Its The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (Full Episode)

This is a Charlie Brown Special focusing on Halloween and Linus.  Of course it has all the characters, including Snoopy chasing the Red Baron, and getting shot down, Charlie Brown, who only gets rocks, Lucy who is embarrassed by her brother, Linus, who believes in the Great Pumpkin and gives up his halloween waiting for its arrival, Sally, who loves Linus enough to wait for the Great Pumpkin with him, and Schroeder, whose music touches the emotions, as Snoopy demonstrates.
Loved this show as a kid, and still love it.
There are a couple versions on You Tube

Music Review: Nat King Cole An Evening With Nat King Cole HD

I really loved the music for this BBC concert special, 1963.  Nat King Cole starts with "Unforgettable" and just continues from one hit to another.  "Just the Way You Look Tonight" really moves me.  "When I fall In Love" is beautiful, and Cole performs this song better than anyone.  "When I fall in love it will be forever...When I give My Heart It Will Be Completely." Cole does a few song with a quartet, bass, drums, trumpet and guitar while Cole is the fifth on piano and vocals.  He starts with "Paper Moon" a personal favorite.  "Let There Be Love" is also beautifully done.  This group has incredible talent and there playing is very moving.  Cole's jazz piano is superb.  "Mona Lisa" is also very nice.  Later in the show Cole does a series of songs with a small choir.  I did not care for this section as much.

TV Review: Winnie the Pooh's Halloween Stories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-mrUwkFYN4
I think Winnie the Pooh stories are a bit predictable.  The group is scared of something, then they mistake one of their number for whatever they are scared of, and then in the end the truth is revealed and the all have a good time.  The cutest part about this show is the honey moon where Pooh and Piglet think they have landed.  I didn't get the bit about the dream; it was too complicated.  A dream of dreaming you're dreaming and you can't go to bed because then you'll dream.  That is the mess Piglet is in.  And a lack of sleep makes everyone crazy.

TV Movie Review: ****A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

When Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Francis invite themselves over for Thanksgiving Dinner. Charlie Brown is in a pickle because they are going to Grandmother's house for Thanksgiving.  Who can tell Peppermint Patty anything, she just talks and never listens.  Charlie Brown puts together the dinner with Snoopy's help; But they only know how to cook toast and popcorn.  Peppermint Patty is pretty disappointed and her feelings spill over.  However, in the end grandmother saves the day.
The cutest scene in this story is the fight between snoopy and the lawn chair.  It is very classic. 

TV Review: John Wayne Special: Swing Out, Sweet Land

This T.V. special has been released on DVD as John Wayne's Tribute to America.  This version was presented on 1970 an NBC television.  This is John Wayne in a different type of a role, as the M.C. for a patriotic presentation.  This T.V. special has a myriad of actors doing musical and comedy sketches.  There is Red Skelton playing a newspaperman with Tom Smothers.  Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Dick Martin and Dan Rowan, Dan Blocker, Lorne Green, Michael Landon, William Shatner, and many more.  Some special music from Johnny Cash "Ribbon of Steel" Roy Clark "Oh Sussanah" Glen Campbell "This is a Great Country" and Leslie Uggams singing "Clementine."  A couple groupp songs fell a bit flat.  They actually sang the Declaration of Indipendence, and it got a bit boring.  However the high light of the presentation was the last number, "God Bless America."  Many of the actors sang a line.  It was terrific and very emotional. 

Music Review: Pop Legends Live: Herman Hermits starring Peter Noone (2005)

I really enjoyed Herman's Hermits growing up, and I still enjoy their music.  This DVD presentation which appeared on PBS has a short anthology of some of their work.  "Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good" is an up beat song to get your blood flowing.  They started with this, and then sang a cover "Wonderful World."  "Listen People" has a mellow, longing feel to it.  When Peter Noone sings, "Listen people to what I say
I say everybody's got to have their day' he is expressing the belief that everyone will have good days, and bad.   One of my most favorite Herman's Hermits song is "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter"  I just love the sound, with the British accent.  Noone made a point of this, teasing the rough R sound of the Cleveland audience as they sang with him.  "I'm Henry the Eighth, I Am" sounds like a party or drinking song.  This DVD special was topped off with "There's a Kind of Hush."  This is a mellow love song.  This song was later covered by "The Carpenters>"
So listen very carefully.
Closer now and you will see what I mean.
It isn't a dream.
The only sound that you will hear
Is when I whisper in your ear
I love you forever and ever.

Music Review: An Evening with John Denver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp4uTN7Th_8

This musical TV special was filmed in 1975.  It presents some traditional John Denver music with a twist.  Denver sings some funny songs, and some serious songs.  The high light for me of this presentation was a series of duets with Danny Kaye, singing John Denver songs--but not in the traditional way.  "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane" gets a Caribbean twist.  "Sunshine on My Shoulder" gets both a British and a Scottish twist.  Finally "Take Me Home Country Roads" gets a Russian operatic feel.  These songs are intermingled with dance and it is very enjoyable.  John Denver also shows a tour of the Calypso with Jacques Cousteau.  Denver went diving a saw some incredible fish, including a barracuda and large angel fish.  On the serieous side he sings a song "Matthew" about a farmer who lost his farm.  On the funny side Denver sings "Ballad of Gerald R. Ford" a very short song.  "Saturday Night in Toledo" makes fun of the lack of activity in Toledo.  He says its mostly true.  Denver and Kaye also sing a fun duet, "Grandma's Feather Bed".  John Denver concludes this special with "Rhymes and Reasons":
For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers,
their laughter and their loveliness would clear a cloudy day.
Like the music of the mountains and the colors of the rainbow,
they're a promise of the future and a blessing for today.

Tv Review: Horton Hatches an Egg (1942)

This animated Dr. Seuss feature is a little different, because it was animated by Hannah Barbera.  However it tells the story very well.  Horton is finagled into watching the egg of the lazy bird Maisie.  Horton takes over the job, and sits and sits, 51 weeks "Because he said what he meant and meant what he said and an elephant's faithful 100 percent."  He was faithful when his friends teased him, when the hunters approached and when they took him to the zoo.  Maisie spends the weeks sunning herself in Palm Beach.  Maisie shows up just before the egg hatches, and wants the egg back now the work is done.  SO she takes it, but then it hatches; an elephant bird.
This is a cute show, and those who do the work should receive the rewards.

TV Review: Daisy Head Mayzie (1995)

This is an animated version of Dr Seuss' last book.  Dr. Seuss wrote the book, but it was illustrated after his death.  This short portrays a young girl, Mayzie, who has a daisy grow right out of her head.  AT first she is an object of scorn, even the mayor getting in the act saying the daisy must go.  But then an agent steps forward, and renames the daisy a talent, and signs her to a contract, over the objection of her parents.  She is intent on being famous and having fun.  She has her fun, and gets her money, but they don't buy her happiness, so she goes home where she is loved.
It is sad we cannot have our money and fun and our family and happiness too.

TV Review: The Butter Battle Book (1989)

This is a Dr. Seuss animated TV special, which depicts in a real sense Dr. Seuss' ideas about the cold war.  I wonder if the production of this movie, a couple years before the "iron curtain" came down could have been an observation, or a reason why this wall cam down.
This movie shows two countries, divided by their preference for how the butter their bread, who engage in warfare of ever and ever bigger weapons, until they reach the ultimate point, everyone goes underground, while two face each other with "atomic" bombs which will destroy everything.
This movie gives Dr. Seuss a voice in political issues which he saw around him.

Movie Review: Horton Hears a Who (1970)

This is an animated short made for TV of the classic Dr. Seuss tale.  It is very cute, and does a very good job portraying Horton, who rescues a world on a speck of dust, "Because a person's a person no matter how small."  The music is mostly forgettable, but the story is not.  This is the account of Horton defending the world speck of dust eon a clover despite opposition.  The kangaroos don't hear, don't see and don't believe in the Who's, and the monkeys steal the clover, give it to the eagle to dispose of, and he does in a field of many clover.  Horton meticulously checks out each clover (a drawback is destruction of all the clover) until he finds them again.  However this time, Horton is caged, and the Who's are set to be put in burning oil.  They have to heard, so we learn every voice in a community is important, as they are able to get through "We are hear" is heard by the world.  I like themes,

every voice is important, and every person is important.

Christmas Music Review: A Bing Crosby Christmas

This is a composite of the Bing Crosby Christmas specials which took place form 1962 through 1977.  Of course the highlight of this series is listening to Bing Crosby sing.  The low light is that with many of the songs they combine different versions from different shows which doesn't work very well.  They also cut frequently from song to song.  Another low light has to be the singing of the Crosby children.  They do not have Bing Crosby's gift.  There are some songs which really inspire.  He sings "Drummer Boy" with David Bowie.  He and Jackie Gleason sing "Two Loafers" which isn't very impressive, but it is fun to see Jackie Gleason again.  Bing Crosby does a terrific job of "Silent Night," as well as "White Christmas."  Crosby has such a beautiful voice, his songs are a treasure.  I miss the age of the TV Special.