Advent Calendar House

Mike Westfall
  • 4.8 (61)
  • TV Reviews
  • Updated Bimonthly

A salute to all TV holiday specials, but mostly the Christmas ones. Revisit 12 holiday classics and not-so-classics each December and July.

  1. Jul 23

    The Story of Santa Claus

    🎄 This podcast was created as part of a seemingly endless life debt that resulted in a wish to give the world the gift of a bunch of nerds with microphones talking about old TV holiday specials. And now you know my dark origins.  🎙️ Collin Murr from Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Podcast and Jeff Loftin from the Lost Christmas Podcast join us as we get violently tossed off course back to 1996 and rediscover “The Story of Santa Claus,” or at least a story of Santa Claus, the first to star Ed Asner as the big man, featuring Betty White as Mrs. Claus and Tim Curry as a very annoyed elf wizard.  📺 We found “The Story of Santa Claus” with commercials on the Internet Archive.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (02:31) - Guest and Special Histories  (06:39) - Act 1  (36:35) - Act 2  (43:31) - Retro Commercial Break  (45:05) - Act 3  (1:17:21) - Final Thoughts ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Why Ed Asner accepted the titular role in The Story of Santa Claus (MeTV, 2025)  Jim Cummings takes over as Scar in the last part of “Be Prepared” in “The Lion King.”  Kate Zaremba (Aurora) as Annie in the sequel musical “Annie Warbucks,” and her present-day art studio.  Today’s TV Tropes: Slipped on the Wheels and Villainy-Free Villain.  There’s a whole debate elsewhere about whether Clement Moore was the true author of “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”  Mr. Meeseeks from “Rick and Morty.”  Dark Heart from “The Care Bears Movie II.”  Lois Lane’s poem in “Superman: The Movie.”  ****  📼 Commercials:  True Value Hardware Christmas Commercial (1997)  Closer to Christmas  Tiger Electronics Name That Tune Handheld Game (1997)  ****  “The Story of Santa Claus” © 1996 CBS, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1990s

    The Story of Santa Claus

  2. Jul 21

    Saved by the Bell: The College Years - A Thanksgiving Story

    🦃 This Thanksgiving in July, I’ve put out some extra table settings for some old friends.  Previously, on the Advent Calendar House, we watched Zack Morris be trash but still manage to find a girl and her dad a Home for Christmas. Now, thankfully, we get to see him a tiny bit more grown-up as we get wheeled directly into a wall back to 1993 for a special Turkey Day episode of “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” that’s packed with last-minute surprise celebrity guests.  🎙️ Adam Pope and Chad Young swoop in to save this Turkey Day, plus we left open a 4th chair in memory of our friend, William Bruce West.  📺 You can watch “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” on Tubi. “A Thanksgiving Story” is Episode 11.  ****  (00:00) - In Memory of William Bruce West  (02:06) - Intro  (04:30) - Show and Guest Histories  (07:52) - Act 1  (35:45) - Retro Commercial Break  (37:37) - Act 2  (52:07) - Act 3  (1:25:58) - Final Thoughts  (1:32:42) - Will’s Highlight Reel ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  After Lunch’s Tribute to William Bruce West.  NBC’s promo for this episode as part of “Special Guest Tuesday.”  California University isn’t real, but pretend it’s where UC Berkeley is.  Remember That Show? on “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” “Saved by the Bell: The College Years,” “The New Class,” and the 2020 revival. Oh, and “Learning the Ropes.”  Who did it better: Stephanie dancing on “Full House” or Meatwad on “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”?  Paul Rudd brought a clip.  “Steven Banks’ Home Entertainment Center.”  “This is like that ‘Twilight Zone’…” (“Seinfeld”)  “Sleeping Beauty” makes the same “1 tsp” joke.  J. Curtis Swanson (Delivery Man) has only 1 other credit on IMDb: Another Thanksgiving episode that aired the day after this did.  Where is Zack’s phone?  Today’s TV Trope: Onion Tears.  Simon Says on expert mode.  Brian Austin Green in the “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” pilot.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Swanson Turkey Dinner (1986)  WIZARDS The Podcast Guide to Comics  ****  “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” and “A Thanksgiving Story” © 1993 National Broadcasting Company, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1990s #thanksgiving

    Saved by the Bell: The College Years - A Thanksgiving Story

  3. Jul 19

    WKRP in Cincinnati - Bah, Humbug

    🎄 It’s another Scrooge Sunday, which means we’re about to be haunted by a series of spirits as we ride the airwaves back to 1980 for a version of “A Christmas Carol” set in the studios of “WKRP in Cincinnati.”  🎙️ Gerry Davila, Scott Leopold, and Michael May join us on a trip through time that definitely wasn’t fueled by special brownies, so stop asking.  📺 You can find “Bah, Humbug” on the Internet Archive.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (03:03) - Guest and Episode Histories  (07:55) - Carlson’s Grandfather’s Ghost  (26:03) - Christmas Past  (38:30) - Retro Commercial Break  (39:58) - Christmas Present  (46:42) - Christmas Future and The End of It  (59:17) - Final Thoughts  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  This episode won an Emmy for video editing, beating out an Alice in Wonderland themed episode of “The Muppet Show” starring Brooke Shields.  A teenage Jan Smithers (Bailey) on a 1966 cover of “Newsweek.”  Richard Sanders (Les Nessman) in “Day of the Tentacle.”  There’s now a real, actual WKRP-FM radio station in Cincinnati.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Kmart Christmas Commercial (1980)  Holly Jolly X’masu  ****  “WKRP in Cincinnati” and “Bah, Humbug” © 1980 Company Four.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1980s #scroogesunday

    WKRP in Cincinnati - Bah, Humbug

  4. Jul 17

    M*A*S*H - Death Takes a Holiday

    ⚠️ Warning: Our wartime yuletide takes a grimmer turn in this episode, which includes the death of a man hit by a sniper. But since it’s Christmas, we’re all going to do the best we can to find a bit of hope, joy, and laughter in the face of tragedy.  🎙️ Tim Babb from the Can’t Wait for Christmas Podcast and Jamie Ray from Fave Five From Fans join us as we report for duty to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital and try to give some kids a merry Christmas.  📺 You can watch “M*A*S*H” on Hulu. “Death Takes a Holiday” is Season 9, Episode 5.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (02:26) - Guest and Episode Histories  (09:41) - Act 1  (37:43) - Retro Commercial Break  (39:01) - Act 2  (1:00:42) - Final Thoughts ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Mike and Jamie’s Fave Five Christmas TV Specials.  Tim’s Five Golden Things: Favorite Christmas TV Episodes (2015)  “Good grief! The comedian’s a bear!”  Keye Luke (Choi Sung Ho) as the original voice of Brak on “Space Ghost.”  Why Do People String Popcorn on Christmas Trees?  A fanmade “M*A*S*H” timeline, on which this episode causes some confusion as to what year it is, and which characters should be there.  Weather Spark confirms it was a cold Christmas in Korea.  “Secrets of the M*A*S*H Mess: The Lost Recipes of Private Igor,” by Jeff Maxwell.  M*A*S*H Matters Podcast.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Kodak Colorburst 260 Camera: The Tree Trimming (1980)  ****  “M*A*S*H” and “Death Takes a Holiday” © 1980 Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1980s

    M*A*S*H - Death Takes a Holiday

  5. Jul 15

    Santa vs. the Snowman

    🎄 Today’s adventure finds us caught in the middle of a battle for the North Pole in multiple dimensions.  🎙️ Sammy Hain and Jeff Loftin join the march back to 1997 to witness the Christmas clash of Santa vs. the Snowman, a TV special from creator Steve Oedekerk and director John A. Davis, who’d later team up to write and direct “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.”  📺 You can find “Santa vs. the Snowman” on YouTube, both an original 1997 broadcast with commercials, and its 2002 update for IMAX 3D.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (02:16) - Guest and Special Histories  (07:31) - 3D Opening  (12:58) - Act 1  (26:19) - Retro Commercial Break  (28:51) - Act 2  (52:19) - Act 3  (1:00:50) - Final Thoughts  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Don LaFontaine in “Five Guys in a Limo” (1997)  Don LaFontaine’s final TV voiceover role on “Phineas and Ferb.”  Ben Stein’s “Confessions for the Holidays” (2005) taken way out of context.  Hershey’s Chocolate Tour: Holiday Edition.  Today’s TV Trope: Animated Outtakes, and an example from “A Bug’s Life.”  ****  📼 Commercials:  Bell Atlantic: Wild Things Are Happening (1997)  Old Navy: A Very Magic Holiday Special (1997)  The Lost Christmas Podcast  ****  “Santa vs. the Snowman” © 1997, 2002 Steaming Monkey, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1990s

    Santa vs. the Snowman

  6. Jul 13

    Elmo Says BOO!

    🎃 It’s Halloween in July, and it’s time to spookalize!  🎙️ Becca Petunia joins us as we creep back to 1997 for a howling good time at the spookiest address on Sesame Street, as Elmo pays a visit to Count von Count with one mission: To tell him a bunch of funny, scary jokes!  📺 You can find “Elmo Says BOO!” on YouTube.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (02:19) - History of the Special and Accompanying Album  (14:12) - Funny, Scary Jokes!  (48:26) - Retro Commercial Break  (49:43) - More Funny, Scary Jokes!  (1:02:29) - Into the Pyramid  (1:07:53) - Even More Funny, Scary Jokes!  (1:26:28) - More About the Album and Final Thoughts  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Muppet Wiki notes this Halloween special doesn’t mention Halloween… on purpose.  The “Elmo Says BOO!” album featuring songs not in the special, including a weird “Monster Mash” cover.  ToughPigs: My Week with Halloween: Elmo Says BOO!  A Definitive Rating of All 15 Funny, Scary Jokes in Elmo Says BOO!  Becca discusses “Kermit Unpigged” on Movin’ Right Along.  The Count and Susan Sarandon in a “Rocky Horror” spoof.  Jim Henson’s Monster Cereals.  “The Song of the Count” art by Luke Flowers.  Shriek on “Batman Beyond.”  Julia Roberts shares a limo with the Two-Headed Monster.  “Java.”  Mike’s Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets preview and interviews with Imagineers and Electric Mayhem guitarists.  Elmo’s debut in the original “We Are All Monsters,” and the redub that’s a rare instance of Elmo speaking in the first person.  Bert & Ernie’s Pyramid Scheme: The Sesame Street Sketch You Might Have Repressed.  The Other Top 70 Muppet Moments.  “Fem myror är fler än fyra elefanter” (It’s Swedish for “Five ants are more than four elephants.”)  Frazzle shows his range of emotions.  J.D. Hansel interviews Noel MacNeal, including his work on “The Batty Bat.”  Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2” as performed by Tom Cat and Bugs Bunny.  “Mysterioso Pizzicato,” or “The Villain’s Theme.”  Jackman Wolf on home video and at Sesame Place.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Elmo Says BOO! VHS Commercial (1997)  Micro Machines Micro Lights (1990)  ****  “Elmo Says BOO!” © 1997 Children’s Television Workshop.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1990s #halloween #muppets

    Elmo Says BOO!

  7. Jul 11

    The Teddy Bears’ Christmas

    🎄 It’s Christmas time for teddy bears in this 1992 prequel to what I thought until very recently was a one-off special called “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”  🎙️ Ethan “The Hungry Reader” and Anthony Strand join us as we meet the title teddy from a later cartoon series called “The Secret World of Benjamin Bear,” his first encounter with his friend, Wally, and a new, but familiar set of rules of being a living teddy bear. Many comparisons to “The Christmas Toy” ensue.    📺 You can find “The Teddy Bears’ Christmas” on YouTube.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (02:09) - The History of Benjamin Bear  (05:26) - Act 1  (23:22) - Act 2  (35:40) - Retro Commercial Break  (36:50) - Act 3  (1:08:44) - Final Thoughts  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” (1989)  “The Secret World of Benjamin Bear.”  Today’s TV Trope: Sliding Scale of Living Toys.  “A celebrity is not a people.” — Lew Zealand.  Mike on A Special Presentation for “The Hugga Bunch Movie.”  The Price of His Toys store catalog.  When Houses Had Built-In “Milk Doors.”  Goofy gets kissed by the milkman (“Father’s Day Off,” 1953)  “The Birthday Dragon” (1991)  “Rollin’ with Saget” by Jamie Kennedy and Stu Stone (Wally), featuring Bob Saget.  Garfield: “Pooky has two ears and no mouth.” (1985)  More talk about Santabear.  Mike previewed the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets… and interviewed the Electric Mayhem for ToughPigs.com!  ****  📼 Commercials:  TV Teddy (1993)  Christmas Creeps.  ****  “The Teddy Bears’ Christmas” © 1992 Longboat Productions, LLC.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1990s

    The Teddy Bears’ Christmas

  8. Jul 9

    Recess - Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave

    🎄 It’s that time of year again: Time to deal with smarty-pants 4th-graders who think they know how Santa Claus works.  🎙️ The Advent Calendar House welcomes Caleb Cote from Insert Reference Here and Robert Nicholas from Behind the Bells as we watch a very special 1998 Christmas episode of Disney’s “Recess,” featuring elementary school hierarchy, a globally televised Christmas pageant, and the dulcet tones of a 10-year-old who sings like Robert Goulet.  📺 “Recess” is available on Disney+. “Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave” is Season 2, Episode 10.  ****  (00:00) - Intro  (02:26) - Our Histories with Recess  (10:49) - Our Histories with “Recess”  (24:11) - Act 1  (1:03:55) - Retro Commercial Break  (1:06:12) - Act 2  (1:29:02) - Act 3  (1:48:48) - Final Thoughts  ****  💬 Topics & Tangents:  Caleb introduces us to Goalball.  Mike talks about The Legend of Zelda on Insert Reference Here.  Dabney Coleman (Principal Prickly) in “The Muppets Take Manhattan.”  Robert Goulet sings “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells” on “The Simpsons.”  Today’s TV Tropes: Cast Calculus, Noodle Incident, and Glass-Shattering Sound.  Kevin sits on Santa Michael’s lap on “The Office.”  Ronnie Schell (Mayor Fitzhugh) as Peter Puck.  “Local Politician” by The Arrogant Worms.  ****  📼 Commercials:  Bubble Tape (circa 1991)  ****  “Recess” and “Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave” © 1998 Disney Enterprises, Inc.  Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost.  Find us at adventcalendar.house.  Hosted by The Retro Network.  #s16 #1990s #disney

    Recess - Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave
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About

A salute to all TV holiday specials, but mostly the Christmas ones. Revisit 12 holiday classics and not-so-classics each December and July.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Westfall
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    213
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    ©2017–2026 Advent Calendar House. Programs reviewed are property of their respective owners.
  • Show Website
    Advent Calendar House

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