffith Show, Sanford and Son, Cheers and several TV specials including The Andy Williams Christmas Show and A Charlie Brown Christmas. The list also included an especially emotional episode of All in the Family, which featured a Christmas visit from a friend of Mike Stivic's who was dodging the draft in Canada:

It's worthwhile remembering that the deep divisions we see among Americans today are not wholly new. We've had divisions before. However, we seemed to have enough in common to overcome or at least overlook the divisions of the past. It seems different somehow, today. Perhaps we can look to the holiday spirit to put things in some perspective and agree that there still is much more that unites us than the things that divide us.

Watch TV Land's Top 10 Holiday Moments 

RIP: Mario Cuomo (1932-2015) and Donna Douglas (1932-2015)

I was very sorry to learn that former New York Governor Mario Cuomo died yesterday. I remember watching his inspiring keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, and, like many others, had high hopes that he'd run for president in each of the next several election cycles. He was an inspiring orator and a good man.

Actress Donna Douglas, who played young Ellie May Clampett on the The Beverly Hillbillies TV series, also passed away on New Year's Day. For you younger folk, The Beverly Hillbillies was about an Appalachian family named the Clampetts, who were trying to adjust to life in swanky Beverly Hills, where they moved after discovering oil under their hardscrabble mountain property. Here's one of the show's five holiday episodes, called "Christmas at the Clampetts" (1963):

They'll be missed.

SyFy Channel Celebrates 20 Years of New Year's Twilight Zone Marathons

Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. marks the start of another of my favorite holiday traditions — the annual New Year's Eve Twilight Zone Marathon on cable's SyFy channel. I first discovered this annual event in 1998, and I've always watched at least a few episodes each year since then, which means I've been watching for 17 of the marathon's 20 years. And no doubt I'll watch again this year, too. Believe it or not, there are still quite a few episodes I haven't seen yet.

The original version of  The Twilight Zone was a 30-minute weekly program that ran for five seasons on CBS, from 1959 through 1964. It was created and developed by Rod Serling, who had previously established himself as one of the best television writers in the business. Serling had come up during "the golden age of live TV," writing insightful, pathbreaking material when quality programming was more respected than mere ad revenues. By the late '50s, however, the dollar had become king, and skittish sponsors balked at anything edgy or topical that might offend potential consumers. Serling, an outspoken champion of the little guy, devised The Twilight Zone as a way of addressing challenging subjects in a less dangerous fashion. As one critic later noted, it was safer to make certain points with martians rather than people, who could, after all, be liberals or Democrats.

The original series produced 156 episodes, of which Serling wrote 92. He was also the program's host and narrator. Many well-known actors appeared on The Twilight Zone, and numerous actors got their start on the show. But it remains popular today largely because of the creative and profound stories it offers — timeless dramas that explore the endless complexities of the human condition and cause the viewer to see age-old issues in a new and different way. I hope you can enjoy an episode or two at some point over the next several days!

See a Schedule of the Episodes Scheduled for this year's Marathon


The PBS American Masters series looked at the life and career of Rod Serling in this 1995 documentary "Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval." It's well worth a look:

Have You Heard the One About Cher and William Conrad Singing Christmas Carols?

As I've repeatedly pointed out, last night's final pre-Christmas Late Show with David Letterman marked the end of two longstanding holiday traditions. Darlene Love has been on-hand to sing her 1963 classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for the past 28 years, while Jay Thomas has appeared nearly every year since 1998 to play the Quarterback Challenge and regale us with his famous "Lone Ranger Story," which Dave calls "the greatest talk show story ever told." With Letterman scheduled to retire next May, those traditions effectively ended with last night's show. But last night was also the swan song for another, less well-known tradition — Paul Shaffer's "Sonny and Cher (and Cannon)" Christmas story. Here's Paul on last night's Late Show describing what he remembers about the 1973 holiday episode of The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour:


 

 Well, now, this story intrigued me — first, because I'm a fan of bad 1970s television, and, second, because I like Cannon, the famous Quinn Martin detective show starring William Conrad.* (I know, I know. I'm being redundant.) If Conrad was on TV singing Christmas carols in the '70s, I want to see it. So, I went straight to YouTube where I quickly found the clip Shaffer described from a 41-year-old episode of The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour:




All in all, I'd say that Shaffer's description was pretty much spot on. (Conrad saunters at about 1:10 to sing "The First Noel," and Cher, her hands in the famous muff, begins singing "Oh Holy Night" at around 2:50.) I'd never heard Shaffer's rendition before, and even if his telling of it is a genuine holiday tradition, it doesn't hold a candle to Thomas's and Love's longstanding regular appearances. In case you missed it, here's Darlene Love on last night's Late Show with David Letterman: 

And here's Letterman's entire last pre-Christmas broadcast from 12/19/14. The Jay Thomas bit begins at 16:32:

 

How did Thomas feel about ending his traditional pre-Christmas appearances?  "I am so friggin' glad this is over," he deadpanned. 

Not me.

_______________
*Brave adult readers who are interested in a different perspective on William Conrad than what we saw on Cannon can listen to his X-rated rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" HERE.

Is There Really a Santa Claus, Part 11

Time now for some random thoughts and background on three more tracks from my latest holiday mix, Is There Really a Santa Claus? Track 30 kicks off a string of nine cuts that pay tribute to several gifted and popular entertainers who died during the past year. Only eight tracks to go after today and we've got eight days left before Christmas, so I think we'll make it with time to spare.

Track 31
Merry Christmas, Joan, by the Cast of Pee-wee's Christmas Special, featuring Joan Rivers (1988)
Joan Rivers was a pioneer – one of the very first women to make a name for herself in both stand-up comedy and as the host of a late-night variety show. I'm not sure we ever give sufficient recognition to those who pave the way for others, as Joan did, and in her case it appeared to be an especially difficult climb. But she not only survived, she thrived. I tried to find a funny clip with a Christmas theme, but I wasn't able to. The closest thing I could find was a very short bit of Rivers' appearance on Pee-wee Herman's Christmas Special:




There wasn't much to it, I'm afraid, but you can hear the glow in her voice and you know she was happy doing the thing she liked best – making people laugh.





Track 30
Mork's First Christmas, by the Cast of "Mork and Mindy," featuring Robin Williams (1978)

I was at home the afternoon Robin Williams died, cleaning my apartment. I kept my cell phone close by as I worked so I could watch something light on YouTube. For some reason I chose to watch Robin Williams' 2009 HBO special, "Weapons of Self Destruction." I'm not sure why, for while I loved him in several of his movies, I'd never really seen him do much stand-up. It always seemed too loud and frenzied for my taste. But that afternoon, I found myself really getting into it. <LOL>  At some point, I realized I knew very little about the guy, so I looked him up on Wikipedia I was intrigued by what I read, and I realized there was lots of his stuff I'd never seen before. That was something to look forward to. Later that afternoon, I had to walk across Downtown to pick up a vacuum belt at Target. Walking over, I listened to David Crosby. On the way back home, I switched from mp3s to NPR. They were playing a montage of Williams' best lines when I tuned in, followed by news of his death.

Williams' problems with depression and addiction have been widely reported, and he was remarkably honest about his struggles in this area. In fact, this was a major theme in the show I'd watched on YouTube earlier that afternoon. I can't help but think that this candor, while it didn't necessarily save him, was of inestimable benefit to others by helping to reduce the stigma of these treatable illnesses and encourage a more open dialogue about them.

Williams first came to prominence as the star of Mork and Mindy, an ABC situation comedy that from 1978-82. I don't believe I'd ever seen the show until after Williams' death. (I had no idea until tonight that it was a spin-off of Happy Days, which I don't remember watching, either.) However, I was glad to find that there was at least one Christmas episode, and that it was available on YouTube. I only included a short excerpt from the episode on this year's mix, but here's the whole thing. Watch, laugh and enjoy:

Listen to a Fascinating Conversation Between Robin Williams and David Crosby, Part 1

Listen to a Fascinating Conversation Between Robin Williams and David Crosby, Part 2


Track 29
Christmas in Vegas, by Dale Watson (2001)

I haven't counted, but I'm guessing I've got somewhere between one and two thousand holiday songs and sound bites on my computer. They aren't organized very well, but I do keep a folder marked "NEXT CD" that I use to store the stuff I really like and am seriously considering for my next mix. There are typically a couple of dozen items there, a few of which I've been "seriously considering" for years. In any case, most of the tunes I ultimately select have sat in the "NEXT CD" folder for a spell, which means I'm usually pretty familiar with most of the tracks on each mix long before it's finalized. There are always one or two last-minute additions, however – tracks I stumble on in the final hour and like well enough to bump something else to make room. “Christmas in Vegas” is this year's last minute addition. I happened to hear it as I was finalizing this year's mix and instantly liked it — the lyrics, the tune, and, most of all, its energy. This one also rings some loud bells for me personally, as a couple of good friends treated me and a friend to a weekend in Las Vegas this past September, and it was a blast! 

There are several wholly different songs that go by the title “Christmas in Vegas” – and still others, all different, that use the city’s full name (i.e., “Christmas in Las Vegas”). This tune is by Dale Watson, from his album Christmas Time in Texas. (I've previously credited the song to Dale Watson and His All Stars, but that’s not correct. The All Stars have performed the song with Watson live, but the album version should be credited to Watson alone.) Here's a clip of Watson performing the song live on Christmas Night 2010 at the Continental Club in Austin, Texas:




Watson was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in a rural area outside of Pasadena, Texas. His father and an older brother were both talented musicians, and Dale himself started young. He was writing songs by age 12 and performing in clubs just a few years after that. During his 20s and early 30s, Watson spent time in Los Angeles and Nashville, where he wrote songs for others and played a variety of local country and western clubs. Watson signed a record deal after relocating to Austin, Texas in the mid-1990s, and he’s kept productive and busy since then, consistently releasing at least one new album per year. This is especially noteworthy in light of the hand he was dealt several years after the release of his first album. First, his girlfriend was killed in a car accident after falling asleep behind the wheel while driving to meet him. Watson attempted to make sense of the tragedy on his 2001 album Every Song I Write Is For You, which is dedicated to her, but he remained powerfully affected by the loss. By 2002, Watson realized he was having trouble coping, and he had himself committed. Thankfully, he made a full recovery, and his story is captured in the 2007 documentary Crazy Again. Watson has remained exceptionally busy in recent years, both in the studio and performing live. He plays regularly at the Grand Ole Opry and Austin's Continental Club and appeared on stage in 2012 in Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, the well-received musical by Stephen King and John Mellencamp.

Watson is often described as an "authentic" country singer, or a "vintage" or "hard-core" country and western star. This harkens back to greats like Hank Williams, George Jones, Buck Owens and Johnny Cash, and it seems right to me. Watson himself prefers to use the term "Ameripolitan" music, explaining that unlike most pf the modern fare now coming out of Nashville, Ameripolitan music has its roots in the local communities instead of some producer's bank account. Ameripolitan music tells stories — honest stories about genuine men and women facing life's challenges. Real stories affect change, which is why I was so pleased to see the video Watson made several years ago to decry the treatment he received at the hands of one particular corporation several years ago. Go get 'em, Dale!

Hear Christmas in Vegas, by the Sin City Sinners

Hear Christmas in Vegas, by Ozark Henry

Watch Los Straitjackets perform “Christmas in Las Vegas,” Live at the Horseshoe

Listen to “Christmas in Las Vegas,” by Richard Cheese

Preview or Purchase the album “Christmas in Las Vegas,” by Wayne Newton

Listen to “Santa Lost His Shirt in ‘Ol Las Vegas,” by Jimmy Limo


I'll be back tomorrow or the next day with more.

All in the Family's Courageous Two-Part Holiday Episode Raised the Bar in 1977

Last year's mix featured an excerpt from what I think was the first holiday episode of the hit television series All in the Family. The episode was called "Christmas Day at the Bunkers," and I included it in memory of Jean Stapleton, who died last year at the age of 90. Stapleton played Edith Bunker on the series from 1971-79. There were several additional Christmas episodes during the series' nine-year run, including a two-part storyline that ran during Season 7 in 1977 ("Edith's Crisis of Faith"). I watched these episodes for the first time last week and was especially moved by the touching story they conveyed. I don't want to give too much away, but the first episode features a guest appearance by Lori Shannon as transvestite Beverly LaSalle, a former passenger in Archie Bunker's cab who had become a good friend of Edith's. Including such a character in a prime-time network series was a courageous move in the 1970s, and the writers and cast managed to tell a very difficult story with sensitivity and grace. The two episodes appear below:

 

C'est Noel, Part 10 (Tracks 26-28)

We've been examining each of the 35 tracks that comprise my latest holiday mix, C'est Noel!, with an eye toward offering some background on the whole lot before Christmas Day. Once the today's post is up, a mere seven tracks remain and we've got six days to chat about them, so I'd say we're in pretty good shape. As a reminder, C'est Noel will be available on my holiday music website only through the end of 2013, so be sure to check it out 'twixt now and then.

These next few tracks were selected to honor several gifted entertainers who died during the past year. It's a tradition I started a couple of years ago, and it makes me acutely aware of just how many talented folks are living, and aging, among us. Eight of this years tracks celebrate the lives of artists no longer with us – Tracks 26-32 and Track 35. Here are the first three:

Track 28
Just a Toy, by Annette Funicello (1961)

Annette Funicello

Most of her best professional work was done before my time, but I've always thought highly of Annette Funicello, who passed away this past April at age 70. From her earliest days in show business as one of the original Mouseketeers, to her post-adolescent years frolicking on the beach with Frankie Avalon and their friends, Funicello helped an entire generation of young Americans grow into adulthood. Painfully shy as a child, her parents enrolled her in a Burbank, California dancing school, where she was spotted by Walt Disney himself in 1955 and recruited for his new Mickey Mouse Club program. Disney maintained a close eye on her career, signing her alone to a film deal after the first group of Mouseketeers graduated from the program. In 1961, she starred in Disney’s production of Babes in Toyland, the movie that featured “Just a Toy,” which appears on this year's mix. Unlike so many other child stars, Funicello maintained her wholesome image throughout her life. Except for a brief stint as a spokesperson for Skippy Peanut Butter, Funicello kept out of the public eye for most of her adult years, raising three children and living a relatively modest and by all accounts happy life outside of Los Angeles. In 1992, she announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which she fought courageously, both privately and by raising awareness and money to fight the disease. She was a model Mouseketeer and a class act to the end.

Watch Annette and the Other Original Mouseketeers During Roll Call

Watch Episode 1 of the Mickey Mouse Club Serial, "Annette"

Watch the film Babes in Toyland (1961)*

*Annette sings "Just a Toy" at the 1:18:25 mark

Watch the Opening of Beach Blanket Bingo (1965)

Watch One of Annette's Skippy Peanut Butter Commercials


Track 27
Edith Greets the Carolers, The Cast Of “All In The Family,” featuring Jean Stapleton (1971)

Jean Stapleton

Best known for her portrayal of Edith Bunker, the simple, long-suffering, loving wife of America's best-known bigot, Archie (played by the late Carroll O'Connor), on television’s All in the Family, Jean Stapleton played a wide range of challenging roles in films and on stage and TV. Following her death this past May at the age of 90, she was remembered by fellow co-stars and others as a talented professional and a delightful colleague. Actor, director and producer Rob Reiner, who starred with Stapleton in All in the Family, said, "Working with her was one of the greatest experiences of my life." Sally Struthers, who played Gloria in the same show, said, "Jean lived so in the present. She was a Christian Scientist who didn't say or think a negative thing. She was just a walking, living angel.” The short clip I used in this year's mix typifies the Edith Bunker character Stapleton played – and, apparently, Stapleton herself. It’s taken from the episode “Christmas at the Bunkers,” which appears in full below:

UPDATE, 11.18.14:  It seems the video originally posted below is no longer available; however, this same episode can be streamed via Hulu by PRESSING HERE. Fans of All in the Family may also want to check-out the two-part holiday episode that aired during Season 7 in 1977, which posted two days ago HERE.

UPDATE, 4.18.22:  You might also try this link:  HERE.

 


If you'll notice, at about 22:05 Archie kicks off the same argument I posted about yesterday – namely, are Santa Claus and Jesus white, or black? Megyn Kelly doesn't seem to have moved the ball too much farther down the field than when Archie Bunker tried to field the issue in 1971 – 42 years ago.

Track 26
Holiday Greetings, by Lou Reed (1988)

Lou Reed

When I was 14 1/2 years old, I started my first “real” job as a junior kitchen assistant for the girls’ summer camp my grandmother and godmother ran for more than 40 years in Raymond, New Hampshire. There were five of us "boys" in the kitchen – three juniors and two assistants – plus the chef, and we regularly fed about 250 people, only 15 of whom were male. We worked 70 hours each week and the juniors were paid $25 per week, plus room and board, and I loved every minute of it. Hell, I guess it would have been a dream job for most guys my age. When I first heard that Lou Reed had died this past October, I suddenly remembered something from that wonderful summer that I hadn’t thought of in ages. The senior kitchen assistant had just graduated Andover Academy that year, and he was a big Lou Reed fan. I was considerably younger and liked Elton John. The other “kitchen boys” were “townies” from Raymond and liked mostly country and heavy metal music. They ragged on us something awful at first for our taste in music, although by the end of the first week I noticed we were kicking off most of our lengthy afternoon breaks by playing either Rock and Roll Animal or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road at full blast as we fell asleep on the roof of our tiny cabin. Music can bring people together, and it can expand people’s horizons. Lou Reed’s certainly did both that summer. It can also transport people backward in time, as Lou's timeless record just did for me. I'm grateful.

Jenny said, when she was just five years old
There was nothin' happening at all
Every time she put on the radio
There was nothin' goin' down at all, not at all
Then, one fine mornin', she puts on a New York station
You know, she couldn't believe what she heard at all
She started shakin' to that fine, fine music
You know, her life was saved by rock'n'roll . . .

Listen to "No Lou this Christmas," by Tom Dyer and His Queen's Pajamas

Read About Lou Reed's Surprising Christmas Music Canon

Read Patti Smith's Beautiful Remembrance of Lou Reed in The New Yorker

We'll be back again soon with more.

Charles Nelson Reilly and the Gang Celebrate Launch of Match Game '76

(L to R) Brett Sommers, Gene Rayburn and
Charles Nelson Reilly

I didn’t realize this until after it was completed, but my latest New Year’s CD, Ringin’ In a Brand New Year, features content that spans an entire century. From 1912’s “New Year’s Medley” by The Prince’s Orchestra to the New Year’s Greeting recorded last year by Newt and Callista Gingrich, this mix covers a lot of ground. Like my annual holiday CDs, this collection draws from a variety of musical styles and features a number of non-musical tracks that help capture certain historical and cultural images in sound. One such track is a recording of the New Year’s Eve ritual observed during much of the 1970s on the set of the popular Match Game television show. Launched exactly 50 years ago, The Match Game survived several different incarnations and aired on all three of the major commercial networks at various times. The original program debuted in December 1962 on NBC and aired weekdays from 4:00 to 4:30 pm. This version featured two teams of three, each of which was led by a guest celebrity. Host Gene Rayburn read questions aloud and awarded points based on the number of matching answers on each side. Although the show was a perennial ratings success, it was dropped by the network in September 1969 to make room for a new show called "Letters to Laugh In." Producers Mark Goodson and Bill Toddman revived the program for CBS during the summer of 1973, although the debut of this second incarnation was postponed by several weeks because of the Senate Watergate hearings. Gene Rayburn was once again tapped to host, but little else from the original survived intact. As Rayburn noted, "This is a now version of your old favorite, with more action,. more money and more celebrities." The number of celebrities increased from two to six, with two non-celebrity contestants. Under the new format, Rayburn alternated questions between the two contestants, who competed to earn the most matching responses from the celebrity panel. The new set was designed in garish '70s style with shag carpeting, lots of blinking lights and plenty of orange. Perhaps the biggest change was the nature of the questions themselves, which had become significantly more risqué. This was undoubtedly a key factor in making this second version of the show the most successful of all. The new version of the show was called Match Game ’73, which, of course, required the title to be updated on an annual basis, and each New Year’s Eve, the gang did something special to mark the unveiling of the new name. From all appearances these special arrangements included an open bar, as a number of the celebrities seemed to have difficulty sitting upright let alone matching answers. My latest New Year's CD includes a recording of the festivities that aired on December 31, 1975, featuring the flamboyant and irrepressible Charles Nelson Reilly, who, with Brett Sommers and Richard Dawson, served as a regular guest on the show. Reilly is probably best known for his work on Match Game, but he enjoyed an illustrious stage career and was also a gifted acting teacher and director.  He enjoys the distinction of having appeared with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show more often than any other guest, due in part to the fact that he lived less than two minutes away from the studio and was typically available to fill in for last-minute cancellations. His last major project was a one-man autobiographical show called The Life of Reilly, which won rave reviews both as a live performance and film.  I heartily recommend it. 

Here’s the excerpt that's included on Ringin’ In a Brand New Year, which captures the transition from Match Game '75 to Match Game '76 on December 31, 1975: 

And for those brave souls who want more, here are clips of three additional Match Game year-end celebrations:

For more Match Game trivia and history, check the Game Show Network's Match Game page or Wikipedia.

Tomorrow (or the next day):  Richard Nixon Spreads His Unique Band of New Year's Cheer!

Happy Labor Day!

Santa's not ready to leave the beach just yet.  Can you blame him?

It's been exactly eight months since this blog began its post-holiday hiatus, and with just 112 days left until Christmas, this last unofficial weekend of summer seems like a good time to check in and say "hi." Although I've now been out of school for more than a couple of years, Labor Day continues to stir-up that same curious mix of melancholy, dread and resolve that it did for me as a child, and now that Jerry Lewis is off the air I'm not sure I can fairly blame it on the Labor Day Telethon at this point. There's something poignant about the end of summer somehow, and those feelings persist regardless of how one spent any particular season or whether it was a boom or bust. Happily, I've always been one of those people whose processed memories are rose-colored, and I'm grateful for my ability to find great joy in the simplest of things -- for example, holiday music!  And, yes, I'm happy to report that I've already put together around 25 tracks for this year's CD, including a couple of honest-to-goodness monstrosities that will destroy whatever visions of sugarplums might otherwise dance in your heads this season.  More on all that, of course, sometime in December.

Before rejoining Santa on hiatus, however, I do want to share several video clips. First, among the many talented entertainers we've lost so far in 2012 is Andy Griffith, who has always been a favorite of mine.  Although his wonderful series "The Andy Griffith Show" was on television for eight years, the first season was the only one to include a Christmas-themed episode. However, that one episode was a classic, and it's worth watching anytime of year.  So with the Democrats gathering for their Convention this week just down the road apiece from Mayberry, here's a chance to honor Andy and celebrate some true Democratic values with the episode titled "Christmas Story" (in two parts, below):






Finally, one of this summer's biggest concert draws has been Bruce Springsteen, who's been touring throughout the United States and Europe with the remarkable E Street Band in support of his latest album, Wrecking Ball.  I've been watching Bruce play live for 34 years now, and he and the band have never sounded better. With his 63rd birthday just three weeks away, he's routinely doing shows that last three and a half hours or more, and his August show at Helsinki's Olympiastadion clocked in at four hours and six minutes — the longest show he's ever done.  As mentioned here last December, longtime E Street Band member Clarence "Big Man" Clemons died last June, and there was some question about whether the band would be able to go on without the Big Man.  Of course, they have continued, with Clarence's nephew, Jake Clemons, and a five-piece horn section filling the void.  But at each show on the current tour, Springsteen honors Clarence's memory, along with the late E Street band organist Danny Federici, in a most touching fashion.  YouTube is loaded with clips from every stop on Springsteen's "Wrecking Ball" tour, but here are two especially awesome numbers to keep you going 'til our next appearance. The first is from the second night of a two-night stand last month at Boston's historic Fenway Park — "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," which includes a tribute to the Big Man starting at 3:40:

The second clip features the rarely played but beautiful "Drive All Night," performed in Gothenburg, Sweden.

What do the Springsteen clips have to do with Christmas?  Not so much, really. But they both make me happy, and I wish the same for you, too.  See you in a few weeks, and Happy Labor Day, everybody!

Happy New Year from The Twilight Zone

I'm not sure when this started, but for at least the past dozen years the Science Fiction cable channel has broadcast a two-day marathon featuring episodes of the classic TV program The Twilight Zone beginning on the morning of December 31 and continuing through New Year's Day. I've always liked The Twilight Zone, and I'm pretty sure I've managed to catch at least a couple of episodes every year since I first learned about these marathons. It's the only time I ever watch the Science Fiction channel, and one of the few times I watch anything on live television anymore. Created by writer Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone tends to feature stories with an underlying message or moral. Most of the these messages are humanistic in nature and champion "the little guy" against oppressive government or societal institutions. I think that's why I like the show so much -- that, and the unexpected and sometimes terrifying plot twists that typically leave the viewer with an awful lot to ponder. Not a bad way to start the new year.

I've only seen two episodes so far this year, but I'm posting a third episode -- perhaps my favorite one ever -- below. It's called "Night of the Meek," starring Art Carney as a department store Santa who, after being fired for reporting to work drunk, manages to find a much better gig.  Now presented, for your consideration:



Incidentally, this isn't the only time Art Carney played Santa Claus. He put on a slightly better beard and Santa suit to reprise the role in The Night They Saved Christmas, a 1984 movie featuring the late great Mason Adams as a determined executive whose plan to drill for oil at the North Pole threatens Santa's workshop. Carney is also responsible for a tune I've been hoping to use on my last few holiday CDs and may well use next time. It's a spoken word record in which Carney recites the classic poem "Twas the Night Before Christmas," in syncopation against the jazzy backdrop of a single drummer's beat. You can hear it HERE.