Tis the Podcast

My Name's Harry Lockhart. I'll Be Your Narrator. (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang)

Welcome to the 'Ber months, all of you friends of the elves out there! As the days get shorter and cooler, we dip our toes into a controversial "Is It or Isn't It a Christmas Movie" movie: 2005's Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer. Regardless of where the hosts fall on the Christmas question, there's no denying the discussion about this cult classic is a lively one! So, breathe in that crisp, nearly autumnal air as we talk this shoot 'em up whodunit, honor the passing of the incredible Chadwick Boseman, and create some pretty darn amazing Christmas movie night double-features!

You May Not Ask For Anything To Do With Interpersonal Relationships! Got It? This Is Santa Claus, Not Dear Abby! (All I Want For Christmas [1991])

Happy Monday, everybody! Can you believe that it's already the last day of August? We are officially in the Ber Months as of tomorrow! To celebrate the occasion, the elves are joined by Gerry D. of Totally Rad Christmas to discuss the 1991 family-film, All I Want for Christmas. While Gerry, Julia, and Thom all have a history - and therefore, some form of nostalgia - with this movie, Anthony is going in completely blind; will this New York Fairy Tale win him over? Does this movie in general hold up to anyone who wasn't raised in the nineties? What do all of them think of this pre-Hocus Pocus performance of Thora Birch? And how does Leslie Nielsen stack up against the other actors who have portrayed Santa Claus on this show so far? All of this and much, much more are discussed in this episode - including how homeschooling during the time of COVID is going for Julia's kids; how Thom and Gerry are dealing with life in quarantine due to being exposed to Coronavirus; and what all of the elves, plus their special guest, think of the first trailer for Matt Reeves' The Batman. So settle back with your favorite pumpkin drink, blast that air-conditioning, enjoy this fun episode, and take solace in the fact that we have officially arrived at the Ber Months! 
 
*Note - Please excuse Thom's bad audio quality this episode. Due to living in Quarantine while recording, and the unstable internet that comes along with it, it's not always clear. This will be resolved by next week's episode!* 

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus. (2001)

This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony journey into the realm of made-for-TV movies to discuss the 2001, family, holiday film, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, based on the famous song of the same name! Once again, as so often happens, Anthony finds himself a man alone on an island on one side of the debate - his opinion fueled by nostalgia - while Thom and Julia find themselves together across the divide. Also revealed this episode - what each of the elves feel about the Christmas song in question in general, as well as what their favorite covers are; their feelings on Dylan and Cole Sprouse and their acting abilities; and - in response to a question of the week posed by GaryBlauman - what television shows that are no longer producing new episodes they'd like to see come back for a one-off Christmas reunion special. All of this, and much, much more - including fierce debates and laughs a plenty - make this one episode you do not want to miss! So settle back with those Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Dunkin, blast that air-conditioning, and enjoy! 

The Tis The Podcast 3-Year Anniversary Special! A.K.A. They Call It Tis The Podcast

Welcome to a very special bonus episode of Tis the Podcast in which Julia, Thom, and Anthony celebrate 3-years(!!!) of friendship, family, laughs, everlasting Christmas spirit, and tons, and tons, and tons of holiday movies and television specials!
Join the elves as they travel back through time with the Ghost of Christmas Past to reflect on how far they've come, recount their biggest mistakes, and reveal their personal Top-10 lists of movies they've covered and Top-5 lists of television specials they've covered; while their movie lists differ substantially more this year than in past years, there are still a few staples across all three! Also - learn whether they're happier with the current state of their Christmas movie canon list or their Christmas television canon list!
Then, journey with the hosts and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be as they look ahead to what Year 4 might bring - including the unveiling of their official bucketized headings for their Christmas movie canon list, a tease about future podcast mascots, and hints about content that will be coming your way! And as if all of that wasn't enough, listen through to the end to hear the debut of the new, official, and totally rad Tis the Podcast Christmas Carol, written and performed by Gerry Davila of Totally Rad Christmas!
So blast that air conditioning, settle back with your Pumpkin Spice Lattes (which - along with other delicious pumpkin-flavored drinks - are officially back at Dunkin!), and enjoy this celebration of the podcast which has spawned the most amazing community of listeners anywhere on the internet; a community that has spanned lifelong friendships and is really more like a family. Thanks for 3-years, y'all! Here's to year 4! 

I Think I Just Lost My Job. (Santa and Pete)

The elves take a trip through an alternate history this week, which includes an imagined history of St. Nicholas and his sidekick Peter, as they discuss the 1999, made-for-TV movie, “Santa and Pete”. Spoiler Alert: their discussion is way more interesting the movie. So cuddle up by the fire (or the air conditioning) and enjoy an episode that serves as a good reminder that Christmas is on the way!

This Year, To Make The Best Nativity Play That Has Ever, Ever, Been, is Mr. Maddens! (Nativity!)

After a much needed (though unwanted!) week off, the elves are back, and they're once again journeying across the pond to cover the 2009, Holiday-Comedy film, Nativity! There's plenty of love for this movie to go around this week - how could there not be when it stars Martin Freeman? - and there are laughs-a-plenty as the hosts talk about their favorite parts and scenes! Also discussed: plenty of listener feedback and their ideas for what they would do if they were put in charge of making the 2020 John Lewis commercial! So settle in, blast that air-conditioning, enjoy this festive episode, and celebrate the fact that we are officially only nineteen-weeks from Christmas!

I'd Rather Have A Holiday Like Normal Grouches Do - Instead Of Getting Presents, They Take Presents Back From You! (Christmas Eve on Sesame Street)

Happy Monday, Christmas Fanatics! This week, travel back to 1978 with the elves as they journey to New York to spend Christmas Eve on Sesame Street! While they've talked about The Muppets proper many times before, this is the first full episode in which they discuss the Muppets of Sesame Street! Do the hosts appreciate them as much as their brethren in the parent IP? What do they think of the beloved children's show in general, in addition to how do they feel about this classic holiday special? Which resident of Sesame Street is their favorite? Find out the answer to all of this, and much more, in this fun, festive episode that also reveals to you exactly "how to get, how to get to Sesame Street"! So settle in and enjoy! 

A Tis The Podcast Family Christmas In July!

Happy Christmas in July, y'all! We are officially 5-months away from Christmas day! This year is flying by, even in quarantine! 
 
As a special treat to celebrate this festive summer holiday, join Julia, Thom, and Anthony as they break format to discuss foreign Christmas traditions instead of Christmas films! But it's not just the hosts sharing information about how the holidays are celebrated abroad - we also have a record nineteen listener submissions as well, in which some familiar voices, some new voices, and the voices of some fellow Christmas podcasters share details, not only about Christmas celebrations that happen overseas, but also in their local cities and in their families as well. 
 
While this is our longest episode to date at exactly 2-Hours, 17-Minutes, and 55-Seconds, it flies by and is filled with so many stories of amazing traditions and contains such festive music, that it's one of our personal favorites that we've ever done! And we have to give a special shoutout to all of our amazing listeners who took the time to participate in this episode:
 
Ron Hogan a.k.a. President Hotdog
Alex
Lauren Simone
Matt Eurich a.k.a. Gary Blauman 
Manny Torres
April Ryley
Nicole Little 
Glen Warren of Seasons Eatings Podcast
Claude Bélanger
Charlyn Lewis
Rachel Poole
Ross Taylor
Michele Kidwell
Rebecca Boll
Steven Beech a.k.a. Disco54
Adam Parker of Merry Britmas Podcast
Duane Bailey of Tinsel Tunes Podcast 
Todd Killian of Christmas Clatter Podcast
Gerry Davila of Totally Rad Christmas Podcast
Y'all are seriously the best. We've said it before, and we'll continue to say it - we have the best listeners in the world! 
 
So, blast that air-conditioning to simulate a cold winter's night, brew your favorite holiday beverage, kick back, and enjoy this very special, extremely fun, and extraordinarily festive episode brimming with holiday cheer that takes you on a cross country road trip across America and an educational tour around the globe! And make sure to listen through the end music to hear (2) Bloopers from the recording of this episode! 
 
In addition, if you want more Christmas in July content, Patrons of our show can check out our newest Patreon episode which dropped yesterday, on July 24th, in which Anthony welcomes back April Ryley to discuss Christmas in New York! And for those of you who aren’t patrons yet, but want to look into getting this bonus episode, other bonus episodes, Christmas cards, stickers, and other goodies, head on over to https://www.Patreon.com/TisThePodcast and consider subscribing! As always, thanks for all of your support, everybody - we love you all! And remember - "Soon It Will Be Christmas Day"! 

You're A Trophy Wife? What Contest In Hell Did I Win? (Everybody Loves Raymond)

This week, the elves cover the Christmas episodes of the family-comedy, Everybody Loves Raymond! While Anthony is a huge fan, and believes that it's an accurate description of family life in a New York Italian family, Thom and Julia haven't really seen it before and this is a first time seeing multiple episodes for both of them. Do they think there's a good amount of holiday cheer in here to make these episodes worthwhile, or do they feel the show is outdated and a bit cold to the point where even Christmas can't salvage it? In addition, a ton of listener feedback is discussed and a new question of the week is posed! This is one fun episode you want to be sure not to miss, so settle back and enjoy! Also, remember that between now and next Monday's episode, our Christmas in July episode will be dropping on Saturday, July 25th, and for Patrons of the show, a conversation between Anthony and April Ryley about Christmas in New York will be dropping the day before on Friday, July 24th, so make sure to keep an eye out! 

Henri Was There Too. (A Christmas Tale)

This week, the Christmas elves trudge through the first completely foreign film covered on this podcast - the 2008 French Film, A Christmas Tale - and boy do they regret it. Much of this episode is spent avoiding the film and talking about things much more interesting and enjoyable. Cuddle up and plan to get taken away to some place much more Christmassy than record-breaking July days!