Holiday Special Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rick Reynolds
The Muppets are all heading to Fozzie's mother's house for a big family Christmas in the country. But Miss Piggy is running late and might be lost out in a winter storm.
In this episode we look at three Halloween shorts from the Shrek universe: Thriller Night, The Ghost of Lord Farquaad, and The Pig Who Cried Werewolf
Davey and Goliath learn a couple of Christian-themed lessons, one is about the Pilgrims...
Wilshire and his friend Sheldon go searching for Dr. Frankenswine's monster. They may find it, but will they get out alive?
Long ago there was no snow in the wintertime and everything was bleak. A group of people decided to see if they could do something about that.
Disney+ did a Lego Star Wars Holiday Special. WHAT?? No, it's probably not what you're thinking...
A naughty kid has hacked into the naughty and nice database at the North Pole, and it is up to Wayne and his brother Noel to put things right.
Gumby pops into a couple of history books and shares a couple of adventures with the Pilgrims.
After dealing with the Mutant Pumpkins, our monster heroes still need to deal with zombie carrots!
Did you know there was a post-humously created Michael Jackson themed Halloween special?
A property dispute over a lake, er .. a cranberry bog, pits two neighbors at odds. One will stoop to vandalism to get what he wants! Will the Christmas spirit prevail?
The fourth Frosty special (sort of...) and it packs an environmental message. Um... yay?
The Peanuts gang experience the Mayflower voyage and the first Thanksgiving along with the Pilgrims.
Elvira hosted an evening of MTV videos in 1984 and then again in 1986 interspersed with her typical humor and sass. Are they worth checking out? Are they anything like a holiday special?
Pumpkins are going mutant in Modesto! Can Susan and the other monsters stop them from stealing an entire towns' worth of candy?
A brother and sister out for trick-or-treating get sent on a mission of sorts to deliver invitations to various monsters. Will they overcome fear and exhibit true courage?
Sherman is an elf that can't seem to do anything right. What will happen when Santa puts him in charge of his magical toy bag?
Simon Bar Sinister has an evil plan to take over the city, but the Thanksgiving Day parade is literally in his way. The solution? Travel back in time and keep Thanksgiving from becoming a holiday! Can Underdog save the day?
The Patterson family seem to have their hands full with Farley their dog. But is there more to Farley than it seems?
The monsters are all getting together for the marriage of Frankenstein's monster and his bride. Eh, it's not as good as Mad Monster Party.
Casper the Friendly Ghost wants to go trick or treating, but his ghost/witch friends would rather go around scaring everyone. Can the Casper enjoy Halloween?
Bugs Bunny did a Halloween special? Eh, not really. It's another clip-show using WB cartoons.
Bugs Bunny and Granny talk a bit about the importance of babies and mothers, but are continually interrupted by ... clips from older WB cartoons!
The Easter Bunny is retiring! And to send him off, we get to see a 1970's style celebrity roast! But can Easter really move on without the Easter Bunny delivering the eggs?
The Easter Bunny sure makes great looking colored eggs for Easter! But what if the chickens who lay the eggs started feeling unappreciated? Can he pull off Easter all by himself?
Christmas comes to Eternia! Will the Christmas spirit be snuffed out by evil? Or can He-Man and She-Ra save the holiday? (You can probably guess the answer...)
Our Gang is back in a Christmas special. The kids are hoping for a special toy for Christmas, but their mother is in need of a decent winter coat. Maybe a street corner Santa can be of some help to the kids.
The Keane kids are getting ready for Christmas. Jeffy wants Santa to bring Granddad down from heaven for Christmas. Is that something Santa can actually do?
Mrs. Claus has a secret mission for our prep and landing boys. Can they pull off a stealth mission right under Santa's nose?
A shepherd boy is blinded by a lightning strike and spends Christmas with some nuns at their abbey. Will it take a Christmas miracle to make this story have a happy ending?
A special holiday treat! A Christmas story, told across 7 podcasts in 7 parts - The House of Seven Santas. This is part 6, but don't worry I tell you how you can get all the episodes and hear the whole story.
A whole special centering on classical music from Warner Brothers. Is it as good as Rabbit of Seville? Not really, but it's decent for what it is.
Some dogs and cats have different but serious problems. Can they work it all out between themselves? Before Thanksgiving?
Who is David S. Pumpkins? This special isn't likely to tell you. But will he help a young boy find the true meaning of Halloween? It's an SNL studios production, so probably not...
Ichabod Crane is tasked with ridding the town of Sleepy Hollow of the headless horseman who has been terrorizing and stealing from everyone. Nope, this isn't a retelling of the Washington Irving story. What will Ichabod and his friends find?
Shrek and his friends sit down to tell scary stories to each other to see who will outlast the scares and be called the King of Halloween.
Is O'Lantern an Irish name? Can Leprechauns be part of a Halloween story? Will Jack save the day when a witch and her army of ghouls comes to attack?
Mr. Scrabble and a couple of kids fall into a giant pumpkin to find an illiterate town within. Can they rescue these people from the evil Muddler?
There is a ghost haunting Centerville Chase. Will it drive the new owners from the home? Will it be feared at all? Does he actually need something from them?
Paul Lynde did a Halloween Special. It has the Wicked Witch of the West! Witchiepoo! AND KISS!!
Disney promises us a Halloween Treat. But assuming you can even find it, is it really a treat? Or will you feel like you've been tricked?
Easter is only three days away and the Easter Bunny and his team are 10,000 eggs short! What will they do? Will Easter have to be canceled?
Little Benji has to play Shepherd #2 again in the Christmas play. Sounds boring, but can the Christmas message become real for him?
The monsters' voices have been stolen by a witch. Can a little girl defeat the witch and help them get their voices back? All so they can sing Christmas carols? Does this make ANY sense?
All his friends end up crashing Shrek's "perfect" Christmas. After he throws them out, will he be able to learn what Christmas is really about?
A sailor accidentally frees a banshee that is after the leprechaun's gold! Can he be saved from her curse?
Santa is injured and Christmas is in jeopardy (again!). Can the Miser Brothers step in to make a merry Christmas for all the good children in the world?
Chip and Dale have an adventure in Donald Duck's house while trying to pilfer a few Christmas nuts.
Winnie the Pooh is having a Thanksgiving gathering with all his friends. Things get a little complicated when Rabbit tries to make everyone follow a traditional Thanksgiving menu.
Daffy wants to be cast in something other than a comedy. So we get to see some of his earlier work, and he does indeed get to create a new Duck Dodgers short! Something to be thankful for, indeed!
It's Thanksgiving time in Bear Country, but will a lack of thankfulness bring Bigpaw to judge them all? Or is it all just Bear Country guff?
Halloween might not happen this year because the witch refuses to fly across the moon! Can Dracula and the other monsters get her to change her mind?
The toys have an adventure in a motel. They get separated, and Jessie has to overcome some serious fears to rescue everyone.
The ancient crown of Bogg needs to be retrieved by the upcoming, new king. Can he and his dad retrieve it before his uncle steals it, along with the kingdom?
The Brain actually gets to take over the world, in exchange for Pinky's soul. Can he stand to be without his friend?
Mickey Mouse comes across a zombie when his car breaks down. Will he be able to get away?
Witch Jennifer's garden has disappeared! Will all the witches in town be able to cook up their witching brews? Will her skin ever be the same??!!
Christmas in July, at a circus, with Rudolph, Frosty, Santa, Jack Frost, a wizard, and even Big Ben the whale!
Another origin story for the Easter Bunny. This one is shorter that others, which is probably a good thing because I'm not sure the plot makes a lot of sense!
It's a sequel to Santa Claus is Comin' to Town! It's all about the Easter Bunny and various Easter traditions.
Jack Frost longs to love a human woman. Also, a groundhog is instrumental in determining the weather!
A character with an unusual physical trait is made fun of for most of this special. Haven't we heard this story before?
Pinky and the Brain really almost take over the world! What could possibly thwart Brain's plans this time?
You've heard Frosty's story. But did you know that he got married? And what of the existential ramifications of all this new snow-life?!
Can a little dog help everyone realize what's important and save Christmas? Is there a hidden R.E.M. song in this episode?
A local bell maker has had his prize, silver bells taken by the local Roman taxation soldiers. Can the little drummer boy help him get them back?
What if Bill Murray did a 60s/70s style musical Christmas special? Would it be awesome? Or just kinda "meh"? The internet seems divided, so what did we think?
How does Santa get everything done in one night? A lot of work by the Prep and Landing team!
Dorothy is whisked back to Oz for an adventure. But what will happen to their home on the farm? And is this really a Thanksgiving special?
It's cavemen. And a turkey. And a couple of cavewomen. It's B.C. in an animated special!
Two young children go missing just before the first Thanksgiving dinner. Will they be found safe? Will the first Thanksgiving be able to proceed?
The Flintstones have a Halloween adventure, including a party, a vampire, and a monster! Will they get out alive?
Fat Albert and the gang are going out trick or treating, but some of them think it's funny to try and scare old people. Will they learn their lesson?
The Grinch is back! How does his Halloween special stack up to the classic Christmas special?
A friend heads to the hospital instead of out for trick or treats and that starts an adventure for four friends as they learn the stories behind various Halloween traditions.
In this not-quite-really-a-holiday-special, kids learn the importance of choosing our words carefully as Jefferson drafts the Declaration of Independence.
Do you even know what Arbor Day is about? This special won't hit you over the head with it - it's more about a baseball game...
Peter Cottontail finds himself in a contest to become the head Easter Bunny. Can he deliver the most eggs? Will he oversleep? What does Norville Rogers have to do with it all?
A second Charlie Brown Valentines Day special? Yes! Let's find out if it is as good as the beloved 1975 special!
All Charlie Brown wants is a valentine or two. Will he be able to get one? Or will his friends shun him?
Miles doesn't think learning about Martin Luther King will be all that interesting. What if he could actually meet Dr. King?
The New Year may not happen and time may stop at midnight December 31st! Only Rudolph can save time itself.
It's New Years' Eve, but Charlie Brown has to do a book report. Will he get it done in time? Will he meet the girl of his dreams at the New Years party?
A boy has a Christmas Eve adventure with a snowman, including a visit to Father Christmas!
Santa is refusing to visit a certain town. Can a local clockmaker make things right? Or will something as small as a mouse ruin his plans?
Jon is taking Garfield and Odie back to the farm to spend Christmas with family. Can Garfield survive the ordeal?
Based on the song of the same name. A boy loses his camel, his sheep has a near-death experience, and he meets the Christ child!
Opus the penguin wishes his wings enabled him to fly. Will Santa bring him wings that work? Or maybe an opportunity to learn something more important?
Both Emmet and his mother have ideas about what to get the other for Christmas. But it will risk all they have to show this much love for the other.
Santa is sick and planning to stay home and cancel Christmas. Can Mrs. Claus and a couple of elves find enough Christmas spirit to change his mind? Will the Miser Brothers help or hinder?
A snowman comes to life, but the magician whose hat made it possible just wants the hat back.
The Grinch is out to steal all your presents, decorations, and even your food! Can anything make him see the true meaning of Christmas? Maybe a song in the style of They Might Be Giants???
The classic special that defines the holiday special. Can Charlie Brown find the true meaning of Christmas?
The story of the Mayflower voyage to the new world and the establishing of Thanksgiving. With a mouse.
Conestoga shaped "spaceships", a planet where the funniest person gets to be king, what does this have to do with Thanksgiving?
Charlie Brown celebrates Thanksgiving with his friends and learns a little bit about what Thanksgiving is about.
Ichabod Crane is a bit of a ladies man and has his eyes on the fair Katrina. But will he escape the headless horseman with his head intact?
A sad child and a sad pumpkin. Maybe they need each other? Raggedy Ann and Andy are out to make this sad child's Halloween something special.
Dr. Frankenstein has a secret, but wants to share it with only his nephew. Will the other monsters' jealousy bring about his ruin? Better have a dinner party and find out!
Garfield goes out trick-or-treating to get lots of candy, but stumbles upon a scary, real-life ghost pirate story in the process!
Donald's nephews are coming to his house for Trick or Treat. When he decides to trick them instead of giving them treats, he gets a bit more than he bargained for!
A mouse sells her soul to the devil for a fabulous career in 70's rock and roll. Will the devil devour her? Or will she win out due to a TECHNICALITY!!??
Witch's Night Out is one that is a little more obscure (definitely more than Charlie Brown's special from last episode), but it offers some very unique art styling and a familiar plot.
Good grief! It's the classic Charlie Brown Halloween special. I'm starting off with a bang! This special is just classic. So much so that I don't even feel compelled to do a scene-by-scene summary. I'll just cover some of my memories of it and things that stood out to me. Also, my kids get in on the fun as well.