Advent Calendar House - TV Holiday & Christmas Specials

A Cosmic Christmas

Episode Summary

We’re teaching aliens about Christmas again, but this time, George Lucas is watching. Guest: Jeff Fox. Find lshow notes at https://adventcalendar.house

Episode Notes

🎄 By special request, this episode of the official podcast of teaching aliens about Christmas takes you on a domesticated goose chase back to 1977 through the first fully animated feature by Canadian studio Nelvana.  

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🎙 Guest:  

Jeff Fox (Name That Christmas  Special, @chrspecials).  

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💬 Topics & Tangents:  

1. Jeff’s collection of A Cosmic Christmas music and scanned promotional items.  

2. Joanna Wilson’s Christmas TV History.  

3. This special got George Lucas’s attention and led to Nelvana producing the animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special.  

4. The Nelvana Story: Thirty Animated Years.  

5. Today’s TV Trope: Big Ball of Violence.  

6. Jellybean looks like the red-eyed Pac-Man on the side of the arcade cabinet.  

7. Duncan Regehr (Amalthor) as Dracula in The Monster Squad.  

8. Marian Waldman, Mrs. Mac from Black Christmas, also has a quick line or two.  

9. The Castle Thunder stock sound effect.  

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📼 Retro Commercial Break:  

Burger King Doll Christmas Commercial, 1977.  

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🎤 And Now, These Messages:  

Weird Christmas.  

“A Cosmic Christmas” © 1977 Nelvana Enterprises, Inc.  

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Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.