Amen - S1 Your Christmas Show of Shows (1986)
Despite being a tv-aholic my entire life there was a period where I barely watched broadcast tv. I call this gap the courting years. The time between serious dating taking up all my free time and settling down to domestic bliss. I suddenly had better things to do than mark up the TV guide and set timers on the VCR.
I missed a lot of TV, but I lived a lot of life so it’s all good. I missed Friends and most of Seinfeld their first time round. I also missed Amen. I wish I hadn’t, it’s become my favorite new old series this year thanks to Get-TV’s holiday episode marathon.
The series first Christmas episode features Sherman Hemsley's Deacon Frye taking over the Church”s children's Christmas pageant and is funny and sweet and a new annual tradition around here.
S2 The 12 Songs of Christmas (1987)
The church members can’t agree on which song to sing at the upcom8ng Christmas song fest. The comedy bits are pretty good but the highlight is the extended concert that closes the show, including a snippet of Mary’s Boy Child sung by it’s writer, series co-star Jester Hairston.
S3 The Deacon's Donkey (1988)
A variation on season one’s plot except this time it’s the nativity scene instead of the Christmas pageant that Hemsley's Deacon takes over. His plans for the ultimate spectacle are derailed by a poisoned donkey. Can the Deacon recover his holiday spirit and rescue the show? Another super Christmas episode with a pair of welcom musical numbers.
S4 Thelma Frye, Dough Girl (1989)
This is the problem with coming to a series through holiday episodes, you miss the story progression through the season. So, now the Deacons daughter’s in the military and she and Clifton James’ Reverend have been having romance problems. Okay. After a couple of minutes I’m back in the swing of things.
Thelma applies Military tactics to creating the perfect Christmas, but all she succeeds in doing is driving everyone crazy.
Not bad but the weakest so far.
S5 Miracle on 134th Street (1990)
Minor nitpick, the Deacon is shown to be a Scrooge in this episode while in all the previous Christmas shows he seems to love the holidays.
The Deacon finds himself defending Santa Claus (William Windom) in court, while Thelma deals with her demanding mother-in-law in this two part holiday offering. Oddly, despite the double episode there’s no musical number. There is a guest appearance by Ron Glass though, so that’s cool.
Overall a fun episode.
