Around the age of seven I developed insomnia. This insomnia became especially unbearable on Christmas Eve. Since my parents already saw 5:30 am as a Christmas morning wake up time as pushing it (there is video proof of us waking up at 1:30 am in 1983), I needed to find things to do to keep myself occupied. Luckily I learned to read very early on and come 1988 or 1989 I had access to the Disney Channel.
Some of you may remember a time when The Disney Channel actually used to show a balanced mix of TV programming. In the morning there was kid shows like Dumbo's Circus and Mouse Factory, then in the afternoon there was Kid's Incorporated and The Mickey Mouse Club. In the early evening there was family programming like Avonlea and various Disney Channel movies. After that there was Disney Night Time (and later on Vault Disney, but that's another entry entirely). Disney Night Time was chock full of concerts, Conversations with Carol Burnett and Conversations with Bob Hope, and old movies. On Christmas Eve they would play Christmas programming all night long. I remember year after year being wide away and watching
It's a Wonderful Life
The Bishop's Wife
The Judy Garland Christmas Show
and
Best of Bing Crosby Family Christmas Specials
Now thanks to YouTube and my DVD collection I can see these videos again!
Nowadays I spend part of Christmas Eve day watching
Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas
Jim Henson's Christmas Toy
Muppet Family Christmas
and
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
It's funny how when I was little I would watch the adult programming and now as an adult I spend Christmas Eve watching the kid's programming!
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