Holiday Specials on Television 1939-2021

<p> In November 1939 NBC's fledgling television station W2XBS broadcast the first known holiday special <I>The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade</I>. Despite its small viewership (very few TV sets existed at the time) the experimental telecast was a harbinger of a now-beloved American tradition: the holiday television special.</p><p> This book offers a thorough account of holiday television specials in the United States from 1939 to 2021 highlighting variety shows comedic performances musical spectaculars and more. From familiar favorites (1964's <I>Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer</I>) to campy one-offs (1985's <I>He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special</I>) the 1140 programs are covered alphabetically and feature performance casts production credits and storylines for each. Three appendices cover lost holiday specials along with Christmas and Halloween-themed episodes of popular television series.</p>