Christmas TV History, episode 1: Beginnings

This 13-minute podcast provides the context to a five-part audio series on Christmas TV History, created by author Joanna Wilson in July 2019. The five installments are Beginnings, and ones on Christmas animation, the history of Christmas TV movies, yuletide variety specials and episodes, and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol adaptations. "...we seem to consume holiday entertainment differently than we do other programs. We return to watch the same Christmas animated specials every year—whether it's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or A Charlie Brown Christmas (or another). These TV specials are annual traditions for millions of folks—and have been for more than 50 years. We may watch The World Series every year or the Washington DC 4th of July concert celebration—but those two specials are DIFFERENT every year, and we don’t watch the same broadcasts of them over and over—like we do with so much Christmas entertainment." Joanna Wilson is the author of Tis the Season TV: the Encyclopedia of Christmas-themed Episodes, Specials and Made-for-TV Movies. She has been researching AND writing about Christmas on TV for nearly 20 years. Wilson is finalizing the updated, 2nd edition of the encyclopedia which will come out next year in 2020. She is the author of Triple Dog Dare: Watching & Surviving the 24-Hour Marathon of A Christmas Story, The Christmas TV Companion, and Merry Musical Christmas: Vol. 1: The Best Musical Performances in Sitcoms and Dramas. Her books are available at ChristmasTVHistory.com