Moving Right Along

Hermie and Rudolph

Let me be up front about this, I am most definitely a sentimental old fool. I'll make no apologies for this because it's part of what makes me tick. I like to think it's my French blood that makes me this way, but who knows? And really, who cares? I am what I am (not to steal Popeye's thunder but I will).

So anyhoo, after all of the bitching and moaning I've done over the last two posts, I felt it was time to move along, get back to doing what I do best. Which is to be funny and goofy. And perhaps overly sentimental. (Hhhmm, I think I mentioned that already.)

So last night I watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the umpteenth time. Before going further, I did a little research (as I went to Wikipedia, that's very damn little research). Here is what I found:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Christmas television special produced in stop motion animation by Rankin/Bass. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour. The copyright year in Roman numerals was mismarked as MCLXIV (1164) instead of the correct MCMLXIV.

The special was based on the Johnny Marks song by the same name; the song taken from the 1939 poem of the same title written by Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May. Since 1972, the special has aired on CBS affiliate television stations, with the network unveiling a high-definition, digitally remastered version of the program in 2005. As with A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph no longer airs just once annually, but several times during the Christmas and holiday season. It has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest running Christmas TV special in history, and one of only four 1960s Christmas specials still being telecast—the others being A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman.

So that's the "tale of the tape", so to speak. Now I have been watching this since the very first time it aired in 1964. I have missed a few years while I was on active duty, primarily while stationed in Asia, but for the most part I try to catch it every year. In the Wikipedia article there is mention of a great many changes made to the show over the years. Most of the later ones seem to be directed towards making more room for commercials.

<WARNING - RANT> If any of you TV commercial types out there read this blog, here's a clue for you. Most TV commercials annoy the heck out of me. There are a number of products I absolutely refuse to try primarily because of some TV commercial that set me off. Just in case any of you TV ad-types are paying attention, which I doubt. <END RANT>

So for me the Christmas season is "officially" underway with the airing of this holiday classic. I've also decorated the old blog mast head with some festive stuff. (Kind of a lame effort but better than naught.) Now I'm looking forward to A Christmas Carol, I like seeing this closer to Christmas Day rather than in early December, but that's just me. As to my favorite version? It's this one:

YMMV. I know some who prefer the 50's version. I really don't much care for anything from the 50's. I was born in the 50's and spent my pre-school years therein, not sure why I don't care for 50's era stuff, but there it is. This is MY favorite version.

May have something to do with my being a big George C. Scott fan. Who knows?

I'll be back...

Until then, a little Christmas cheer to tide you over. This one's for Buck's Dad and the boys of the Mighty Eighth.