No Christmas Programming? HUH??

So I am curious if this is the same in other areas.

I live the NW corner of Washington State, Skagit County. My cable providor is Comcast.

I went to try and find "It's a Wonderful Life" last night, to watch with my kids. I can remember in years past, you couldn't get away from this movie this time of year. I was amazed when i couldn't find it anywhere on tv, or not even on demand.

I started searching. There is almost NOTHING on today. A cartoon on the kids channel, and then 'A Christmas Story' played over and over on another, and that is IT. NOTHING! There isn't even a seciton in on demand for Christmas movies.

I recall from years and years the following movies (to only name a few):

It's a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Carole
The Ten Commandments
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (with Burl Ives)
The Wizard of Oz
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
White Christmas
Babes In Toyland
Scrooge
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The Bishop's Wife
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town



So you remember these movies? Of course you do!!!

WHERE ARE THEY???!!!

I can't find any of them on TV, or On Demand. It is really bothering me. Is it suddenly a copyright issue, or is something more sinister?

I have come to realize just how much of an influence the media has over us and our kids. The almost complete absence of anything Christmas from it's programming is telling, I think.

So chime in; Do YOU have Christmas programming available to you today? What you do think about the lack-of?

I know for a fact that It's a Wonderful Life was on earlier this week and so was Rudolph as well on one of the channels because my mother and little brother were watching it. I find it strange that ON Christmas, there's a lack of Christmas programming though. They had a lot of stuff on before Christmas this year, hmm.. I right now am watching A Christmas Story, that's one you can't get enough of. I know that Bad Santa's on right now as well, but I do NOT think that you want to watch that with your kids.

Wow babies in Toyland.

Talk about a blast from the past. Made the year I was born. Only 26 and I feel so old

reply to post by Myomistress


I don't know if they were on Comcast earlier this week or not, but yah, I'm bothered that the only classic you can find today is A Christmas Story....wierd.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

Its been steadily happening.

Remember when we were kids (if you are in your mid 30s or up?) that "Specials" were HUGE during the Holidays. GI Joes Christmas at 8 pm followed by Transformers Christmas at 8:30 and then "Its a Wonderful Life" at 9?

Man those were the days...

But today its all "on demand" and we can watch those shows whenever and viewership has plummeted on "Specials" (not that people are not watching- They just watch it on disk or netflix now at their convenience)

But yes, I have noticed this trend for about a decade and its with every Holiday..

Damn I want Gi Joes Christmas. Cobra got into the "spirit" and gave the Joes gifts. heartwarming lol.

reply to post by DarKPenguiN


Oh yes, I remember. I will be 41 tomorrow.

Thing is, I tried searching 'On Demand'....and nothing. No classics that I can find. Maybe I am missing them somewhere? The only 'Christmas Movies' section are a few kids movies. That's it. I can't watch a classic today (other than A Christmas Story) unless I go out and buy one.

I find it wierd and kinda sad. I wanted to share that classic (It's A Wonderful Life) with my kids...not watch Judge Judy or Storage Wars. Just have Christmas music on instead.

I will buy it later this week and watch it with them later, but it makes me wonder why the media has decided to completely ignore Christmas this year. I sign of the times??

I have all of those you listed they are downloaded to my hdd for xmas so i watch them on demand anytime

Been watching xmas movies all day, I don't want regular television or commercials on TV EVER..

You'll shoot ur eye our kid

reply to post by westcoast


I miss Charlie Brown Christmas and Twilight Zone Marathons. The old black and white ones.

It's a wonderful life
A Christmas carol
Scrooge
White Christmas
The Bishops wife
Going my way
Holiday inn

those are the movies I downloaded for the season, because like you say, on TV there's nothing on!

Just gave my lineup a cursory review , Comcast in Philadelphia PA, and their are at least 6 Christmas movies or shows on including TBS which is showing 24 hours of A Christmas Story.

I don't have cable but It's A Wonderful Life was on last night here, on our local NBC station they show it every year, on another the had Miracle on 34th Street, I don't remember what channel it was on, it was probably on Me TV or something.

Charlie Brown, IAWL, 24 HOURS of a Christmas Story, the Grinch, etc. etc. Seen them all on TV this year, but you can't just sit down at a random time and expect the movie you want to be on...




I can't turn around without seeing 5 more Christmas movies and 30 more Christmas songs. And it started in early November.

reply to post by westcoast


Odd that you should bring this up, westcoast... I was just thinking the exact same thing!

Where are all the Christmas specials???

I'm sure it's nothing nefarious, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who made a note of that!

reply to post by westcoast


I'm in Pierce County, near Tacoma. I also have Comcast. Last night, NBC played "It's a Wonderful Life" at 8 p.m. I watched it even though I was annoyed with the commercials. (Decided I have to buy it).

I will agree that this year was very slim with holiday specials. I don't think I saw any on demand, granted I don't look that much since I have Netflix, and I despise Comcast (few more months and I'm switching).

The main programming I saw this year on cable was "Miracle on 34th Street."
There was at least two days worth of that movie showing on the guide, throughout December.
AMC had a marathon a few days ago. I can't stand that movie, so I didn't watch it, but every time I brought up the guide, there it was.

My family also watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" a few days ago on Cartoon Network.

But overall, the choices haven't been great this year. Last year throughout fall and into December the Canada Channel (CBC Vancouver, Channel 99), played Sunday night movies, which were mostly Disney or holiday themed. It was nice, because I got to watch a lot of the old movies as an adult and decide if I want to own them to watch again. This year, I didn't see any.

Last year ABC had a lot of specials leading up to Christmas, but this year I didn't see any. There might be some today, but our family hasn't watched cable all day.

We only have a basic type cable, so there might have been more options on networks we don't get (Like Family Channel).

Perhaps this year the main broadcast networks didn't feel festive, or comcast didn't want to add it to demand for free.

reply to post by westcoast


Bad Santa was on Comedy Central at least.

This year I couldn't find it's a wonderful life at all!!! I saw Christmas vacation last week sometime (one of my alltime faves) Didn't see any of rudolph, frosty, the night before christmas, the old time christmas carol with real people, NOT claymation or cartoon, um I missed the one with heat meister (you remember that one) Today I saw of course a christmas story, and meet me in St louis I so miss white christmas and the dancing. I also saw the new grinch and the cartoon original I also thought this very odd.

Originally posted by RedBird
reply to post by westcoast

 

Odd that you should bring this up, westcoast... I was just thinking the exact same thing!

Where are all the Christmas specials???

I'm sure it's nothing nefarious, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who made a note of that!

They're readying us to change over to all the programs for Muslims like:
Women are the devil
suppress and oppress your females
and the grand finale
death and dismemberment to all that don't bow to Allah

Originally posted by ldyserenity
This year I couldn't find it's a wonderful life

at all!!! I saw Christmas vacation last week sometime (one of my alltime faves) Didn't see any of rudolph, frosty, the night before christmas, the old time christmas carol with real people, NOT claymation or cartoon, um I missed the one with heat meister (you remember that one) Today I saw of course a christmas story, and meet me in St louis I so miss white christmas and the dancing. I also saw the new grinch and the cartoon original I also thought this very odd.

Yet all of those shows have been on over the past 30 days where i live in PA on Comcast..

The point is just because they were on my area and they were not in yours proves nothing other than different cable providers in different areas have different programming lineups.

reply to post by westcoast


I just watched It's A Wonderful Life on Youtube, and many of the movies you listed can be found there. And with less commercials.

But I know what you mean, and it seems like there are less Christmas specials on the last couple of years. Looking at your list, I just realized that I need to watch a Charlie Brown Christmas, so back to Youtube, which is my new version of On Demand.

And Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Early too!