Rugrats: "Chanukah"

Premiered December 6, 1996.

Chanukah has arrived and Tommy Pickles (Elizabeth Daily), his cousin Angelica (Cheryl Chase) and their friends are a bit confused about what's happening.  Tommy's family lights candles and he gets a present every night for several days and he wonders if every night is his birthday.  

Their grandfather Boris Kropotkin (Michael Bell) is appearing in the local synagogue's play, which is titled "The Meaning Of Chanukah."  Boris is playing Judah Maccabee, the hero of the Chanukah story.  King Antiochus, the villain of Chanukah, will be played by Boris's longtime rival Shlomo (Fyvush Finkel).  Boris and Shlomo have known each other since their childhood in Russia and Boris feels Shlomo lords his successful business over him.  
of the miracle of the oil associated with

Tommy and Angelica's grandparents eat latkes, which symbolize Chanukah's miracle of the oil.

When Tommy and friends see Shlomo's photo next to the phrase "Meaning Of Chanukah," they become confused and believe Shlomo is "the meanie of Chanukah!"  This makes them worry for Boris' safety.

Angelica doesn't want to attend the play, because it will cause her to miss A Very Cynthia Christmas, her favorite holiday special, which airs at the same time as the pageant.  Her Aunt Didi (Melanie Chartoff) insists she attend the play, but Angelica conspires to find a way to watch the Cynthia special.  

Didi's husband Stu (Jack Riley) is not Jewish, but he wants to show respect for the Kropotkin family's Chanukah traditions.  With this in mind, he builds a giant light-up Menorah and plans to show it off at the Chanukah play.  

When the family arrives at the synagogue, Boris and Shlomo immediately start arguing.  The play gets more complicated when another cast member named Lowell Armstein (Alan Rachins) arrives. 

Lowell thought he'd be playing King Antiochus, but the Rabbi (Ron Liebman) tells Lowell he will be playing "the Village Kvetch."  This frustrates Lowell, since he planned to perform a monologue and brought along music to accompany him. 

Angelica sneaks away to search for a TV, so she can the Christmas special.  She's thwarted when an adult finds her and deposits her in the synagogue's nursery with Tommy and the other kids. 

Will the Rugrats learn the Meaning Of Chanukah?  Will the feud between Shlomo and Boris ruin the Chanukah play?  

J.A. Morris says:

Let me state up front that I've been aware of Rugrats since their inception, but I haven't watched many episodes from beginning to end.  But I've always liked what I've seen of the show.  "Chanukah" is fun holiday episode that provides a nice introduction to Chanukah and the traditions related to the occasion.  

I appreciated the resolution to Boris and Shlomo's conflict.  Boris was jealous of Shlomo's successful business.  We learn that Shlomo was jealous of Boris' family, because he and his wife never had the time to be "blessed with children."  Since his wife is now deceased, Shlomo wonders if there's a point to traditions if your loved ones are no longer around.  I won't spoil the ending, but since this is an episode of a Nickelodeon series, it won't be shocking to learn that "a Chanukah miracle" occurs.  

Angelica would rather stay home and watch a Christmas special instead of going to the Chanukah play.  On a (possibly) related note, when Stu is driving to the synagogue (with the giant Menorah on top of his car!) he winds up getting stuck in a Christmas parade! 

I believe these are references to the fact that during the holiday season, many people forget that other traditions exist and that not everyone celebrates Christmas.  I would hope "Chanukah" taught younger viewers of Rugrats to understand this and to respect other peoples' beliefs.  

On a lighter note, Lowell Armstein adds some humor to the episode.

I'm glad this episode exists, if for no other reason than because the world could use for more episodes/specials/movies that focus on occasions that aren't Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This episode also makes me want to watch more episodes of Rugrats, and not just their many holiday episodes!

"Chanukah" is funny, touching and educational.  It's a great introduction to Chanukah and it gets my highest rating.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 dreidels!

RigbyMel says:

I've enjoyed watching assorted episodes of Rugrats over the years,  but the Chanukah episode was new to me. 

This episode does a good job of telling the story of Chanukah through the eyes of babes.  In point of fact,  it actually tells the basics of the Chanukah pretty well for adults too.  

I like the way we see the babies imagining themselves in the telling of the story -- including Tommy's great line "A maccababy's gotta do what a maccababy's gotta do" (which plays on the name of Judah Maccabee -- the hero of the original Chanukah story).    

I also like the pop up Old Testament stories we see when the babies imagine reading the Torah in secret while Grandma reads the story.  

One of the appeals of Rugrats for me has always been the wordplay based in childlike (mis)understanding of language.  For example, the babies decide that Shlomo is the "meanie of Chanukah" and determine that he should take a nap rather than bully Grandpa Boris.  The "meanie of Chanukah" bit is also great in that it plays on the whole "meaning of Christmas" schtick of many a holiday special.  

Speaking of holiday specials, bratty Angelica's plan to use the babies' mission to protect Grandpa Boris as a means to watching her Cynthia Christmas program is humorous.   

Moreover, in terms of wordplay,  Angelica's explanation that Chhhhh-anukah (with extra phlegm) takes place between "Misgiving and Christmas" is delightful and a really good illustration of how this Jewish celebration tends to get lumped in with the other traditions floating around in the ether this time of year.  

Rugrats "Chanukah" may well be the very best pop culture explication of Chanukah aimed at children available.  It's sweet and gentle telling of the tale has heart and humor and manages to be educational without being didactic.   I'd heartily recommend it to anyone  --  young or old -- who enjoys holiday programming.  

RigbyMel's rating: 

4 dreidels!    

The Bob Newhart Show: "Over The River And Through The Woods"

Premiered November 22nd, 1975

Jerry:This is the worst Thanksgiving I ever had.
Bob:I knew it was gonna be bad, but I didn't know it was gonna be this bad this early.

It's autumn in Chicago and Thanksgiving is approaching.

Psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) and his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) are planning to spend Thanksgiving with Emily's family in Seattle.

Elliot Carlin stepping into Bob's office. 

One of Bob's patients, Elliot Carlin is worried about Thanksgiving.  Carlin hates the holidays.  He's still depressed that no one knocked on his door on Halloween and he's dreading Thanksgiving.  With Carlin in such despair, Bob thinks he should stay in Chicago to help his patient.  It also doesn't hurt that he's not terribly enthusiastic about going to see Emily's family in Seattle.

Bob wins a tiny turkey in a raffle. 

When Emily hears about this, she says Bob can do what he likes for Thanksgiving, but she still is going to Seattle without Bob.  Realizing he'll be alone at Thanksgiving,  Dr. Hartley invites his patient Mr. Carlin, and his colleague Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz) (who has no family) to his house for the holiday. Jerry is excited about watching football on Thanksgiving, because his Alma Mater William & Mary is playing in a televised game.

Bob unsuccessfully attempts to flip a pancake. 

The holiday morning arrives, Bob misses Emily, who always made pancakes for him on Thanksgivings of the past.

Jerry in his W&M sweater,  jug in hand. 

Jerry arrives with a jug filled with vodka and cider (but mostly vodka).  William & Mary is losing their game badly so he takes a drink every time the other team scores.  Mr. Carlin shows up in his usual pessimistic mood.  He has brought a bottle of scotch to go with Jerry's booze.  Bob's neighbor Howard (Bill Daly) shows up as well.  Howard was supposed to spend the holiday with his son, but plans have changed and he is also left alone on Thanksgiving.

The gang watches football.  Carlin comments that this is the worst party he's ever been to.

All four of them are lonely and depressed.  Everyone decides to drown their sorrows in alcohol. They have a tiny turkey, but no one is sure of how to cook it.

Bob drunkenly attempts to order some takeout. 

Will they still manage to have a good Thanksgiving feast?


J.A. Morris says:

It's hard to this episode justice.  The plot of "Over The River And Through The Woods" is basically "Bob Hartley & friends get drunk on Thanksgiving,"  but  there's more to it than that.

Jack Riley is absolutely brilliant here as Elliot Carlin .  He stays in "deadpan" mode throughout the episode while everyone around him is howling drunk with laughter.  Riley's delivery (or lack thereof!) is especially great when he tries to tell knock-knock jokes.

Bob and Emily are usually the level-headed characters surrounded by quirky oddballs.  But this episode shows that after a few shots of alcohol, Dr. Hartley is just as goofy as Howard and Jerry.  It shows that without Emily, Bob is adrift, and she's the real brains of the marriage.

Like most Thanksgiving episodes (including an earlier Thanksgiving episode of this series), food preparation comes into play.  It often involves arguments over how to make the food, but in this case, no one knows how to cook a turkey.  The most important "turkey" moment involves one of this episode's many knock-knock jokes, which I won't spoil.

At its heart, "Over The River And Through The Woods" is another Thanksgiving episode where lonely people find common ground with others and create a "family" of sorts for the holiday.

As an added "bonus," the characters wear 1975 fashions that haven't aged very well.  The clothes increase the comedic value of this episode.  Bob's leisure suit is especially ridiculous.

Gotta love those plaid pants!

This episode is available for viewing on dvd.  You'll find it on The Bob Newhart Show:The Complete Fourth Season.

"Over The River And Through The Woods" is one of the best episodes of The Bob Newhart Show.   It's also one of the greatest Thanksgiving episodes in the history of television.  On a personal note, I quote this episode year-round.  Highly recommended!

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 pumpkin pies!


RigbyMel says:

This is a silly, funny episode of a great show.

Hijinks!

I enjoy the drunken hijinks of the cast but question whether they actually would have been televising a football game featuring William & Mary (MY alma mater) on TV in Chicago in 1975.  (W&M is a small school, and football is not their forte.)

Jerry explains how bad the holidays were at the orphanage when he was a kid. 

I also think the deconstruction of knock knock jokes, which is a running gag through much of the episode, is pretty on the nose.

Male bonding over booze.

As J.A. Morris says, we visit the trope of lonely people forming a surrogate family for the holidays in this episode, but with a twist -- of vodka and cider and scotch -- which certainly makes it interesting even if the silliness gets the better of it in spots.

I don't have as strong a liking for this episode as my co-blogger, but it is most definitely worth watching.

RigbyMel's rating:

3 pumpkin pies.
   

The Bob Newhart Show: "Caged Fury"

Premiered October 2 1976.

Emily:Howard, Bob and I got railroaded into giving a July 4th party, would like you like to come?
Howard:Oh, great, when is it?

Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) is talked into hosting a Bicentennial Party on the 4th of July.  But when Bob and his wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) tell their neighbor Howard (Bill Daly) about the party, Howard offers to host the festivities, provided he can borrow all of their party supplies.  Howard suggests a costume party and Emily agrees with that idea.

Emily and Bob go down to their apartment's storage locker to get their punchbowl and card table. Shortly before they exit, Emily accidentally traps them in the locker!

This causes the couple to engage some deep conversations.  Emily asks Bob if he really loves her, and asks if he would re-marry if she died. They ask each other if they wish they'd had children.

Meanwhile, guests begin arriving at Howard's apartment.  Bob's office mate Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz) arrives and is unpleasantly surprised to find that he and Howard have both dressed as Uncle Sam.

The trend continues when Bob's secretary Carol (Marcia Wallace) and her husband Larry (Will Mackenzie) enter the scene.

But Bob's regular patient Elliot Carlin shows up dressed a "colonial spy"...sort of.

Can you spot the "colonial spy" in this picture?

Howard's party gets off to a rocky start, because everyone is waiting for Bob and Emily to bring the food and other supplies.

Will Bob and Emily escape from the storage locker?  Will Howard's party be ruined without the presence of their punchbowl and card table?

J.A. Morris says:

I'll start by saying that America's Bicentennial celebration was a big yearlong event of my childhood. American Flags adorned everything.  There was red, white and blue food, clothing, you name it (I remember owning a tank top that was emblazoned in Stars & Stripes).

But we didn't get a lot of specials or episodes that celebrated this country's 200th birthday.  For that matter, there are very few TV episodes that take place on the 4th of July.  That's probably due to fact that historically, only reruns aired during the Summer.

"Caged Fury" is a very good episode of The Bob Newhart Show.  As usual, Bob and Emily are the "normal" people surrounded by crazy and/or dysfunctional friends.  But when they're trapped in the locker, we get to see that they've got issues themselves.

Bob attempts to break through door, but learns that it "only works on television."

They say some nasty things to each other.  Bob calls Emily a moron, she calls him "flabby" multiple times.  But I get the impression it's just a way to blow off steam in a difficult scenario.

The highlight is Howard's 4th of July party.  We get four Uncle Sams in the same room.  Jack Riley is funny as ever, showing up to the party in his "spy" costume.  Howard is perhaps the worst party host in history.

This episode can be found on The Bob Newhart Show:Season 5 dvd set.

"Caged Fury" is good entertainment for the 4th of July weekend and is recommend.
J.A. Morris' rating:

.5
  

3 and a half American Flags.

RigbyMel says:

This is an interesting episode of a fun series.   As J.A. Morris says above, there aren't a whole lot of 4th of July themed television episodes to be had, so we should appreciate what is available to us.  

The multiple Uncle Sam costumes make for an excellent sight gag and the "trapped in a closet"  (or storage locker) trope is used to good effect.  Any time that "trapped in the closet" does NOT morph into a clip show is noteworthy -- kudos to The Bob Newhart Show writers for thinking of something a bit different to do with the trope!

My main issue with the episode stems from some of the unnecessarily mean bickering between Bob and Emily.   Sure, getting stuck in a small space is frustrating,  but Bob and Emily are both intelligent people who love each other.  For example,  I had difficulty buying psychologist Bob calling his wife a "moron" for making a silly mistake.  It seems a bit harsh, and out of character for him.    Fewer kudos to the show's writers for that.

That being said, this episode is well worth your time.

RigbyMel's rating:

3 American flags