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8 forgotten Easter television specials from the Seventies and Eighties
Did you grow up watching these animated specials with Bugs, Snoopy and Burl Ives?
Image: The Everett Collection
Christmas and Halloween specials hog the spotlight. There are far more of them. But in springtime, we like to remember the more overlooked holiday specials of the Easter season. Of course, the Easter Bunny is the center of attention in most of these, and writers came up with all kinds of unique stories to explain why a rabbit was a central figure in Easter.
The heyday of the Easter special was the Seventies, bleeding over a bit into the early Eighties. Let's take a look.
Which ones do you remember best?
Watch Bugs Bunny and Friends on MeTV!
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*available in most MeTV markets1. Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971)
One of the earliest stand-alone easter specials came from the masters of the holiday special, Rankin/Bass. Singing, dancing Hollywood legend Danny Kaye narrated this stop-motion tale, which also featured the voices of Casey Kasem (as Peter Cottontail) and Vincent Price, who, naturally, was the villain, January Q. Irontail. A month later, in May 1971, Kaye went on The Dick Cavett Show and showed some behind-the-scenes footage from making the special.
Image: The Everett Collection
2. It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974)
If you want to get a sense of which holidays television networks prioritize, check out the Peanuts filmography. A Charlie Brown Christmas came first, in 1965, followed by a couple of Valentine's Day specials, Thanksgiving and then Easter. Easter Beagle was the 12th overall animated special in the Peanuts franchise. Arbor Day came a couple of years later.
Image: The Everett Collection
3. Easter Is (1974)
Benji's (not that Benji) dog Waldo is kidnapped! So begins the plot of the bizarre, now-buried special Easter Is. "A five dollar ransom!" the videocassette box declared on the back, luring renters. The dog-napping somehow teaches Benji (again, not that Benji) the true meaning of Easter. Leslie Uggams was the big voice talent attached.
Image: Family Films / Lutheran Television
4. The First Easter Rabbit (1976)
Rankin/Bass took the Frosty approach to its second Easter special, going with traditional cartoon animation in The First Easter Rabbit. Burl Ives narrated this one, marking his first return to the Rankin/Bass universe since Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964. Stuffy, the stuffed rabbit who becomes the Easter Bunny, was voiced by Robert Morse, who modern TV fans will known best as Bert Cooper on Mad Men.
Image: Rankin/Bass Productions
5. The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town (1977)
A year later, Rankin/Bass went back to its bread-and-butter, stop-motion animation, for a special that was essentially a sequel to 1970's Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town. Fred Astaire returned in his role as S.D. "Special Delivery" Kluger, the fellow who delivers letters to Santa and, now, the Easter Bunny. Adding that extra layer of Seventies surreality, there is a hobo named Hallelujah Jones and a talking train named Chugs, who is a bit like something from Thomas.
Image: Rankin/Bass Productions
6. Bugs Bunny's Easter Special (1977)
This Looney Tunes entry into the Easter canon utilized clips from classic cartoons, inserted into a new story. Granny is looking for a replacement for the Easter Bunny, who is under the weather. Naturally, she thinks of Bugs. Naturally, Daffy is jealous and wants the gig for himself. The classic cartoons seen throughout were largely from the 1950s, including gems like "Hillbilly Hare" and "Bully for Bugs."
Image: The Everett Collection
7. The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise (1981)
The Berenstain Bears (yes, with an A, all you Mandela Effect sufferers) had a particularly snowy Easter in this special. It was the third of five Berenstain Bears specials, which largely featured obscure actors in the voice roles.
Image: NBC
8. A Family Circus Easter
Jazz trumpet legend Dizzy Gillespie voiced the Easter Bunny in this animated adaptation of the popular newspaper comic strip. That's him hugging Missy Hope, the voice of Dolly. Classic line from Dolly: "Dyeing eggs isn't the same as killing them, is it, Daddy?"
Image: The Everett Collection
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87 Comments
I guess I was too busy with church and decorating, finding, and then eating Easter eggs.
I tell ya, there was nothing better to a kid than eating a room temperature hard-boiled egg that had been sitting out all night.
I remember my Mom (may she rest in peace) watched "The Easter Beagle" with me and my younger sister when we were kids in the 70's. She especially liked the scene where Sally tries on those oversized, out-of-style clogs at the department store and falls down. I liked when Marcie made "egg soup" and Peppermint Patty got steamed - *so* funny.
Uh, "You're in Love, Charlie Brown" (1967) is NOT a Valentine-themed special. It debuted in June--Do some research!
Next, you'll have to have Muslims wanting to do one for (whatever holidays THEY have).
Link: https://www.robertfeder.com/2021/05/03/weigel-expands-memorable-entertainment-menu-metv-plus/
Other than the read, I can't explain it and don't receive it in this marketplace.
