And now, the Flop House Movie Minute.

Bearest Flop House listeners,

I like many of my generation grew up associating Christmas with one thing,

television specials.

Even now I remember that swirling CBS special presentation logo,

alerting me that I would soon be sucked into a magical world

of modestly budgeted animation and questionable theology.

Other than the incomparable Charlie Brown Christmas,

the finest examples of these programs came from the Rankin Bath studios,

where tiny models were brought to life and given the voices bold stand freeberg actors.

Recently I revisited these programs to see if they carried the same magic I felt as a child,

but sadly I found them wanting.

Take Cytoclaws is coming to town.

Now this is the one where Santa played by Manchild Mickey Rooney,

is given a comic book style origin story.

Because a jolly man who gives away toys is only interesting to kids,

he's got a backstory.

For instance, we are taught that he learned his distinctive laugh from listening to seals,

since no one has ever laughed before without a specific inciting incident.

I, for instance, learned to laugh from Neil Simon.

Thank you Neil Simon for making me laugh about falling in love.

Again.

...