A Merry Murdoch Christmas

Michael Black

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Oct 30, 2015, 11:54:57 PM10/30/15

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The paper this morning said there'd be a Christmas episode of Murdoch
Mysteries this year, the first time. It's supposed to air December 21st.

Ed Asner will guest star, playing a guy who thinks he's Santa Claus. He's
played Santa Claus quite a few times, in one way or another, I guess he's
getting stereotyped. Maybe better than grouchy Lou from the Mary Tyler
Moore Show (or Lou Grant).

CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge is also supposed to appear, not sure if
he's playing himself or a character. Kelly Rowan, the mom on The OC, will
also be on, and some British guy I've never heard of before. America's
Canadian Sweetheart Mary Pickford will be a character on the episode, but
played by someone else (and at a much younger age). One place says it
will be a 2 hour show, something to gather around the fire place a few
days before Christmas to watch.

And so it starts, the countdown to Christmas.

Michael

A Friend

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Oct 31, 2015, 12:29:04 AM10/31/15

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In article <alpine.LNX.2.02.1...@darkstar.example.org>,

Michael Black <et...@ncf.ca> wrote:

> The paper this morning said there'd be a Christmas episode of Murdoch
> Mysteries this year, the first time. It's supposed to air December 21st.

When I saw the header, I thought this was going to be about something
else.

Michael Black

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Oct 31, 2015, 10:06:31 AM10/31/15

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I won't ask what. I realized afterwards I should have made the header "A
Merry Murdoch Mystery Christmas".

Michael

Rhino

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Oct 31, 2015, 12:23:49 PM10/31/15

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On 2015-10-30 11:56 PM, Michael Black wrote:
>
> The paper this morning said there'd be a Christmas episode of Murdoch
> Mysteries this year, the first time. It's supposed to air December 21st.
>
> Ed Asner will guest star, playing a guy who thinks he's Santa Claus.
> He's played Santa Claus quite a few times, in one way or another, I
> guess he's getting stereotyped. Maybe better than grouchy Lou from the
> Mary Tyler Moore Show (or Lou Grant).
>

Or a gangster. I remember seeing a young Ed Asner (billing himself as Ed
Asher in those days) in an Untouchables episode as a gangster.

> CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge is also supposed to appear, not sure if
> he's playing himself or a character.

It's hard to imagine Mansbridge appearing as himself, a 21st century TV
news anchor, in a show set in the 1890s (or has it reached the 20th
century by now?), decades before television has been created.

> Kelly Rowan, the mom on The OC,
> will also be on, and some British guy I've never heard of before.
> America's Canadian Sweetheart Mary Pickford will be a character on the
> episode, but played by someone else (and at a much younger age).

So they weren't able to persuade the real Mary Pickford to come out of
retirement to appear in the episode? What a surprise....

> One
> place says it will be a 2 hour show, something to gather around the fire
> place a few days before Christmas to watch.
>
> And so it starts, the countdown to Christmas.
>

If this episode isn't airing until Dec 21st, I'd say that's pretty
reasonable. It's when people start airing Christmas shows in July - as
one US cable network did - that things start getting out of hand.

--
Rhino

Rhino

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Oct 31, 2015, 12:25:34 PM10/31/15

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I suspect he thought it was going to be some kind of political post about
Rupert Murdoch, proprietor of the Fox media empire.

--
Rhino

A Friend

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Oct 31, 2015, 3:03:12 PM10/31/15

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In article <n12pqd$smj$1...@dont-email.me>, Rhino

Which one was that? Hallmark does a Christmas in July that's highly
rated, albeit not as highly rated as the Christmas programming that
they began today, but that was over in a week or three.

Your Name

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Oct 31, 2015, 7:57:57 PM10/31/15

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In article <n12ptn$smj$2...@dont-email.me>, Rhino

Since it is [supposedly] a TV newsgroup, my first thought was about a
MacGyver Christmas episode with his old nemesis Murdoch ... a MacGyver
special could be a good idea for introducing a new "MacGyver Junior"
for a properly done sequel series.

Another thought was maybe an A-Team Christmas episode with Howling Mad
Murdoch dressed as an elf causing crazy problems for the rest of the
team (and don't forget a grumpy BA dressed as Santa). :-)

Michael Black

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Nov 1, 2015, 11:10:41 AM11/1/15

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I'm sorry I got your hopes up.

I never watched MacGyver enough to think of the first one, but yes, an
A-Team Christmas Special might be nice, though likely would have worked
better when the show was on.

Michael

Michael Black

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Nov 1, 2015, 11:23:53 AM11/1/15

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That makes sense. I don't generally watch US news, so I miss a lot of
these political references, what is big in the US often gets little or no
play on the Canadian evening news.

Michael

Michael Black

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Nov 1, 2015, 11:28:38 AM11/1/15

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On Sat, 31 Oct 2015, Rhino wrote:

> On 2015-10-30 11:56 PM, Michael Black wrote:
>>
>> The paper this morning said there'd be a Christmas episode of Murdoch
>> Mysteries this year, the first time. It's supposed to air December 21st.
>>
>> Ed Asner will guest star, playing a guy who thinks he's Santa Claus.
>> He's played Santa Claus quite a few times, in one way or another, I
>> guess he's getting stereotyped. Maybe better than grouchy Lou from the
>> Mary Tyler Moore Show (or Lou Grant).
>>
> Or a gangster. I remember seeing a young Ed Asner (billing himself as Ed
> Asher in those days) in an Untouchables episode as a gangster.
>

I think I've seen some of his roles like that. So maybe the Mary Tyler
Moore Show turned him into good, allowing for all those roles as Santa
Claus.

>> CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge is also supposed to appear, not sure if
>> he's playing himself or a character.
>
> It's hard to imagine Mansbridge appearing as himself, a 21st century TV news
> anchor, in a show set in the 1890s (or has it reached the 20th century by
> now?), decades before television has been created.
>

He can play a newspaperman? I haven't watched the show much, apparently
Stephen Harper was on once.

>> Kelly Rowan, the mom on The OC,
>> will also be on, and some British guy I've never heard of before.
>> America's Canadian Sweetheart Mary Pickford will be a character on the
>> episode, but played by someone else (and at a much younger age).
>
> So they weren't able to persuade the real Mary Pickford to come out of
> retirement to appear in the episode? What a surprise....
>

Other than because she's dead, the role has her as younger, before she
became America's Canadian Sweetheart.

I mostly referenced her place in the special so I could use "America's
Canadian Sweetheart".

>> One
>> place says it will be a 2 hour show, something to gather around the fire
>> place a few days before Christmas to watch.
>>
>> And so it starts, the countdown to Christmas.
>>
> If this episode isn't airing until Dec 21st, I'd say that's pretty
> reasonable. It's when people start airing Christmas shows in July - as one US
> cable network did - that things start getting out of hand.
>

They don't keep running them, though I can imagine some day there being a
Christmas Channel, every hour of every day devoted to Christmas. There's
probably already a Holiday Channel, full coverage of any upcoming holiday.

I liked Christmas so much I played Santa Claus in July a couple of times
when I was a kid.

I'm talking about the countdown starting with the talk of the special, not
the actual special. By December 21st, it's almost too late.

I noticed yesterday that some stores hadn't even waited to move out the
Halloween stuff, Christmas candy is already up.

Michael

anim8rfsk

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Nov 1, 2015, 1:05:16 PM11/1/15

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Or the cast alive.

--
SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEQUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuu......

Your Name

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Nov 1, 2015, 3:33:48 PM11/1/15

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And before some brainless moron screwed up the franchise with they
idiotic "reboot" movie. :-(

Your Name

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Nov 1, 2015, 3:34:04 PM11/1/15

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In article <anim8rfsk-D5346...@news.easynews.com>,

> Or the cast alive.

BA is alive, and still looking like a Village People reject (last time
I checked). Murdoch is alive. Face is alive. Amy is alive.

In fact Hannibal is the only one of the Team who is dead.

It's been a while since I've seen any episodes, but there no doubt were
some Christmas-themed episodes, but not "Specials".

Michael Black

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Nov 1, 2015, 7:09:17 PM11/1/15

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Yes, it's easy to imagine (I cant' remember) an episode where somebody
stole the toys intended for the poor kids, so the A-Team had to find the
culprit and return the toys by Christmas, maybe even dressing up as Santa
an his elves to do the delivery in person.

But my earlier comment was an actual special, where the A-Team characters
do their version of "A Christmas Carol" or are hosts of a variety show
featuring various pieces of Christmas music and various Christmas skits.

Michael