December in the 80's was a magical time of year to be a kid. Not only did we get all the fantastic toys for Christmas, but every year, throughout the holiday season, the television would segue from regularly scheduled programing to air animated holiday specials. They'd come on just late enough that it could be a family event, but early enough that we'd get to enjoy it just before bedtime.
Each half hour block was special. Perfectly crafted with just the right number of advertisements to remind us of all the toys on store shelves, the treats to be had from local restaurants and grocery stores, and all other manners of consumption in between. But at the heart of it was that cartoon which would come out of hiding just once a year, fill your eyes with wonder, bringing smiles, laughter, action, adventure, drama, but at the root of it, a classic holiday message of peace, giving, love, and joy.
It's become my own personal tradition each year to pull a holiday special off the DVD shelf each day to enjoy. It's a ritual which not only has become my way of counting down the twenty-four days of December leading up to my favorite holiday, but my way of reminding myself that no matter what's happening in the world, my day-to-day grind of work, life, health, trials, and tribulations, that for a moment, all of that can be put a side, and I can simply become a kid again, even if it's just at heart.
While I wish I could share the actual special with all of you, be it by inviting you all to my home to join me in front of the fireplace with a bowl of popcorn, sadly, that's just not feasible. However, between sites such as Youtube, Arhcive.org, Dailymotion, and Vimeo, you can probably find them to watch. Of course, for those of you so bold, you could also pick them up on DVD yourself, something I would highly recommend. If not for yourself, for your children.
Huckleberry Hound brings his friends Hokey Wolf, Snagglepuss, Quick Draw McGraw, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy, and Snooper and Blabber with him to visit Jellystone Park for Christmas and they discover Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo have escaped from Jellystone and hidden out in a department store, where Yogi is posing as a Santa Claus. Along the way, he helps a little girl named Judy Jones rediscover her faith in Christmas when her father, a billionaire named J. Wellington Jones, is too busy for her. Yogi says that many parents have to work hard to support their kids, and since her father is not home, Yogi and Boo-Boo propose escorting Judy through the city to bring her to her dad.
Ranger Smith and the others look for Yogi when they learn he and Boo-Boo are in the city. After getting a picnic basket from a man named Murray, Yogi reunites with his friends who help to look for Judy's father. Auggie Doggie and Doggie Daddy agree to watch over Judy while they are away.
In his search, Snagglepuss encounters Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble as Street Santa Claus who are collecting money for a Bedrock charity. They tell him to ask a passing lady his question for donations. When the old lady screams in fear of Snagglepuss, Fred and Barney attack him, claiming it to be an entertainment purpose. Snooper and Blabber go to the police.
Quick Draw has no luck as Mr. Jinks states that nobody named Mr. Jones lives in his building. Pixie and Dixie leave a present for Mr. Jinks which contains a bulldog.
Magilla Gorilla, Wally Gator, and Yakky Doodle haven't seen Mr. Jones either. As Yogi hasn't had any luck locating her dad's office, they remain in the park to try to figure out a plan there.
At Judy's home, J. Wellington Jones is troubled when his daughter isn't there, so he calls the police to help find her. Also working with the police is Ranger Smith, who is looking for Yogi and Boo-Boo. The police are at the department store where Judy was last seen and interrogate all the men who work as Santas. When they realize Judy went off with a Santa who wasn't a department store employee, they assume she was kidnapped. This accusation concerns Ranger Smith (despite having past problems with Yogi's antics, he can't believe Yogi would commit such a grave act).
Snooper and Blabber were speaking to Police Chief Blake at the time when word comes that Judy was seen in the park by a patrol car, and the Chief heads out to personally see the arrest of Judy's kidnapper.
At the park, Yogi and his friends celebrate Christmas when the police arrive with Mr. Jones and Ranger Smith. As he is being loaded into the paddy wagon, Yogi tells Mr. Jones that he needs to spend more time with Judy before she becomes an adult, but Mr. Jones denies it because he's busy all the time and is never home only to then realize that Yogi is right.
Guilty over his failure of being a good father to Judy, Mr. Jones tells the police to release Yogi by telling Police Chief Blake that it was really his fault that Judy ran off with Yogi, taking full responsibility for the whole debacle that's happened today. Ranger Smith takes care of sorting out anything else the police would charge Yogi with.
The special then ends with everyone singing Christmas carols around a campfire in the park.
The Hanna-Barbera cast and crew return for a second day in a row with Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper. With them, they bring the spirit of Christmas, and a fun mystery, wrapping them all together in one holiday special sized box.
Wanting to get a little more holiday joy, I pulled out a couple more DVD's and enjoyed some random Christmas themed episodes. Today's picks were:
- A Jolly Molly Christmas from TaleSpin
- The Christmas Aliens from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
- Have Yourself A Morlock Little Christmas from X-Men the Animated Series
- The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold, the 1981 Rankin / Bass classic
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