All Episodes

🎄 Merry Christmas, little Zachary. Enter the void as time, space, and reality blur around the 1979 TV special accompaniment to my favorite Christmas album of all time, “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together.”🎙️ Carlin Trammel and Bill Hanstock join the celebration of peace on Earth and good will to men, women, chickens, bears, Dizzy Gillespie, and Missy Piggy.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Bill’s Uncle Deadly tattoo.  Pro-wrestler and “Muppets Most Wanted” cast member Hornswoggle’s Muppet tattoo.  The Muppet Show Season 4 DVD promised at 2009’s D23 Expo, but which never came.  Miss Piggy makes a sex joke, lest we forget the “Muppet Show” pilot opened with “Sex and Violence.”  John Denver’s linear notes for the album’s 1996 re-release cite the Muppets as an inspiration for writing “Alfie, the Christmas Tree.”  “A Baby Just Like You is one endpoint of the John Denver Christmas song emotional spectrum. The other is “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas).”  “I Will Wait for You” in “Futurama.”  Jesus Christ has His own entry on Muppet Wiki.  Zachary Denver in the audience during “Silent Night,” and at his father’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony in 2014.  Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold sing “When the River Meets the Sea” at Jim Henson’s memorial service.  Bill remembers Jim Henson on Scientific Podcast Goes Boink.  ****  “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together” © 1979 John Jer Productions.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 In 1987, the California Raisins missed their bus, then made a sleigh out of garbage and flew it into space.  🎙️ The Advent Calendar House welcomes Erin Evans, Joey O., and Emily Rowley to join in the raisiny reindeer games that make up Will Vinton’s “Claymation Christmas Celebration,” the greatest holiday special out of all holiday specials hosted by clay dinosaurs.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  RIP Will Vinton (1947–2018), the creator of “capital-C” Claymation who may or may not have inspired Leap Day William, and who was still alive when we recorded this.  Vinton also worked special effects on the EPCOT attraction “Captain EO.”  Johnny Counterfit, the voice of Rex (and not at all Johnny Arcade), wrote a JFK time-travel novel.  Rex and Herb’s original appearance in “Dinosaur,” which was later included in a “direct-to-video thing” starring Fred Savage.  Related: “I Just Realized Why We Are All Mean,” by Jon Bois.  “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven,” from “The Adventures of Mark Twain,” featuring Tim Conner (Herb) as a 3-headed alien in St. Peter’s Place at the wrong “Heaven.”  The California Raisins’ cancelled Nintendo game: “The Grape Escape.”  The California Prunes on “The Simpsons.”  This special ends with a reference to the grossly enormous Mr. Creosote from “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.”  ****  “Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas Celebration” © 1987 Will Vinton Productions, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Let’s have a good, old-fashioned Christmas down on the farm in 1987’s “A Garfield Christmas Special,” featuring the voices of Squiggy and Ursula.  🎙️ The Advent Calendar House welcomes Jeff Somogyi as we contemplate lasagna as a Christmas food, go long on the dinner prayer, and wonder how Binky, “The Clown Who Saved Christmas,” saved Christmas.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Joey O. interviews Gregg Berger, the voice of Odie.  Dinosaur Dracula identifies all the presents in Garfield’s dream.  Better “Weird Al” Yankovic Christmas song: “Christmas at Ground Zero” or “The Night Santa Went Crazy”?  The simultaneously best and worst line in the history of animated Christmas specials for children: “Whoever invented Christmas trees should be drug out into the street and shot.”  Jeff wanted a ringtone of that blaring trumpet when Garfield looks down from the top of the Christmas tree, so here it is!  ****  “A Garfield Christmas Special” © 1987 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 From the author of “The Wizard of Oz” comes one of the craziest Santa origin stories ever.  🎙️ Brandon Medley and Paxton Holley stop by to witness Rankin/Bass go off the rails in its last-ever stop motion animated Christmas special, 1985’s “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, based on the 1902 book by L. Frank Baum, which explains a lot.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Santa Claus’s growth to manhood, from J.D. Roth to Mumm-ra, and the rest of the Thundercats are here, too!  L. Frank Baum’s original book on the Internet Archive, in ebook, PDF, and audiobook format.  Pax’s review of the book and “Road to Oz,” which also features Santa.  Baum’s sequel story, “A Kidnapped Santa Claus.”  King Awgwa looks like My Pet Monster.  The Most Pagan Christmas Special You Will Ever See (Fit for Dragon Con, 2013)  That’s not Santa in “Return to Oz.” That’s the Shaggy Man.  A Doom Metal Tribute to The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.  ****  “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus” © 1985 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🕎 Hanukkah is here, so here’s a 1995 special starring sock puppets hanging out with Mr. Miyagi, the dad from Growing Pains, and the mayor of Gotham City.  🎙️ Sarah Shay returns to the Advent Calendar House to reintroduce me to “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah,” which miraculously brings together Pat Morita, Alan Thicke, and Lloyd Bochner as both dinner guests and computer-generated, one-dimensional superheroes.  There’s now a better copy of “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah” on YouTube. The one we watched for this podcast was from some guy holding his iPad’s camera up to a TV.  Check out Sarah’s albums: “You Have Queer Street Cred” and “The Shay & Shay Radio Hour.”  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Shari Lewis’s amazing single-color red dreamcoat and stylin’ menorah.  Alan Thicke on “Celebrity Family Feud.”  “Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio,” an earlier Halloween special also featuring Alan Thicke.  Charlie Horse’s prize-winning superhero, the stuff of someone’s very specific nightmares.  They almost make it through a whole Hanukkah special without mentioning Christmas, but blow it at the end for no reason.  ****  “Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah” © 1995 8 Candles Production, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄🐭 It’s the one with the mouse. Turn back the clock till it goes kerplunk — or kerplooey — to make some time for Rankin/Bass’s 1974 retelling of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas from the perspective of the mouse and his know-it-all nerdy son.  🎙️ Joey O. is in the Advent Calendar House to do what’s necessary, ’cause even a miracle needs a hand.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  The worst thing we’ve broken that ruined multiple peoples’ day.  We prepared for this episode by listening to Green Day’s “Kerplunk!”  South Park’s cover of “Even a Miracle Needs a Hand.”  A young Julia Stiles in a 1990s Apple Jacks cereal commercial.  Dusty Rhodes’s “Hard Times” promo.  ****  “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” © 1974 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

💫 Get ready to blast off for space church as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special!  🎙️ Lizzie Twacthman joins our exploration of the farthest point from the bright center of our favorite galaxy far, far away.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  “Some folks are in space for the benefit of nobody” (SB Nation, 2015)  Our disappointment that Chewbacca’s family didn’t show up in Solo, but at least we got L3-37, who was great.  High praise for the animated segment, marking our introduction to Boba Fett and the return of Luke’s awesome yellow jacket.  Dihann Carroll was 43 years old in that erotic VR helmet sequence.  Screen Junkies’ Honest Trailers of the Star Wars Holiday Special and other spinoffs.  ****  “Star Wars Holiday Special” © 1978 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s time once again to count down to Christmas Eve, starting with 3 versions of Dr. Seuss’s classic Christmas tale from 1966, 2000, and 2018.  🎙️ Michael DiGiovanni and Michael May drop by as all 3 Mikes compare and contrast 3 very different Grinches.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.,” Dr. Seuss’s first — and last — feature film screenplay.  DiGio discovers Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice behind “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” was also Tony the Tiger.  Grinchmas, the annual Christmas celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood and Islands of Adventure in Orlando.  “How Murray Saved Christmas,” a 2014 animated TV special starring Jerry Stiller that just made my to-do list.  “The Muppet Christmas Carol” on Sleigh Bell Cinema.  ****  “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” © 1966 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.  “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” © 2000 LUNI Productions GmbH & Co. KG.  “The Grinch” © 2018 Universal Studios.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 It’s time to dust off the cobwebs and get the Advent Calendar House ready for Season 2, featuring a new episode every day from December 1 through Christmas Eve, 2018.  In between commercial teasers for all 24 episodes coming in Season 2 (though not necessarily in order) the members of the all-new Christmas Podcast Network share stories of Christmas music traditions:  ****  🎙 Guests:  Brian Earl (Christmas Past)  Tim Babb (Can’t Wait for Christmas)  Craig Kringle (Weird Christmas)  Duane Bailey (Tinsel Tunes)  Joseph Wade (Christmas Creeps), with Libby Cudmore  Anthony Caruso, Julia Colburn, and Thom Crowe (Tis the Podcast)  ****  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎃 The Advent Calendar House presents a dazzling display of magical mischief.  🎙️ Chad Young creeps in to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of “Witch’s Night Out,” an often remembered, then forgotten, then re-remembered Halloween classic from 1978.  📺 You can watch “Witch’s Night Out” on Tubi.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  WitchsNightOut.com, the official website.  Anytown Series, a planned sequel, and other holiday specials in development.  Toys “R” Us TV commercial from 1980, featuring ”the Big Bird Halloween costume and the Yoda Halloween costume.”  Ghostbusters Fright Features action figures.  Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  Malicious’s food may or may not have been inspired by Joys of Jell-O.  ****  “Witch’s Night Out” © 1978 Leach/Rankin Productions.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎆 We’re back for a surprise summertime episode on the 1986 animated movie, “The Adventures of the American Rabbit.”  🎙️ Chad Young from the Horror Movie BBQ joins our cross-country adventure through a star-spangled box-office bomb from Fred Wolf Films and Toei Animation, starring the voices of Donatello, Garfield, Baby Piggy, and King Triton.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  The late Stewart Moskowitz’s archived gallery and current website, operated by his family.  Too-Loose, the Chocolate Moose.  Ping Pong, the Gorilla who ate Garfield.  ****  “The Adventures of the American Rabbit” © 1985 Wolfkill Productions, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🐰 We’re back! This surprise springtime episode covers the 1976 Rankin/Bass special, “The First Easter Rabbit,” which despite its name and main theme, still relies heavily on Christmas.  🎙️ Brandon Medley hops by to discuss this special’s very obvious and very uncredited connection to “The Velveteen Rabbit,” Easter Valley’s odd location next door to the North Pole, and Rankin/Bass’s habit of giving bad directions.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  They named the talking snowball “Br-r-ruce,” a joke I didn’t notice until just now!  ****  “The First Easter Rabbit” © 1974 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 In our Christmas Eve season finale, the Advent Calendar House is haunted by 3 spirited guests  — Sue London, Jonathan MacFarlane, and Joey O. — as we each draft our own casts of “A Christmas Carol” from a pool of characters from Christmas past.  ****  🎩 “A Christmas Carol” versions mentioned, in chronological order:  1951: Scrooge (starring Alastair Sim).  1954: Shower of Stars’ A Christmas Carol.  1962: Mister Magoo’s Christmas Carol.  1970: Scrooge (musical, starring Albert Finney).  1978: Rich Little’s Christmas Carol.  1979: Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol.  1983: Mickey’s Christmas Carol.  1984: A Christmas Carol (starring George C. Scott).  1986: The Real Ghostbusters: Xmas Marks the Spot.  1987ish: Honey Nut Cheerios Christmas Commercial (starring Bill Gavin).  1988: Scrooged (starring Bill Murray).  1992: The Muppet Christmas Carol.  1993: Animaniacs: A Christmas Plotz.  1994: A Flintstones Christmas Carol.  1997: A Christmas Carol (starring Tim Curry).  1999: A Christmas Carol (starring Patrick Stewart).  2003: A Carol Christmas (starring Tori Spelling).  2009: Disney’s A Christmas Carol (starring Jim Carrey).  2011: Batman: Noël.  ****  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  

🎄 Joey O. returns to the Advent Calendar House bearing the gift of his favorite regional holiday commercial. Join us as we spend 17 times the length of a 30-second lottery commercial talking about the spot that had a whole commonwealth singing “Five Cash Fives!”  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  The original Pennsylvania Lottery Christmas Commercial from 1992.  The updated commercial from 2012, remade shot-for-shot like 1998’s Psycho.  PA Lottery’s Holiday Ad Gets Makeover (CBS Philly, 2012)  “Move Closer to Your World,” the greatest broadcast news theme song ever composed.  Philadelphia Eagles fans’ longing for kelly green football uniforms.  Major League Baseball’s endless array of ugly hats for every holiday.  ****  “Snowfall” © 1992, 2012 PA Lottery.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🕎 In the Advent Calendar House’s first Hanukkah episode, we follow the Rugrats on their mission to stop the “Meanie of Chanukah” and make him take a nap.  🎙️ Sarah Shay joins the search and helps count all the misspoken “babyisms” along the way.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Sarah’s top 2 favorite spellings of “Hanukkah.”  E.G. Daily (Tommy) as Dottie in “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”  A tale of 2 panics: Babies climbing up to open flames vs. babies trying to blow out Hanukkah candles.  Stu’s giant, tacky menorah vs. the Miami Marlins’ home run celebration monstrosity.  The TV trope of the Sitcom Arch-Nemesis.  Our worst on-stage mishaps.  ****  “A Rugrats Chanukah” © 1996 Klasky-Csupo, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Ho-ho-ho, I’m hu-hu-hungry! Fill your soul with season’s greetings and another batch of cereal commercials from Christmas past.  🎙️ Uh-oh, here comes Joey O. to revisit a collection of seasonal ads for Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, starring Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  The main attraction: This Fruity Pebbles Christmas commercial, circa 1986, and a redubbed version with Jim Cummings as Santa from the early ’90s.  An older Fruity Pebbles Christmas commercial, dated 1980.  A Newer Cocoa Pebbles “Christmas Carol” commercial.  “I’m the Master Rapper and I’m here to say, I love Fruity Pebbles in a major way!”  The theory I’m going with: Fred and Barney know about Christmas because they live in a post-apocalyptic future.  The Rock’s Fruity Pebbles promo on John Cena, 2011.  WWE’s Christmas in Baghdad opening from 2003, featuring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin disguised as Santa Claus.  ****  Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles cereal commercials © Post Consumer Brands / Warner Bros.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Trudge back to 1974 as we dig up a rare gem, “The Gift of Winter,” which introduces a colorful cast of characters from Anytown, better known from its Halloween sequel, “Witch’s Night Out!”  🎙️ Chad Young from the Horror Movie BBQ joins the quest for an audience with Old Man Winter alongside pre-“Saturday Night Live” Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd.  📺 You can watch “The Gift of Winter” on Tubi.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Treatments for a whole Anytown Series, which includes sequel stories for Thanksgiving, New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day.  Whenever Bazooey’s not on screen, all the other characters should be asking, “Where’s Bazooey?”  The special’s true heroes: A couple of gay trees.  Every parade should end at the Rocky steps.  ****  “The Gift of Winter” © 1974 Leach/Rankin Productions.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 The taste of nuts and honey thaws Scrooge’s icy heart in this 30-second portrayal of Scrooge for a Christmastime cereal commercial.  🎙️ Joey O. stops by to share a sufficient helping of customary gruel as we squeeze every last drop of honey out of this commercial, officially titled “Ebenezer Scrooge Discovers Honey Nut Cheerios,” which ran from around 1987 through at least the end of the 20th century.  Addendum: Thanks to Guy Hutchinson for identifying our Scrooge as actor Bill Gavin!  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  A tale of two Buzz Bees: “It’s Christmas,” vs. “It’s the holidays.”  Arnold Stang, the original voice of the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, Top Cat, and Nestlé’s Chunky candy bar.  A brief tangent questioning the lifespan and ancestral history of honeybees.  ****  Honey Nut Cheerios © General Mills.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 How many Muppets can fit inside a farmhouse? We took a head count. It’s a lot.  🎙️ Carlin Trammel from Nerd Lunch stops by the Advent Calendar House to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of “A Muppet Family Christmas,” the shredded wheat and cranberry sauce of TV specials. Together, we try and piece together the various home video cuts over music rights, and wrap around heads around the dizzying continuity issues surrounding the Muppet Babies.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Can you say “OshKosh B’gosh”?  A milk PSA and the world’s most forward-thinking bullies.  Osvaldo el Gruñón, Oscar the Grouch’s Puerto Rican counterpart.  Parting words from the guy with the beard doing the dishes.  ****  “A Muppet Family Christmas” © 1987 Jim Henson Productions.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.

🎄 Happy birthday! Join us as we begin our salute to all holiday specials, but mostly the Christmas ones by attempting to answer questions no one asked about the 1969 Rankin/Bass TV special, “Frosty the Snowman.”  🎙️ Brandon Medley joins the parade as we try to find out how hard it is to escape a locked greenhouse, when something you throw away stops legally being yours, and how long it would actually take to write, “I am very sorry for what I did to Frosty” a hundred zillion times.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Oatmeal is a perfectly adorable name for a snowman.  Frosty Day in Armonk, New York.  A closer look at the absurdly long and zigzagged train route to the North Pole.  The stupidest places we’ve ever been dropped off.  ****  “Frosty the Snowman” © 1969 Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.