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

Happy to hear that Iowa has shipped as well since many of us ordered from there. Yay! Thanks so much. Isn't great that after all these years we get this Christmas gift? We've been wishing collectively for so long. Happy Holiday!

Is there someone special about Iowa Public TV that many order from there? Or does there just happen to be a lot of Carpenters fans who live in Iowa?
 
Is there someone special about Iowa Public TV that many order from there? Or does there just happen to be a lot of Carpenters fans who live in Iowa?
No, nothing special that I know of. I don't live in Iowa. It's just that one of our members posted links early on in this thread to the Iowa PBS that had the pledge gifts listed so I think a few of us ordered from them.
 
In terms of quality, how does it compare to the previously released "Perry Como Christmas Show" from 1974? Obviously they are all from 1970's composite video masters, how are the transfers?

I thought the transfers were very good. Compares very well to the Como Christmas DVD in my opinion. arthowson asked me to post some pics, which I'd be happy to if someone can tell me how to do that here. It's just the front and back cover and DVD, there is no insert inside the case which is pretty typical nowadays for any DVD releases.
 
There are no separate special features on this DVD. Before each song Richard introduces and talks about the selection. Some of these comments are visual interviews and some are audio only. This DVD is put together like a retrospective program (probably like an expanded version of the shorter PBS broadcast - which I haven't seen so that's why I say probably) as opposed to just one video after another like on the Gold or Interpretations DVDs.
 
I finally got to see the half-hour Christmas extension of the Public TV broadcast this afternoon. It's been so long since I'd seen any of these clips that it was almost new to me. Yeah, I have wobbly copies on VHS and generally avoid similarly wobbly YouTube posts, so I think this is going to be quite a welcome addition to the collection.

One thing that I thought I heard - and can't go back to check - was the beginning of "White Christmas". It's part of the "Winter Wonderland/Silver Bells/White Christmas" medley, and on all recorded versions, the song "White Christmas" has its opening extension included ("The sun is shining, the grass is green..."). I've noticed that because our local community chorus sings the song with that added opening extension. I actually lobbied for its inclusion since the lyrics can be altered to our location instead of "Beverly Hills, L.A." and we did just that. It always gets a reaction from our audiences.

Yet in this half-hour program on the local Public TV station, I could have sworn that the medley went seamlessly from "Silver Bells" to the meat of "White Christmas." Is that the way it was done on the original TV show?
 
Yet in this half-hour program on the local Public TV station, I could have sworn that the medley went seamlessly from "Silver Bells" to the meat of "White Christmas." Is that the way it was done on the original TV show?

I'm pretty sure the original tv show edited that sequence so no you probably were not hearing things. The tv special that was broadcast did not have the intro, "The sun is shining, the grass is green" I'm thinking it was a time contraint issue and they had to edit.

I know it's slightly off topic but I wish there had been a way for Richard to add an extra bonus to the DVD by including only the musical segments of Karen from the Bruce Forsyth Show. Since Karen loved Christmas, what a special introduction it would be for Richard to introduce that segment and speak briefly how much it meant for Karen to perform on that night. Incidentally, Karen does include the opening "The sun is shining, the grass is green" before starting off with "White Christmas" and a live version makes it even more of a treat to hear, a slightly slower tempo. It gives me goosebumps when I hear her sing that opening.
 
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Yes, this is the way it was done on the original TV show. In fact all three selections in the medley are abbreviated versions of their album counterparts. The Christmas Portrait version of the medley clocks in at 5:30 where the TV special version has a running length of about 4:06.
 
I'm pretty sure the reason they didn't include the intro in the video is because it wouldn't have fit at all in the context of the wintry snowman scene. Sunshiny orange trees blowing in the warm wind wouldn't exactly fit the Norman Rockwell Christmas vibe. :)
 
"Just hear those sleigh bells jinglin'..."

All I have to say is... thank you Richard Carpenter, Jim Pierson and TJ Lubinsky!!!!
 
Absolutely and there's some nice stuff additional to what was aired on public television. Make sure to watch to very end of the DVD by the way...the sign-off was a wonderful touch :wink:
 
Chris, do you know if these video reels from Richard were remastered or touched up in any way from his archive? Also I know I've heard of his name but who is Jim Pierson again, showing producer with Richard.
 

Hey, I know how you feel. This is the first DVD I have purchased in ages after I thought I had retired from buying them. It is also the most expensive DVD I ever bought. But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the content was just too amazing to hold firm on my buying retirement. I think of the times I will be at home enjoying this DVD instead of out on the town spending money on other things and suddenly I realized this was the best investment I could have made.
 
I finally figured, "How many more Carpenters releases of any type will we see?" That was the final straw. I didn't buy the Singles set as I just don't have the money, and I've stopped buying repackaging of hits unless there's something unique on them.
 
I know Chris already posted pics but Santa's elves were working hard to get my DVD home for the holidays.
I just got it this afternoon, can't wait to watch this tonight....best Christmas ever!!!
Richard has managed to rejuvenate Carpenters at Christmas yet again.

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If any of you lucky US dwellers feel like spreading the christmas love to the rest of planet earth. . . any chance of a transcription of Richard's thoughts?

Neil
 
Mine came from Iowa PBS today. A nice catalog with PBS offerings and a separate package for Christmas Memories DVD. Excited to watch it!
 
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