As a BabyBoomer, I’ve mentioned before how as a kid I used to look forward to these photos in the Journal for holiday specials (including these for Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol and A Charlie Brown Christmas).
This episode is a pretty good one. Fred gets a job as a department store Santa Claus, working for Mr. Macyrock (no doubt one of the less inspired puns on the show). Ultimately, Fred ends up being recruited to fill in for the real Santa, who has taken ill.
The episode’s got a lot of heart – something that’s sadly missing from most of today’s cartoons. It even has a few special Christmas songs written for the show.
But it also has some funny subliminal marketing gimmicks (below) in it as well, as Fred strolls through the Macyrock store.
Looking at the other Journal TV listings brings back some memories. Most of the Cleveland TV icons are there: Woodrow the Woodsman; Captain Penny; Mike Douglas; Paige Palmer.
Note that Channel 3 was still KYW at this point; the switch to WKYC would happen a year later.
One memorable Christmas eve I watched The Mothers-in-law w/ Kay Ballard and the other MIL names escapes me. Mostly I remember I was allowed to open one present. It was a Magic 8 Ball. Saw similar one the other day for the movie Frozen. Of course I picked it up and read my answer. Merry Christmas Brady's! Rae
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rae! Merry Christmas to you too!
ReplyDeleteTV has figured into our holiday celebrations for a long time, that's for sure!
Paige Palmer was ahead of her time, doing a physical fitness program on television -- hosted and narrated by a woman. I remember doing the "Fanny, Bump, Bump, Bump" with Paige when I was probably five years old. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteThe other mother-in-law was Eve Arden.
ReplyDelete