About this Episode
Whether it's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Muppet Family Christmas, or any other number of annual holiday classics, everyone has their favorite Christmas special. Tony and Matt look to see if they can replicate that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling, and add something new to their annual viewing by catching up on some vintage TV holiday specials. First up, Matt introduces Tony to The Judy Garland Christmas Show from 1963. Judy and her children invite friends and family into their studio "home" to sing a mix of broadway numbers and holiday classics. Next up, Tony finally catches up on The Year Without a Santa Claus. Maybe not as fondly rembered as some Rankin-Bass classics, though a favorite of Matt's family during his youth, this 1974 stop-motion special finds Santa Claus coming down with a bad case of the flu and looking to take the year off from his Santa duties. Mostly known for the characters Heat Miser and Snow Miser, will their brief appearances be enough to convert Tony? Last, but certainly not least, Tony and Matt watch the TV special that features the now famous Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth duet sung by Bing Crosby and David Bowie, Bing Crosby's Merry Olde Christmas. They discuss the connections between this special and the Judy Garland one, surreal musical digressions featuring Twiggy, the strangeness of the Thin White Duke's appearance during perhaps his weirdest musical phase, and the lasting appeal of this particular Christmas special format.