B.C.: A Special Christmas (1981 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not As Good As The Thanksgiving Special

[shelbythuylinh · 5/10 · 3 December 2022]

As did not know about this special until the Youtube thank goodness for that, brought it up and while it is not as good over in as the first one in Thanksgiving there, still not good but not bad there.

First there is no BC as without him, there would be no comics. As he takes a backseat there as he is though the lead character hence the title there.

Second Peter the philosopher and his wisecracking woman fearing, water despising friend Wylie if that is how you spell his name there, do take the spotlight.

They created a so called fictional Santa Claus and try to scam the others there for their own personal gain. But it is not a scam and how both men that take the lead here, learn the really what the season is all about.

The late Bob Elliot and the late Ray Goulding of Bob and Ray fame did the voices. But really it is not the same as Thanksgiving and that is why you have to have BC as the main character there.

Wished there were more BC Comics cartoons. Oh well. Can only hope.

Johnny Hart is no Charles Schultz

[ab-14 · 4/10 · 6 February 2006]

While not as bad as the B.C. Thanksgiving special, which is truly horrible, this really isn't very good. Both the animation and the story are a vast improvement over the Thanksgiving effort, but the payoff, while strangely interesting in its attempt to make a point without resolving the fundamental time and space issues that recur in the B.C. universe, is spectacularly bizarre- especially in light of the overtly (and, I've always assumed, wantonly anachronistic) Christian elements of the comic strip.

I have both these atrocities on (a single) LaserDisc. They've not been released any other way as far as I know, and that's probably for the best, but if anyone ever needs evidence that B.C. isn't even a second rate property, look no further. There're good reasons this isn't aired every December.

I did enjoy the "B.C.'s Quest for Tires" video game on the Commodore 64 when I was a kid, though, so maybe it's not all bad. But still, Johnny Hart, Charles Schultz you ain't.

Fun, but somewhat cynical Xmas Humas

[diesixdie · 8/10 · 23 April 2005]

It's been about a dozen years since I've seen this. As I recall, Wiley comes up with a scheme to profit off of the holidays by selling gifts to his friends for them to give to one another. All the gifts are rocks.

The lead voices were done by Bob Elliot and Ray Goulding of radio fame. They provided a somewhat cynical edge to the humor making it, perhaps, a bit more advanced then the average overly saccharine Christmas special.

The animation quality was only average, which is appropriate as the style of the source artwork is minimal in detail.

I would like to see this again, though it's not easily available.

Wonderful and out of print

[mike48128 · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

I own a "raggity" VHS copy of this taped off HBO! It's so old that it barely runs at all due to cable "copyguard". Done in a style closely copying the comic strip, it is well animated and includes Bob and Ray of radio and TV fame as the lead characters. A simple and effective fable about how the Christmas Myth of Santa Claus began, and no to be taken seriously except for a brief appearance of the wise men story in silhouette. A Canadian animated production. Of course B.C. is in it, as well as Clumsy, The Hot Girl, Grog, and all the rest!