Totally Rad Christmas!

 What’s up, dudes? It's the 250th episode! So, we'll open up Rad Santa's Mail Fanny Pack and answer some listener questions! Then special guest Danny Davila and I dive into the Christmas-adjacent movie "Funny Farm!" Starring Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith, it's a squirrel out of water story! Er...fish out of water! Andy and Elizabeth Farmer leave the big city to live i...

What’s up, dudes? It's all about WWF Prime Time Wrestling Christmas 1986 , battle royale style with Jeremy Phelps the Alamo City Santa ,  CM Chuck from Just Another Friday Night , Joe from Now Watch This , Manny from Feliz Christmas, Merry Navidad , and CJ from Christmas Sessions ! We talk Bobby the Brain and Gorilla! We dive into Hogan and Savage! We body slam Junkyard Dog and Harley Race! T...

What’s up, dudes? It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! That’s right! It's the 4th Annual Totally Rad Christmas Awards! This year I'm joined by ‘Tis the Podcast elves Anthony and Thom, Ashley Dunbar from The Magic of the Season , Mike Westfall from Advent Calendar House , Robert Nicholas from Behind the Bells , and CJ Belanger from Christmas Sessions !! After the Academy refined t...

What’s up, dudes? Well, the new 2024 Hallmark Dreambook has been released , and I’ve got members of the Christmas Podcast Network on to discuss it! Yes, CJ from Christmas Sessions , Anthony from ‘Tis the Podcast , Todd from Christmas Clatter , Ashley from The Magic of the Season , Ken from Sounds of Christmas , Matt from North Pole Radio , and Manny from Feliz Christmas, Merry Navidad are here to...

What’s up, dudes? It was 1989, and the Griswolds had an amazing and quirky holiday staycation adventure with fantastic music woven throughout! Kevin Williams from ‘Tis the Soundtrack joins me to discuss the fabulous song selection and Badalamenti’s orchestral score to “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!” A supposed 10th Anniversary Edition soundtrack CD was released by Warner Brothers in print...

What’s up, dudes? It’s a St. Patrick’s Day Christmas when Shawn Robare from Cult Film Club , Crestwood House , and Plastic Rocket Pop and I talk the 1981 Rankin Bass special “The Leprechaun’s Christmas Gold!” Written by Romeo Muller, it was originally conceived as a St. Patrick’s Day special, but was retooled and released in December instead. Oh, and the word Christmas is just thrown into random s...

What’s up, dudes? She’s the anthropomorphic cat that adorned all our stationary! That’s right! We’re talking a Hello Kitty Christmas! Ashley Dunbar from The Magic of the Season is with me to dive into the Grinch rip-off episode of “Hello Kitty’s Furry Take Theater!” It’s Christmas time, and Scroogenip (Scrinchnip?) is aghast at all the yuletide cheer. Determined to avoid the season and cause chaos...

What’s up, dudes? There are a lot of classic Christmas commercials! They’ve shaped our perception of the Christmas season since we were little. Vinnie Brezinsky from Huey and Bax and Nicholas Pepin of Pop Culture Roulette join me live to watch some lesser known ‘80s Christmas commercials! Cool Spot rides a toy fire truck in a 1988 7Up commercial. Young versions of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lea Thomps...

What’s up, dudes? Adam Pope from Wizards! The Podcast Guide to Comics and The Retro Network (Geekster) is here to talk about the unbelievable phenomenon that was Teddy Ruxpin! It’s Ken Forsse’s terrific talking teddy bear…no, Illiop! In fact, there was a even a special presentation book with matching Santa outfit called "Teddy Ruxpin's Christmas!"  In the land of Grundo , the anthro...

What’s up, dudes? Christmas in the Underworld was NOT my idea! That’s right! It’s a Percy Jackson Christmas in this bonus episode with my daughter, Little #1! We get into two PJ short story adventures! In “ The Sword of Hades ,” the demigod children of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—are gathered in the Underworld by Persephone. Percy, Thalia, and Nico use an enchanted flower to follow a t...

What’s up, dudes? It's the Hallmark Ornament Premiere, so I’ve got the Christmas Cousins , Chad and Seth, here to talk the 1987 Hallmark Dreambook —all 24 pages of it! That’s right! We get into baubles and finials and cameos! Oh my! We talk our personal collections and which ones from 1987 we own! Spoilers: I have the entire Norman Rockwell cameo set from 80-89! Or do I? Guess you’ll have to...

What's up, dudes? Blessed Candlemas to you all! In honor of Season 4 and the end of the Christmas Cycle, let’s listen to Estonian Orthodox composer Arvo Pärt’s tintinnabuli setting of the “ Magnificat ” from 1989. This is a prime example of holy minimalism. So the melody is mostly done in diatonic stepwise motion, while harmonies arpeggiate a tonic triad. The piece is broken up into solo and...

 What’s up, dudes? One of the greatest duos in music, it's Daryl Hall and John Oates! Well, in 1983 they released a Christmas single. Ken Kessler from Sounds of Christmas joins me to talk all about their version of "Jingle Bell Rock!" Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly referred to as Hall & Oates, were an American pop rock duo who ruled the airwaves in the '80s. By the fal...

What’s up, dudes? Remember the Centurions? Kenner released the 7” Centurions line in 1986. The figures had cybernetic Exo-Frames with a number of hardpoints on the surface, onto which the various parts of their Assault Weapon Systems attached. In the accompanying Ruby-Spears cartoon , personnel on the orbiting space station Skyvault beamed the AWS to the team. London Editions Magazines published C...

What’s up, dudes? NES was the greatest thing ever in the '80s! In fact, it was so great they made a feature film about it! I've got Mike Westfall of  Advent Calendar House and Chad Young from Horror Movie BBQ here with me to dive into the 1989 Fred Savage movie “The Wizard!” It was a December release that capitalized on the Christmas season to help sell video games. Brothers Corey and Ji...

What’s up, dudes? It’s Snow White in the ‘80s, and I’ve got Anthony Caruso from ‘Tis the Podcast with me to talk about it! That’s right. We’re talking “The Charmings” and its 1987 Christmas episode , ‘Yes, Lillian, There Is a Santa Claus!’ It’s Christmas time at the Charmings’ household, and Lillian is Scroogier than ever. She tries to ruin their Christmas spirit with a snowstorm! The Charmings, h...

What’s up, dudes? It’s Hanna-Barbera time, so that means I’ve got Jeff Loftin from Lost Christmas with me to talk all about the 1982 specia l “Yogi Bear’s All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper!” It’s the sequel to “Yogi’s First Christmas,” and it shows! The story behind the production is super heartwarming, though, so this special succeeds nonetheless. Huckleberry Hound and friends pay Yogi a surprise v...

What’s up, dudes? Everybody look around, hear the sound. Something special’s gonna come your way when Shawn Robare from Cult Film Club , Crestwood House , and Plastic Rocket Pop and Sean Sotka from the Christmas Podcasts Podcast join me to talk “Kids, Incorporated!” They even had a New Year’s Eve special where they rock in the New Year! In this Dec 31st clip show , Kids, Incorporated are rehearsin...

 What's up, dudes? Remember the cult classic “Christmas Evil?” Matt McGrath from Nostaljunk joins me to dissect it. It’s a character study of one man’s descent into madness. Harry is a scarred man. After witnessing Santa caress his mom in an inappropriate manner—not realizing it was his dad in costume—he has a mental break. Years later, the now adult Harry is obsessed with Santa, emotionally...

What’s up, dudes? This December the Christmas Podcast Network is bringing you the ultimate dose of holiday hilarity – it's “The Christmas Podcast Network All-Star Comedy Christmas Show!” We've gathered your favorite podcast hosts from the Christmas Podcast Network for a night of non-stop laughter, festive fun, and more Christmas cheer than you can shake a candy cane at! All your favorite...

What’s up, dudes? It’s the show that made slime a household thing on Nickelodeon! Yes, I’m talking “You Can’t DoThat On Television” with the Christmas Cousins , Chad and Seth! In “Christmas,” the YCDTOT cast conjure up holiday hilarity in typical sketch comedy fashion. The sketches are only thirty to sixty seconds, though. Starring the great Les Lye and Abby Hagyard, and featuring the talents of C...

What’s up, dudes? Trolls were big in the ‘80s, and this special proves it! Sean Sotka from the Christmas Podcasts Podcast joins me to talk “The Trolls and the Christmas Express!” Led by the nefarious Troglo, a group of trolls infiltrate Santa’s workshop by disguising themselves in elf clothes. Their goal is to sabotage Christmas. They use their troll magic to warp and deform the toys, but the elve...

What’s up, dudes? It’s a 1986 buddy cop flick set at Christmas! That’s right! It’s “Running Scared,” and Tim Williams from 80’s Flick Flashback   and Nicholas Pepin of Pop Culture Roulette   join me to talk about it! Ray Hughes and Danny Costanzo are a pair of wisecracking Chicago cops. Julio Gonzales is a fast-rising drug kingpin. In an effort to bring him down, they unintentionally blow the lid...

What’s up, dudes? I’ve got my bud Vinnie Brezinsky from Huey and Bax here with me to talk about the Christmas episode of the game show “I'm Telling!”  It aired on Saturday mornings on NBC from September 12, 1987 to March 5, 1988  and was hosted by Laurie Faso. It’s basically a kid version of The Newlywed Game . The game consists of three teams, each a brother/sister combination. First the boy...

What’s up, dudes? Did you know there are Christmas references in “ Tron ,” one of the most ‘80s things ever? Funny or Die even did a promo for a faux holiday special ! I’ve got Scott Leopold from Holly Jolly X'masu and Robert Nicholas from Behind the Bells to talk about this 1982 cult classic! Arcade owner and programmer Kevin Flynn is a former employee of the software corporation ENCOM. Flyn...