Top Ten #334

1) The Holidays: We hope you all had a stupendous holiday week. It ain't over yet because we have New Year's Day ahead! One thing about having the big holidays smack dab in the middle of the workweek is you get a whole weekend right in between them. You know, I honestly thought that was awesome when I started writing that sentence.

2) Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas: My viewing of the traditional specials was way down this year, and this was the first year in a long time I didn't see any of the Rankin Bass shows. However, I managed to get this one in, and I am glad I did because it's one of the most underappreciated of the Christmas specials--not by those who have seen it, though.

3) The Bob Newhart Show: Only because I got the complete series DVD set for Christmas. Whoo-hoo!

4) Blake's 7: And Wife of the Show Laurie got Season 1 on Blu-Ray after falling in love with the series as Mike and I prepared to talk about it this season.

5) Ted Danson: Happy birthday to the icon! What do you get for the man who has already had like half a dozen hit sitcoms?

6) AFC/NFC Championship Games: On this date in 1974, the Vikings played the Rams in the NFC, whole the Steelers played the Raiders in the AFC, setting up the glorious Super Bowl in which Pittsburgh began its run of dominance.

7) New Year's preparations: It's time to stock up on food, beverages, and old Dick Clark videos.

8) 1974: A Television Album: CBS aired this program 50 years night and looked back at the most important stories of the year, like the debut of Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers.

9) ABC News Closeup: On this night in 1984, ABC took a look at an important subject, the Supreme Court, with an important documentary special--a program so important it could only air it at 10:00 on a Saturday night.

10) R.I.P. Greg Gumbel: What a class act! Gumbel was outstanding in the booth and in the studio, a pro who elevated ESPN, NBC, and CBS, among other outlets, with his presence.