16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

15thAnnualHolidayChallenge




OFFICIAL RULES

-Movies, TV shows/specials, Short Films & Cartoons Count

-The movie or TV show DOES NOT need to be holiday oriented. It could simply take place during the holiday season (i.e. Batman Returns, Gremlins, Die Hard, etc.)

-Although the movie doesn't have to take place during the holiday season, a MAJORITY of the film HAS to take place during the holiday season. No movies with just one scene during the holiday season. If you're not sure, ASK!

-Any holiday from Thanksgiving through New Years Day may count

-A film can only be viewed once, UNLESS you watch it and then watched it again with a commentary

-There is no global goal, shoot for a personal goal. Whatever you want your goal to be go for it. For returning participants maybe your goal should be to beat a previous year's goal.

-Again, like past years there will be a THREE Wild Card option to include movies or TV shows you might watch during the holiday season that is not holiday oriented. My family used to watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory every Christmas. So anything is allowed, up to 3.

-Specials such as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New Years Rockin' Eve, etc. can count, but you MUST watch the entire special in order to count it.

-PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE number your lists! If you do not number your list it will not count towards the challenge

-It doesn't matter how you see the film, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, Laserdisc, Theatrical release, it can be counted. Just have fun.

-The challenge will begin at dusk on Friday November 20 2020 and will end at dawn on Saturday January 2, 2021.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I'll be back for another year!!!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I've been looking forward to this for months!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I know some cringe at the fact, but I've been in a few stores in recent weeks which had holiday music playing. I'm not ashamed to say I've found myself singing along (under my mask, of course). So I've been in the mood for a while as well.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I am getting excited. I need to find some time to organize my list of must watch favs and new movies/specials.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

lol! I don't know that I'd say I'm that far along yet, but getting there. We just had a debate about whether or not we should skip decorating for Thanksgiving and just go straight to Christmas. I think we erred on the side of decorating for Thanksgiving, though the tree will go up right after Turkey Day.

I think we all just want this year to be over with and maybe if Christmas started now, it'll get here quicker too!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

This is one of my favorite challenges but I often don't get too many watches as real life gets busy. This year I should get more watches as there won't be the normal holiday activities and I still have quite a bit of vacation to use this year.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I love the shows about Christmas train sets that are on Amazon Prime, so today I renewed for a couple months on the monthly plan. This is also one of my favorite challenges. I'll try to see what I can do about making a winner's list from last year, but with no computer, I have to wait till the keyboard for my Surface Go 2 comes in the mail.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I'm back!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I had a lot more fun with this one last year that I thought I would, although I think I won't find as many first-time watches going forward. But I'm looking forward to seeing f I can match the fun I had.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I can't be the only one looking forward to the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special right? I remember watching the OG one, so the circle is now complete.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I didn't even know that the Star Wars Lego Holiday Special was going to be a thing, but it looks pretty funny from the trailer. I'm actually quite looking forward to The Christmas Chronicles 2, though.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I just posted the list thread. I’m really looking forward to next week.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I went a little overboard last year, gonna dial it back some this time around.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I'm already watching CHristmas stuff. Rolled right from the October Horror Movie Challenge to Hallmark. It's been a stress-reliever for me. Looking forward to the official challenge this year.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Yep, I've already started, too, but a few of them, I'll probably watch again before Christmas.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Cool, I didn’t realize this was about to start. I’ll try to score some double credits with Hallmark comedies.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Dang it! I missed being able to count A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving in the challenge by about an hour! D'oh! Showed it to the kids today but too early. I still have to watch the Mayflower special anyway, I guess.

For those of you who want to watch it on TV, HBO made a deal with PBS to air it on Sunday and the Christmas special on Dec. 13, commercial free.

They are also offering the Thanksgiving one on Apple+ free on Nov. 25-27th. The Christmas one will be offered free on Dec. 11-13 on Apple+.

There was a big hullabaloo when It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown didn't air on TV and HBO decided to hook up with PBS so people could still see it there.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I was looking at my local PBS schedule for tomorrow to see if I got Charlie Brown and saw that it looks like the entire evening is dedicated to Thanksgiving episodes on PBS Kids

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

MeTV shows holiday themed episodes every sunday between 5p-8p.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

If anyone is planning on attending any virtual holiday events or concerts, such as the December 18 concert of TSO, I feel that they can be counted.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Cool! I bought a virtual concert ticket for my mom's birthday. It's a Christmas themed one, so will definitely work for this!

I haven't had a big chance to start the challenge yet but hope to tonight/tomorrow. I just was furloughed for at least 2 weeks as our schools have gone 100% virtual at least until Dec. 8 so should have some significant movie watching time.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

With it being Thanksgiving Eve, may everyone have a safe and happy holiday. We’re just having a dinner for those who live in my house tomorrow.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Thank you shadokitty. May you have a safe and happy holiday as well.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

New to the community, looking forward to knowing you all better. Happy Thanksgiving.

Gonna try not to procrastonate on the 'must watch perrennials' and get them out of the way fairly early. Got 'Scrooged' on blu this year. Years since I've seen that. Gonna take advantage of D+. Watched Noelle last year, that was charming.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Welcome aboard, Mr. Awesome!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I hope everyone is having a fun, safe Thanksgiving! Due to the pandemic, I'm spending Thanksgiving alone with my cats and without a post-Thanksgiving weekend trip to see friends. I've got the MST3K Turkey Day marathon streaming to keep me company while I cook up a mini-feast!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Welcome, Mr. Awesome!

Unlike many of you I didn't start until today - the *true* start of the holiday season. ;)

I started with the classic Plains, Trains & Automobiles as it's a Thanksgiving movie. We had a late lunch as it's just my wife and me this year and I'm just sitting down to start the traditional Thanksgiving viewing of A Christmas Story. Traditional solely because for years, TCM (IIRC) ran it back-to-back-to-back-etc. all day Thanksgiving Day and we'd turn on the set at my Mother-in-Law's house, lock it on that channel, and watch it all day. After that will be A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving followed by Miracle on 34th Street because it begins with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Welcome Mr. Awesome! I hope you have a lot of fun.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

There’s a good chance that I will lose my ability to watch some of the holiday specials this year. It’s looking like I will be losing both my CBS and CW channels in the next day or two. The station management is asking for an exorbitant sum for the ability for Dish to air their channels.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Ugh, frustrating! I hope that the blackout doesn't last too long.

If you have a local library nearby, you may want to try to reserve a few of your favorites or ones you're interested in seeing. Right now, it's all done online with no contact pickup. It's pretty easy to do and I think most libraries have gone that route...

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I've started picking up my watching pace for a bit at least. I'm furloughed until the 10th, so have a little extra time. I've mainly started with cooking specials/holiday baking shows. I love watching them and they really speak of the holidays for me...all the warmth and coziness of holiday desserts, cookies, pies...yum!

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Those are some of my favorites as well. I’ve been going through the Dish Guide on a daily basis to look for shows to put on my DVR. Last night I recorded the shows on NBC.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Most of the ones I've been watching are on the Food Network. I'll have to check out what's on NBC as well.

I did just see another installment in the Christmas in Evergreen movie series on Hallmark that I need to watch. I have the others on my DVR so I do plan on doing a marathon at some point.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I think I just discovered a new annual watch for this challenge. I was browsing the Dish Guide, looking for holiday content, and came across Christmas In Vermont, on Cozi. I went into it, figuring it was probably a TV movie, but if it is, it managed to wrangle some big names. Chevy Chase, Howard Hesseman, and Morgan Fairchild were all in the cast.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

Yeah Christmas in Vermont has aired on the Ion Channels. Chevy Chase is only really in it at the beginning and the end. It's also free to watch on Youtube. I'm kind of having an off year and just watching movies without making a list this year.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I just finished a viewing of one of the non-holiday holiday movies (takes place partly during a holiday qualifier stuff) - On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I again lament that George Lazenby only did that one Bond film. I thought he was pretty good in the role.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

This Challenge is always weird for me. From the moment I wake up in the morning, until I go to sleep at night, I have Christmas movies playing on TV. It's been like that since Halloween. I watch more Christmas programming than any other monthly challenge. I've got it on in the background while I'm working, checking emails, cooking meals, and doing all my normal stuff. I watch 30 minutes here, an hour there. I rarely watch a full movie. It's fine because I've seen all these movies over and over again. But compiling a list is impossible. I don't want to put a movie on my list when I only watched half of it.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I'm still watching movies but I haven't done a list this year. I'm watching Home Alone this morning and the commentary is still one of my favorite commentary tracks ever. Chris Columbus and Macualy Culkin make it very entertaining and informative. It's one of the few commentary track I can listen to the whole way through.

Re: 16th Annual Holiday Challenge 11/20-1/1 Discussion Thread
 

I would say to do your list however you like. We’re all friends here and won’t monitor what you finish and what you don’t. ;)