The Judy Garland Show (TV Series) Episode #1.12 (1963) User Reviews

The Best Special

[Christmas-Reviewer · 10/10 · 14 November 2017]

I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas Movies and specials! BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I AM HONEST! I REVIEW Christmas MOVIES AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN

The iconic special is a landmark in television and American History.

Made shortly after the assignation JFK the special was widely needed at the time. Over the years the special has become the gold standard on how to do a holiday special. This special takes place in what is suppose to be Judy's home. Her "Guest" include Jack Jones & Mel Torme. Joining in on the fun her 3 children Liza Lorna and Joe.

Judy sings her two biggest hits. :Somewhere Over the Rainbow and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas).

This is a first class production. The producers were smart and made this a special that celebrated the holidays so it is 80% singing. There isn't any of the "Stupid Sketches" that would plagued later variety shows.

This is special sets the correct tone. You feel like you are an invited guest in Judy's home.

I am not sure if her children ever watch this. I think it would be difficult. Her mother however does not embarrass herself. It is also nice to see her interact with her children.

This special can be found on line. Watch it. Even if you are not a huge fan of Judy Garland you can see how she was one of the most talented performers of the 20th Century.

If you can watch it!

"The Judy Garland Christmas Show" is such a holiday treat for her fans!

[tavm · 10/10 · 18 December 2017]

After years of knowing it was on YouTube, I finally watched this-Judy Garland's Christmas ep of her short-lived variety show. I also watched on TV instead of the computer so the speakers made it sound soooo good! Anyway, it begins with Ms. Garland warbling "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to her pre-teen children, Lorna and Joey Luft. She sings it like she did in her movie, Meet Me in St. Louis except when she gets to the end when instead of "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow", she sings "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough". Then her grown daughter Liza Minnelli arrives with her then-beau Tracy Everitt. Then Jack Jones arrives. Then-and this is very much out of the blue-a group of dancing Santas come in-a sequence that calls out for Color! Finally, Mel Torme-who provides Ms. Garland with special material on the show-and a group of carolers arrive. It's here that he and Ms. Garland sing his song "The Christmas Song" where Mel provides a new beginning and Mis. Garland changes some of the words like instead of "To see if reindeer could really fly" she substitutes "rainbows" for "reindeer"! After everyone leaves, Judy is encountered by those dancing Santas again before her children ask one more thing from her and she obliges: her performance of her theme song "Over the Rainbow". There's more than I told you but overall-despite the obvious contrivance of the beginning-this was a most enjoyable holiday show from Ms. Garland and her guests!

Just might be the gold standard for Christmas variety specials

[bpatrick-8 · 8/10 · 22 December 2022]

I'm getting old. I miss Bing Crosby, Perry Como, and Andy Williams at Christmastime, and if I hear "Holly Jolly Christmas" and "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" one more time I'm liable to bust the radio.

Fortunately, we have Judy Garland's 1963 special to remind us of the days when we had animated shows for kids (Rudolph in 1964, Charlie Brown in 1965, the Grinch in 1966) and musical shows for grownups. I was not able to see the Judy Garland show when it first aired; I was living in then-two-station Raleigh-Durham, and CBS affiliate WTVD chose to switch over to NBC and "Bonanza" when the Garland show was on Sunday nights at 9. I have discovered this show in recent years and it has become a personal tradition for me to watch.

I don't like everything about this show, starting with the dancers dressed as Santa who intrude on the proceedings a couple of times; it's also jarring to see Ms. Garland projecting a motherly image (perhaps I'm wrong here--she had numerous personal problems but perhaps her relationship with her kids was better than I think it was ).

But there's a good sampling of Christmas standards by Garland, her kids, Jack Jones and Mel Torme (and I'm eternally grateful that Jones did not sing his hit at the time, "Wives and Lovers," a sign that there was still such a thing as taste on television in 1963). My favorite part of the show, however, is the dance number "Steam Heat," performed by Liza Minnelli and Tracey Everitt.

Ironically, this show aired the same day the month-long official mourning period for JFK ended. The public could have stood a little emotional pick-me-up (which they got a few weeks later in the form of four guys from Liverpool who called themselves the Beatles).

To sum up this show: professional, tasteful, full of Christmas songs that don't seem to get played as much today (or I'm missing something)...a family-friendly show that does not insult anyone's intelligence. It can stand as a model for how to do a musical Christmas show. If you miss it this year (2022), put it on your must-see list for 2023.