ABC Theatre - "The Gathering" - WTVN Channel 6 (Complete Broadcast, 12/10/1978) 📺 🎄

[@retromarine7701]

We didn't have cable back then. I always looked forward to the movies that would. Come on at night. We would watch it together as a family, and my dad would let me stay up late for some of those movies. Tis the season . Thanks for the great memories.

[@ken_danerdiest1]

An ABC Theatre presentation with Kraft recipe ads? Awesome!

[@wmbrown6]

Only in the first hour. But, we'll take what we can get. ;-)

[@andyrose5616]

Gotta get my Polynesian Cheese Devils ready for the county bazaar!

[@rameybutler-hm7nx]

We had it too good.❤

[@TheHGN2001]

This is a staple of our Christmas season viewing. I've seen it on ABC and our local PBS. The owned it on VHS, LaserDisc, and DVD.

[@hoagie1978]

Thanks for the upload. 1978 was my 1st Christmas.

[@RusstheTroubadour]

1:51:51 James Garner and Mariette Hartley in their version of the Battling Bickerson's. The now iconic Polaroid commercials which aired between 1977-83. They had so much chemistry many people thought they were actually married.

[@Musicradio77Network]

This was aired 3 months after I was born, and a month after the infamous “Star Wars Holiday Special” aired. This was one of the few live action movies produced by Hanna-Barbara which was outside of its animation studio.

[@hoagie1978]

I was born in August 1978.

[@davidfischer6923]

Thanks

[@AvaZinn]

1:59:25 News theme is Where You Belong by TM Productions though the animated ID’s theme is Al Ham’s Bringing It Home to You. But I don’t think the voiceover in the news intro is Gene Hodges (I could be wrong on the voiceover).

[@clevelandphil]

Emmy award for TV movie.

[@seancaruana4209]

One thing not mentioned, but I think is ironic, is that this was recorded on WTVN Columbus. Both WTVN and Hanna-Barbera at the time were both owned by Taft Broadcasting. This relationship lasted until 1987.

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

Also noteworthy that this movie was filmed in Columbus.

[@tomservo56954]

​@FuzzyMemoriesTV According to your description, suburbs of Cleveland

[@WBTVHistory]

@@FuzzyMemoriesTV - Making it even more ironic, no?

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

@@tomservo56954 - Oops, just meant Ohio in general. 😀

[@1thetvzone]

WTVN-TV became WSYX-TV on 8.31.1987

[@nicholassheffo5723]

From the director of GREASE the same year that came out and hit big.

[@syferdet]

All of the Kraft commercials remind me of the David Copperfield specials.

[@kascnef]

Hanna barbera live action. A sequel was soon followed in 1979

[@dogmama4270]

Please find and play the special "A CHRISTMAS MEMORY" written and narrated by Truman Capote. Geraldine Page was one of the actors. It was so good. I think it was made for and aired on ABC.

[@torgman]

For some reason, KZbin won't let me put up UrRLs, but you can find it on the Internet Archive.

[@dawnjensen5615]

12/10/78 was my 7th birthday

[@HereForTheComments]

1:50:10 Superman on Good Morning America, "The Year Without a Santa Claus" for the kids, and the Rams vs. the Bengals for the MEN. Now that's a Kraft Khristmas okkasion. "The Gathering" makes me feel feelings, and that's not what Christmas is about! Rankin/Bass and football, that's what Christmas is about.

[@RusstheTroubadour]

(1:51:00) The voice of ABC " Ernie Anderson on the program promo after the film.

[@torgman]

What I really wanted to know is where I can find the recipes? I'm dying to make that Philadelphia cheese/grated parm cheese roll and the frozen mayonnaise/cool whip dessert!

[@Dennisanyone-]

Kind of incredible Asner didn’t get an Emmy nomination for this, even though he picked up another win for Lou Grant the same year. Stapleton got nominated, but lost to Joanne Woodward.

[@RolloSmokes]

Yogi Bear shows up (in hand puppet form) at 1:22:31 . Hanna-Barbera certainly didn't miss an opportunity to cross-promote their bread-and-butter. And given the way that newscast was moving, it was a 15-minute quickie. ABC News Weekend Report probably followed it at quarter past 11. And, wasn't Earl Green still their main weeknight anchor then?

[@kresblain]

And speaking of bread-and-butter, it's pure coincidence that this recording originates from one of their then-parent company's TV stations in Columbus, Ohio.

[@wmbrown6]

That they showed a promo for a Perry Como special was a bit ironic, as Kraft was his sponsor from 1959 well into the 1960's. (He was, of course, on "another network" at the time. ;-) ) Lloyd Moss was a longtime announcer and host on WQXR in New York, heard on many a classical show. (His voice did seem to have some similarities to Dominick's Finer Foods V/O Lloyd Hanson in spots.) Then there was William B. Williams, long of WNEW 1130 (and, in New York, the spokesperson for Genovese Drug Stores - just as James Karen who was in this TV-movie was long "Mr. Pathmark"). And of course, future '80's TV stars or co-stars in this . . . I see space wouldn't permit what.

[@samanthab1923]

Love Perry. Have a Burt Bacharach CD with all his hits with Perry singing Magic Moments ❤

[@andyrose5616]

Good to see Joe Howard, the quintessential “average Joe” character actor, at about 53:00 in the McDonald’s commercial. He would later be prominently featured in ABC’s “You’ll Love It” campaign kickoff promo in 1985. I think the voice on the McDonald’s commercial may be Gene McGarr.

[@torgman]

The poem recited wasn't Kipling's but one of numerous rewrites of the poem by George Robert Sims: Twas Christmas day in the work'ouse, The paupers all were there. Their 'earts were full of goodwill, And their bellies were full of beer. Then entered the work'ouse master Into those marble 'alls, Saying "What will you 'ave for dinner?" And the paupers answered "Balls!" This angered the work'ouse master, Who swore by all 'is gods, "You'll get no Christmas dinner, You dirty rotten sods!" Then up spake an aged pauper, 'Is 'eart as bold as brass, "You can take you Christmas dinner, And stuff it up your ass!"

[@NEPatriot]

This movie seems to play like some of the Hallmark Channel XMAS movies today that deal with a person either nearing or facing the end of their life. And it's kind of history making for Hanna-Barbera doing something live action. And note the very rare static "H-B" logo as the film ends.

[@wmbrown6]

They sort of tipped their hand in terms of production in the scene with the Yogi Bear stuffed doll. But this was probably one of the few live-action stuff they did that wasn't "The Banana Splits."

[@syferdet]

The first live action work from H-B was a Clint Walker film called Hardcase (1972). It's a good thing they didn't abandon animation in the 70s as Saturday Morning TV was just taking off.

[@wmbrown6]

@@syferdet - True. But UPA - the creator of Mr. Magoo - did abandon animation by the end of the '60's.

[@tomservo56954]

@@NEPatriot You mean EVERY Christmas move on multiple vhannels, running 24/7 from Halloween unril the big day (and often several weeks in July)