don't parade in my rain: Newsday TV Book, December 22-28, 1974 (with Celebrity Christmas Greetings).

Here it is, Christmas Eve! That's the night my family celebrated and opened presents back in the day, whoop-de-doo! Of course I didn't get to half of the projects I had planned for this season, as far as the nostalgic nonsense I savor, but what I did make was probably plenty--lots of nifty TV guide scans in various Facebook groups devoted to the New York metro TV stations of my youth (WNEW 5, WOR 9, WPIX 11), stuff at the DPiMR FB page, some videos at my "Hugo Faces" YouTube channel. Do check those out when you have some time to waste!

2024 UPDATE!

I have just now (12/14/24) scanned a bunch more pages to add to what was on here when I originally posted this five years ago. So please now to enjoy a much fuller look at Christmas week, 1974!

(Remember, click on each pic to enlarge it)

The cover is a photo of a high relief clay sculpture by Jean L(oomis). Newman. Could this person be the wife of Newsday Illustrator Bob Newman? And the credited photographer, Lee Levine, could that have been the wife of Bob's fellow artist Ned Levine? How the hell should I know? (Hey, Jean and Lee—could be their husbands, right?)

In the TV Line: Jimmy Osmond sings like a girl, Hermione Baddeley delights, and Lance Kerwin gets typoed.

Even though all the celebrity greetings I have in my NTVB collection are together in the post linked here, I'm keeping Newsday's annual check-in with the television notables (both network and local) for tidings of joy, clueless narcissism (I’m looking at you, Bruce Fairbairn) and shameless plugging.

I should give proper credit to the terrific Newsday artists whose work is seen here: Ned Levine, Gary Viskupic, Bernie Cootner, and Bob Newman.

Before I get to the big event, here's all day Sunday, just for the fun of it. (And for the pictures in the Laurette Pastry's ad, oh man I can smell those damn cookies...)

Here's Monday evening and late night, for the Scrooge Close-up and some great John Cashman reviews. I think I may have seen I Heard the Owl Call My Name, but I'm sure I read the book and liked it.

Oh boy, the big day! Meaning Christmas Eve--as I mentioned, that's when my German family celebrated it, with Christmas Day being a bit of an afterthought. (But here's that, too.)

I should also mention that the Yule Log is in there, with a close-up on the WPIX tradition. If such a thing really stuffs your stocking, then you will definitely want to take a look at
my post devoted to it!

Although it was sad that the main festivities were over, the rest of the week was fun, I guess--what with the lack of education for the rest of the year, and a bunch of new junk to play with.

I seem to remember thinking of the Yogi Bear movie (9am on WABC channel 7) as being related to Christmas, if just by proximity. Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla, however... no.

I'm not a sports guy, but I might watch a show about the 1956 World Series, Yankees/Dodgers. More good Cashman reviews, too.

Here's Friday night, almost entirely for the neat Levine (Ned, that is) illustration for The 10th Victim.
(Perhaps just a smidge Viskupic-influenced...)

Here's all day Saturday, with a New Year's Eve ad for Woodro Restaurant in Hewlett (with a different motto--I greatly prefer their "Don't Potchka with the Kotchka"), a somewhat blah Viskupic entry, and a handful of some perfectly welcome Christmas leftovers.

Just because it is Christmas, I thought I'd treat you to the entire Quick Guide. (How the hell else would you know when Crow River Christmas was on channel 21? Ya wouldn't, that's how, so you're welcome! Ingrate...)