Dozing on the couch during a timeless Christmas special 

Now that the halls have been decked, the mistletoe hung and the tree is fully trimmed, it’s time to start another annual tradition – binge watching Christmas programs. 

Fifty-six years ago this week, the holiday classic “Frosty the Snowman” first hit the airwaves. The 25-minute cartoon, based on the 1950 Gene Autry song of the same name, was the first seasonal show watched in my house this year. About half an hour is all I can seem to stay awake after I sit down on the couch. Yes, I’ve reached that stage of fatherhood where I near-instantly fall asleep when I try to watch television. 

So don’t ask me if I’ve seen the latest buzz-worthy program, but I have seen the intro seven times. 

“Frosty” is probably the last of the great network television Christmas specials, with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and the original production of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” all debuting within the previous eight years. After the 1960s, small screen producers seemingly lost the ability to capture the magic and meaning of the season, though Mr. T made an impressive street Santa in 1984. He wasn’t the jolly old elf people were used to. I pity the fool that don’t believe in Christmas. 

Speaking of the Grinch, the older I get the more I understand this beloved character. The Grinch didn’t hate Christmas, he liked peace and quiet, and we all know that if there are children around, there is little peace on Dec. 25, at least while they are awake. 

As for Christmas movies, let’s set the record straight: “Die Hard” is a holiday story, and is best watched late on Christmas Eve while trying to put on the finishing touches, placing presents around the tree and doing the work that Santa Claus will take all the credit for. It is not quite Christmas without bloodying your knuckles on a present assembly project and stifling your foul language by stuffing one of Santa’s cookies in your mouth. Yippee ki-yay …

Many people flock to a production of “The Nutcracker” to mark the holidays. This timeless ballet essentially tells the tale of two spoiled children and a broken toy. The two-hour show could be cut dramatically if the father character would learn to control his unruly son.  

I’ve been workshopping an update to “The Nutcracker.” It’s set in a trailer park and instead of a rat king there’s a bunch of raccoons. It will be a short show for all the dads that have trouble staying awake. I’ll let you know when the casting call goes out. Rednecks need apply. 

Whatever you watch this Christmas season, I hope you have a couch full of folks to watch it with. The most wonderful time of year is often the most stressful, and moments with family can be few and far between. I’ll let you know what movie or television show I watch next with mine, and I promise I’ll try to stay awake this time.