After having heard about the show for a number of years,but sadly being unable to view it,due to airing on a subscription only TV channel,I decided that it was finally time to take a look at the series.Searching around for DVD's of the show,I was pleasantly surprised to discover a "Christmas Special" DVD of the show being sold on Ebay for a pretty good price,which led to me getting ready to visit Philadelphia for the first time.
The plot:
Getting angry over their dad Frank Reynolds keeping up a tradition of buying the presents that his son and daughter most want for Christmas,and keeping them for himself,Dennis and Dee Reynolds decide that this Christmas,it is time that they show their dad the errors of his ways.Tracking down a former business partner of Frank's called Eugene,Dennis and Dee begin to plan their own "Christmas Carol for their dad.
As Dennis and Dee prepare to give their dad a special X-Mas message,Mac and Charlie, (who both work at a bar called Paddy's with Dennis and Dee) decide to get into the Christmas season by reliving moments of their X- Mas childhood.As Charlie begins to reveal the rather odd family traditions the had,Mac begins to suspect that Charlie's X-Mas's were very far from merry.
View on the special:
For the teleplay of writers Charlie Day/ (who also stars) David Hornsby/Becky Mann/Chadd Grindin and Audra Sielaff gives the special a tremendous acid tongue,with any sense of sentimentally being replace by delightfully deranged festivities which go from one of Paddy's staff members trying to bite the ear off a store Santa Clause,to Frank, (played by an excellent Danny DeVito) tearing himself out of a coach,in a manner that makes him almost appear like a monster from a 30's B- Movie.
Giving this special a great twist of Fantasy,director Fred Savage, (aka:Kevin from The Wonder Years!) shows Franks strange Christmas spirit in a magically macabre claymation sequence,which along with an exploding snow machine that gives the ending a stylish,shoot-out appearance,make this a joyful Philadelphia Christmas.
The plot:
Getting angry over their dad Frank Reynolds keeping up a tradition of buying the presents that his son and daughter most want for Christmas,and keeping them for himself,Dennis and Dee Reynolds decide that this Christmas,it is time that they show their dad the errors of his ways.Tracking down a former business partner of Frank's called Eugene,Dennis and Dee begin to plan their own "Christmas Carol for their dad.
As Dennis and Dee prepare to give their dad a special X-Mas message,Mac and Charlie, (who both work at a bar called Paddy's with Dennis and Dee) decide to get into the Christmas season by reliving moments of their X- Mas childhood.As Charlie begins to reveal the rather odd family traditions the had,Mac begins to suspect that Charlie's X-Mas's were very far from merry.
View on the special:
For the teleplay of writers Charlie Day/ (who also stars) David Hornsby/Becky Mann/Chadd Grindin and Audra Sielaff gives the special a tremendous acid tongue,with any sense of sentimentally being replace by delightfully deranged festivities which go from one of Paddy's staff members trying to bite the ear off a store Santa Clause,to Frank, (played by an excellent Danny DeVito) tearing himself out of a coach,in a manner that makes him almost appear like a monster from a 30's B- Movie.
Giving this special a great twist of Fantasy,director Fred Savage, (aka:Kevin from The Wonder Years!) shows Franks strange Christmas spirit in a magically macabre claymation sequence,which along with an exploding snow machine that gives the ending a stylish,shoot-out appearance,make this a joyful Philadelphia Christmas.