I suppose the most fun I've ever had with this blog was last year when I live-blogged Christmas specials (or Christmas movies, or Christmas episodes of TV shows). So, even though I'm getting a later start this year and won't do as many (you can blame the flooding of my apartment and my resulting temporary location for both of those), I'm going to try to do at least twelve more.
Today-- one that I only vaguely remember. Everyone's favorite prehistoric family. Not that we have many well-established-in-pop-culture prehistoric families to choose from. I'll try not to overthink the fact that they are celebrating Christmas in the BC era.
First we see Wilma, Betty, and the babies bringing home the tree. Then we see Barney and Fred shopping, and Barney giving money to a bell-ringer, which Fred chides him for. Barney says I just can't say no to Santa. And THAT'S how the Salvation Army stays in business, despite their discriminatory practices. Fred points out that those guys aren't really Santa, which leads Barney to sing about how there are so many Santas, any one of them MIGHT be the real one.
Oh, wait-- Pebbles and Bamm Bamm aren't babies anymore-- they're children. Weird. Does anyone else remember when they were teenagers? Or did I dream that?
Fred goes to work Christmas Eve day and gets called to see the boss. The intercom, as you may remember, is a bird that flies into the other room and delivers the message. Fred is afraid he's about to be fired, but it turns out the boss wants him to play Santa at a Christmas party his wife's women's club is hosting for underprivileged kids. Fred is unusually excited about this, or maybe he's just excited that a) he isn't fired and b) he is off work and can go enjoy his Christmas. He sings a song, which, like Barney's before it, isn't particularly impressive.
Fred is proud to announce his Santa gig to Wilma, and she is proud of him, but just as Fred and Barney are heading out, they hear a noise on the roof. Turns out Santa has just fallen off the roof! Fred doesn't think it's really Santa, but Barney is of course ready to believe. I would believe he is Santa simply because he is animated very differently than all the characters. Santa is okay except for a sprained ankle, and describes Fred's roof as "like an obstacle course." They bring the poor guy inside, but when he uses Fred's phone to call the north pole, Fred sends Barney next door to call "the asylum." But Barney spots the sleigh and reindeer on the roof, and calls Fred out to look. Fred is appropriately convinced. I'm glad that didn't drag out for too long.
Fred and Barney convince Santa that he's in no condition to fly around the rest of the world, and offer to make his rounds for him. This kind of seems like an early prototype of The Santa Clause, except with less permanence.
Fred and Barney take to the job very well, except for the whole down-the-chimney thing. So, it appears that they just start throwing the toys off the sleigh, and I guess the toys magically know where to go? I won't overthink it. Of course, Fred is missing his Santa gig at the women's club. He's going to have a hard time explaining that.
The guys hit some turbulence, and lose several bag of presents. They contact Santa via cb radio (wow...) and are told to stop at the North Pole to re-stock. Surprisingly, neither Santa nor Mrs. Claus gets very upset. Maybe this happens a lot. Fred and Barney have some fun in the workshop. We're now on unimpressive song #4. I'm starting to understand why I had only vague memories of this special.
As they fly away from the North Pole, Barney comments on what a nice lady Mrs. Claus is, to which Fred replies, No wonder Santa's so jolly. ...oookkk. Cut to the Christmas party, where the kids are growing increasingly impatient, prompting Wilma to sing a song about hope.
And after the commercial break, Fred does indeed make it to the party, with Barney in tow dressed as an elf. But-- uh-oh, they gave away all the presents so there are none for the underprivileged kids. I'm trying not to overthink the fact that if Santa were real, all kids (at least those who were "good") would get presents from Santa, regardless of socioeconomic status. But, Santa's magic works for his stand-in, and so they conjure up new presents.
Back at home, Santa gets his suit back. But then they overhear Wilma and Betty coming up the walk, griping about the fact that Fred and Barney didn't stay to help clean up. Which the guys of course attribute to their wives losing the Christmas spirit. Especially the part that says goodwill toward men and your husbands most of all. Wow, guys, way to not accept responsibility. It's not like they knew Santa was laid up in your living room. Santa takes off because he doesn't want to deal with angry wives. Fred and Barney tell the wives the truth. Predictably, the wives don't believe them, but they are charmed out of their anger. Barney, Fred, Pebbles, and Bamm-Bamm all wave bye to Santa from the window, while Wilma and Betty laugh at the childlike imaginations. The End!
Like I said, not terribly memorable. My number one memory of the Flintstones and Christmas is this commercial:
Visuals: 1 out of 5
Spirit: 3 out of 5
Nostalgia: 2 out of 5
Humor: 2 out of 5
Music: 1 out of 5
Overall: 2 out of 5
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