Holiday Television Traditions

I don’t watch much television since we ditched our cable, but I have managed to keep up with my favourites via streaming (Vampire Diaries, Stephen Colbert and The Office.) It doesn’t bother me, not having cable; in fact it keeps me (and the wee guy) from watching endless hours of mindless television.

This weekend however, while at my parents’ house, I was reminded that I am going to miss out on all of the holiday programming this year.

I took a quick peek at some schedules and since I have most of the movies already recorded, I might just have to snuggle up on the couch with my main squeeze and a cup of tea certain evenings and indulge in some serious Christmas television nostalgia (interspersed with some holiday reading of course!).

Here are the shows I will be watching:

Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964). Burl Ives narrates (as the snowman) this heart-warming (and nose-glowing) story of a misfit reindeer searching for acceptance.

The Polar Express (2004). Tom Hanks plays multiple characters in this amazingly animated story of a doubting boy who boards a magical train heading for the north pole.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947). When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966). Boris Karloff narrates this classic story of a grumpy hermit who hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). My all-time favourite actor, Jimmy Stewart stars in this story of how an angel helps a compassionate but frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

A Christmas Carol (1951). An old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by ghosts on Christmas Eve.