Wikipedia

A Garfield Christmas

A Garfield Christmas Specialis a 1987 American animatedtelevision specialbased on theGarfieldcomic strip, created byJim Davis.It is directed byPhil Romanand starsLorenzo Musicas the voice ofGarfieldthe house cat, as well as Thom Huge,Gregg Berger,Julie Payne,Pat Harrington Jr.,David L. LanderandPat Carroll.The special is about Garfield spendingChristmaswith the Arbuckle family on their farm, and discovering thetrue meaning of Christmas.

A Garfield Christmas
Also known asA Garfield Christmas Special
Created byJim Davis
Written byJim Davis
Directed byPhil Roman
StarringLorenzo Music
Thom Huge
Gregg Berger
Julie Payne
Pat Harrington Jr.
David L. Lander
Pat Carroll
Theme music composerEd BogasandDesirée Goyette(music and lyrics)
Lou Rawls,Thom Huge,Gregg Berger,Desirée GoyetteandLorenzo Music(vocals)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerPhil Roman
Running time24 minutes
Production companiesFilm Roman
United Media
Paws, Inc.
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseDecember 21, 1987(1987-12-21)
Related

Davis, who wrote the teleplay, cited it as semi-autobiographical. The special was first broadcast on December 21, 1987, onCBSand was often rebroadcast in subsequent years at Christmastime: until 2000 (December 14, 2000 was the final CBS broadcast). It was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Programand has been released onDVD.

This was the seventh of twelveGarfield television specialsmade between 1982 and 1991.

Plot

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Jonwakes upGarfieldon Christmas Eve morning, telling him that they're going to the countryside to celebrate Christmas with Jon's family on their farm. Garfield is annoyed that they always go to the farm and the family never comes to Jon's house. During his drive to his family's farm, Jon talks about Christmases he had when he was a boy, with his parents, brother Doc Boy, and Grandma, while Garfield listens with great cynicism.

Upon arriving, Grandma and Garfield quickly grow a special bond. While Jon, Garfield, and Odie take a walk, Grandma spikes Mom's sausage gravy with chili powder, bragging that her sausage gravy just won theGreene County Fair.Jon and Garfield return for dinner, while Odie works on something secretive and then sneaks back into the house. After dinner, they decorate thetree.Jon asks Garfield to put the star on, as no one else can reach the top of the tree. As the family sings Christmas songs, Grandma tells Garfield about her beloved and deceased husband, whom she especially misses at Christmastime because of his unspoken, but obvious, love for the holiday. Afterwards, Mom asks Dad to read a book calledBinky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas,apparently a fictional adventure of thepsychotic children's entertainerfirst seen inGarfield's Halloween Adventure.Dad is reluctant, as he is tired of reading it every year, but gives in. At night, Garfield notices Odie's suspicious activity and follows him to the barn, seeing Odie making something out of a piece of wood, some wire, a plunger handle, and a hand rake. While there, Garfield stumbles upon some old letters and realizes they must be 50 years old.

On Christmas morning, just when it seems like all the presents have been opened, Garfield gives Grandma the letters he found in the barn. These letters were love notes written to Grandma by her husband from when they first met each other and married. Garfield also finds out that Odie has been busy making his ultimate Christmas gift: a homemade back scratcher. Garfield gladly thanks and embraces Odie for the gift he made. This is a rare glimpse at Garfield's softer side, as Garfield learns one of the true meanings of Christmas: "It's not the giving, it's not the getting, it's the loving! There, I said it. Now get outta here."

Voice cast

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Pat Carrollvoiced Grandma Arbuckle.

Songs

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"Here Comes Garfield" fromthe special of the same namecan be heard instrumentally when Jon wakes up Garfield from his dream.

Production

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In writing the teleplay, Davis based it on experiences he had celebrating Christmas with his family on their farm inIndiana,with many Arbuckles modeled after Davis family members.[1]Davis' real-life brother was known as Doc Boy.[2]Davis referred to the story as "very autobiographical", adding "That wasmyChristmas on the farm ".[3]However, he noted Grandma was an entirely fictional character, added for the emotional subplot of having time with loved ones at Christmas.[3]

Lorenzo Music,Thom Huge andGregg Bergerreprise their respective roles from past films as Garfield, Jon Arbuckle, and Odie.Julie PayneandPat Harrington Jr.voice Jon's mother and father, whileDavid L. Landervoices Jon's brother, Doc Boy. Grandma was voiced byPat Carroll,who at the time was becoming increasingly popular in voice work. After the 1970s, she was working onLegends of the SuperheroesandPound Puppies.[4]

Broadcast and release

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The episode first aired on December 21, 1987.[5]According toBustle,the special was rebroadcast every year until 2000.[6]It often played along with the 1965PeanutsspecialA Charlie Brown Christmas.[1]

The home video version reanimates some scenes, including the part where Grandma talks to Garfield about her late husband. In addition to using a different animation style, the altered scene shows a picture of the husband, which was not present in the broadcast.

In 2004,A Garfield Christmaswas released on the DVDGarfield Holiday Celebrations,along withGarfield's Halloween AdventureandGarfield's Thanksgiving.[7]It appeared 23rd in TV DVD sales for the week of November 10, 2007.[8]In 2014,Entertainment Weeklyreported copies of the DVD "were selling oneBaylike rare collector's items ".[9]Garfieldholiday-themed specials, includingA Garfield Christmas,were also receiving millions of views on the websiteYouTube.[2]It was consequently re-released on another DVD compilation,The Garfield Holiday Collection,on November 4, 2014, sold only byWalmart,and was also made available for digital download on November 11 that year.[9]

Reception

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The special was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Programat the40th Primetime Emmy Awards.[10]

In 2004,TV Guideranked the special 10th on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list.[11]In 2013, Scott Neumyer ofParadecalled it "a delightful little short featuring everyone's favorite cantankerous orange cat".[12]That year, Jef Rouner of theHouston Pressdescribed the episode as "depressing" and mostly unfunny, remarking that since Grandma cannot hear Garfield's thoughts, "what we're watching is a sad old widow so desperately lonely without her late husband that she has begun talking out loud to a visiting cat".[13]In 2014, Johnny Brayson ofBustlecalled it "a bona fide classic".[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abAdams, Erik (10 December 2014)."A Garfield Christmas is a sincere Christmas card from the comics' most cynical cat".The A.V. Club.Archivedfrom the original on 19 February 2018.Retrieved6 November2016.
  2. ^abNicholson, Amy (26 November 2014)."Garfield Creator Jim Davis Explains Why Cats Rule the Internet".The Village Voice.Archivedfrom the original on 12 September 2018.Retrieved6 November2016.
  3. ^abHuver, Scott (10 November 2014)."'Garfield' Creator Jim Davis Remembers Bringing His Fat Cat To TV ".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2016.Retrieved6 November2016.
  4. ^Hischak, Thomas S. (2011).Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary.McFarland & Company Publishers. p. 39.ISBN978-0786486946.
  5. ^Terrace, Vincent (2013).Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936-2012(2d ed.). McFarland & Company Publishers. p. 162.ISBN978-1476612409.
  6. ^abBrayson, Johnny (8 December 2015)."42 Christmas Movies Streaming Right Now, From 'Home Alone' To 'Love Actually'".Bustle.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2016.Retrieved6 November2016.
  7. ^"Garfield Holiday Celebrations".Garfield.Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2016.Retrieved27 October2016.
  8. ^"Top TV DVD Sales".Billboard.November 10, 2007. p. 71.
  9. ^abJue, Teresa (4 November 2014)."Jim Davis talks 'Garfield' origins, holiday specials, and calls Garfield 'a human in a cat suit'".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on 19 November 2016.Retrieved27 October2016.
  10. ^"A Garfield Christmas Special".Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.Archivedfrom the original on 17 June 2020.Retrieved6 November2016.
  11. ^TV Guide Guide to TV.Barnes and Noble. 2004. pp.574.ISBN0-7607-5634-1.
  12. ^Neumyer, Scott (15 October 2013)."10 Awesome Christmas Specials on Blu-ray & DVD".Parade.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2016.Retrieved6 November2016.
  13. ^Rouner, Jef (13 December 2013)."Top 5 Most Depressing Christmas Episodes on Television".Houston Press.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2016.Retrieved6 November2016.
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