Christmas TV Memories: Nostalgic Holiday Favorites of the Small Screen provides a nostalgic trip down Christmas memory lane from various variety shows (Part 1), animated shows (Part 2), movies (Part 3), and TV holiday Episodes (Part 4). The book begins as the holiday season does for many in America: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and proceeds from the 1950s through the 2000s.

It is a narrative and not a picture book. I found the organization could have been better. The book has some holiday presentations in the section’s introduction but not in the Table of Contents. The book would benefit from an index. For example, in Part 2, The Yuletide Animatrix begins by listing the “plethora of animated Christmas TV specials” such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, etc. Yet this section doesn’t follow the list per se. While I enjoyed the read, as someone who was a young person in the 1970s and 1980s, I would have preferred more on those holiday listings. Therefore, remember that the book contains the most cherished holiday programs, but not all. Overall, it is a nostalgic read for many, but I would have enjoyed the visual nostalgia of pictures! Pictures would enhance this book, especially for older readers.

This book is a must-read for holiday enthusiasts and a perfect gift for readers who love this era. If it had pictures, I would purchase it as a gift for older readers.

Thank you, Rowman & Littlefield, for providing me with an advanced DRC book for review via NetGalley. Please note that all the opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Publication Date: October 15, 2024
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This brought back so many memories for us all from the oldest member of our family to the younger ones who have heard us oldies talking about such stuff at Christmas. It made me want to order the Christmas food and drinks immediately. Will be even more fun to read over the holiday period.

I enjoyed this charming overview of Christmas on TV. Many of the shows discussed were familiar to me - was born in 1960 - but I found several that I missed, or had forgotten about that I plan to seek out to watch or rewatch. My only criticism is I think pictures would have been a nice addition to the book.

This was a really fun trip down memory lane. I loved reading trivia about my favorite shows and learning some of the history to them. It was a very enjoyable book!

If you love Christmas TV this book is for you. Chocked full on facts and anecdotes about many beloved Christmas shows it will answer any question you might have. The downside is that it is written very dryly- almost like a college text book.

I adore Christmas and this book brought me right back to nights when Rudolph, The Grinch, Andy William, and so many others were on during the advent season.
When young, didn't we all just wait until Thanksgiving was over to wait with anticipation for Charlie Brown to come on CBS. It was a tradition!
Each week a new holiday show came on throughout the days up until Christmas Eve and then let's not forget the Yule Log that was and is still on 24 hours through Christmas.
It truly had me singing so many songs from long ago.
This book just opened up my heart and my feeling that Christmas is everyday!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Rowman & Littkefield/ Applause for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
So neat!

Applause Books, a Rowman and Littlefield subsidiary, provided an early galley for review.

Seeing the festive cover of this book instantly took me back to my childhood. Growing up in the 70's when we only had three major television stations, everyone got excited when December rolled around. With the snow falling outside, I'd curl up on the couch in my pajamas to watch all the various Christmas specials that would be aired as the nights counted closer to the 25th.

Broken down into several sections (variety shows, animated specials, merry movies of the week, and holiday episodes of ongoing shows), Pilato takes the reader down a very nostalgic memory lane lined with candy canes, wreaths and lights, with sweet songs filling the air. He is very thorough in his discussions, providing all the details of these productions in one handy reference and including some great insights from folks who were involved in some of the special moments.

For folks like me that are huge television fans, this book will warm their hearts.

As a self-professed Christmas fanatic, Christmas TV Memories is a very informative and enjoyable read. Although I'm a little too young to have experienced many of these specials' first airings, the author brought me back to being a kid awaiting "appointment viewing", a concept that is seemingly a relic of the past with the advent of OnDemand TV and streaming (sports and other live programming excluded).

For many, reading a book about Christmas out of season would be unthinkable, but when you're a holiday enthusiast like myself, it was a welcome distraction from the oppressing heat that can sometimes linger in the dying days of summer. Reading about those early variety shows featuring the likes of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and many others, had me longing to sit by the TV and listen to a few crooners belt out Christmas classics. I learned more than a few things about my "evergreen" viewings (pun intended) like A Charlie Brown Christmas, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and many others (the animated TV special part of the book was my favorite).

If you're looking for a stroll down memory lane back to the holidays seasons of old, I can't imagine a better experience than Pilato's presentation. Curl up by the tree in your favorite recliner with a glass of eggnog and prepare yourself for a heavy dose of nostalgia.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc.

Oh the nostalgia! I love nothing more than reminiscing on Christmas’ past. This book gives you that back in the day Christmas feeling. It evokes so many memories and feelings about this special time of year. Something that I will look back on every Christmas and smile.

Watching Christmas-themed television and movies has become part of modern society's celebration of the Christmas season. Families have certain Christmas shows they have to watch - whether it is a movie or an original television broadcast. This book focuses on TV Christmas episodes with additional background on the social impact of what used to be a once-a-year event.

The author, Herbie J. Pilato, acknowledges that not every Christmas special/animation/TV movie will be covered as Hallmark's contribution alone would make that a daunting task. The material is presented in four sections: variety shows, animated presentations, made-for-television movies and episodes of television shows. The author utilizes information from blog writers, archivists, authors and even unnamed reviewers (writing under an pseudonym) who may or may not be able to offer an educated opinion on the value/context of the media in question. Like us, they have an opinion = but is it one formed from simply having personal Christmas favorites or from having a trained eye for the impact of the final product?

Thought-provoking tidbits to ponder: Is the addition of snow the true test of a great Christmas special? Or is it the actual placement of snow rather than just the inclusion? Is it possible that baby boomers cling to favorite shows since boomers come from an era of limited choices on television? Will this book have more people seeking out those unfamiliar episodes - and gain the episodes new life? I know the answers to the last two. The limited choices bonded boomers together with favorite Christmas shows...which helped pass those favorites down to the next generation. I hope the book will guide modern day viewers into discovering the genuine warmth of such Christmas "oldie" episodes from The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Donna Reed Show (who can forget the party given for the children's hospital ward?), The Jeffersons (the heartwarming "084" and the compassion of George), the Bob Hope overseas specials, and the Mary Tyler Moore Christmas episode, "Christmas and the Hard-Luck Kid II". If these aren't part of your TV memories, don't worry as a wide-range of Christmas television examples are covered.

Thanks to Rowman & Littlefield, Herbie J. Pilato and NetGalley for this ARC.

Like many, Christmas stimulates a sense of nostalgia. I distinctly remember waiting and longing for the Christmas specials to start playing. I planned my week and my activities around these specials. As such, so many of my fond memories include so many moments captured in this collection. There is something for everyone as it is broken into four sections: music and variety shows, animated or cartoons, movies, and series episodes. There are insights shared from insiders and content ranges from the 1950s to 2000s. If you are looking for a picture book, this is not it. This book is all narrative, but it is packed full of historical tidbits and behind the scenes information.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

An absolute joy to read - full of nostalgia & fun! Reading this in August has me itching for the holidays already - I can't wait to get into a reread by the Christmas tree!

I received a free copy of, Christmas TV Memories, by Herbie J Pilato, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I remember watching Christmas shows and movies as a kid, and loving them. Rudolph the red nose reindeer is a favorite, as is The Grinch (The original one), and Frosty. I have not seen all the Christmas episode listed in this book, not yet anyway. This book has a great collection of Christmas episodes,