A Family Circus Christmas

A Family Circus Christmas

RigbyMel says:


This 1979 special is based upon the comic strip that many of us like to make fun of. (Full disclosure, I am not someone who hates the strip unequivocally, I just find that it was more amusing when I was 9 than it seems to be now.)
The story centers on the family not being able to find the star for the top of the Christmas tree that was made by Grandpa. Daddy is depressed about this and little Jeffy decides to ask Santa to bring his Granpa back from the grave as a special Christmas present for Daddy. This doesn't quite work out the way Jeffy expects it will, but does work out in typical borderline saccharine Family Circus fashion. Features a depressingly bad song by Sarah Vaughan, who is honestly better than what you hear! It wasn't as dreadful as I had feared it would be, but it wasn't all that wonderful either. Probably a good one to skip.

RigbyMel's rating:



J A Morris says:
I'll start by saying I'm not someone who loathes 'The Family Circus' comic strip. I liked it more when I was a kid than I do now. I don't know if it's because I'm more mature or the Bill Keane has gotten more saccharine over the years.

But anyway, 'A Family Circus Christmas' is not a very good special. I concur with Rigby Mel's sentiments. I'll add that I found the special somewhat creepy, with a ghostly Santa stalking Jeffy around the house. I know the song says "he knows if you've been bad or good" but I don't think this is what they had in mind.

One good moment I'll mention:Jeffy asks the shopping mall Santa to bring Grandpa back from the dead for Christmas. "Santa" gets nervous & doesn't quite know what to say. That was the most realistic, memorable moment of the special for me.
Skip this special.

J A Morris's rating: