Older holiday specials outdraw new on TV

By Bill Keveney
USA Today

Charlie Brown and Linus debate the commercialism of Christmas over a forlorn little Christmas tree in the classic holiday special "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which airs Sunday on ABC. ABC When to tune in With more Christmas TV classics scheduled this month, there's less of a chance that you've already missed your favorite. Here's some help finding a sampling: "A Christmas Story," TBS: 2 p.m. Saturday "Olive, the Other Reindeer," WB: 8 p.m. Saturday "It's a Wonderful Life," NBC: 7 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Dec. 24 "A Charlie Brown Christmas," ABC: 7 p.m. Sunday "Miss Lettie and Me," TNT premiere: 6, 8 p.m. Sunday

Despite a sackful of new specials each year, viewers search for the old favorites: theatrical movies going back to the post-World War II years and animated shows nearing 40 years old.

"They're played every single year. People wait for them," says June Foray, whose cartoon voices include Cindy Lou Who from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Many viewers will find 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life" (NBC) and a slew of mid-1960s animated specials, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas "(ABC), "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (CBS), "Frosty" (CBS) and "The Grinch" (WB, Cartoon Network). But newer specials don't generate the same interest.

The holiday generation gap may be largely a matter of timing, says Cartoon Network program chief Mike Lazzo. The older specials got more attention and loyalty because they premiered when there were fewer choices.

"In today's 500-channel universe, it's difficult to stand out and to become the kind of fireplace everybody gathers around," he says.

The animated "Grinch," made in 1966, illustrates a classic's drawing power. Last year, four straight nights of "The Grinch" attracted 18 percent more viewers and more than double the number of children and teens than holiday shows that ran the previous year, even though those programs changed from night to night.

Heavy repetition also can help create classics. Frequent broadcasts made "It's a Wonderful Life" bigger than it was at the time of its release. And marathon presentations helped "A Christmas Story" (TBS) become a holiday staple.

Networks use hits to draw viewers to new holiday specials. On Dec. 13, CBS is launching two specials featuring the "Rudolph"-like "Robbie the Reindeer," a BBC production retooled with American celebrity voices.

But with so many specials, viewers may allot time only for their longtime favorites. Andrea Wong, who oversees ABC's specials, praises "The Tangerine Bear." But the 2000 special "wasn't such a well-known brand" and didn't establish itself.

That isn't a problem with "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which moved to ABC last year after a long run on CBS. Up against "Friends" and "Survivor" last year, the special attracted 72 percent more viewers and 38 percent more young adults than ABC had been getting in the time period.

Classics have multigenerational appeal, which also is the heart of a family holiday such as Christmas, says Beth Polson, a producer of many Christmas TV movies, including "Miss Lettie and Me," premiering Sunday on TNT. "Ours is a generation of people who didn't eat together as a family. Now we don't even watch TV together. But Christmas is an exception," Polson says.

Despite the strength of the old-timers, some newer holiday staples could become classics if they maintain their popularity. "The Santa Clause," a 1994 film that ran Sunday on ABC, is TV's top-rated movie in viewers and young adults so far this season.

In the end, the relative absence of newer classics may say less about contemporary specials than it does about the difficulty of attaining TV immortality. Ask "Charlie Brown" director Bill Melendez, who says the producers of the special originally thought they had besmirched the "Peanuts" legacy.

"We thought we had killed it," Melendez remembers. "We had no idea it was going to become such a hit. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing."