On Christmas Eve Day, I’ve got a potpourri of holiday viewing going on in the background.
Square Pegs – A Child’s Christmas in Weemawee
“Square Pegs” was an 80s tv series that came on CBS created by and showrun by Annie Beatts who wrote for Saturday Night Live in the much celebrated 1st Golden Era of the Not Yet Ready for Primetime Players. Terry Hughes, who also wrote for Saturday Night Live, and will co-create 3rd Rock from the Sun and That 70s Show, directed many episodes. It was touted as a satirical look at actual high school for most of us, circa the 1980s, with two girls circumnavigating the shark infested waters of cliques.
The show, which barely lasted a full season, had a two-part Christmas episode called “A Child’s Christmas in Weemawee.” Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, and Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson make plans to crash every party that the cool kids are at. A wrench in those plans comes with Patty’s father, played funnily by Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver from “Leave It To Beaver”) makes plans to take her to his cabin for Christmas around the same time that she and her friend want to engage in their wacky and doomed plan. Meanwhile the rest of the student body are celebrating Christmas as only they can at Weemawee High. The music teacher has the students participate in (mostly against their will) in a play he wrote about a reindeer which is clearly his backstory of how he failed on Broadway due to the jealousy of the other reindeer and ended up at Weemawee. The reindeer is played by Johnny, the resident strange kid that bops to the beat of his own drum. We sit through the whining of popular Valley girl speaking Jennifer and wonder with jive talkin’ LaDonna why we can’t hear carols done in the style of Ella Fitzgerald. Did I mention that a running gag throughout the two episodes is Muffy Tupperman, who was THAT girl in high school (and in the workplace, where she usually will manage to get into a role that makes your life awful) made it possible for a “rainbow coalition” of younger children to sing various songs from Christmas carols to “It’s a Small World after All” dressed in the costumes of their countries throughout the school?
Did I mention to take note of the now cult favorite Christmas song “Christmas W(rapping)” by the group The Waitresses (who not only supply the show’s theme song “Square Pegs,” but also perform their song in one of the episodes?) playing throughout the second episode?
Those seeking the TMOC may find it hard to find across the two-parter.
Patty does go with her father, but tells him at some point about her aborted plans with Lauren and that even though ice fishing with her father is not her cup of tea, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t mean she doesn’t love him. Lauren, though upset that her only friend won’t be crashing Christmas parties with her, makes do and is Santa in the school pageant and makes sure that Patty’s secret Santa gift makes it to LaDonna and assured Patty before she left that they are fine.
Vincent, who nobody told that the days of the greaser are so in the past (only ironically to be revived by “Happy Days” and the movie “The Outsiders,” which came out around the time of this series) manages to be the one that has genuine Christmas spirit, down to knowing carols and traditions.
Patty’s father enables her to return to Weemawee in time for the holiday concert, exercising some understanding himself. To say that Lauren is overjoyed is an understatement. We also learn that Patty’s gift to LaDonna is an Ella Fitzgerald songbook, demonstrating either a kindness or desperation on the part of Patty. LaDonna as apparently the only Black girl (probably the only Black person) is one of the cool kids “cause she be hip.” She as one of the cool kids of course routinely ignores and makes fun of as the mood strikes her of Patty and Lauren, the not-so-cool kids. The holiday concert/pageant ends with the students singing, especially Patty and LaDonna harmonizing and enjoying it.
“Square Pegs” on the whole isn’t a bad series. It’s a fascinating look at the early 1980s and the Spiritual Ancestor of shows like “That 70s Show” and even “Scrubs.” I was glad to find out that the producers also hated the laugh track that was tacked on. The show didn’t need it and it’s obvious where the laughs are. It wasn’t necessarily my high school experience (a little closer to my middle school experience and sadly almost on the nose of a work experience I had where the “cool kids” were middle aged and just as petty), but it was a welcome break from some of the shows featuring high school kids at the time and felt more natural. Unlike many of them, there wasn’t a “moral” tacked on at the end or a “Very Special Episode.” Sometimes our intrepid heroines Lauren and Patty win, but often times they just survive until the next day. Rinse and repeat. But you enjoy being with them on this ride. Episodes of Square Pegs can be found on Prime’s Live Channels. It can also be found on YouTube.
Benson’s Full Christmas episode –‘Mary and Her Lambs’
This Christmas episode from the tv series “Benson” aired again. This was the one where the title character, who came to the governor’s mansion as head of household affairs but is now the budget director of the state of whatever it is (likely where the city of Springfield, where the Simpsons live) encounters a member of the household staff named Mary, who is caring for two children she took in. Apparently Mary did not adopt or was made legal foster parent of the two children, Margaret and Vinh and the state child welfare services tries to take them away from her. Benson, Governor Gatling, his daughter Katie Gatling and the staff, which includes usual Grinch in a 3 piece suit Clayton Runnymede Endicott III work to keep the little family together and manage to find a solution at the holiday party that the Governor hosts for all of the orphans in foster care. A lot of the incidents that happen are a mix of Christmas magic and other magic a la Nanny Phoebe Figallily from the tv series “Nanny and The Professor.” The show of course finishes with the cast reminding us all that they are a cast that knows their way around some songs.
Yes, there are lots of deus ex machinas especially the literal one where the book that contains the law to keep Mary’s little handmade family together, falls off the shelf in the Governor’s office, open to the page that outlines the law, just as Benson sends up a prayer for a Christmas miracle. The TMOC is strong enough in this episode with everyone counting their blessings and giving of a present greater than what they were expecting to receive. As mentioned, even Clayton willingly gets into the act, dressing up as Santa to give gifts to the children. But it’s “Benson,” so of course Governor Gatling also chose to dress up as Santa, so there were two Santas and the kids were just fine with that. And so are we.
As always with this episode, you stay for the cast performing well known holiday songs. Unfortunately, when “Benson” is in syndication, this part of the episode is cut out. For many years it was hard to find this episode intact. I finally found it when Prime made available all of the seasons of “Benson.” I really enjoy this part of the episode and will always watch it when it’s around.
It’s A Wonderful Life
This Christmas Eve I will be watching NBC’s broadcast of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The ultimate holiday story about the TMOC and faith, hope and charity. NBC is broadcasting #ItsAWonderfulLife on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8-11 p.m. only, with likely other broadcasts on its cable networks before and after Dec 24.
I will livetweeting the Christmas Eve broadcast of #ItsAWonderfulLife on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8-11 pm at both BlueSky and the artist formerly known as Twitter under the handle![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyday93.
Hashtags are #ItsAWonderfulLife #ItsAWonderfulLifeNBC #HeeHaw.
I’ve done this annually for more than 10 years now, starting when NBC was airing “It’s A Wonderful Life” on both the 1st Saturday of December and on Christmas Eve. NBCUniversal whatever has the broadcast rights and in the past few years, they have aired this on its “networks of NBC,” especially it seems on the E! network, which has been on life support since the departure of the Kardashians and the death of Joan Rivers. It’s been fun. There’s plenty of enjoying the movie. Plenty of snark and nutrition. The 74th anniversary of the film, which was during a COVID year also allowed access to the annual Bedford Falls Festival online, so a little more nutrition was to be had.
After this broadcast of the movie, there is the news. Then there is the “Midnight Mass” from St. Peter’s Basillica in Rome. I’m not even remotely Catholic (pagan), but there’s a comfort in the tradition of hearing it. When I was growing up, it was the last thing I heard before I went to sleep. I also knew as a small child, if this came on and I was still up, I was up too late and I need to be asleep.
As with all Catholic masses, the pageantry and ritual are fascinating (that’s Mr. Spock level of fascinating). The music is familiar since I used to belong to a choir that sang many songs that were in Latin. I know enough that I can recognize phrases like “Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Some years I have fallen asleep before the end. Often I’ve stayed awake the whole way through. It’ll be interesting to see what happens this year.
Square Pegs – A Child’s Christmas in Weemawee
“Square Pegs” was an 80s tv series that came on CBS created by and showrun by Annie Beatts who wrote for Saturday Night Live in the much celebrated 1st Golden Era of the Not Yet Ready for Primetime Players. Terry Hughes, who also wrote for Saturday Night Live, and will co-create 3rd Rock from the Sun and That 70s Show, directed many episodes. It was touted as a satirical look at actual high school for most of us, circa the 1980s, with two girls circumnavigating the shark infested waters of cliques.
The show, which barely lasted a full season, had a two-part Christmas episode called “A Child’s Christmas in Weemawee.” Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat, and Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson make plans to crash every party that the cool kids are at. A wrench in those plans comes with Patty’s father, played funnily by Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver from “Leave It To Beaver”) makes plans to take her to his cabin for Christmas around the same time that she and her friend want to engage in their wacky and doomed plan. Meanwhile the rest of the student body are celebrating Christmas as only they can at Weemawee High. The music teacher has the students participate in (mostly against their will) in a play he wrote about a reindeer which is clearly his backstory of how he failed on Broadway due to the jealousy of the other reindeer and ended up at Weemawee. The reindeer is played by Johnny, the resident strange kid that bops to the beat of his own drum. We sit through the whining of popular Valley girl speaking Jennifer and wonder with jive talkin’ LaDonna why we can’t hear carols done in the style of Ella Fitzgerald. Did I mention that a running gag throughout the two episodes is Muffy Tupperman, who was THAT girl in high school (and in the workplace, where she usually will manage to get into a role that makes your life awful) made it possible for a “rainbow coalition” of younger children to sing various songs from Christmas carols to “It’s a Small World after All” dressed in the costumes of their countries throughout the school?
Did I mention to take note of the now cult favorite Christmas song “Christmas W(rapping)” by the group The Waitresses (who not only supply the show’s theme song “Square Pegs,” but also perform their song in one of the episodes?) playing throughout the second episode?
Those seeking the TMOC may find it hard to find across the two-parter.
Patty does go with her father, but tells him at some point about her aborted plans with Lauren and that even though ice fishing with her father is not her cup of tea, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t mean she doesn’t love him. Lauren, though upset that her only friend won’t be crashing Christmas parties with her, makes do and is Santa in the school pageant and makes sure that Patty’s secret Santa gift makes it to LaDonna and assured Patty before she left that they are fine.
Vincent, who nobody told that the days of the greaser are so in the past (only ironically to be revived by “Happy Days” and the movie “The Outsiders,” which came out around the time of this series) manages to be the one that has genuine Christmas spirit, down to knowing carols and traditions.
Patty’s father enables her to return to Weemawee in time for the holiday concert, exercising some understanding himself. To say that Lauren is overjoyed is an understatement. We also learn that Patty’s gift to LaDonna is an Ella Fitzgerald songbook, demonstrating either a kindness or desperation on the part of Patty. LaDonna as apparently the only Black girl (probably the only Black person) is one of the cool kids “cause she be hip.” She as one of the cool kids of course routinely ignores and makes fun of as the mood strikes her of Patty and Lauren, the not-so-cool kids. The holiday concert/pageant ends with the students singing, especially Patty and LaDonna harmonizing and enjoying it.
“Square Pegs” on the whole isn’t a bad series. It’s a fascinating look at the early 1980s and the Spiritual Ancestor of shows like “That 70s Show” and even “Scrubs.” I was glad to find out that the producers also hated the laugh track that was tacked on. The show didn’t need it and it’s obvious where the laughs are. It wasn’t necessarily my high school experience (a little closer to my middle school experience and sadly almost on the nose of a work experience I had where the “cool kids” were middle aged and just as petty), but it was a welcome break from some of the shows featuring high school kids at the time and felt more natural. Unlike many of them, there wasn’t a “moral” tacked on at the end or a “Very Special Episode.” Sometimes our intrepid heroines Lauren and Patty win, but often times they just survive until the next day. Rinse and repeat. But you enjoy being with them on this ride. Episodes of Square Pegs can be found on Prime’s Live Channels. It can also be found on YouTube.
Benson’s Full Christmas episode –‘Mary and Her Lambs’
This Christmas episode from the tv series “Benson” aired again. This was the one where the title character, who came to the governor’s mansion as head of household affairs but is now the budget director of the state of whatever it is (likely where the city of Springfield, where the Simpsons live) encounters a member of the household staff named Mary, who is caring for two children she took in. Apparently Mary did not adopt or was made legal foster parent of the two children, Margaret and Vinh and the state child welfare services tries to take them away from her. Benson, Governor Gatling, his daughter Katie Gatling and the staff, which includes usual Grinch in a 3 piece suit Clayton Runnymede Endicott III work to keep the little family together and manage to find a solution at the holiday party that the Governor hosts for all of the orphans in foster care. A lot of the incidents that happen are a mix of Christmas magic and other magic a la Nanny Phoebe Figallily from the tv series “Nanny and The Professor.” The show of course finishes with the cast reminding us all that they are a cast that knows their way around some songs.
Yes, there are lots of deus ex machinas especially the literal one where the book that contains the law to keep Mary’s little handmade family together, falls off the shelf in the Governor’s office, open to the page that outlines the law, just as Benson sends up a prayer for a Christmas miracle. The TMOC is strong enough in this episode with everyone counting their blessings and giving of a present greater than what they were expecting to receive. As mentioned, even Clayton willingly gets into the act, dressing up as Santa to give gifts to the children. But it’s “Benson,” so of course Governor Gatling also chose to dress up as Santa, so there were two Santas and the kids were just fine with that. And so are we.
As always with this episode, you stay for the cast performing well known holiday songs. Unfortunately, when “Benson” is in syndication, this part of the episode is cut out. For many years it was hard to find this episode intact. I finally found it when Prime made available all of the seasons of “Benson.” I really enjoy this part of the episode and will always watch it when it’s around.
It’s A Wonderful Life
This Christmas Eve I will be watching NBC’s broadcast of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” The ultimate holiday story about the TMOC and faith, hope and charity. NBC is broadcasting #ItsAWonderfulLife on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8-11 p.m. only, with likely other broadcasts on its cable networks before and after Dec 24.
I will livetweeting the Christmas Eve broadcast of #ItsAWonderfulLife on Tuesday, Dec. 24, 8-11 pm at both BlueSky and the artist formerly known as Twitter under the handle
ladyday93.Hashtags are #ItsAWonderfulLife #ItsAWonderfulLifeNBC #HeeHaw.
I’ve done this annually for more than 10 years now, starting when NBC was airing “It’s A Wonderful Life” on both the 1st Saturday of December and on Christmas Eve. NBCUniversal whatever has the broadcast rights and in the past few years, they have aired this on its “networks of NBC,” especially it seems on the E! network, which has been on life support since the departure of the Kardashians and the death of Joan Rivers. It’s been fun. There’s plenty of enjoying the movie. Plenty of snark and nutrition. The 74th anniversary of the film, which was during a COVID year also allowed access to the annual Bedford Falls Festival online, so a little more nutrition was to be had.
After this broadcast of the movie, there is the news. Then there is the “Midnight Mass” from St. Peter’s Basillica in Rome. I’m not even remotely Catholic (pagan), but there’s a comfort in the tradition of hearing it. When I was growing up, it was the last thing I heard before I went to sleep. I also knew as a small child, if this came on and I was still up, I was up too late and I need to be asleep.
As with all Catholic masses, the pageantry and ritual are fascinating (that’s Mr. Spock level of fascinating). The music is familiar since I used to belong to a choir that sang many songs that were in Latin. I know enough that I can recognize phrases like “Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”
Some years I have fallen asleep before the end. Often I’ve stayed awake the whole way through. It’ll be interesting to see what happens this year.
