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🎄 It’s 1984, and it’s time to let the music play down in Fraggle Rock as we ring in Christmas in July on a quest to find the true meaning of the Festival of the Bells.  🎙 Tommy Coombs and Donnie Storms join us on a journey to Outer Space as Doc teaches Sprocket — and us — about the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, and Christmas around the world.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  A clip from the British airing of “The Bells of Fraggle Rock,” in which Doc is replaced by a lighthouse captain.  Gerald Parkes (Doc) as the Ghost of Christmas Present in “An American Christmas Carol.”  Doc’s tool-themed Christmas tree.  Philadelphia’s John Wanamaker Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village.  The Weebabeast, in pictures.  Gobo’s maze-like map to the Cave of the Great Bell.  St. Nicholas Day.  “Mokey and the Festival of the Bells,” a Christmas-themed Fraggle Rock storybook.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Fraggle Rock Book Club (1985)  McDonald’s Fraggle Rock Happy Meal Toys (1988)  Hyrule Podcasters, an audio “Let’s Play” through The Legend of Zelda.  ****  “The Bells of Fraggle Rock” © 1984 Jim Henson Productions.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s #muppets

🎄 It’s 1983, and Young Republican Alex P. Keaton is sick and tired of hearing “Merry Christmas.” It was a different time.  🎙 Molly Patton and Joey O. join us as we airlift our dirty laundry back to before “Back to the Future” for a Scrooge Sunday edition of “Family Ties,” in which Michael J. Fox is taken 30 years into the future to fix his family.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Michael Gross (Steven) on making the Christmas movie “Noelle.”  Chris Hebert (Young Alex) in “Fuzzbucket.”  Justine Bateman as Mallory as the Ghost of Christmas Future is the Best Dressed Ghost of Christmas Future.  Justine Bateman as Lady Zara, Superman’s long-lost betrothed wife-to-be on “Lois and Clark.”  Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter (Elyse) as Santa and Mrs. Claus in the 2015 Lifetime Original Movie, “Becoming Santa.”  The time I went shopping on Christmas Day in the year 2000 and ended up finding the loneliest Hollywood Video employee.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Atari Christmas Commercial (1983)  The Christmas Alphabet Podcast.  ****  “Family Ties” and “A Keaton Christmas Carol” © 1983 Paramount Pictures Corp.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s #scroogesunday

🎄 It’s 1990, and we’re looking a gift horse in the mouth.  🎙 Justin O’Connor joins us on a wild ride to the Bar None Ranch for a Very Special Episode™ of Nickelodeon’s “Hey Dude” disguised as a barely festive Christmas in July special.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  An ode to our childhood friends who lied about having an Uncle Who Worked For Nintendo.  Hey Dude Reviewed’s episode rankings and review of “Ride, She Said.”  Kelly Brown (Brad) in “Danger Zone 4: Mad Girls, Bad Girls” (NSFW).  Kelly Brown’s boutique on Long Island.  Christine Taylor (Melody) in “Showdown.”  Susan Sindelar (Cindy) in the background of a fight scene in “Smokey and the Bandit.”  TROT (Therapeutic Riding of Tucson).  The “Hey Dude” set is still somewhat standing in a secluded area of another, actual ranch.  The Hangin’ Out Gang.  The Huron Carol, believed to be the oldest North American Christmas carol, was written in an indigenous language.  The poster for “Miracle on 34th Street” gives no indication that it’s a Christmas movie.  You know what? I’ll just let y’all search for “star registry” on your own if you want to actually look naming a star after someone.  ****  📼 Commercials:  California Games for Nintendo (1987)  Christmas Creeps.  ****  “Hey Dude” and “Ride She Said” © 1990 MTV Networks.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1990s #nickelodeon

🐰 It’s 1983, and despite replacing our entire body with robot parts, we still can’t plow faster than a rapidly growing magic forest baby.  🎙 Chad Young and Sammy Hain join us as we get things rolling with the mascots of Paas Easter egg coloring kits in a secret hit piece on landlords disguised as a wacky Easter story. On the way, we’ll meet the ever-looming shadow of the Easter Bunny and teach animals to talk by giving them clothes.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  The History of Paas.  Patton Oswalt on Paas and its short-lived competitors.  This special was written by Rankin/Bass legend Romeo Muller, with songs composed by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan of The Turtles.  Charles Woolf (Terrence) in “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.”  The origin of a farmer’s “South 40” and the Homestead Act of 1862.  Paas replaced their mascot characters. The only original one left is Feathers — if that’s even the same Feathers.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Paas Easter Egg Coloring Kit (1984)  Holidays After Dark.  ****  “Peter and the Magic Egg” © 1983 RLR Associates, Ltd. / Romeo Productions, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s #easter

🎄 It’s 1984, and all we want for Christmas is our mom back.  🎙 Adam Pope and Steven join us for a roller coaster of emotions from sad raindrop to beautiful snowflake as we turn around back to 1984 with Punky Brewster during her very special, very crucial first Christmas with her new family.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  I totally missed the 2021 “Punky Brewster” revival series on Peacock.  Ami Foster (Margaux) in “Wrinkles in Need of Cuddles.”  The Punky Brewster Wiki exists and is very helpful.  What do you mean, “Nobody would want A Bomb for Christmas?”  “Santa Claus Lives in Santa Cruz” is a very obscure single that may or may not have been written for this episode.  “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning” from Annie Get Your Gun.  Today’s TV Trope: Santa’s Existence Clause.  ****  📼 Commercials:  NBC’s One to Grow On interstitial with Soleil Moon Frye, circa 1984.  Wizards! The Podcast Guide to Comics.  ****  “Punky Brewster” and “Yes, Punky, There Is a Santa Claus” © 1984 NBC Productions.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s

🎄 It’s 1983, and a young bear and fox are lost in the Big City after accidentally riding the rails on the apparently famous Christmas Tree Train in an obscure special that has little to do with Christmas trees or trains.  🎙 Ethan “The Hungry Reader” climbs aboard as we explore the first holiday special starring Buttons and Rusty, known later as the Chucklewood Critters.  📺 You can watch “The Christmas Tree Train” on the Internet Archive.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  The Unofficial Chucklewood Critters Home Page, which looks like it was created in 2003, last updated in 2011, and is a perfect specimen of an early 2000s Internet fan page.  William Boyett (Ranger Jones) in “Last Clear Chance,” a 1959 driving safety film later featured on “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”  Foxes actually hang out around bears in nature (Nature.org, 2021)  A random shout-out to mid-1990s Sonic the Hedgehog wannabe Bubsy the Bobcat.  A very difficult jump in a sewer level in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Nintendo game.  All the human characters in this special look like they’re related to Gargamel from The Smurfs.  RiffTrax Christmas Circus with Whizzo the Clown.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Santa’s Village in Southern California, circa 1983 during an airing of “The Christmas Tree Train.”  North Pole Radio.  ****  “The Christmas Tree Train” © 1983 Encore Enterprises, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s

🎃 It’s 1989, and Rue McClanahan is trapped in an underground castle inhabited by a bunch of Gremlin-looking puppets called Greevils — and for some reason, she wants to leave.  🎙️ Matt from Dinosaur Dracula drops in for a Halloween in July celebration of “The Wickedest Witch,” co-written and produced by ALF creator Paul Fusco, and starring Blanche from The Golden Girls as the evil Avarissa. As far as we know, this Halloween special only ever aired once, but somehow managed to capture our hearts and burrow itself into the cavernous depths of our memories.  📺 There are 3 copies on YouTube — some include commercials, others hit record a second too late. For the closest we can get to a full picture of the special, here are all 3, courtesy of:  1. Dinosaur Dracula,  2. Jared’s VHS Treasures,  3. trivialord.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Dino Drac on The Wickedest Witch.  Rue McClanahan on Entertainment Tonight, October 27, 1989 (Interview starts at 6:57).  Ronn Lucas (Sammy), creator of Scorch and the 1988 Disney Channel special, “Who’s in Charge Here?”  Judge Doom murdering a clown shoe in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?  Free Stuff for Kids.  ****  📼 Commercials:  McDonald’s Halloween Gift Certificate Books, 1989 during the airing of The Wickedest Witch.  Weird Christmas.  ****  “The Wickedest Witch” © 1989 Boo You Productions.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s #halloween #puppets

🎄 It’s 1995, and a couple of giant space monsters with swords are about to bring swords to a snowball fight and still lose.  🎙 Andre Bennett and Lindy Kempe join us as we follow the powerless Power Rangers to the North Pole, where they can’t Morph due to a cross-current of holiday magic. And also magnets.  📺 You can watch “I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger” for free on YouTube.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  “I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger” on Ranger Wiki.  “Dynaman,” an English-dubbed parody of Super Sentai on the USA Network’s “Night Flight,” circa 1988.  Rubber Suit Rumble! and Cult Cinema Cloister Facebook groups, maintained by Andre.  Differences between the aired TV episode and the VHS cut, which was released 2 months earlier.  “The Order,” a proposed, Expendables-style film starring former Power Rangers.  Amy Jo Johnson (Kimberly) directed a Season 2 episode of “Superman & Lois.”  The Ranger “in jail” we alluded to isn’t even in this episode.  Affirmative Clothing Company, co-founded by David Yost (Billy).  Paul Schrier (Bulk) finally got to play a legit Ranger in 2017 in the web series “Power Rangers Hyperforce.”  Robert von Fliss has 4 credits on IMDb, and they’re all as Santa Claus.  The real-life Command Center: The House of the Book at the American Jewish University.  Rito Revolto, a giant skeleton warrior, learning about holiday spirit is just the Skeletor scene all over again.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Pizza Hut: “Right Field” (1990), from the VHS release of the first “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie.  Diet Coke: “Choose Wisely” (1990) from the VHS release of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  OnStar: “Batcave” (2000), featuring Batman and Michael Gough as Alfred, except I was probably thinking of the Diet Coke ad before Batman ’89.  Saban’s 4½ minutes of commercials in front of the VHS release of I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger, including an ad for THE VIDEO YOU’RE ALREADY WATCHING.  Behind the Bells.  ****  “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” and “I’m Dreaming of a White Ranger” © 1995 Saban Entertainment, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1990s

🎄 It’s 1985, but we’re rocketing into the future, when apparently urgent veterinary care no longer exists.  🎙 Jack Ford from the Total Christmas Podcast joins us for a glimpse into the space-age year of 2062 to find out if 3 robotic ghosts of Christmas can convince Mr. Spacely to change his stingy ways, while the clock is ticking for the Jetsons’ dog, Astro, on his deathbed.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  George Jetson apparently was/will be born at the end of July 2022.  George O’Hanlon (George Jetson) as Joe McDoakes in a series of instructional parody short films from the 1940s and ’50s.  The Jetsons’ “laser tree.”  “Bongo Feet and Zip,” the classic Hanna-Barbara running sound effect, is heard 9 times in this episode.  This episode marks the last appearance speaking appearance of the Jetsons’ pet alien, Orbitty.  Astro’s supposed fever is normal for dogs.  How the Flintstones movie teenage Spacely and his future wife watch changes the theory that both shows take place in the same time period.  The robotic Ghost of Christmas Past, Present (literally a talking wrapped Christmas present), and “Yet to Be.”  I had to look up whether Spacely even had a pet to warrant having a personal veterinarian. Meet Zero.  ****  📼 Commercials:  George Jetson’s Air Pollution PSA, National Clean Air Coalition (1990)  Cool Kids Club, a nostalgia-fueled trip back to the ’80s and ’90s.  ****  “The Jetsons” and “A Jetson Christmas Carol” © 1985 Hanna-Barbara Productions, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s #scroogesunday #hannabarbera

🎄 It’s 1992, and a group of 30-year-old teenagers are on a bus trip to their doom unless an angel in training can convince her supervisor they’re worth saving.  🎙 Ed Daly, author of “The Christmas Book: The Ultimate Guide to Your Favorite Holiday,” joins us for a very strange and very special visit to America’s most famous ZIP code in our first adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life, even though this episode seems to have forgotten to actually adapt it.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Bonnie Urseth (Miriam) in “We’ve Got It Made.”  Brian Austin Green (David) as Metallo on “Smallville.”  Luke Perry (Dylan) in “The Sandlot: Heading Home.”  Of course Donna’s birthday is on Christmas Day.  Brandon’s amazing, generic FOOTBALL/SPORTS poster above his bed.  The West Beverly High Madrigal Singers (no relation) sing the original, drinking song lyrics to “Deck the Hall.”  ****  📼 Commercials:  7up Cool Spot Christmas Commercial (1992)  Can’t Wait for Christmas Podcast.  ****  “Beverly Hills 90210” and “It’s a Totally Happening Life” © 1992 Torand Productions, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1990s #itsawonderfullife

🦃 It’s 1983, and we’re spending Thanksgiving in July at the Saturday Supercade.  🎙️ Chad Young, Tommy Coombs, and Jayme Kilsby join us as we take a cue from Q*bert and pals and try to stay on topic as they learn how to build a Q home in a Q land in a retelling of the first Thanksgiving as square as the wheels on the Q*horse and buggy Pilgrim Q*bert wants to win. ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  We all tried to remember who brought up the Q*bert special last year while talking about “A Thanksgiving Tale,” and we were all wrong.  Even “Kangaroo” got a “Saturday Supercade” segment eventually.  Peter Cullen was the first voice of Mario in the “Donkey Kong” segment.  “The Kingdom Chums: Little David’s Adventure,” an animated retelling of David and Goliath featuring Billy Bowles (Q*bert) as a stuffed lion come to life.  Pauline and her return in “Super Mario Odyssey.”  We accidentally introduce Chad to “Spookley, the Square Pumpkin.”  They gave the snakes arms!  Viper has a Mae West voice, which leads into a tangent about “Quasi at the Quackadero.”  Chief Q*Eagle reminded me of Randall Cunningham’s name in Tecmo Super Bowl.  Saturday Supercade’s extensive use of the Hanna-Barbera Sound Effects Library.  Home Movies: “Don’t Put Marbles in Your Nose.”  Mike guests on TPIF: Thank Pod It’s Funny to discuss the Perfect Strangers Thanksgiving episode, “Wild Turkey.”  ****  📼 Commercials:  John Wanamaker’s 1988 Thanksgiving Sale.  Tis the Podcast.  ****  “Saturday Supercade,” “Q*bert,” and “Thanksgiving for the Memories” © 1983 Ruby-Spears Productions.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1980s #thanksgiving #rubyspears #videogames

🎄 It’s 1997, and we couldn’t decide which holiday to end the season with, so we’re celebrating them all.  🎙 Joey O. joins us on a journey 20 miles below the surface of the Earth to the very “Pee-wee’s Playhouse”-like split-level cave of “Weird Al” Yankovic as he learns to listen to his friends and family.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Weirdle, the “Weird Al”-themed offshoot of Heardle, the music-themed offshoot of Wordle.  “The Weird Accordion to Al,” by Nathan Rabin.  Joey interviews Ben Kweller about his appearance with Radish on “The Weird Al Show.”  Al’s got a thing for the number 27, which makes its way into this episode.  Stan Freberg’s “Christmas Dragnet,” which I know from a compilation CD from Philadelphia radio station WOGL.  Ed Marques (Varna) as the Surf Guru on ZDTV’s “Internet Tonight.”  I had no idea “I Lost on Jeopardy!” was a full parody of an actual song.  “Weird Al,” Paul Reubens, and Danny Elfman sing “Kidnap the Sandy Claws.”  National Hamster Day exists. It’s May 10.  Funny or Die’s original fake trailer for “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.”  “Weird Al” Yankovic: There’s No Going Home, part of The Disney Channel’s Going Home concert/documentary series.  ****  📼 Commercials:  1990 Encyclopedia Britannica commercial starring Donavan Freberg (Baby Boolie).  ****  “The Weird Al Show” and “The Obligatory Holiday Episode” © 1997.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1990s

🎄 November 1st is Christmas Podcast Day! I don’t make the rules; I just use the hashtag.  🎙 Gerry Davila from Totally Rad Christmas and Matt Spaulding from North Pole Radio join us as on a very important mission to dig up the original animated adventures of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in a 1948 short film that predates the song.  📺 You can watch “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” courtesy of the Library of Congress.  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s First Starring Film Role (Library of Congress, 2014)  The 1951 re-release, featuring the new “Rudolph” song.  The Advent Calendar House episode on Rankin/Bass’s “Rudolph.”  Disney’s Very Merry Christmas Sing-Along Songs.  Water Polo, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & Chevrolet: The Life of Jam Handy (Collegiate Water Polo Association, 2019)  Matt’s Little Golden Book of Rudolph, illustrated by Richard Scarry.  Paul Wing’s Rudolph record from 1947.  “Rudolph’s 2nd Christmas.”  George Klensinger, who arranged the original Silent Night intro, also composed “Tubby the Tuba.”  “The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree.”  James Bond and Blofeld fight on a bobsled in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”  Ear trumpets, and Daisy Duck’s mother using one in “Donald’s Diary.”  ****  📼 Commercials:  Closer to Christmas.   ****  “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” ©1948 The Jam Handy Organization.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  #s8 #1940s #christmaspodcastday #rudolph