Advent Calendar House - TV Holiday & Christmas Specials

McDonald’s Holiday Commercials

Episode Summary

Lace up your ice skates for these merry messages starring 3 iterations of Ronald McDonald. Guest: Joey O. Find show notes at https://adventcalendar.house

Episode Notes

Lace up your ice skates for a look at 3 classic holiday commercials starring McDonald’s clown in charge:  

1. Happy Holidays (the ice skating one).  

2. Star Wish.  

3. Runaway.

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🎙 Guest:  

Joey O. (Y-Not Radio, Words with Nerds, @ImGonnaDJ24).  

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💬 Topics & Tangents:  

1. Grape jelly is good on Sausage McMuffins.  

2. McDonald’s Wiki, which exists, runs down all 7 versions of the ice skating commercial. Yes, there are seven different edits, and they’re all on YouTube:  

1982: the original, with King Moody as Ronald and the “You Deserve a Break Today” jingle variant.  

1983: with the “McDonald’s and You” jingle variant.  

1984: with the “It’s a Good Time for the Great Taste” jingle variant.  

1986: with Squire Fridell as Ronald, the version I remember most.  

1988: with Fridell and the original jingle.  

1990: with Fridell and the “Food, Folks and Fun” jingle variant.  

1991: with Jack Doepke as Ronald, bad lighting, and “The Wish that Changed Christmas.”  

3. King Booker.  

4. Squire Fridell as Ronald McDonald in Mac and Me.  

5. Paul Rudd’s ongoing Mac and Me prank on Conan.  

6. Grimace’s last appearance was at Dodger Stadium, though as we know, nothing can kill the Grimace.  

7. The “World’s Largest Entertainment McDonald’s” in Orlando, home to an animatronic Mac Tonight that hangs from the ceiling.  

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“Happy Holidays,” “Star Wish,” and “Runaway” © McDonald’s.  

Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.  
Say hi on Twitter @adventcalhouse.