60 Fun Facts About Christmas TV

Who narrates the 1964 Rankin/Bass Rudolph special as Sam the Snowman?

Ives was hired to give the sponsor a big name; Sam was originally going to be voiced by Larry D. Mann, who ended up as Yukon Cornelius instead.

What career does Hermey the elf abandon Santa's workshop to pursue in the 1964 Rudolph special?

His skills pay off when he pulls every tooth from the Abominable Snow Monster, who is tamed and put to work trimming a Christmas tree.

Which company sponsored the first broadcasts of Rudolph in 1964 under its own Fantasy Hour title?

GE covered the special's $500,000 cost, but the deal only covered a pair of broadcasts. A GE executive also had the song 'We're a Couple of Misfits' replaced in 1965.

In which city was the 'Animagic' puppet footage for Rudolph actually filmed?

The concept came from New York, the voices were mostly Canadian, the music was recorded in England and the puppets were animated in Japan by Tadahito Mochinaga's studio.

Roughly how much did the original 1964 Rudolph and Santa puppets fetch at auction in 2020?

They had been given to a secretary's nieces and nephews and spent years in an attic. After the sale they were donated to the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta.

What year does the famously erroneous copyright notice on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer give?

A missing M in the Roman numerals is to blame, and the invalid notice has been left on prints ever since.

Which comedian narrates the 1969 Frosty the Snowman special, in his final film role?

He had also been one of the first to record the song back in 1950. A different narrator had to be found for the 1976 sequel after Durante retired.

In the 1969 Frosty special, what is the inept magician whose discarded hat brings the snowman to life called?

His own rabbit, Hocus Pocus, betrays him by swapping the hat for a lamppost wreath so the children can revive Frosty.

Where does Frosty melt in the 1969 special after the villain locks him in with Karen?

Santa arrives too late, but explains that Frosty is made of magical Christmas snow and reforms him with a gust of winter wind.

Fred Astaire narrates the 1970 special Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town as a mailman with what initials?

S.D. stands for Special Delivery. He explains how everything from stockings to the reindeer came to be, then heads off to the North Pole with the letters.

Who is the toy-hating mayor of Sombertown in Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town?

He bans all toys after tripping over a toy duck, which is why Kris starts slipping presents down chimneys and into stockings.

What kind of animal is Topper, the lost creature Kris Kringle befriends on his way to Sombertown?

The Winter Warlock, who later captures the pair, switches sides after Kris gives him a toy train.

In The Year Without a Santa Claus, who forces the feuding Snow Miser and Heat Miser to compromise?

The Misers are her sons and step-brothers of each other. The compromise: snow in Southtown, one warm day at the North Pole.

Which reindeer ends up in the Southtown dog pound in The Year Without a Santa Claus?

The elves Jingle and Jangle borrow Santa's youngest reindeer for their trip south, and a dog catcher promptly detains her.

Which actress narrates The Year Without a Santa Claus as Mrs. Claus, in her final acting credit?

The Oscar and Tony winner retired after the special. Its 2008 sequel, A Miser Brothers' Christmas, recast the role after her death.

In Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976), what kind of creature is the villain Eon the Terrible?

Eon is fated to live exactly one eon and then turn to ice and snow, so he kidnaps Happy the Baby New Year to keep the year from ending.

Rankin/Bass's 1968 special The Little Drummer Boy centres on an orphaned drummer whose name is what?

Samson and Joshua are his donkey and camel; the third animal is a lamb named Baba, whose injury brings the boy to the manger.

Who voices the Grinch and narrates the 1966 special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!?

Sound engineers stripped the high frequencies from his voice to create the Grinch's gravelly growl. He also read every part, including Cindy Lou Who, on the LP.

The song 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch' is often misattributed to the narrator. Who actually sang it?

The singer, also the voice of Tony the Tiger, was left out of the credits by mistake. Dr. Seuss apologised and wrote to columnists nationwide to set the record straight.

Which legendary Looney Tunes director made the 1966 Grinch special?

He and Dr. Seuss had worked together on the Private Snafu army training cartoons during World War II. Jones based the dog Max on his own childhood fox terrier.

CBS gave the 1966 Grinch special a then-record cartoon budget of about how much?

That was more than four times what Bill Melendez had to make A Charlie Brown Christmas the year before.

What holiday are Chewbacca and Han trying to reach Kashyyyk to celebrate in the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special?

The special was broadcast once on CBS in November 1978 and has never been rebroadcast or officially released in full.

Which bounty hunter made his onscreen debut in an animated segment of the Star Wars Holiday Special?

The cartoon was made by Toronto studio Nelvana, which later produced the Droids and Ewoks Saturday-morning series.

In the Star Wars Holiday Special, which Golden Girls star runs the Mos Eisley cantina?

Her character Ackmena sings to close the cantina at curfew, backed by the same alien band from the 1977 film.

In Friends, what costume does Ross improvise to teach Ben about Hanukkah when he can't rent a Santa suit?

The 2000 episode ends with Ross, Chandler in a Santa suit and Joey as Superman all crammed into the apartment.

In The Office episode "Christmas Party", how much did the boss spend on the video iPod for the $20 Secret Santa?

Apple got over four minutes of screen time without paying for placement. Michael's disappointment with a homemade oven mitt is what triggers the Yankee Swap.

What Secret Santa gift, with a private letter inside, does Jim give Pam in 'Christmas Party'?

Jenna Fischer chose the teal colour herself. The letter's contents stayed secret until the show's final season, when Jim finally hands it over.

The Seinfeld episode that popularised Festivus is named for Kramer's dispute at H&H Bagels. What is it called?

Kramer's 12-year strike ends when the minimum wage is raised, but he walks out again when he's refused time off for Festivus.

What fake charity does George invent on Seinfeld to avoid buying Christmas gifts for his co-workers?

A real charity of the same name was founded in Cleveland in 2005, borrowing its name from the episode.

At what odds does Homer bet it all on Santa's Little Helper in the first Simpsons episode?

The greyhound finishes last and is abandoned by his owner, so Bart and Homer bring him home as the family's Christmas gift.

Community's 'Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas' pays homage to Rankin/Bass by rendering the episode in what style?

It won the show its only Primetime Emmy, for animation. John Oliver's Professor Duncan poses as a 'Christmas wizard' to run the therapy session.

Which alien race invades Earth in Doctor Who's 'The Christmas Invasion'?

The newly regenerated Tenth Doctor sleeps through most of it, then wins Earth in a sword duel and loses a hand.

Which pop star played the waitress Astrid Peth in the 2007 Doctor Who special 'Voyage of the Damned'?

The episode pulled in 13.31 million viewers, the show's biggest audience since 1979 and still its most-watched since the revival.

Which date replaced Christmas Day for Doctor Who specials from 2018 to 2022?

Russell T Davies asked for the Christmas slot back on his return, and 'The Church on Ruby Road' revived it.

What finally happens between Mary and Matthew in Downton Abbey's 2011 Christmas special?

The show ran to five Christmas specials in all, and this one also introduced Nigel Havers as the fortune-hunting Lord Hepworth.

The 2019 Gavin & Stacey Christmas special ended on a cliffhanger when Nessa did what?

The episode pulled in 18.49 million viewers, the most-watched comedy in 17 years, and won a BAFTA Must-See Moment award for the scene.

The 1986 Christmas Day episode of which soap is the UK's most-watched TV programme ever, with 30 million-plus viewers?

The moment that pulled in the nation was Den Watts handing his wife Angie divorce papers.

Which BBC newsreader famously showed her legs dancing on a Morecambe and Wise Christmas show?

She had trained as a ballet dancer before journalism. Their 1977 Christmas Show attracted one of the largest audiences in British TV history, at least 21 million.

Who scripted King George V's first Royal Christmas broadcast on the radio in 1932?

BBC founder John Reith had first pitched the idea in 1922; the King thought radio was mere entertainment and took a decade to agree.

In what year was the Queen's Christmas message first shown on television?

It has been televised every year since, apart from 1959 and 1963 when the Queen was heavily pregnant, and 1969, when the Royal Family documentary took its place.

The original 1966 WPIX Yule Log was filmed in the fireplace of which New York building?

A spark from the ungrated fire damaged a $4,000 antique rug at the mayor's residence, and the mayor's office refused a reshoot in 1969.

How long was the original 1966 film loop of the WPIX Yule Log?

The jerky repeat was obvious, so WPIX refilmed a log in a California fireplace on a hot August day in 1970, producing a loop of just over six minutes.

WPIX cancelled the Yule Log in 1990 and revived it in 2001. What reason did the station give?

The restored broadcast was the most-watched programme in the New York area on Christmas Day 2001 and has run every year since.

Why was a counterpoint written on the spot for David Bowie's 1977 duet with Bing Crosby?

Bowie told the musical directors he hated the song, so Ian Fraser, Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan wrote 'Peace on Earth' in a basement in about an hour.

How long after taping the Bowie duet for his Christmas special did Bing Crosby die?

Recorded on 11 September 1977, it was among his final recordings; the special aired posthumously, introduced by his widow Kathryn.

The Bowie–Crosby duet wasn't released as a single until 1982. Where did it peak on the UK Singles Chart?

The master tape had been erased, so RCA had to use a boom-mic mix. It sold over 250,000 copies in its first four weeks and never charted in the US.

Which crooner earned the nickname 'Mr. Christmas' from his perennial television specials?

His specials ran regularly until 1974 and returned in the 1980s and 1990s. He recorded eight Christmas albums and sometimes ice-skated on the shows.

Which basketball star appeared in the 1988 Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special?

The guest list also included Little Richard, Charo, k.d. lang, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers and Dinah Shore.

In Mickey's Christmas Carol, which Disney character plays the ghost of Jacob Marley?

Donald plays nephew Fred, Pete is the Ghost of Christmas Future and Jiminy Cricket is the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Hallmark Channel's 'Countdown to Christmas' programming block began in what year?

The first edition had just four original movie premieres. It now takes over the schedule from the last weekend in October to January 1.

Which company commissioned and sponsored A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965?

Its ad agency called Lee Mendelson after Peanuts made the cover of Time in April 1965; the special was written in weeks and made on a small budget in six months.

Who sang the only song in the 1982 animated film The Snowman?

Auty was a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy. Jones's cover became the famous chart hit, which is why he so often gets the credit.

A Charlie Brown Christmas debuted on CBS in December 1965, four days after airing in which country?

Network executives had predicted disaster over its child voice cast, jazz score and missing laugh track; it won an Emmy and a Peabody instead.

Which 1996 Only Fools and Horses Christmas episode drew a record 24.3 million UK viewers?

Originally billed as the series finale, it holds the record for the biggest UK audience for a sitcom episode; a trilogy of specials followed in 2001–03.

In Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988), what does the kindly Ebenezer Blackadder sell for a living?

Narrated by Hugh Laurie, the special sits between Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth and inverts Dickens by turning the nice man nasty.

The Snowman (1982) was directed by Dianne Jackson for which British broadcaster?

First shown on 26 December 1982, it earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short and a BAFTA TV Award, with Howard Blake's score and no dialogue.

Which rock star was filmed introducing The Snowman for its sponsored US broadcast?

Laurence Olivier and Julie Andrews had been suggested first; the singer was a fan of Raymond Briggs's When the Wind Blows.

In Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978), what does Bert trade to buy Ernie a soap dish?

The subplot riffs on O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, while Big Bird frets over how Santa fits down chimneys.

Which Simpsons creator's company produced the 1999 special Olive, the Other Reindeer?

Drew Barrymore voiced Olive and served as an executive producer; the special first aired on Fox alongside Futurama.

On which US network did A Muppet Family Christmas first air on December 16, 1987?

Longtime Muppet writer Jerry Juhl conceived the teleplay, which gathers the Muppets, Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock casts under one roof.