S2E13- Death: The True Meaning of Christmas (80s Xmas Specials)

Melinda and Conrad put the Dreamland spin on Christmas and review three decidedly dark 80s Christmas specials featuring the dark spectre of death: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985, Rankin-Bass), The Snowman (1982, John Coates), and The Christmas Toy (1986, Jim Henson Productions).

Image Clue

References

Adams, E. (2017, August 23). The Christmas Toy presents the darkest holiday of Jim Henson’s career. The A.V. Club. https://www.avclub.com/the-christmas-toy-presents-the-darkest-holiday-of-jim-h-1798242551

Debczak, M. (2019, December 9). Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials | Mental floss. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/609505/forgotten-rankin-bass-christmas-specials

Gregg, T. (2021, January 6). A short history of the British TV Christmas advert. Anthony Gregg Partnership. https://www.anthonygregg.com/insights/a-short-history-of-the-british-tv-christmas-advert/

Harvey, I. (2018, December 17). How The Snowman was built. BFI. https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/raymond-briggs-the-snowman-christmas

Heritage, S. (2022, August 31). ‘We’ll still be watching in 50 years’: how Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman changed Christmas. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/10/well-still-be-watching-in-50-years-how-raymond-briggss-the-snowman-changed-christmas

John Lewis & Partners. (n.d.). Every John Lewis Christmas advert ever aired. John Lewis & Partners. https://www.johnlewis.com/content/gifts/every-john-lewis-christmas-advert-ever-aired

Lawes, R. (2022, December 16). The Snowman animators celebrate 40 years of Christmas classic. Metro. https://metro.co.uk/2022/12/17/the-snowman-animators-celebrate-40-years-of-christmas-classic-17951623/

Miller, C. (2021a, December 12). A Look Back on The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. MovieWeb. Retrieved December 17, 2023, from https://movieweb.com/the-life-and-adventures-of-santa-claus-retrospective/

Miller, C. (2021b, December 21). A look back on the life and adventures of Santa Claus. MovieWeb. https://movieweb.com/the-life-and-adventures-of-santa-claus-retrospective/

Rogers, J. (2018, December 3). How The Snowman melted David Bowie’s heart. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/22/how-the-snowman-melted-david-bowies-heart-raymond-briggs