Merry Christmas! - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) & The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas, one and all! This year for our closest review to the big day, we're covering one of the most beloved holiday TV specials of all time, and one that's not as well-known today. Do they still deserve a place at your holiday gatherings? Let's start down in Whoville as the Whos begin preparations for their own celebration and find out...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

CBS, 1966

Voices of Boris Karloff, Thurl Ravenscroft, June Foray, and Dallas McKennon

Directed by Chuck Jones and Ben Washam

Music by Alfred Hague; Lyrics by Dr. Seuss

The Story: All the Whos down in Whoville like Christmas a lot...too much, if you ask the Grinch (Karloff). He finds their noise to be annoying and their Christmas cheer, especially their big Christmas Day gathering around the town tree, to be sickening. Fed up with the noise and sentiment, he makes himself a Santa Claus outfit, puts horns on his dog Max, and rides a sleigh down to Whoville to steal their holiday goodies. He thinks this will put a damper on their Christmas cheer. Not even a tree-stealing Grinch can stop the true holiday spirit, though, finally teaching the Grinch that "Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

The Animation: Chuck Jones' signature style is all over this special. I don't think anyone can see the Grinch without thinking of that evil yellow grin and those expressive heavy eyebrows. The Whos, by contrast, are tiny and adorable, with their little child faces and slender teardrop bodies. Their pastel Christmas in the opening is wonderful to look at, with something nifty in every frame. And the Grinch may have found them unbearably noisy, but I did love the creative designs of their toys when he's complaining about how loud Christmas morning is.

The Song and Dance: Jones' animation and Seuss' classic script makes this one of the all-time great TV Christmas specials. The Grinch is a hoot to watch, especially just how he gets away with stealing everything and his defrosting afterwards. His dog Max has great moments of his own. I love his wide-eyed expression when the Grinch ties that horn on his head. Cindy Lou catching him is just adorable - I love how big that ornament is compared to her. 

Favorite Number: "Welcome Christmas" is the Who's song. This gentle greeting opens and closes the special and shows us why the Whos' holiday is so special to them...and why it annoys the Grinch. The first rendition of "Welcome" goes straight into "Trim Up the Tree," a Seuss tongue-twister showing off both the Who's unique decorations and Seuss' creative words for them. 

Of course, the big one here is the song heard throughout the special. "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is given extra weight by Thurl Ravenscroft's menacing bass and the constantly escalating lyrics. Some of the most creative insults and villain descriptions ever heard on TV come from this song. It perfectly captures what the Grinch is doing as he makes his plans and takes the Whos' goodies.

What I Don't Like: Honestly, the book isn't that long. There's a bit of slapstick padding with Max and the Grinch getting the sleigh down to Whoville, though it's not nearly as intrusive as similar sequences in the live-action and feature-length animated films. 

The Big Finale: This is one of the most famous holiday specials of all time for good reason. If you haven't watched it yet this season, do so, especially if you have younger children who will enjoy the Grinch's antics.

Home Media: Easily found on all formats; frequently runs on TV and cable during December as well.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

The Bernstein Bears' Christmas Tree

NBC, 1979

Voices of Ron McLarty, Gabriela Glatzer, Jonathan Lewis, and Pat Lysinger 

Directed by Mordecai Gerstein

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Bernstein

The Story: Papa Bear (McLarty) is determined to find the perfect Christmas tree, "a tree to show how Christmassy we are." Mama (Lysinger) recommends buying one from the local tree lot, but Papa takes their cubs Sister (Glatzer) and Brother (Lewis) into the mountains to find a real tree. What Papa didn't consider is  those mountain trees are home to wild animals who don't want to lose their residences for the holidays. If they're not being chased by angry critters, they're being pelted by the snow storm Papa claimed wasn't coming. They're disappointed when they finally get back down the mountain, until Sister notices something glowing at their own tree house...

The Animation: Not nearly as expressive as Jones' work on The Grinch, but there's still a lot of nice details here. I especially love the opening sequence as Papa carries his salmon through town and the snowstorm when they're in the mountains. The characters move less well, but they do largely resemble their book counterparts at the time, which is really all this franchise needs. 

The Song and Dance: The first Bears special gives us Papa in full-on goofy mode. In fact, other than the occasional comment from the cubs, this is almost entirely Papa's show. McLarty puts in likely his best performance as lovable Papa, who may be a bumbler, but can always be counted on to do the right thing in the end. (Eventually.) He gets most of the best moments, whether they're dodging an eagle throwing an ax or skiing and rolling back down the mountains. Some of the rhymes are almost as twisty as those in the Seuss special, especially in the "Christmas Tree" number going up the mountain. 

Favorite Number: We open with Papa strolling through a bustling Bear Town and wrecking havoc with his waving fishing hook as the rest of town sings that "Christmas Day Is Here." Papa and the cubs march along to "A Christmas Tree" as they describe the perfect tree they want to find. The finale has everyone, bears and wild animals, singing about how "The Christmas Star" that glitters over the tree house has brought them together. 

What I Don't Like: We don't really see much of the rest of the family. Mama is only in the beginning and just barely in the end. The cubs don't have that much to do besides pester their father to finally, FINALLY chop down something. Really, if you don't like Papa's antics, you probably won't be into this one.

The Big Finale: Charming comic tale is worth looking around for if you want to find a Christmas special for younger kids or have fans of the older Bears books at home. 

Home Media: On DVD bundled with episodes of the 1985 TV series. 

DVD

And here's hoping all of you have the very merriest of holiday seasons! 

Thanksgiving Short Subject Special - The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw

NBC, 1980

Voices of Ron McLarty, Pat Lysinger, Johnathan Lewis, and Gabriela Glatzer

Directed by Mordicai Gernstein and Al Kouzel

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Berenstein 

This was the second holiday special featuring the Bears in the early 80's. The book series began in the early 60's with The Big Honey Hunt. By 1980, they were an institution, with Stan and Jan Berenstein churning out sometimes as many as five or six books a year. NBC took notice and commissioned these specials featuring bumbling Papa Bear, sensible Mama Bear, and their cubs Brother and Sister. How does the story of a scary Thanksgiving legend that isn't quite as frightening as it seems look today? Let's begin with Mama reading about the legend of Big Paw in the harvest honeycomb and find out...

The Story: The legend says, that if the bears are greedy, and not sufficiently kind to the needy and share what they have with those around them, Bigpaw will come down and devour Bear Country. Papa thinks it's silly, until a squirrel reports having seen an enormous, monstrous bear creature. He panics and has all of Bear Country up in arms, until Mama intervenes and reminds the citizens not to get carried away. A huge noise from Bigpaw's mountain and a massive shadow just sends Papa and the citizens off again. Brother and Sister know that Bigpaw isn't what he seems, and they're the only ones who can remind their father and the others that thanksgiving means being kind to all creatures, monsters included.

The Animation: On par with most Saturday morning cartoons of the time. It's not the fanciest, but it moves relatively well and closely resembles the books that were out then, which is really all this franchise needs anyway. 

The Song and Dance: Possibly the most action-packed of the 80's Berenstein Bears specials, with Papa and his mob trying to attack Bigpaw and Bigpaw almost attacking them. It also has a slightly darker and more sinister tone than the other specials, though it all ends happily. Bigpaw himself went over so well, he'd reappear in Berenstein Bears' Comic Valentine and the first TV show from 1985. Mama is the thing here; she gets two fun numbers and is even more important as the voice of reason than usual when she keeps the citizens of Bear Country from overreacting to the legend the first time.

Favorite Number: Mama performs "Thankfulness" with the Bear family's pet bird as she cleans the house for Thanksgiving and tells the bird what she's thankful for. She tries to explain that "A Stranger Is Just Somebody (You Don't Already Know)" to her husband and the citizens of Bear Country, but they're too terrified to really listen. Even the trees and the very ground around Brother and Sister tremble at the arrival of "Bigpaw" when they wander into Sinister Bog to get Papa's favorite mixed nuts for the Thanksgiving table.

What I Don't Like: This is slightly darker than the other Bears specials, what with Papa and the mob and Bigpaw almost trying to kill each other. It's telling that Papa's big comic routine in the opening with how much he likes holidays is spoken; this is the only special where he doesn't get a big goofy song that says how intelligent he thinks he is. Honestly, Papa's not the only one who thinks the legend sounds silly, too. I'm amazed the Bears panicked over it twice.

The Big Finale: Not my favorite of the Bears' holiday tales, but still worth checking out if you have fans of the books who want to see more or remember when this used to turn up a lot on cable for Thanksgiving in the early-mid 80's. 

Home Media: Currently the only Berenstein Bears holiday special not on DVD, due to a brief scene of the squirrel who tells the citizens about Bigpaw smoking a cigar to make it look scarier. It can be easily found on YouTube and other sharing sites. 

YouTube

Easter Short Subject Special - The First Easter Rabbit & The Bernstain Bears' Easter Surprise

Happy Easter! We celebrate the secular side of the holiday with these two lesser-known holiday tales. Most Easter shows of the 70's and 80's aren't nearly as well-known or often seen as their cold-weather counterparts. Do these two deserve a second look, or should they be snowed under? We're going to start at Christmas, as a little girl receives a very important gift, and find out...

The First Easter Rabbit

Rankin-Bass/NBC, 1976

Voices of Burl Ives, Robert Morse, Dina Lyn, and Joan Gardner

Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass

Music and Lyrics by various

The Story: Veteran Easter bunny G.B (Ives) tells the story of Stuffy (Morse), the beloved Christmas present of little Glinda (Lyn). After Glinda comes down with scarlet fever, her mother (Gardner) burns most of her toys to eliminate the germs. Stuffy is spared by Calliope the Fairy (Gardner), who anoints the now-real rabbit the Easter Bunny, symbol of spring for all children. Three slick con-bunnies help him find April Valley, the magical land at the North Pole where it's spring all year-round. His neighbor Santa Claus (Paul Frees) suggests Stuffy bring Easter joy to one town as a "test" subject. Stuffy knows which town he wants to deliver Easter to. He misses Glinda. He may not get to spread it beyond the borders of the Valley if winter sorcerer Zero (Frees) finds the Golden Easter Lily, the flower that keeps the Valley warm!

The Animation: This is the only Rankin-Bass Easter special done in regular 2-D animation. The designs absolutely show Paul Coker Jr's hand. Most of the characters have large round heads with brilliant round scarlet cheeks, wide smiles, and big oval eyes. The backdrops are especially lush here. For the little time they spend in it, April Valley is gorgeous enough to make you understand why Zero wants it.

The Song and Dance: Not bad Easter retelling of The Velveteen Rabbit. I like why Stuffy is chosen to be the Easter Bunny. They boil it down to the essentials - he's a symbol of springtime, and nothing else. They don't get as complicated with his origin as some of Santa's origin stories tend to, and it's refreshing. Frees is a rather adorable Santa, and Gardner is a lovely, warm mother who genuinely seems to care for her ill child. 

Favorite Number: "There's That Rabbit" is heard three times, notably sung by Ives during a colorful montage depicting how Stuffy paints his eggs and links him and Easter to the children. Stuffy's delighted to meet a now-well Glinda at the "Easter Parade" in her town, joined by con-bunnies Flops (Stan Freberg), Spats (Frees), and Whiskers (Don Messick). They have a grand time doing everything depicted in the song, including ending up in the rotogravure. 

What I Don't Like: This should have been an hour, like the other two Rankin-Bass Easter shows. It feels really rushed. Santa and G.B are the only ones with much to do. Zero doesn't do anything but complain and demand until the second half, and even then, he sends his snowball Bruce (Messick) to find the Golden Lilly. We never see him actually take the Lilly, either. In fact, we don't learn much about the Valley or its residents, or why it's so important beyond it being warm all the time. Zero and Stuffy never even meet until the last five seconds. Stuffy's not the one who deals with Zero, either. Santa does that.

And speaking of, did we really need Santa? He seems to mainly be there so Rankin-Bass can shoehorn more holidays into their specials again. He does a lot of things Stuffy should have done, like deal with Zero and figure out about bringing Easter eggs to one town. There's a lot of plot lines that are set up but never explored, like the con-bunnies wanting to steal those carrots and how Zero managed to get the Golden Lilly from April Valley.

The Big Finale: Ironically, this was one of my family's favorite holiday specials during the 80's and early 90's. We had it on the end of a tape with kids' movies and cartoons and watched it even when it wasn't Easter. For all the problems, it's still decent Easter viewing for young kids who need something to do before the egg hunt begins. 

Home Media: Currently DVD only, and the DVD is out of print. You're better off looking for this used.

DVD

The Bernstain Bears' Easter Surprise

NBC, 1981

Voices of Ron McLarty, Pat Lysinger, Knowl Johnson, and Bob McFadden

Directed by Mordecai Gerstein and Al Kouzel

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Bernstain 

The Story: We jump back to when Brother Bear (Johnson) was Mama and Papa's only cub. He's lonely and curious about the world around him, constantly asking his bumbling father questions he can't answer. His friends are all animals who live by the bog and hibernate during the winter, except ever-hopping Bill Bunny (Zachary Danzinger). Brother's eager for winter to be over, especially after Mama (Lysinger), whose lap seems to be growing rather large, tells him about his big Easter surprise. 

Winter, however, seems to be going on for longer than usual. Turns out Boss Bunny (McFadden), the head Easter Bunny, quit and won't come out of his hole or start production on Easter. Papa's (McLarty) is horrified, but his attempt at being the Easter Bunny don't go well. It's up to Brother and Bill to figure out why Boss Bunny quit, and remind him that Easter and spring are the seasons for miracles, including the miracle of birth.

The Animation: Same deal as the Valentine's special. This is nothing flashy, but the characters move well enough, the backgrounds are reasonably detailed, and the characters do resemble their book counterparts at the time. That's probably all this franchise really needs.

The Song and Dance: Adorable story manages to work in the themes of rebirth and miracles without getting too religious, and do it in a charming and sweet way. Papa's "Do It Yourself" song and his brief fling as the Easter Bunny may be his funniest moment from any of the specials. I love how he manages to rig up the conveyor belt in the chicken coop, and his and Brother's "hop hop hops." Check out Mama's hilarious expressions in the background during the number, too. Mama has a lovely moment too when she tells Brother about how spring is a time for miracles...including the arrival of new babies...

Favorite Number: Brother pesters Papa with "I Have Many Questions," as he asks his father about the world around them and how it works. Papa, of course, doesn't really have an answer for any of them. Mama reminds Brother to "Care About Spring," as she explains to him what Easter's really all about. Disappointed after Boss Bunny quits, Papa claims he'll just "Do It Himself" and rig up his own Easter factory. Brother's excited at first, but it ends in a messy disaster. Brother and Boss Bunny reprise "Care About Spring" as Boss relates just why he's given up on spring, and Brother tells him all the reasons he should let it go on. The chorus picks this up when Boss (literally) sees the light; their version turns up again over the end credits.

What I Don't Like: Boss Bunny...kind of has a point. From all his bellyaching, it sounds like he's old, tired, and has been running Spring and Easter on his own for many years without a break. Hopefully, he was able to hire more reliable help after he got the factory going again. 

The Big Finale: Other than it's missing Sister, this is by far my favorite Berenstain Bears holiday special. If you have children who are fans of the series, especially the older books sans Sister, or remember when this used to turn up on cable in the 80's, it's highly recommended Easter viewing.

Home Media: DVD only, along with spring-themed episodes of the original 1985 Berenstain Bears TV show. 

DVD - The Berenstain Bears: Springtime Surprises

Valentine's Short Subject Special - The Bernstein Bears' Comic Valentine and Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You

Let's kick off the season of romance with two "bear-y" good specials from the 80's and 90's. These animated shorts on the funny side of love, featuring some of literature's favorite bears, will melt your heart during this long winter. 

The Bernstein Bears' Comic Valentine

NBC, 1982

Voices of Ron McLarty, Pat Lysinger, Knowl Johnson, and Gabriela Glatzer

Directed by Mordecai Gerstein and Al Kouzel

Music by Elliot Lawrence; Lyrics by Stan Bernstein

The Story: Sister Bear (Glatzer) loves love, and she's a huge fan of Valentine's Day. Brother's (Johnson) only interest in February is hockey season. The Bear Country Cousins are going up against their rivals the Beartown Bullies. He tries to concentrate and practice, but it's hard with someone leaving him mysterious valentines signed "Honey Bear," and seeing the lovely Charlene (Glatzer) everywhere. Meanwhile, Papa Bear (McLarty) wants to show the depths of his feelings for Mama (Lysinger), but as usual, Mama reminds him that simple gestures are better than all the grand statements in the world. 

The Animation: Not the flashiest, but that's not to be expected of a TV special from this time period. The characters can be a little stiff, but the animation does at least somewhat resemble the characters in the books, which is probably all that matters for this franchise. 

The Song and Dance: All of the Bernstein Bears specials have their fun moments, this one included. It's hilarious to see Brother claim he's not interested in love, then moon over Charlene. Papa and Mama's roles are somewhat downplayed compared to the other specials, but Papa gets a few good gags in his attempts to carve mountains to show how much he loves his wife. I love whom the massive mystery goalie on the Bullies turns out to be, too!

Favorite Number: We open with the Bear Family describing what they do during the seasons "In Bear Country." "Love Is," Mama's sprightly number explaining how love is a lot simpler and more intimate than carving up mountains, is also heard under the closing credits. Brother derides Valentine's Day as "All That Mush," even as his little sibling skates heart rings around him. 

What I Don't Like: As mentioned, I sort of wish Mama and Papa had more to do. Their roles are somewhat downplayed compared to some of the other specials and the early books these are inspired by. 

The Big Finale: If you or your kids are fans of the earlier Bears books or the cartoon series, you'll want to check out this adorably funny hymn to love in all its forms. 

Home Media: Currently on DVD bundled with a few episodes of the 1980's TV series. 

DVD - The Bernstein Bears: Kindness, Caring, and Sharing

Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine For You

Disney/ABC, 1999

Voices of Jim Cummings, Paul Winchell, John Fielder, and Ken Sansom

Directed by Keith Ingham

Music by Micheal Silversher; Lyrics by Patty Silversher

The Story: Pooh (Cummings) and his friends are shocked when they find Christopher Robin (Brady Bluhm) writing a valentine for a girl named Winifred. Owl convinces them he's been bitten by the "Smitten" bug, and the only way to undo it is to find another one to bite him again. They all chase after what they think is a "Smitten" and get lost, only for its glow to lead them back to each other and to Christopher Robin. Pooh sees how happy the boy is and can't bring himself to unleash it on him...but Christopher reminds him that there's always room for all kinds of friends, old and new.

The Animation: While it does move slightly better than Comic Valentine, it's still nothing flashy. Once again, all this needs to do is somewhat resemble the artwork in the books and move well enough to get the job done. 

The Song and Dance: The last Pooh holiday special on TV to date is sweet and charming, and maybe even a tad dark compared to some of the other specials. The look on Pooh's face in the end when he releases the "Smitten" after he thinks he's lost his best friend is heartbreaking. On the other hand, we get the very funny search for the "Smitten," and this is one of only two holiday specials to give Owl a major role. 

Favorite Number: Owl warns Pooh and his pals what happens when "The Smitten Bites," in a sequence reminiscent of the later "Backson" number in the 2011 Winnie the Pooh. Christopher Robin ends the show with a lovely ballad explaining how there are "Places In the Heart" for all friends, old and new.

Trivia: The last time Paul Winchell voiced Tigger. 

What I Don't Like: This time, we have Owl and are missing Kanga and Roo. They're only seen as stuffed animals in the opening. As mentioned, this is neither the first, nor the last time Pooh and his friends went on an adventure when they thought something took Christopher Robin away from them. This seems to have been somewhat inspired by Pooh's Grand Adventure, where they were worried about the boy being trapped in "skull," and would crop up again in Winnie the Pooh. 

The Big Finale: Charming and adorable, this is worth checking out on Valentine's Day for younger children and Pooh fans.

Home Media: To date, this is the only Pooh holiday special to be available on DVD and streaming in its original half-hour format, without a direct-to-home media movie surrounding it (including its release on Disney Plus). The DVD is packaged with two additional New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh shorts, "Un-Valentine's Day" and "The Three Little Piglets." 

DVD - Special Edition

Disney Plus