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Love Christmas TV? Then you'll love Christmas TV on DVD.
I know I do. And I wrote the book, literally, on 'Christmas on Television': You can order my wide-ranging salute to hundreds of holiday shows from Amazon --just click on the green-and-red TV set cover in the column at right.
Then look below to explore some of the holiday shows discussed in the book -- and others destined for the next updated edition.
List prices are shown, but you can get substantial discounts from Amazon on most of these holiday-themed DVDs -- just click BUY NOW below each entry.
That's a great way to show your support for TV WORTH WATCHING, since we get a small percentage of each linked sale. Costs you nothing more. Helps us stay alive.
Happy holiday viewing!
-- Diane Werts
A CHRISTMAS CAROL VCI, 2 discs, $20 Alastair Sim is the definitive Scrooge, and you used to be able to count on his 1951 classic airing constantly during the Christmas season. Now, not so much. But this must-have DVD set more than does the trick, providing the sharpest black-and-white print ever. There's even a widescreen-adapted version to fill today's flat-screen TVs. (Plus a crudely colorized version. For those who must.) Extras are great, too: audio commentary about the film's making, featurettes on its makers, a Dickens history, descriptive audio track for the blind. And Seymour Hicks' 1935 "Scrooge" feature is also included. |
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE Paramount, 2 discs, $25 Frank Capra's 1946 classic never looked better in its original black-and-white. And it never looked better in color, either. This silver-cover set includes crisp prints in both formats, to satisfy purists AND color-lovers. The first disc features the restored 60th anniversary B&W edition, with all its documentary extras. The second spotlights a recently colorized version that's leaps and bounds better than earlier attempts. It's still pastel-heavy, but that lends the visuals a hand-tinted antique feel. It's finally suitable for family viewings -- contemporary kids get the color they crave, while nostalgic adults can appreciate the vintage "faded" tones. |
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE/ WHITE CHRISTMAS Paramount, 2 discs, $30 Two-pack convenience gives you both studio-era Christmas perennials, in the original versions. In other words, It's a Wonderful Life unreels in its classic black-and-white. The 1950s musical White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney was actually filmed in color. |
OZZIE & HARRIET: CHRISTMAS WITH THE NELSONS Shout! Factory, $10 Five black-and-white holidays from the sitcom's 14-season ABC run do include "adventures" where the boys take holiday jobs, gifts get mixed up, fruitcakes make the rounds, etc. -- but not, unfortunately, such favorites as the Nelsons meeting a less-fortunate Nelson family or Ozzie getting overinvolved in holiday activities. |
A SHARI LEWIS CHRISTMAS S'more Entertainment, $10 The lively young puppeteer/singer leads three musical celebrations (1960-62) with Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy and other vintage kids show pals. Lewis is still a doll in black-and-white kinescopes that look/sound pretty good. And there's a great bonus: A holiday outing of Lewis' local WNBC New York City weekday hour "Hi, Mom!" (with 1950s Bosco ads!). |
A COLBERT CHRISTMAS Comedy Central, $20 The tongue-in-cheek "broadcasting legend" hosts a holiday fest at his snowy mountain cabin, with guests Jon Stewart, Elvis Costello, Toby Keith, John Legend, Feist and Willie Nelson (singing his very own "wonder weed" Christmas carol). Premiering on Comedy Central Nov. 23, the hour special hits DVD shelves two days later. (Among the extras: a book-burning yule log.) |
DORIS DAY: CHRISTMAS MEMORIES MPI, $15 Three episodes from Day's 1968-73 CBS sitcom -- which cast her as a widow working at a magazine with help from Rose Marie and McLean Stevenson -- depict America's sweeheart as she boogies through an office party, throws a household bash, and even solves a Santa shooting case! (Singing throughout, of course.) Bonus goodies include several '50s-'60s Day newsreels and a radio Christmas show, plus Day's commentary for the second episode. |
T.V. SETS: HOLIDAY TREATS CBS DVD, $13 Eight Christmas episodes from eight different series spanning 40 years: I Love Lucy (tree-triming flashback; The Honeymooners (presents for each other), The Andy Griffith Show (jail celebration), The Brady Bunch (Carol's laryngitis), Taxi (Louie's gambler brother), Family Ties (Alex's Christmas Carol), Frasier (working the holiday), and Wings (sour holidays). |
CHRISTMAS TIME IN SOUTH PARK Comedy Central, $19.99 Last year's South Park release is definitely not for kids. It collects seven themed Christmas episodes, the first of which, from the show's inaugural 1987 season, introduced "Mr. Hankey, the Christmas Poo" - and the South Park guys literally were just getting started. Other episodes include 1998's "Merry Christmas Charlie Manson!" and, most recently, 2004's "Woodland Critter Christmas." And yes, it's recommended - for the right recipient. -- DB |
A RED SKELTON CHRISTMAS Timeless, 3 discs, $30 Red's beloved pantomime hobo character Freddie the Freeloader stars in the centerpiece (color) show of each disc, featuring guests like Greer Garson and Leslie Nielsen. Bonus material ranges back to '50s black-and-white kinescopes, and afield into such other Skelton favorites as Willie Lump Lump, in extended sketches and show-opening standup. Enjoy Thanksgiving and New Year's holiday sketches, too. Video quality varies among these live/ videotape relics of a simpler era. |
JOHNNY CARSON CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS R2, $15 Three (abridged) holiday-season episodes from Carson's later years on The Tonight Show -- 1984 (Garry Shandling standup, White House Christmas with Carson as Reagan), 1987 (Robin Williams, Bob Hope, Tony Bennett), and 1989 (Mighty Carson Art Players in yuletide carolers skit). |
LOVEJOY CHRISTMAS SPECIALS BBC Video, $25 Ian McShane's scruffy antiques dealer travels to find holiday mysteries in Prague (a 1992 film, with guest Donald Pleasence) and North Carolina (1993, with Ken Kercheval and John Gielgud). |
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (REMASTERED EDITION) Warner, $20 The 1965 Christmas classic is remastered, then supplemented with a making-of featurette and the 1992 bonus special It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown. There's even a six-song CD sampler, plus instructions for a free iTunes download of two songs. |
PEANUTS DELUXE HOLIDAY COLLECTION Warner, 3-disc box, $45 One box collects the remastered Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween releases, each adding a bonus second Peanuts special and a making-of featurette. Includes instructions for iTunes download of two songs per disc. |
THE NEW CHRISTMAS CLASSICS Genius/Classic Media, 2 discs, $28 Hey, hey, hey! In a clear plastic case, you'll find The Fat Albert Christmas Special (1977), an hour of 12 Gumby cartoons including Scrooge Loose (1950s), 6 George of the Jungle cartoons including Jungle Bells (2007), and the feature-length Casper's Haunted Christmas (2000). |
HOLIDAY INN Universal, 3 discs, $27 Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire's 1942 movie classic introduces Irving Berlin's song "White Christmas," here in both the original black-and-white and in a nice new hand-tinted-look colorized version. (There's also a featurette explaining the care that now goes into the revitalized process.) There's even a bonus 12-song CD soundtrack.
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SNOW Gaiam, $15 each Christmas is the time for mushy TV movies -- but someone on your gift list loves 'em. Three ABC Family films newly out separately on DVD: SNOW Tom Cavanagh plays a modern Santa seeking romance. SNOWGLOBE Christina Milian, Lorraine Bracco in a land where it's always Christmas. HOLIDAY IN HANDCUFFS Melissa Joan Hart grabs Mario Lopez to be her family reunion boyfriend. |
A GRANDPA FOR CHRISTMAS Genius, $15 In last year's Hallmark Channel heartwarmer, Ernest Borgnine stars as a retired actor who takes in his 10-year-old granddaughter. |
THE JOHNNY CASH CHRISTMAS SPECIALS Shout! Factory, 4-disc box, $50 More than 60 performances are showcased in these treasures from the Country Music Hall of Fame archives -- Roy Clark, Tony Orlando, Merle Travis, Barbara Mandrell; The Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis; Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge; Anne Murray, Tom T. Hall; and even comedy from Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman. (Specials also available individually for $15 list, each.)
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CHRIS ISAAK CHRISTMAS Koch, $20 This Soundstage hour with the cool rockin' crooner features old favorites (White Christmas), rock standbys (Santa Bring My Baby Back), and offbeat choices (Mele Kalikimaka). Isaak's guests include Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble and Brian McKnight. And it's all sharp as can be on standard DVD, thanks to a widescreen high-def shoot and a Dolby 5.1 mix. |
THIS IS TOM JONES CHRISTMAS Time Life, $15 It's not unusual to enjoy a hip-swinging holiday celebration with the Welsh crooner/'60s sex symbol/ladies underwear magnet. In two yule episodes of his ABC variety hour, the hot-'n'-hunky Jones welcomes jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, folk legend Judy Collins and impressionist David Frye, who gives us Richard Nixon's White House Christmas. Why, why, why, Delilah?
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