Cricket on the Hearth

<p>Experience Rankin/Bass’s first festive follow-up to “Rudolph” through our eyes as we explore the 1967 TV special, “Cricket on the Hearth,” based on Charles Dickens’s <i>other</i> Christmas story.</p><hr /><h4>On This Episode</h4><ol><li><strong>Mike Westfall</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/fallwestmike">@fallwestmike</a>), chanteuse cat who has nothing to do with anything.</li><li><strong>Brian Earl</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/XmasPastPodcast">@XmasPastPodcast</a>), from the <a href="https://christmaspast.media">Christmas Past</a> podcast.</li></ol><hr /><h4>Topics and Tangents</h4><ol><li>“Cricket on the Hearth” is the “Die Hard” of Dickens Christmas stories.</li><li>The history of legends about <a href="https://www.raandrade.com/superstitions-myths-legends-about-crickets/">crickets on hearths bringing good luck</a>.</li><li>Listen to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kh-6KN2Z7UTjFYHutZkTzdcXIb1zOYq8M">“Cricket on the Hearth” soundtrack</a>.</li><li>Brian’s Christmas Past episode on <a href="https://christmaspast.media/episode-16-golden-age-christmas-tv-cartoons">Golden Age Christmas TV Cartoons</a>.</li><li>Christmas TV History’s Joanna Wilson on <a href="http://www.christmastvhistory.com/2013/01/rankinbass-voice-actors-in-other_29.html">Rankin/Bass Voice Actors</a>.</li><li>This special takes a bizarre, hard left turn into <a href="https://christmas-specials.fandom.com/wiki/File:Fish_n_Chips-1544939003">a song about “Fish ’n’ Chips.”</a></li><li>A clearly implied, off-camera murder in the Christmas show for families, right before cutting to commercial.</li></ol><hr /><h4>Previous Episodes of This Podcast Mentioned</h4><ul><li>Season 1, Episode 1: <a href="https://adventcalendar.house/episodes/frosty">Frosty the Snowman</a></li><li>Season 1, Bonus: <a href="https://adventcalendar.house/episodes/first-easter-rabbit">The First Easter Rabbit</a></li></ul><hr /><p>“Cricket on the Hearth” ©1967 Rankin/Bass Productions.</p><p>The Advent Calendar House is on the w