🎄 Holidays! EXCLUSIVE! Merry Christmas, Darling: Carpenters Public TV Special and DVD

I've been told that the final tweaks will be complete next week, with a ship time planned for the week after Thanksgiving. :)
Thanks but is that for ordering it now online through the link that Jazz4Jeff provided above? or waiting until it airs on your local PBS station?

My local PBS has it on their schedule for airing on 11/25 at 9:00 pm but there website says DVD gifts usually ship in 6-8 weeks.
 
Thanks but is that for ordering it now online through the link that Jazz4Jeff provided above? or waiting until it airs on your local PBS station?

My local PBS has it on their schedule for airing on 11/25 at 9:00 pm but there website says DVD gifts usually ship in 6-8 weeks.

Technically it shouldn't matter, although I think doing an earlier pre-order might be smarter. The DVDs aren't even ready yet so no shipping will happen prior to the week following Thanksgiving.
 
Thanks for the information Chris. Insightful as always. :uhhuh:

I may kick myself for this later, but I think I'm going to hold out until the local PBS stations have the dvd available. I don't think it's airing here until next month sometime.
 
I've been told that the final tweaks will be complete next week, with a ship time planned for the week after Thanksgiving. :)

I just noticed in one of TJL's earlier posts that the DVD's are custom manufactured due to uncertainty on the demand, so it sounds like this DVD release will be on DVD-R and not the regular pressed DVD.
 
I just noticed in one of TJL's earlier posts that the DVD's are custom manufactured due to uncertainty on the demand, so it sounds like this DVD release will be on DVD-R and not the regular pressed DVD.

No these will still be standard replication, however they will be batched according to demand in order to prevent overstock.
 
Technically it shouldn't matter, although I think doing an earlier pre-order might be smarter. The DVDs aren't even ready yet so no shipping will happen prior to the week following Thanksgiving.

Thanks for the info, I went ahead and ordered it online and I'll probably order a 2nd DVD from my local PBS station on 11/26...will see which ones arrives first. This is an exclusive we have been waiting for a long time.

It sounds to me like Richard may have owned the rights to these 2 Christmas Specials all along as TJ mentions in the video thanking Richard for opening his vaults to share with us. I never really knew who owned the rights or who had the actual video and now that addresses this question. This is going to be amazing to see in such brilliant clarity!! Is it possible we might get something like this from the Music Music Music TV special down the road from PBS....stay tuned!!
 
Not sure if TJ can answer this question but I'm interested to know if I order this through my local PBS station does that mean I will get the DVD faster in the mail? Obviously if some PBS stations (possibly ones not in the state you live) are taking orders around thanksgiving ones DVD would ship earlier than s PBS station that is not airing this till December.

I honestly don't know where to order from since my local PBS station is not even showing it in their guide.

*Correction: DVDs are set to begin shipping Thanksgiving week (not the week after).
 
It sounds to me like Richard may have owned the rights to these 2 Christmas Specials all along as TJ mentions in the video thanking Richard for opening his vaults to share with us.

Richard and Karen co-owned the specials so I guess on her passing all rights transferred to him. I agree this is really exciting news, let's hope for something else via PBS in the future. Seems like the format works for Richard to release some new stuff :)
 
REVIEW-
Last night, our local PBS station, KLCS aired the Carpenters Christmas special.

First, the good stuff. As expected, the production from TJ and his "my music" staff was top notch. Every performance had a new audio introduction from Richard. These added great insight as to where these songs came to the Carpenters. The picture & sound were wonderful.

No, the confusing part. The broadcast special is 21 minutes long. Nine minutes are pledge drive solicitations. It features five complete performances: Sleigh ride, Christ is born, the Christmas song, O holy night, and the medley of "winter wonderland". "Silver bells" and "White Christmas". It also features a brief clip with Perry Como performing "Sleep well little children".
It seems like the special is unfinished or is meant to book end the precious PBS Carpenter special. What we see is so good, it makes the 21 minutes go way too quickly. And how can you do a Carpenters Christmas special without "Merry Christmas darling"? I know it's on the DVD but I thought it would be on the special. The video of this song from "Christmas portrait" is so beautiful.

The premiums were the same price as listed before. I am anxious for you to see the program. Let me me know what you think. Maybe I am disappointed because we waited so long for this collection. 21 minutes is way too short to honor the Carpenters Christmas recordings.
 
Well I think 21 mins sounds about right because the DVD is only 50 mins if they used anymore time they might as well just show the whole DVD. I agree with you though on MCD they should have shown just a clip and then mention the full version is available on the DVD but to not mention it at all seems kinda odd it's one of their most popular songs in the Christmas catalog.

That terrific Richard will be introducing each video looking forward to seeing it and getting this DVD. So Jeff you were able to order it now? Did they mention when the DVD would ship?
 
Richard and Karen co-owned the specials so I guess on her passing all rights transferred to him. I agree this is really exciting news, let's hope for something else via PBS in the future. Seems like the format works for Richard to release some new stuff :)
From what I understood with Richard's talk of the specials in all the CD write-ups was that the specials were co-owned by Karen, Richard and ABC, and that in the intervening years, either because of a contract clause where ABC's rights expired after X-number of years and reverted to Karen and Richard, or since Karen's passing Richard bought out ABC's rights in all the specials, so he now controls them 100%.
 
Does anyone remember a few years back one of the Christmas shows, I think it was the first one in 1977 but it was shown in its entirety at a library I believe in NY. Someone on this forum may even have attended this viewing. So Richard must have lended a copy or allowed it to be shown. I believe tickets were required.
 
Does anyone remember a few years back one of the Christmas shows, I think it was the first one in 1977 but it was shown in its entirety at a library I believe in NY. Someone on this forum may even have attended this viewing. So Richard must have lended a copy or allowed it to be shown. I believe tickets were required.
Wasn't there, but think it was shown at the Paley Center.
 
The big "miss" I am seeing is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Why wasn't that included? Also, with that, the addition of "Toyland" would have made it a "perfect" set!
 
From what I understood with Richard's talk of the specials in all the CD write-ups was that the specials were co-owned by Karen, Richard and ABC, and that in the intervening years, either because of a contract clause where ABC's rights expired after X-number of years and reverted to Karen and Richard, or since Karen's passing Richard bought out ABC's rights in all the specials, so he now controls them 100%.

I'm pretty sure that Jerry Weintraub had some ownership in the specials as well since he brokered the deal with ABC and was executive producer. All 5 specials were produced by "Downey-Bronx Productions" which I am assuming was a joint venture between Karen, Richard and Jerry. (Jerry was raised in the Bronx.) Of course, Jerry's interest could have expired or been bought out somewhere along the way. Also, his interest may only have been profit participation and not necessarily "control" of the specials.
 
He could used this one!! It's the only one I know of....




Nice video, but as you know, it is a fan made video from a different song. I recall 25 years ago when an Abba video collection included "On & On & On" using the same technique. I don't recall Richard ever allowing this approach for any of his home video releases. He must be a purist when it comes to retaining the integrity of an original video and whatever doesn't have legitimate original footage, such as "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", will not be considered for a video collection. But that's never stopped me from manufacturing my own video. :)
 
My mistake. I could have sworn she performed this on one of the two Christmas Specials; but upon reflection, I must be thinking the Christmas Song.

Right when I read your message that is what I thought you may have confused it with because The Christmas Song video has that same atmosphere.

We have been so lucky to get as many Christmas videos as we currently have by the Carpenters, but it has always been a dream of mine that Richard will uncover some previously unreleased videos. Since he had to tap into the Dorothy Hamill Special to add a non-Christmas video to this latest collection, I have a feeling my dream will remain just a dream. :sad:
 
Does anyone remember a few years back one of the Christmas shows, I think it was the first one in 1977 but it was shown in its entirety at a library I believe in NY. Someone on this forum may even have attended this viewing. So Richard must have lended a copy or allowed it to be shown. I believe tickets were required.

I was there. It took place in the Museum of TV and Radio in NYC and LA. Here's the post I wrote about it in this forum on Dec. 13, 2004 (that thread is now closed):

I went to the screening of The Carpenters at Christmas in NYC this past Saturday (12/11) and the auditorium I saw it in definitely had more than 50 seats—it appeared to be more like 200—and the screen was considerably larger than 7-8 feet. Perhaps you saw it in a different room than I did Richiebro. When I was there it was in the large, main auditorium (the MT&R Theatre, I think it's called) on the lower level. In any event, there were maybe 40 people in attendance which was about the same number as for the show before and after. The museum wasn't exactly overflowing with people that day.

Having never seen this particular special, it was really a treat to finally view it. And to see it on a big screen with a good sound system was especially fun. I got chills every time Karen sang as her low notes seemed to vibrate through my body. Like Jeff, I was struck by how comfortable Karen was as an actress. Whereas Richard appeared somewhat wooden and forced some of the time, Karen seemed natural, warm, and completely believable, just the same as when she sang. The highlight for me was the segment in which she performed "The Christmas Song" in her living room. Watching her hug a stuffed koala bear as she curled up on her couch alongside the fireplace really pulled the ol' heartstrings.

The museum also has in its archives the premiere episode of Make Your Own Kind of Music. I requested a viewing of that afterwards. It's worth watching, although the overall quality was lowered by the silly comedy routines throughout. The Carpenters and Herb Alpert were far and away the stars of the show; none of the other guests came close (unless you count Bob Hope's cameo). Their lip-synched performance of "We've Only Just Begun" was one that I'd never seen before.
 
I emailed WPBS to find out when the special was airing and it won't be till November 29. So for Canadians, like myself, we'll be able to order the DVD starting on the 29th.
 
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