'Shaun the Sheep Movie' Trailer 2

"Shaun the Sheep the Movie" – The Second Teaser Trailer.


Aardman Animations has a new teaser trailer out for its upcoming major feature-length animated film 'Shaun the Sheep the Movie.' Shaun is a character from the television series that premiered in 2007. Shaun is your typical anthropomorphic oddball 'black sheep,' and Aardman is your typical amazing stop motion animation outfit, so be prepared for a very entertaining time.

Studio Canal (G.B.) and Relativity Media (U.S.) will distribute the film to theaters next year - February 6th, 2015 is the date for the USA and Great Britain, other dates vary.

'Shaun' comes from Aardman, Great Britain's top animation studio and the creators of 'Wallace & Gromit.' and 'Chicken Run.' The film is Aardman Animation, co-written and directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzack.

From the youtube page:

From Aardman, the creators of Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep The Movie is coming to cinemas worldwide in 2015! In this new trailer, watch more of Shaun and The Flock’s hilarious adventures in the Big City as they search for the missing Farmer!

When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for! Shaun’s mischief inadvertently leads to The Farmer being taken away from the farm, to the Big City…

Join Shaun, Bitzer and The Flock on their hilarious, action-packed, big-screen adventure as they make plans to rescue the missing Farmer. A story about how we sometimes forget to appreciate the things we have in life, and the people who love us. Shaun the Sheep The Movie introduces us to two new Aardman characters; Trumper the animal warden who rules the city’s animal shelter with a rod of iron and Slip, an inner-city orphan dog who helps Shaun save the day.

2020

'Hello Kitty' Anniversary Stop Motion Animation

Hello Kitty x TADO 'Pomme Party'

Hello Kitty x TADO 'Pomme Party' from wearetado on Vimeo.
This is a cute Hello Kitty stop motion animation from TADO that was commissioned by Sanrio and the Japanese American National Museum. It commemorates Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary. TADO did the whole job in two months in its offices in Sheffield.

This was done using wooden figures, which required quite a bit of craftsmanship to create the final puppets. The final product looks awesome! Quite a professional job.

Others involved in the project were Alex Veitch (lighting advisor), Nick Hunter (wood-wizard) and Ben Ridley (music and sound design).

From the webpage:

Commissioned by Sanrio and the Japanese American National Museum to commemorate Hello Kitty's 40th Anniversary. Stop motion animation using hand made wooden puppets. Our first adventure into the world of stop-motion magic.
Special thanks to Sanrio USA, Japanese American National Museum and Jamie Rivadeneira / Japan LA.
Made in Sheffield, UK.
© TADO and Sanrio 2014. Hello Kitty and Sanrio characters used with the kind permission of Sanrio USA.

2020

Hollywood Supports the Boys in Uniform

Anybody who is a fan of Warner Brothers' Merrie Melodies or the Disney shorts of the past should find something to like about this compilation. The shorts are amazingly well done and still surprisingly funny.

This is a terrific assortment of Hollywood's animated shorts from World War II - and one from much later on the same subject. We have Mickey Mouse, Daffy Duck from Warner Brothers, and others all urging you to save that cooking fat to help the boys in the trenches.

Der Fuhrer gets it on der cranium.

It's kind of uncanny how live-action films from the period appear creaky, dated, and old, while animated shorts which deal with period themes appear fresh and practically new. The jokes are surprisingly sophisticated and assume an informed audience, with plenty of clever puns and subtle word-plays. Of course, there also are very broad stereotypes of the Germans and Japanese that would be considered offensive today, but there was a war on, you know. And, just between you and me - those wartime shorts which would now be considered the most offensive are the funniest of the lot.

The whole point of the wartime shorts was to help sell war bonds, as they make abundantly clear from time to time. So sit back and enjoy the work of the legendary Chuck Jones (in a 1957 training film) and other animation legends as they support the troops.



This compilation features some of the best propaganda-themed cartoons of the World War II era. Some of these were considered so scandalous for the time that they were actually censored in one way or another - see if you can spot which ones (it should be fairly obvious). Some are color, some have Superman or Daffy Duck or Popeye or other characters you may recognize. And these were done by the top talents of the day, there to help the war effort.

Thanks for watching!


2023

NASA Animation on Asteroid Bennu Mission

NASA released this superior educational animation about the origins of the Solar System. This is in preparation for various asteroid missions that the space agency has in mind over the coming years rather than doing something useful such as returning to the Moon or visiting Mars.

Specifically, this animation is about the asteroid Bennu. NASA has a plan to send a probe to it, 'Osiris-REx.' To be truthful, I keep an eye on NASA missions, but this one completely slipped by me. Apparently, Osiris-REx is a precursor to a later mission to actually capture an asteroid and put it in Moon orbit.

So, yet again, we get to wait years while NASA twiddles its thumbs and spends umpteen billions of dollars sending a probe to a big chunk of rock which all its sophisticated detectors and gizmos and drills and cameras will reveal to be, what do you know, a big chunk of rock. And that's if the whole thing works and isn't a total fiasco like the Philae disaster (I know, the ESA claims Philae is a huge success, which it certainly was relative to if it had blown up into a billion pieces before actually reaching its destination).

As usual with NASA videos, this one has quality animation, soothing music, and reassuring narration. The Osiris-REx mission is due to take place by 2018, but you know how deadlines in this field usually fare...

Credit: NASA Goddard

2020

Batman vs. Superman, Lego Style

Batman vs. Superman, Lego Style.


Here we have a short stop-motion animated film from BrickNerd Studios. It is a confrontation between Batman and Superman called, appropriately, "Batman vs. Superman." It is done using Lego bricks.

I know what you're thinking. 'Oh no, not another one.' Yes, these fan superhero shorts do get redundant after a while, and you kind of wish this kind of talented animators would us their superior skills for good (like, something that isn't just a throw-away?) rather than evil ('OMG not ANOTHER fan superhero confrontation animation.').

Yes, everywhere you turn on youtube there is another one, and the Lego genre is all but played out except by the big studios. But 'Batman vs. Superman' is done quite well, in a professional way. The stop motion animation by Tommy Williamson is seamless, the wit is sardonic, and the music by Kevin Macleod echoes the pompous strains of superhero flicks that we all know and love. You must sympathize with the animators, they probably secretly want to do 'My Dinner with Andre' but they know where the hits are.

'Batman vs. Superman.' And if you know where the shark repellent reference comes from, you're a true Batman fan.

From the youtube page:

November 19, 2014
BrickNerd Studios is proud to present Batman Vs Superman

Batman and Superman square off (for some reason) in this stop-motion animated short.

Produced and directed by Tommy Williamson

visit us at www.bricknerd.com/studios
follow @thebricknerd
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebricknerd

Big shout out to poster designer Paul Lee

2020

Philae Lander Animations

The Philae lander.

There is a lot of animation and many images being generated by the Rosetta Probe and the Philae Lander, so I have collected the details about its landing here for convenience.

The European Space Agency reported that the Philae lander from the Rosetta probe that we have been following the past few months successfully landed on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The above photo is what it would have looked like to someone on the surface as it arrived.

Above is a picture that was taken from the lander itself as it approached the surface. The photo is from 40 meters above the surface.

This last animation shows three photographs taken from the Rosetta spacecraft which is hovering above the comet. The first photo shows the surface of the comet before the lander got there. The red circle indicates where the lander was headed. The second photo shows the area after the lander made its approach. The new dark spot within the red circle presumably is dust kicked up from the lander. The third photo shows a green box where the lander is believed to have touched down. Comparing this animation to the photo above, you see the same boulder that is very close to where the lander set down (good thing it didn't actually hit the boulder!).

A photo of the comet from Rosetta, which remains in orbit.

It appears the landing was a complete cock-up. Not only did the lander touch down about a mile from where it should have, but it apparently wound up on its side, with only two of its three legs touching the surface. That may be why the solar panels are having trouble, with only one operational at all, and that one receiving less than 2 hours of light during the 12 hour day. That is insufficient to power the lander to perform its scientific duties, though there may still be ways to use it anyway for some purposes. Of course, if it is on its side, there won't be much it can do anyway.

Below, the red area shows where the lander was headed, and the blue area shows where it wound up due to bouncing about. Naturally, there can't be much gravity on the comet so the lander wouldn't stay put until it was good and ready. Technically, it should be tethered to the comet because of the lack of gravity. Note the cliff near the blue triangle.

The ESA says that the lander now has some problems with power generation. This is because apparently there is a cliff over on the left of the animation that is barely in the frame in the lower left-hand corner. This cliff puts the lander into the shade. Without lots of sunlight, the Philae Lander will not be able to do much as the batteries do not hold much of a charge

Below are excerpts from the press conference.


Below is a first look - a composite of six photos - showing what the surface of the come looks like.

Below is an animation from Rosetta of the lander descending.

In the following frames, you can't really see the lander, but NASA or ESA or whoever is doing this research assures us that there is evidence of Philae bouncing and then apparently coming to rest in these shots.

Finally, here is an ESA animation of the whole landing process as they would like it to have gone. Apparently, they did get some work done, including drilling a hole but only for the 60-hours of time that was in the battery.


From the youtube page:

"Published on Nov 12, 2014
Animation video of Rosetta Mission for landing on a comet: Philae Lander.
Rosetta’s deployment of Philae to land on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

The animation begins with Philae still on Rosetta, which will come to within about 22.5 km of the center of the nucleus to release the lander on 12 November 2014.

The animation then shows Philae being ejected by Rosetta and deploying its own three legs and follows the lander’s descent until it reaches the target site on the comet about seven hours later. The animation is speeded up, but the comet rotation is true: in the time it takes for Philae to descend, the nucleus has rotated by more than 180º (the comet’s rotation period is 12.4 hours).

The final steps of Philae’s descent towards the comet are shown as seen by a hypothetical observer close to the landing site on the comet.

Finally, the animation shows Philae landing on the comet. Because of the comet’s extremely low gravity, the landing gear will absorb the small forces of landing while ice screws in the probe’s feet and a harpoon system will lock the probe to the surface. At the same time, a thruster on top of the lander will push it down to counteract the impulse of the harpoon imparted in the opposite direction. Once it is anchored to the comet, the Philae Lander will begin its primary science mission, based on its 64-hour initial battery lifetime. The animation shows a number of science instruments in action on the surface.

Acknowledgment: The background image of the sequence showing Philae closing in on the landing site was taken by Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera (ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA) on 14 September 2014 from a distance of about 30 km.

Philae was provided by a consortium led by DLR, MPS, CNES and ASI.

Acknowledgment: The background image of the sequence showing Philae closing in on the landing site was taken by Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera (ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA) on 14 September 2014 from a distance of about 30 km.

Philae was provided by a consortium led by DLR, MPS, CNES and ASI.
Video and images by ESA and NASA."

2020

Cold War History Animation

Cold War History Animation.


Above is a quick animation showing the course of the Cold War.

This fellow rudthespud likes to post his own little summaries of world history. While his choice of material is broad, it isn't really comprehensive, so don't throw away your textbooks just yet. However, it should give you a feel for all the buzzwords you need to pass just about any test on the subject he covers. It might also fill a gap in your knowledge here and there - did you know what year NATO was formed? The Warsaw Pact? Find out by watching the video. He also makes a real mistake here and there - mis-spelling 'détente,' for example - but that just shows how difficult these things are to put together.

This animation covers the post-war period, which was the beginning of the nuclear era. This period devolved from a forced alliance between the Soviet Union and the western powers into armed neutrality. Neither side was too excited about continuing the relationship past the common goal of defeating the Axis powers and thus was born the Cold War.

These historical animations are of interest to history buffs. I previously have posted history videos about World War I and World War II, among other topics. These also allow me to pad the index with all sorts of important names and events, so it's all good. Anyway, you probably know everything that's in the animation, but it is quick and bouncy and the animation is fun.

The animation was made by Manny Man and narrated by John D Ruddy.

2020

Liberace on 'Peacocking' and Politics

Liberace on "Peacocking" and Politics.


Liberace, the flamboyant pianist, in this 1968 interview defines 'peacocking' and gives his ideas on politics - with some surprisingly charitable words about Ronald Reagan, then Governor of California. This is a wild interview that shatters any preconceptions anyone might have about how Liberace 'should' have felt about various issues.

Indeed, he reveals himself to have some astonishingly conservative attitudes toward folks who don't appreciate his success.

"I deserve what I get because I worked for it, and I was born and raised during Depression years, when we were on County Relief and we all went out and we hustled and we worked."

It's a real eye-opener of an interview in these days when there is considered to be an 'agenda' for certain folks from which they cannot deviate - but Liberace straddled all sides of the political spectrum and wasn't afraid to tell people about it. Of course, the whole idea that if you are one thing you must also automatically be 'liberal' or 'conservative' has never been true, not then, and certainly not now.

But what would Liberace do if he were President?

"I would spend the money that is spent on wars every 20 years and spend it on giving people work."

Fair enough. And then he gets worked up and goes on to deliver this chestnut:

"People who sit back and wait for somebody to take care of them are the people that I am speaking of. These are the people who if, shown a way, can be useful to our society."

But Liberace, what about those who are shown 'the way" and don't pay any attention?

"Well then I guess they are just basic criminal people who don't belong in our society."

This is another in the Blank on Blank | PBS Digital Studios series of animations connected to obscure interviews of famous people.

From the youtube page:

"Anyone that dares begrudge what I have today, just better get off their duff and do something about it"
- Liberace in 1968 as told to Jay Kent Hackleman

Get the backstory, GIFs and more @ http://blankonblank.org

Subscribe for new episodes every other Tuesday (it's free):
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Executive Producer: David Gerlach
Animator: Patrick Smith

2020

ABC Press Release: 2014 Holiday Specials

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Every year, the holiday specials come along and you forget to look them up in time, so you miss them.

Well, not this year! Not if you follow my blog, anyway. Here is the official ABC press release for this year's holiday specials schedule. Note that all the old favorites are returning, including 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas,' 'Santa Claus is Comin' To Town,' and straight on to the Dick Clark New Year's special. Oh, and ABC doesn't air some of the other classics, but we'll see if we can dig those up, too.

Friday, November 07, 2014 ABC Television Network PRESS RELEASE - PRESS RELEASE - - ABC Announces Holiday Programming for November and December Print This Document note: To use this function, upgrade your browser: Quick Download ‘TIS THE SEASON FOR HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING ON ABC Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Special Programming for November and December on the ABC Television Network                         ABC celebrates the joy of the holidays, including the world premiere of Pixar Animation Studios’, “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” the return of the competition series, “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” special musical performances on “CMA Country Christmas,” and classic, animated Christmas specials from Walt Disney Animation Studios, PEANUTS, DreamWorks Animation and Dr. Seuss, among others. Editors please note: What follows is a chronological listing of programming highlights (all times Eastern); this is not a complete list of all holiday-themed programs airing during November and December. As airdates are subject to change, please monitor ABC’s daily press bundle. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26 “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” - In the 1973 special, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown wants to do something special for the gang. However, the dinner he arranges is a disaster when the caterers, Snoopy and Woodstock, prepare toast and popcorn as the main dish. A special bonus cartoon from Charles M. Schulz, “This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers,” will air with the PEANUTS classic, in which history comes to animated screen life in a captivating and informative program about the Mayflower voyagers. The special will air with Spanish audio via SAP. (8:00-9:00p) (Rebroadcast. ABC OAD: 11/16/01) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 “Disney Prep & Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios brings you a half-hour holiday special tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep & Landing. After working tirelessly on Prep & Landing for 227 years, an elf named Wayne is upset when he doesn’t receive an expected promotion to be the Director of Naughty List Intelligence. Instead, Magee, the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator (NPCECCC for short), partners Wayne with Lanny, an idealistic rookie who has an undying enthusiasm for Christmas. During their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits. Will the elves be able to guide Dasher, Dancer and the rest of the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh through a raging snowstorm to ensure a Merry Christmas for all? (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/8/09) “Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice” – The yuletide adventures of Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne continue. With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology that has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid! Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged brother, Noel. (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/5/11) MONDAY, DECEMBER 1 “CMA Country Christmas” -- Some of the biggest names in music will come together to celebrate the holidays on “CMA Country Christmas,” a two-hour special hosted for the fifth year by Jennifer Nettles. The special is a celebration of the season featuring some of the top stars in music performing holiday songs and getting into the Christmas spirit. Artists already announced include Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Lucy Hale, Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, Idina Menzel, Jennifer Nettles, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, and Carrie Underwood. “CMA Country Christmas” is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer, Paul Miller is the Director, and David Wild is the writer. The special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2 “Toy Story That Time Forgot” – Pixar Animation Studios’ second new special for television, “Toy Story That Time Forgot,” a World Premiere Holiday Event, will feature your favorite characters from the “Toy Story” films. During a post-Christmas play date, the “Toy Story” gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It's all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie's room in this “Toy Story That Time Forgot.” The cast of “Toy Story That Time Forgot” includes Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Kevin McKidd (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Reptillus Maximus, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head and Joan Cusack as Jessie. “Toy Story That Time Forgot” is produced by Galyn Susman and directed by Steve Purcell. (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – Celebrate the joy of the holidays with the classic animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” created by the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. In the digitally re-mastered 1965 special, Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus’ help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is. (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/06/01)  WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 “Nashville” -- “Two Sides to Every Story” -- Rayna continues to pull out all stops in self-promotion, this time by agreeing to do a televised Christmas special from her home for charity, with Luke and the children. But when she invites Deacon to join in, things get awkward fast. Her magazine cover story has reverberations for her personal life. Meantime, it’s Nashville’s Winterfest and Zoey, Gunnar and Avery have an opportunity to perform. With Scarlett’s coaching, Terry (Mykelti Williamson) sings for the crowd and blows them away, but cannot handle the limelight. Will and Layla go to Winterfest and each find solace, but separately.  (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 “The Chew” – “The Chew” is your home for the holidays in December and has everything viewers need to celebrate in style, starting with “The Chew's Fourth Annual Ugly Sweater Party,” on DECEMBER 5. DECEMBER 8-12 features the weeklong series “Very Merry Mantle” with style expert Clinton Kelly sharing easy and inexpensive decorating ideas for the home this holiday season. MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, showcases viewer cookie recipes from around the country in the annual cookie swap. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16, is a celebration of Hanukkah with a twist on the classic potato latke with co-hosts demonstrating how to make an at-home latke bar featuring various flavors of the holiday staple. On DECEMBER 18, it’s the biggest holiday show of the season with “The Chew’s Christmas Spectacular,” featuring a special visit from the world famous Radio City Rockettes. Throughout the month of December, “The Chew” will bring viewers delicious appetizers with its “Appy Holidays” series and also welcomes guest appearances from “The Barefoot Contessa” Ina Garten (12/1), Anthony Bordain and Nigella Lawson of ABC's “The Taste” (12/2), Pat Monahan of “Train” (12/15) and Lesley Nicol of PBS’ “Downton Abbey”(12/16).   MONDAY, DECEMBER 8 “The Great Christmas Light Fight” – SEASON PREMIERE -- It’s the most wonderful time of the year when ABC’s hit decorating competition series -- produced by FremantleMedia North America -- returns for a second season! Each of the six one hour episodes features 4 families from across America who work harder than Santa’s elves in order to out-deck the halls of their competition and possibly win the ultimate Christmas Gift--$50,000! The total prizing for the series is $300,000. Michael Moloney & Sabrina Soto (both from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) return as judges for the series. (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and (9:00- 10:00 p.m., ET) “Castle” – “Bad Santa” – When an ER physician is gunned down in the street, Castle and Beckett soon discover that the victim was a mob doctor to a Mafia family run by an old friend of Castle's. Also, against this backdrop of Christmas, Esposito and Lanie reach a defining moment in their relationship. (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET). TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” – In the perennial favorite created in 1970 by Rankin-Bass Productions (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,”), Fred Astaire narrates this timeless tale of Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney), a young boy with an immense desire to do good things for others. The vocal cast features Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle, Keenan Wynn as Winter, Paul Frees as Burgermeister Meisterburger, Grimsby, the soldiers and the townsmen, Joan Gardner as Tanta Kringle, Robie Lester as Jessica and Andrea Sacino, Dina Lynn, Gary White and Greg Thomas as the children. (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/02/05) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 “The Middle” – “The Christmas Wall” -- Frankie has had enough of schlepping out the Christmas decorations and trying to make the perfect holiday for her family -- who she feels doesn’t appreciate all that she does for them -- and decides to kick back on the couch and have a minimalist Christmas this year. Meanwhile, due to Sue’s allergy to real Christmas trees,  Mike attempts to purchase an artificial one and ends up not getting what he paid for. Axl puts Boss Co. back into business for the holidays as Tree Wise Men but gets into such a heated argument with Sean over a misfit toy that the two can’t seem to work together, and Brick becomes fascinated by a Christmas letter the family has received and attempts to write one on his own outlining the past year of the Hecks. (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) “black-ish” – “Black Santa/White Christmas” – Dre campaigns to be the new Santa at the annual office Christmas party, but when that honor goes to Angelica, the lovely head of HR (guest star Ana Ortiz, “Devious Maids,” “Ugly Betty”) he goes to great lengths to unseat her, because he’s convinced Stevens & Lido needs a black Santa. Meanwhile, Bow is tired of competing with Ruby over who cooks the big Christmas Eve dinner. (9:31-10:00 p.m., ET) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 “Last Man Standing “ – “Wedding Planning” -- When Mike offers the cash-strapped Kristin and Ryan a very generous Christmas present to put toward their wedding, the couple must decide if they will accept his gift as well as the conditions that goes along with it. (8:00-8:31p.m., ET) “Cristela” – “It’s Not About the Tamales” -- It's Christmas time and Cristela is looking forward to the tradition of making tamales with her mom and sister, while the men pretend to do housework. Among those men this year is Cristela's brother Eddie, returning from a job out of state. But when Josh mistakes a joke for an earnest invitation, he ends up crashing the family tamale party. Meanwhile, Trent and Maddie get some much needed father-daughter time at home, where they bond over their shared inability to prepare even the most basic of Christmas feasts. (8:31-9:00 p.m., ET) MONDAY, DECEMBER 15 “The Great Christmas Light Fight” – It’s the most wonderful time of the year when ABC’s hit decorating competition series -- produced by FremantleMedia North America -- returns for a second season! Each of the six one hour episodes features 4 families from across America who work harder than Santa’s elves in order to out-deck the halls of their competition and possibly win the ultimate Christmas Gift--$50,000! The total prizing for the series is $300,000. Michael Moloney & Sabrina Soto (both from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) return as judges for the series. (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and (9:00- 10:00 p.m., ET) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – Celebrate the joy of the holidays with the classic animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” created by the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. The hour will also include a series of Christmas-themed animated stories entitled “Charlie Brown Christmas Tales,” based on Schulz’s work, in which each of the beloved PEANUTS characters – Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and Sally – star in his or her own charming animated vignette. (8:00- 9:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast. ABC OAD 12/6/01)  “America’s Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular” -- This holiday season, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” celebrates from the Disneyland® Resort in California, with host Tom Bergeron highlighting the best classic Christmas videos in “AFHV” history, along with all-new clips. The exciting episode includes: videos featuring the hazards of decorating, as lights, mantels, trees and people all go down; videos of kids reacting to lousy gifts, or causing mayhem during recitals, or the hilarious things they say while sitting on Santa’s lap; and videos of cats and dogs getting in on the Christmas mischief as they investigate gifts and decorations, on “America’s Funniest Home Videos Christmas Spectacular. Tom Bergeron is the host. (Rebroadcast date?) (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20 “I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” – “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It’s Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun’s big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However, his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother, Spike, for a visit. The cast of “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!” includes Jimmy Bennett as ReRun, Adam Taylor Gordon as Charlie Brown, Ashley Rose Orr as Lucy Van Pelt, Corey Padnos as Linus Van Pelt, Hannah Leigh Dworkin as Sally, Nick Price as Schroeder, Jake Miner as Pig Pen/Franklin, Kaitlyn Maggio as the little girl and Bill Melendez as Snoopy. (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/09/03) “CMA Country Christmas” –  (Repeat) See Dec. 1. (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) MONDAY, DECEMBER 22 “The Great Christmas Light Fight” – SEASON FINALE – It’s the most wonderful time of the year when ABC’s hit decorating competition series -- produced by FremantleMedia North America -- returns for a second season! Each of the six one hour episodes features 4 families from across America who work harder than Santa’s elves in order to out-deck the halls of their competition and possibly win the ultimate Christmas Gift--$50,000! The total prizing for the series is $300,000. Michael Moloney & Sabrina Soto (both from “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) return as judges for the series. (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) and (9:00- 10:00 p.m., ET) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23 “Shrek the Halls” – DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek the Halls,” a half-hour of entertainment starring America’s favorite ogre and his friends and featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Just when Shrek thought he could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his happily ever after with his new family, the most joyous of all holidays arrives. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is filled with holiday cheer -- except for Shrek. He isn’t exactly the picture of yuletide joy, but for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is all about, so when Donkey, Puss In Boots, Gingerbread Man and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek’s plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas. (8:00-8:30 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast-ABC OAD: 11/28/07) “Toy Story That Time Forgot” – (Repeat) See Dec. 2. (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25 “Disney Parks Frozen Christmas Celebration” -- Music, magic and merriment come together when Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida present the 31st annual Christmas Day parade and TV special. The star-studded sounds of the season include some of today’s top musical talents lending their voices to celebrate the holidays. And, from fairy tales to classic Christmas carols, Disney friends and holiday characters spread joy and good tidings through Disneyland Park in California and the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida. This year promises some extra Frozen fun with fanciful floats and colorful cavalcades as Santa Claus himself along with his reindeer, wend their holly jolly way down Main Street, USA. (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ET; check local listings) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas Special” – Based on the classic children’s book by the legendary Dr. Seuss, this special takes viewers inside a snowflake to Whoville, the magical land of the Whos. But high above this holiday-loving town resides the Grinch, a hateful creature with a heart three sizes too small, who despises Christmas and plots to steal it from the Whos. (8:00- 8:30 p.m., ET) “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – Based on the classic children’s book by the legendary Dr. Seuss, the live action “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” takes viewers inside a snowflake to Whoville, the magical land of the Whos. But high above this holiday-loving town resides the Grinch (Jim Carrey), a nasty creature with a heart three sizes too small, who hates Christmas and plots to steal it from the Whos. Will a greedy Mayor Augustus Maywho (Jeffrey Tambor) or the seductive Martha May Whovier (Christine Baranski) foil his plans? Or will it be the loving little Cindy Lous Who (Taylor Momsen) who will teach him the true meaning of Christmas? (8:30-11:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/12/06) MONDAY, DECEMBER 29 “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown” -- The ABC Television Network and the PEANUTS gang will ring in the new year with the animated PEANUTS special, “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, along with “She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown.” In “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown,” the PEANUTS gang is ringing in 1986 and Marcie and Peppermint Patty are throwing a big New Year’s Eve bash. Charlie Brown plans to celebrate the holiday by curling up with a big book that weighs nearly as much as he does, Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The book’s weight doesn’t stop him from lugging it to Lucy’s pre-party dance class, where he cuts a mean rug with a rollicking Patty. With just 1131 pages to go, Charlie Brown takes another break, this time for the party, and summons the courage to invite his true love, the little red-haired girl. She doesn’t respond, but hapless Chuck shows up anyway – with Tolstoy in tow. Then, he settles down with the book – on a porch swing in a snowstorm, and in so doing, misses the evening’s big surprise. In “She’s a Good Skate, Charlie Brown,” disaster strikes as Peppermint Patty heads to her first major ice-skating competition with coach Snoopy and faithful companion Marcie by her side. As always, the unassuming Woodstock flies in to save the day. (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/30/08) “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year” – It’s Rudolph to the rescue when Happy, the Baby New Year, goes missing, in “Rudolph’s Shiny New Year,” the classic Rankin/Bass stop-motion animated holiday special. Red Skelton narrates and voices Father Time, while Frank Gorshin and Morey Amsterdam also provide voices for characters. Father Time (voiced by narrator Red Skelton) asks the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph, to find the next Baby New Year before midnight on New Year’s Eve.(9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) (Rebroadcast- ABC OAD: 12/26/06) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31 “Dick Clark’s Primetime New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2015”  -- Before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, global music sensation Taylor Swift will culminate another record-breaking year with a performance of her hit songs for over 1 million fans in Times Square live on ABC's telecast. Swift will join a stellar line-up of the year’s top music artists in celebrating the New Year during the biggest live music celebration in show history with over 38 performances and 5½ hours of music. The bi-coastal celebration will include hours of special performances and reports on New Year’s celebrations from around the globe, and Ryan Seacrest will lead the traditional countdown to midnight from Times Square in New York City as he has for the last 9 years. (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET) Janet Daily (818) 460-6456 [email protected]

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