CBS served up a pair of classic kid’s specials - "Frosty the Snowman" and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"…
... while ABC offered family-friendly variety from Pat Boone and Family. Guests included the wacky Hudson Brothers and The Ropers’ Audra Lindley and Norman Fell. In NYC The Hudson Brothers had to compete with themselves on a repeat of the Merv Griffin Show
Offered as a holiday film was Somebody Killed Her Husband, a comic murder mystery starring Farrah Fawcett and Jeff Bridges. I hadn’t seen this flick since, well since this 1979 showing probably, and had no recollection of it being a Christmas film but Lo and Behold it’s set, partially, in Macy’s during the holiday shopping season and climaxes with a big set-piece during the Macy’s Thanksgiving day Parade.
Locally in NYC you could also catch Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol on WPIX
Dec 9
Sunday started with the Canadian cartoon “A Cosmic Christmas” before a choice needed to be made between the classic holiday special “The Year Without a Santa Claus” and NBC’s Big Event…
...the controversial Mary and Joseph - A Story of Faith
Dec 10
CBS paired the evergreen "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with the Raggedy Ann and Andy toon "The Great Santa Claus Caper".
Dec 11 doesn’t seem to have anything festive in prime time
Dec 12
The lone holiday special this evening was the premiere of "A Country Christmas" with Roy Clark, Loretta Lynn, David Soul and Minnie Pearl, among others.
Dec 13
Tonight offered three specials. First up was the animated Jack Frost…
...then the first of a pair of specials from beloved entertainers in the twilight of their careers. Bob Hope welcomed Police Woman’s Angie Dickinson, Eight is Enough’s Adam Rich, One Day at a Time’s Bonnie Franklin and the late Bing Crosby’s widow and longtime Christmas special co-star, Kathryn Crosby.
An hour later you could have caught Dean Martin’s Christmas in California featuring the delectable Golddiggers plus Dom Deluise, Shirley Jones and Ruth Buzzi.
Dec 14
Young Adam Rich surfaces again as a guest of Donnie and Marie in their Christmas variety special. Rich was joined by Erik Estrada, Cindy Williams and Dorothy Hamill.
An hour later viewers could join Perry Como for Christmas in New Mexico
Followed by the week’s second serving of country Christmas fare with "Merry Christmas from the Grand Ole Opry", hosted by Robert Urich
Sources include TV Guide, Albany Herald, Youtube
