Around the dial

During its nine-year run, The Facts of Life aired five Christmas episodes, and this week at Comfort TV, David ranks those five episodes, from worst to first. There's still time to add them to your pre-Christmas viewing list!

At Garroway at Large, Jodie looks back at the past year, which included the publication of Peace, and what's ahead for the future. There's also a video of Dave with Arlene Francis and Betty White; as Jodie says, what better way to get ready for Christmas?

John visits the wonderful world of Sherlock Holmes at Cult TV Blog, with the 1968 episode "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," starring Peter Cushing as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Watson. I quite enjoy Cushing's Holmes, and John's review helps explain why. As a bonus, John includes a recipe for Christmas pudding, and a couple of podcast recommendations!

Remembebr how, at Drunk TV, Paul had just received the complete box set of Bonanza? Well, this week, he's back with a look at the show's excellent first season, which sets the stage for the following 13 seasons. This set is a textbook example of how a complete series collection ought to be done.

Let's keep with the Western motif for a moment, as Television's New Frontier: the 1960s looks at the 1962 episodes of Cheyenne. It's the seventh and final season for television's first hour-long drama with recurring characters, and while it doesn't have a final episode per se, the season seems to serve as a fitting end to the popular series.

It's the 40th anniversary of the classic A Christmas Story, which we watched a couple of nights ago, and at A Shroud of Thoughts, Terence celebrates the anniversary with some great background information that's sure to increase your appreciation for the film. 

Can you imagine the original Star Trek without James T. Kirk? That's the question Mike asks at The View from the Junkyard, and he answers it with the animated episode "The Slaver Weapon," an outstanding and thought-provoking story written by Larry Niven, one of the genre's greats. 

Variety looks at the 100 greatest TV shows of all time, and before I've even looked at it, I can tell you two things: 1) it will be controversial, and 2) it will be weighted toward more contemporary programs. Nonetheless, it's here if you're interested!

I'll be back tomorrow with the TV Guide Christmas issue from—well, stick around and see what year we visit this time. However, for those of you who may be offline or traveling on this holiday weekend, let me take the opportunity to wish you all a safe and blessed Christmas, and to end with links to a couple of beloved local favorites from my youth: "Walking in My Winter Underwear" from Lunch with Casey, and "The Night Before Christmas" from Axel's Treehouse. I don't think you need to be from the Twin Cities to enjoy these! TV