What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

The Great 2020 All Time Television Draft: The Simpsons is judged the greatest show of all time (2 Viewers)

The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 11

6 - A Year without Santa Claus (11 points)
"Warn the people, tell the papers. I'm much too tired for Christmas capers."

I had this ranked right where it fell.  
Great characters like The Miser Brothers, Mickey Rooney again as Santa and Shirley Booth and Mrs Claus, Jingle and Jangle and who could forget Ignatius "Iggy" Thistlewhite.
I loved the Snow Miser and Heat Miser songs, we would sing these over and over as a kid.

I can still see the picture the little girl drew for Santa and I still tear up when Santa is reading about the little girl’s Blue Christmas.

The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 1974 Christmas stop motion animated television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions in which a weary and discouraged Santa Claus considers skipping his Christmas Eve run one year, and Mrs. Claus and his Elves set out to change his mind. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name, illustrated by Kurt Werth. It was originally broadcast on December 10, 1974 on ABC.

Fun Facts:
Bob McFadden voices Jingle, while Bradley Bolke (best known as Chumley in the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoons) voices Jangle.
1947's Here comes Santa Claus by Gene Autry is wonderfully incorporated as Santa arrives on Santa Claus Lane.  

(Individual rankings - 11/13/8)

 
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 12

5 - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (12 pts)
"There are three things I've learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."

I had this slotted at #5, with one judge lower and one higher so it feels right in this spot.
Definitely the best Halloween special,  I can still see the ads for Coke and Dolly Madison desserts.

Who could forget Charlie Brown having trouble with the scissors and getting a "Rock" instead of treats.  The air horn sound during Snoopy's scenes traipsing through the French countryside still freak my son out today.  "Each year the Great Pumpkin rises out if the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's got to pick this one, he's got to."

Back in the day before VCR's, I made an audio recording of this special on a tape player and used to listen to it before I went to bed.  Pretty sure I can recite this word for word.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.  It was the third Peanuts special (and second holiday-themed special, following A Charlie Brown Christmas) to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez. The special features music composed by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, whose contributions include the theme song “Linus and Lucy”. It was also the first Peanuts special to use the titular pattern of a short phrase, followed by "Charlie Brown", a pattern which would remain the norm for almost all subsequent Peanuts specials.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was the number one most-watched program in 1966!  The Peanuts are always a nostalgic wave of energy. The special focuses on Linus, giving him a chance in the limelight.  While Lucy is portrayed as a bossy and selfish girl who refuses to let Charlie Brown kick the football (which was the first time she does in this special) Lucy has a caring side. The special contained tender moments where Lucy gets candy for Linus while trick-or-treating and even goes out to the pumpkin patch late at night to bring her little brother home. 

Fun Facts:
For many Peanuts specials, children were used to voice Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and the rest. Anne Altieri, who portrayed both Violet and Frieda, was so nervous to be part of the show that she threw up every time she was done with a recording session.
One of the most poignant moments of any Peanuts cartoon comes when downtrodden Charlie Brown opens his Halloween goodie sack and discovers he’s been given rocks instead of candy. According to Schulz, this so angered viewers that for years his California office was inundated with sacks of treats addressed to the character.

(Individual rankings - 12/8/15)

 
rick6668 said:
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 12

5 - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (12 pts)
"There are three things I've learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."

I had this slotted at #5, with one judge lower and one higher so it feels right in this spot.
Definitely the best Halloween special,  I can still see the ads for Coke and Dolly Madison desserts.

Who could forget Charlie Brown having trouble with the scissors and getting a "Rock" instead of treats.  The air horn sound during Snoopy's scenes traipsing through the French countryside still freak my son out today.  "Each year the Great Pumpkin rises out if the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's got to pick this one, he's got to."

Back in the day before VCR's, I made an audio recording of this special on a tape player and used to listen to it before I went to bed.  Pretty sure I can recite this word for word.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a 1966 American prime time animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.  It was the third Peanuts special (and second holiday-themed special, following A Charlie Brown Christmas) to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez. The special features music composed by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, whose contributions include the theme song “Linus and Lucy”. It was also the first Peanuts special to use the titular pattern of a short phrase, followed by "Charlie Brown", a pattern which would remain the norm for almost all subsequent Peanuts specials.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was the number one most-watched program in 1966!  The Peanuts are always a nostalgic wave of energy. The special focuses on Linus, giving him a chance in the limelight.  While Lucy is portrayed as a bossy and selfish girl who refuses to let Charlie Brown kick the football (which was the first time she does in this special) Lucy has a caring side. The special contained tender moments where Lucy gets candy for Linus while trick-or-treating and even goes out to the pumpkin patch late at night to bring her little brother home. 

Fun Facts:
For many Peanuts specials, children were used to voice Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, and the rest. Anne Altieri, who portrayed both Violet and Frieda, was so nervous to be part of the show that she threw up every time she was done with a recording session.
One of the most poignant moments of any Peanuts cartoon comes when downtrodden Charlie Brown opens his Halloween goodie sack and discovers he’s been given rocks instead of candy. According to Schulz, this so angered viewers that for years his California office was inundated with sacks of treats addressed to the character.

(Individual rankings - 12/8/15)
Click to expand...
Wow, this one is a surprise to me (I gave it the 15). This was the most memorable and enjoyable of the Peanuts holiday movies. I was hoping this would have slipped through the cracks (while everyone focused on Christmas specials) for me to draft, but someone snatched it up before I could. 
 

This one always signaled the unofficial start to the extended holiday season for me. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 13

4 - Santa Claus is Comin' to town (13 points)    
"I hate toys. And toys hate me. Either they are going or I am going. And I am certainly not going, Grimsley."

I ranked this #4 (13 points).  I couldn't put it in the top 3, but the story is top notch and for a child it explains Santa's origins very well.  Great characters like Topper,  Winter Warlock and Burgermeister Meisterburger.  Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney lending their voices. Some great songs too like "Put one foot in front of the Other" and "The First Toymaker to the King".
Those trees (Willy Willow and Peter Pine) freaked me out worse than the Winter Warlock as a kid.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town is a 1970 stop motion Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York, New York. The film stars the voices of Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Robie Lester, Joan Gardner and Paul Frees, as well as an assistant song performance by the Westminster Children's Choir. The film tells the story of how Santa Claus and several Claus-related Christmas traditions came to be. It is based on the hit Christmas song "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", which was introduced on radio by Eddie Cantor in 1934, and the story of Saint Nicholas.
Rankin/Bass’ “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” may be the definitive ‘Santa Claus’ movie. In less than one hour, it tells the entire story of Santa, from birth to his first Christmas at the North Pole, mixing elements of the historical Saint Nick in with lots of original, creative material.  Like most Rankin/Bass specials, the titular song is just a springboard for a larger narrative canvas, and if “Coming to Town” is one of their cheesier specials, it’s also one of the most heartfelt, putting more weight and meaning behind the Santa legend than most Christmas stories. 

Fun Facts:
The mailman's name is S.D. Kluger.
Rudolph isn’t heavily featured in the movie although he’s one of the most widely-known reindeer. In the movie, Kluger explains that Rudolph’s backstory is so big that it is its own story.

The scene  in which Burgermeister Meisterburger burns the kids toys is edited out of TV broadcasts today.

(Individual rankings - 13/11/12)

 
rick6668 said:
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 13

4 - Santa Claus is Comin' to town (13 points)    
"I hate toys. And toys hate me. Either they are going or I am going. And I am certainly not going, Grimsley."

I ranked this #4 (13 points).  I couldn't put it in the top 3, but the story is top notch and for a child it explains Santa's origins very well.  Great characters like Topper,  Winter Warlock and Burgermeister Meisterburger.  Fred Astaire and Mickey Rooney lending their voices. Some great songs too like "Put one foot in front of the Other" and "The First Toymaker to the King".
Those trees (Willy Willow and Peter Pine) freaked me out worse than the Winter Warlock as a kid.

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town is a 1970 stop motion Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions in New York, New York. The film stars the voices of Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Robie Lester, Joan Gardner and Paul Frees, as well as an assistant song performance by the Westminster Children's Choir. The film tells the story of how Santa Claus and several Claus-related Christmas traditions came to be. It is based on the hit Christmas song "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town", which was introduced on radio by Eddie Cantor in 1934, and the story of Saint Nicholas.
Rankin/Bass’ “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” may be the definitive ‘Santa Claus’ movie. In less than one hour, it tells the entire story of Santa, from birth to his first Christmas at the North Pole, mixing elements of the historical Saint Nick in with lots of original, creative material.  Like most Rankin/Bass specials, the titular song is just a springboard for a larger narrative canvas, and if “Coming to Town” is one of their cheesier specials, it’s also one of the most heartfelt, putting more weight and meaning behind the Santa legend than most Christmas stories. 

Fun Facts:
The mailman's name is S.D. Kluger.
Rudolph isn’t heavily featured in the movie although he’s one of the most widely-known reindeer. In the movie, Kluger explains that Rudolph’s backstory is so big that it is its own story.

The scene  in which Burgermeister Meisterburger burns the kids toys is edited out of TV broadcasts today.

(Individual rankings - 13/11/12)
Click to expand...
Little Yo Mama was legit freaked out scared the first time the Winter Warlock showed up. 

 
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 14

3 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (14 pts)
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more."

I had this at #3, it was tied with #2, but I broke the tie.  I couldn't drop #2.  
Another must watch every year.  Poor Max having too pull that Sleigh.  Cindy Lou Who who catches the Grinch and is escorted back to bed with a glass of water.  The Whos singing on Christmas day.  This probably has the best song, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch". 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) is a 1966 animated television special, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones. It is based on the 1957 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, the story of the Grinch trying to take away Christmas from the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway.  Originally telecast in the United States on CBS on December 18, 1966, it went on to become a perennial holiday special. The special also features the voice of Boris Karloff as the Grinch and the narrator.

Fun Facts:
When Geisel's famous book was published in 1956, the Grinch was black and white. Rumor has it Jones was inspired to make the evil character green in the special after he rented a car painted in an ugly shade of the color.
Thurl Ravenscroft's voice may have sounded familiar to audiences watching in 1966. He also lent his voice to Frosted Flakes' mascot Tony the Tiger for five decades before his death in 2005. 
Reading the children's book only takes about 12 minutes. Because of that, the special's director, Chuck Jones, created sequences that weren't in the book. 

(Individual rankings - 14/14/16)

 
rick6668 said:
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 14

3 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (14 pts)
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more."

I had this at #3, it was tied with #2, but I broke the tie.  I couldn't drop #2.  
Another must watch every year.  Poor Max having too pull that Sleigh.  Cindy Lou Who who catches the Grinch and is escorted back to bed with a glass of water.  The Whos singing on Christmas day.  This probably has the best song, "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch". 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) is a 1966 animated television special, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones. It is based on the 1957 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, the story of the Grinch trying to take away Christmas from the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway.  Originally telecast in the United States on CBS on December 18, 1966, it went on to become a perennial holiday special. The special also features the voice of Boris Karloff as the Grinch and the narrator.

Fun Facts:
When Geisel's famous book was published in 1956, the Grinch was black and white. Rumor has it Jones was inspired to make the evil character green in the special after he rented a car painted in an ugly shade of the color.
Thurl Ravenscroft's voice may have sounded familiar to audiences watching in 1966. He also lent his voice to Frosted Flakes' mascot Tony the Tiger for five decades before his death in 2005. 
Reading the children's book only takes about 12 minutes. Because of that, the special's director, Chuck Jones, created sequences that weren't in the book. 

(Individual rankings - 14/14/16)
Click to expand...
Any Disney nut is very familiar with Ravencroft - dude is a legend.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurl_Ravenscroft

 
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 15

2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas (15 pts)

"Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!"

I had this at #2 myself, This was in a tie with #3 which I broke.  No way this isn't at least #2
Leave it to Charles Schultz to remind us what the true meaning of Christmas is.  Classic Music, Schroeder's Jingle Bells can still be heard in my mind.  Christmas Time is Here gets plenty of playtime during the holiday season.  Who can't see the Peanuts gang skating in their mind when they hear this song?

I love Charlie Brown's reaction to Sally asking for Tens and Twenties and who could forget the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, which is proudly displayed in my living room.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated television special, and is the first TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the program made its debut on CBS on December 9, 1965. In this special, Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. Lucy suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his peers. After Linus tells Charlie Brown about the true meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown cheers up, and the Peanuts gang unites to celebrate the Christmas season.
After the comic strip's debut in 1950, Peanuts had become a phenomenon worldwide by the mid-1960s. The special was commissioned and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, and was written over a period of several weeks, and produced on a small budget in six months. In casting the characters, the producers took an unconventional route, hiring child actors. The program's soundtrack was similarly unorthodox, featuring a jazz score by pianist Vince Guaraldi. Its lack of a laugh track (a staple in US television animation in this period), in addition to its tone, pacing, music, and animation, led both the producers and the network to predict the project would be a disaster. However, contrary to their collective apprehension, A Charlie Brown Christmas received high ratings and acclaim from critics. It has been honored with an Emmy and a Peabody Award, and has become an annual presentation in the United States, airing on broadcast television during the Christmas season. Its success paved the way for a series of Peanuts television specials and films. Its jazz soundtrack achieved commercial success, selling four million copies in the US. Live theatrical versions of A Charlie Brown Christmas have been staged.    

Fun Facts:
The popularity of the special practically eliminated the popularity of the aluminum Christmas tree, which was a fad from 1958 to 1965, when the special portrayed it negatively. By 1967, just two years after the special first aired, they were no longer being regularly manufactured.
A Charlie Brown Christmas was completed just ten days shy of its national broadcast premiere. All involved believed the special would be a disaster. Melendez first saw the completed animation at a showing in a theater in the days before its premiere, turning to his crew of animators and remarking, "My golly, we've killed it." Melendez was embarrassed, but one of the animators, Ed Levitt, was more positive regarding the special, telling him it was "the best special [he'll] ever make [...] This show is going to run for a hundred years."  Mendelson was similar in his assumptions of the show's quality, and when he showed the film to network executives in New York, their opinions were also negative. Their complaints included the show's slow pace, the music not fitting, and the animation too simple. "I really believed, if it hadn't been scheduled for the following week, there's no way they were gonna broadcast that show," Mendelson later said.  Executives had invited television critic Richard Burgheim of Time to view the special, and debated as to whether showing it to him would be a good idea.  His review, printed the following week, was positive, praising the special as unpretentious and writing that "A Charlie Brown Christmas is one children's special this season that bears repeating."
Charles Schulz was reluctant to turn his Peanuts comic strip into an animation, but ultimately allowed Ford Motors to use the characters in a commercial in 1959. Bill Melendez animated the spot, and Schulz liked the finished product so much he allowed Melendez to direct A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Some of the voice actors couldn't read the script because they weren't really working voice actors at all — they were children. Melendez and Schulz cast ordinary children to voice certain characters in order to make the special more authentic. However, the producers quickly realized some of the kids couldn't read the script handed to them, so Melendez had to recite it line for line. 

(Individual rankings - 15/16/13)

 
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 16

1 - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (16pts)

"Didn't I ever tell you about Bumbles? Bumbles bounce."

This was my #1, it's my favorite and I still watch it every year.  I have the plush characters from CVS (1998/1999) under my tree.
When I was little, I used to hide when the Abominable Snow Monster of the North came on. 
Burl Ives singing "Silver and Gold" , The Misfit Toys, Yukon Cornelius, Hermey wanting to be a Dentist what else could you want.

I even had a crush on Clarice as a kid.

Some other great Songs, "We are Santa's Elves" , "There's Always Tomorrow" , "We're a Couple of Misfits" and "Holly Jolly Christmas"
It has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest continuously running Christmas TV special. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1964 Christmas stop motion animated television special produced by Videocraft International, Ltd. (later known as Rankin/Bass Productions) and currently distributed by Universal Television. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour.  The special was based on the Johnny Marks song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" which was itself based on the poem of the same name written in 1939 by Marks' brother-in-law, Robert L. May.

Fun facts:

For decades, fans have focused attention on the little doll on Misfit Island because there was nothing visibly wrong with her. Though some wondered if it was her lack of a real nose, Arthur Rankin has said that she was depressed because her owner didn’t want her anymore and she felt unlovable.
Yukon Cornelius’s sled is pulled by a Poodle, a Cocker Spaniel, a Saint Bernard, a Dachshund and a Collie.
Rudolph’s red nose was originally created using a 12v light bulb painted red.
In the 1965 broadcast, the song “We’re a Couple of Misfits”was replaced with a new song, “Fame and Fortune.”

The version of the special that ran in 1964 does not include Santa traveling to the Island of Misfit Toys at the end, despite saying they'll do so. This oversight prompted fans to send angry letters to the network. The next year, a short scene was added in which Santa delivers the misfits to new homes.  
The following scene was then omitted near the end of the special in which Yukon Cornelius discovers a peppermint mine near Santa's workshop. He can be seen throughout the special tossing his pickax into the air, sniffing, then licking the end that contacts the snow or ice. Deletion of the peppermint segment in 1965, to make room for Santa traveling to the Island of Misfit Toys, leaves the audience to assume that Cornelius was attempting to find either silver or gold by taste alone.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was originally shown as a part of the General Electric Fantasy Hour. At that time, Rudolph characters were also featured in GE commercials.

(Individual rankings - 16/15/14)

 
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time -  Final Rankings

1 - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (16pts) (16/15/14)

2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas (15 pts) (15/16/13)

3 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (14 pts)  (14/14/16)

4 - Santa Claus is Comin' to town (13 points)  (13/11/12)

5 - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (12 pts) (12/8/15)

6 - A Year without Santa Claus (11 points) (11/13/8)

7 - Frosty The Snowman (10pts) (8/12/9)

8 - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (9pts) (7/9/11)

9 - A Muppet Family Christmas (8 pts) (9/5/10)

10 - Bob Hope Christmas Special (7 pts) (3/10/7)

11 - Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (6 pts) (10/6/3)

12 - Olive The Other Reindeer (5 pts) (4/7/6)

13 - Jack Frost (4 pts) (5/2/4)

14- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (3 pts) (6/3/1)

15 - **** Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve (2 pts) (I2/1/5)

16 - Perry Como's Christmas (1 pt)(1/4/2)

 
rick6668 said:
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time -  Final Rankings

1 - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (16pts) (16/15/14)

2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas (15 pts) (15/16/13)

3 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (14 pts)  (14/14/16)

4 - Santa Claus is Comin' to town (13 points)  (13/11/12)

5 - It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (12 pts) (12/8/15)

6 - A Year without Santa Claus (11 points) (11/13/8)

7 - Frosty The Snowman (10pts) (8/12/9)

8 - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (9pts) (7/9/11)

9 - A Muppet Family Christmas (8 pts) (9/5/10)

10 - Bob Hope Christmas Special (7 pts) (3/10/7)

11 - Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (6 pts) (10/6/3)

12 - Olive The Other Reindeer (5 pts) (4/7/6)

13 - Jack Frost (4 pts) (5/2/4)

14- 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (3 pts) (6/3/1)

15 - **** Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve (2 pts) (I2/1/5)

16 - Perry Como's Christmas (1 pt)(1/4/2)
Click to expand...
Great work Rick!

 
rick6668 said:
The Greatest TV Holiday Specials of all time - Part 11

6 - A Year without Santa Claus (11 points)
Click to expand...
did much better than I thought it would, and much better than our last time doing this, where it scored bottom 5 or whatnot.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh, and Emmit Otter is a weird show with weird little creatures in a weird band contest.

Did I mention it was weird? 

 
One I was thinking of for Holiday Show:

How does the house think the annual broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would've fared? I remembered loving it as a kid. As an adult, it's usually background noise for whatever else we're doing to prep for Thanksgiving -- though all kids seems to love watching the giant balloons go by. IMHO, the broadcasts of the last 20+ years have too much lag time between the exciting-to-kids parts (the cool balloons, etc.).

 
Doug B said:
One I was thinking of for Holiday Show:

How does the house think the annual broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would've fared? I remembered loving it as a kid. As an adult, it's usually background noise for whatever else we're doing to prep for Thanksgiving -- though all kids seems to love watching the giant balloons go by. IMHO, the broadcasts of the last 20+ years have too much lag time between the exciting-to-kids parts (the cool balloons, etc.).
Click to expand...
To me, this is prettymuch New Year's Rocking Eve territory.

 
Doug B said:
One I was thinking of for Holiday Show:

How does the house think the annual broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade would've fared? I remembered loving it as a kid. As an adult, it's usually background noise for whatever else we're doing to prep for Thanksgiving -- though all kids seems to love watching the giant balloons go by. IMHO, the broadcasts of the last 20+ years have too much lag time between the exciting-to-kids parts (the cool balloons, etc.).
Click to expand...
Yeah, for me I don't see this making it far out of the bottom.  Not sure what I would rank below it.

 
Horror / Supernatural

This was probably one of the weaker categories in our draft - it's a decent enough top 6 or 7, but after that, it gets pretty murky. Just not a ton out there, and what is out there can border on a little silly, especially lately. I'm a horror fan, so I was at least familiar with about 80% of this list, and the few I wasn't familiar with I gave a shot and watched a bit. My personal opinion and taste shaped the list, but I also took popularity  / legacy / etc into consideration because I don't feel it should be 100% up to my own taste. 

I asked for some opinions/help on this, but didn't receive any (I did for Sci Fi). That tells me that most folks looked at the list and said "nah". I get it.

Ok, here we go:

1 point – Mindhunter

I feel it’s far more cop show than horror. I have nothing against serial killers (we’ll see another one much later), but I felt this was more or less police procedural. I only watched piecemeal however, and not the entire way through.

2 points - Wynnona Earp              

Wyatt Earp’s great great granddaughter fights the ghosts of the people he killed. Ok then. I guess anything is possible in this expanded streaming world. Cute idea that was probably conceived after a few bong rips, but this did not grab me.

3 Points - What We Do in the Shadows  

If it’s not Evil Dead, comedic horror doesn’t usually thrill me. I get the feeling this is another “hey, we have the bandwidth, let’s do a show about…”

4 Points – Penny Dreadful

I liked this for what it is. Decent characters, some surprises. Will watch more. 

5 points – Channel Zero

I liked this too. Good series. I have not watched all four seasons, but I will.

6 Points – Trilogy of Terror (my pick)

The Zuni Fetish Doll has legs – definitely iconic. But I can’t rate a TV movie any higher. I should have picked Kolchak the Night Stalker instead and gotten myself another point or two. Maybe

7 Points – True Blood

I was not a fan of this show, and I like it less than a few others I’ve rated below it. But I cannot deny it was quite popular, lasted a long time, and won awards.

8 Points – American Horror Story

Very hit or miss - some seasons I liked, and some really lost me and I didn’t finish (causing me to forget about the show). Still, quality horror when it hits.

9 points – Hannibal

I didn’t come to this until later, and I liked what I’ve seen. I should finish this, because it’s decent.

10 points – Twin Peaks

I’m a fan. I just felt out of everything remaining, this was the least horror/supernatural related. It’s there, but compared to the rest, it’s “horror lite”.

11 Points – Tales from the Crypt

I loved this when it was on, and the crypt keeper was always fun. Surprisingly high quality stories too – very few “bad” episodes, which is rare in an anthology series.

12 Points – Stranger Things

I’m an outlier in that I did not really like this show as much as others have. “Kids on bikes going on adventures” is not my preferred genre, no matter how nostalgic it is. But I can’t deny that it’s quality, and has some great characters.

13 Points – Dark Shadows

I did like this show for awhile as a horror-crazed kid, even if I didn’t “get” a lot of the context. Gotta give major props to a horror soap opera that lasted more than 1200 episodes and spawned an iconic character. Finishes just out of the top 3. 

14 Points – Game of Thrones

As an overall show, this is probably the best in the list. As a horror/supernatural show, it’s still top 3. But it misses the top spot due to the “Game” being far more a focus than the supernatural. Finished its run poorly, but I won’t hold that against it, because all of the top 3 did.

15 Points - The Walking Dead

Definitely had some jump the shark moments later on, but those first few seasons were excellent. Put a very human face on apocalyptic survival. Big fan until around Negan, then I bailed.

16 Points – Dexter

I would put this show’s first four seasons up against anything – Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc. It was superb. Until it wasn’t. But for my money, this is still the best horror-themed show of all time.

and there we have it. Funny that all of the top 3 limped to finish line and left many fans cold.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
jwb said:
Horror / Supernatural

This was probably one of the weaker categories in our draft - it's a decent enough top 6 or 7, but after that, it gets pretty murky. Just not a ton out there, and what is out there can border on a little silly, especially lately. I'm a horror fan, so I was at least familiar with about 80% of this list, and the few I wasn't familiar with I gave a shot and watched a bit. My personal opinion and taste shaped the list, but I also took popularity  / legacy / etc into consideration because I don't feel it should be 100% up to my own taste. 

I asked for some opinions/help on this, but didn't receive any (I did for Sci Fi). That tells me that most folks looked at the list and said "nah". I get it.

Ok, here we go:

1 point – Mindhunter

I feel it’s far more cop show than horror. I have nothing against serial killers (we’ll see another one much later), but I felt this was more or less police procedural. I only watched piecemeal however, and not the entire way through.

2 points - Wynnona Earp              

Wyatt Earp’s great great granddaughter fights the ghosts of the people he killed. Ok then. I guess anything is possible in this expanded streaming world. Cute idea that was probably conceived after a few bong rips, but this did not grab me.

3 Points - What We Do in the Shadows  

If it’s not Evil Dead, comedic horror doesn’t usually thrill me. I get the feeling this is another “hey, we have the bandwidth, let’s do a show about…”

4 Points – Penny Dreadful

I liked this for what it is. Decent characters, some surprises. Will watch more. 

5 points – Channel Zero

I liked this too. Good series. I have not watched all four seasons, but I will.

6 Points – Trilogy of Terror (my pick)

The Zuni Fetish Doll has legs – definitely iconic. But I can’t rate a TV movie any higher. I should have picked Kolchak the Night Stalker instead and gotten myself another point or two. Maybe

7 Points – True Blood

I was not a fan of this show, and I like it less than a few others I’ve rated below it. But I cannot deny it was quite popular, lasted a long time, and won awards.

8 Points – American Horror Story

Very hit or miss - some seasons I liked, and some really lost me and I didn’t finish (causing me to forget about the show). Still, quality horror when it hits.

9 points – Hannibal

I didn’t come to this until later, and I liked what I’ve seen. I should finish this, because it’s decent.

10 points – Twin Peaks

I’m a fan. I just felt out of everything remaining, this was the least horror/supernatural related. It’s there, but compared to the rest, it’s “horror lite”.

11 Points – Tales from the Crypt

I loved this when it was on, and the crypt keeper was always fun. Surprisingly high quality stories too – very few “bad” episodes, which is rare in an anthology series.

12 Points – Stranger Things

I’m an outlier in that I did not really like this show as much as others have. “Kids on bikes going on adventures” is not my preferred genre, no matter how nostalgic it is. But I can’t deny that it’s quality, and has some great characters.

13 Points – Dark Shadows

I did like this show for awhile as a horror-crazed kid, even if I didn’t “get” a lot of the context. Gotta give major props to a horror soap opera that lasted more than 1200 episodes and spawned an iconic character. Finishes just out of the top 3. 

14 Points – Game of Thrones

As an overall show, this is probably the best in the list. As a horror/supernatural show, it’s still top 3. But it misses the top spot due to the “Game” being far more a focus than the supernatural. Finished its run poorly, but I won’t hold that against it, because all of the top 3 did.

15 Points - The Walking Dead

Definitely had some jump the shark moments later on, but those first few seasons were excellent. Put a very human face on apocalyptic survival. Big fan until around Negan, then I bailed.

16 Points – Dexter

I would put this show’s first four seasons up against anything – Breaking Bad, The Wire, etc. It was superb. Until it wasn’t. But for my money, this is still the best horror-themed show of all time.

and there we have it. Funny that all of the top 3 limped to finish line and left many fans cold.
Click to expand...
Nice job overall!

I have to disagree on Dark Shadows (would have it much lower) and Dexter (a couple notches lower).

 
Leading Male 1950-1970 

Not quite as forgettable as the female version of this category but still these aren’t performances that compare favorably to their counterparts in later decades. Who are the most fondly remembered? 
 

2 Pts Paladin (Have Gun Will Travel) Best remembered for having a cool name. 
 

3 Pts Napoleon Solo (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) Robert Vaughn was a pretty good actor. This series was dreadful. 

TIE 5 Pts Kelly Robinson/Alexander Scott (I Spy) See Ginger and Maryanne. 

 
Leading Male 1950-1970

6 Pts The Saint (The Saint) Made Roger Moore a star. 

7 Pts Elliot Ness (The Untouchables) Character is better remembered for other reasons than this show. 

8 Pts Barnabas Collins (Dark Shadows) Cult star. 
 

 
jwb said:
Horror / Supernatural

8 Points – American Horror Story

Very hit or miss - some seasons I liked, and some really lost me and I didn’t finish (causing me to forget about the show). Still, quality horror when it hits.
Click to expand...
Can't argue with the blurb.  Some seasons are phenomenal but you can usually tell right away and then just let the season go if it isn't one of the good ones.  I was hoping that the great seasons would stand out more and bump it  into the top 5ish.  Probably properly rated as a whole but for best season only would rank higher.  

ETA:  @jwb  we switched Lost out of this category once AHS was still out there.  Where would Lost of faired in this category (supernatural)?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
KarmaPolice said:
Probably.  Not about that though.  Neither I or the 14 year old could even bother finishing the first season.  
Click to expand...
I couldn’t either - it seemed like nothing ever really happened. It seemed to be strung together cheesy battle scenes. I could not get into it at all and I’m a Star Wars fan.

 
Leading Male 1950-1970

These are the best remembered: 

9 Pts Jim Phelps (Mission Impossible) Peter Graves was awesome. 

10 Pts Dr. Kildare (Dr. Kildare) The future Anjin-san. 

11 Pts Ben Cartwright (Bonanza) My pick. Starred on that show for a decade (thats 4 decades in dog years.) 
 

12 Pts Bret Maverick (Maverick) Reminds me of Jim Rockford with a Stetson. 
 

 
Leading Man 1950-1970 

The legends: 

13 Pts Matt Dillon (Gunsmoke) Protected that town for a long time. 

14 Pts Richard Kimble (The Fugitive) Paranoid crazy who was guilty all along. 

15 Pts Perry Mason (Perry Mason) I should have had a greatest TV lawyer category. Well, next time. 
 

16 Pts Joe Friday (Dragnet) Facts are he deserves the top score. 

 
Gally said:
Can't argue with the blurb.  Some seasons are phenomenal but you can usually tell right away and then just let the season go if it isn't one of the good ones.  I was hoping that the great seasons would stand out more and bump it  into the top 5ish.  Probably properly rated as a whole but for best season only would rank higher.  

ETA:  @jwb  we switched Lost out of this category once AHS was still out there.  Where would Lost of faired in this category (supernatural)?
Click to expand...
I wasn't a Lost fan, but just on cultural impact, it'd make the top half easy. Top 5? Yea, maybe - it could bump stranger things a bit down.

My top 4 is pretty bulletproof for horror/supernatural. I could see some dropping Dark Shadows, but I won't. 1,000+ episodes and an iconic character deserves to be near the top for horror television.

 
Leading man 1950-1970

16 Pts Joe Friday 

15 Pts Perry Mason 

14 Pts Richard Kimble 

13 Pts Matt Dillon 

12 Pts Brett Maverick 

11 Pts Ben Cartwright 

10 Pts Dr. Kildare 

9. Pts Jim Phelps 

8 Pts Barnabas Collins 

7 Pts Elliot Ness

6 Pts The Saint 

5 Pts TIE- Kelly Robinson/Alexander Scott 

3 Pts Napoleon Solo 

2 Pts Paladin 

 
Doug B said:
jwb, where do you think the NBC series Grimm might have been ranked? Or the CW series The Vampire Diaries?
Click to expand...
Probably bottom half - I'm more old school, and don't like "the young people will love this" modern horror series all that much (lawn/off). Never got into Buffy, et al.

I struggled a little with Stranger Things because of this, but the overall quality overcame my bias.

 
1 --Yo Mama--296

2 --Tolstoy--240

3 --mphtrilogy--237

4 --Zow--231

5 --jwb--230

6 --Gally Steiner--229

7 --tuffnutt--226

8 --KarmaPolice--217

9 --AcerFC--216

10 -Hov34--213

11 -timschochet--212

12 -Doug B--211

13 -rick6668--206

14 -Mrs. Rannous--202

15 -TripleLayne--191

16 -Pitchfork--181

 
jwb said:
I think a serial killer is horror enough. You could perhaps add his Harry visions as supernatural as well.
Click to expand...
OK

To me, horror is something that scares or frightens you. I am with you on almost every one of your write ups except Dexter. There was not one second that ever scared or frightened me. And to add to that, he only killed bad guys. So I didnt even feel bad for the people he killed. 

 
AcerFC said:
OK

To me, horror is something that scares or frightens you. I am with you on almost every one of your write ups except Dexter. There was not one second that ever scared or frightened me. And to add to that, he only killed bad guys. So I didnt even feel bad for the people he killed. 
Click to expand...
I could see why you feel that way. It is a bit ambiguous - it's not a "scary" show, but most of the list really wasn't either.

Honestly, the "scariest" thing on that entire list is my 6-point pick. 

 
jwb said:
Doug B said:
jwb, where do you think the NBC series Grimm might have been ranked? Or the CW series The Vampire Diaries?
Click to expand...
Probably bottom half - I'm more old school, and don't like "the young people will love this" modern horror series all that much (lawn/off). Never got into Buffy, et al.

I struggled a little with Stranger Things because of this, but the overall quality overcame my bias.
Click to expand...
The Vampire Diaries was aimed at teens and the college-age set ... but Grimm wasn't like that at all. I'd recommend the latter.

Grimm was a mix of police procedural, fantasy, and horror. However, the horror elements were right out front, not hinted at or seen just offscreen. And the horror/fantasy elements were mixed in deftly with the police-procedural elements, so there was no real sense of "Okay ... not much horror stuff happening here."

 
Doug B said:
The Vampire Diaries was aimed at teens and the college-age set ... but Grimm wasn't like that at all. I'd recommend the latter.

Grimm was a mix of police procedural, fantasy, and horror. However, the horror elements were right out front, not hinted at or seen just offscreen. And the horror/fantasy elements were mixed in deftly with the police-procedural elements, so there was no real sense of "Okay ... not much horror stuff happening here."
Click to expand...
I did just lump that in based on my limited knowledge. Just looked a bit deeper - yea, this looks good. I'll check it out. 

It's like when someone says "hey check out this new song" and I hear the opening synth pop and say "yea, I'm good - gimme my AC/DC"... then the new song turns, and I'm liking it. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Dr. Octopus said:
Maybe because it was only one season.
Click to expand...
For sure.  Still probably a decent late round pick though.  

One think is for sure being a horror fan- if this list is an indication, TV for sure needs to step up its horror game.  Not sure I would recommend more than 2-3 on this list

 
KarmaPolice said:
For sure.  Still probably a decent late round pick though.  

One think is for sure being a horror fan- if this list is an indication, TV for sure needs to step up its horror game.  Not sure I would recommend more than 2-3 on this list
Click to expand...
I think some other ones just ended up in other categories... Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchock Presents, Buffy. X-Files could have gone more into the Supernatural piece of Horror/Supernatural too.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

timschochet
The Great 2020 All Time Movie Draft- The judging is heavily biased against me. It’s a hoax! Fake news.
212 213 214
Replies
11K
Views
307K
Don Quixote
Don Quixote
timschochet
2020 Greatest of All Time Sports Draft-Zow wins, Judges still suck
120 121 122
Replies
6K
Views
196K
joffer
joffer
BobbyLayne
The 25 Greatest Films of the 21st Century So Far
2 3 4
Replies
155
Views
12K
El Floppo
El Floppo

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top