8. Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus
There's a new version of this one, sponsored and endlessly hawked by Macy's during the Thanksgiving Day parade, but it's the first version from 1974 I'm discussing here. It's directed by Bill Melendez, who did so many of the Peanuts specials over the years, it's almost as if he forgot how to draw anything else. The character designs of the kids so greatly resemble Schulz' creations, it's a wonder he didn't sue. The story is well known: Little Virginia still believes in Santa, a mindset that was met with some derision by her contemporaries. She contacts the editor of New York paper The Sun with her query about Santa, based on her father's declaration, "If it's in The Sun, it's so". (note: It frequently wasn't) The editor, flush with emotion, answers Virginia's query on the front page with an essay that brought a tear to even the crustiest New Yorker's eye. Jim Backus narrated the tale, his identity revealed at the end of the special. The cast featured a fine multicultural array of representative races, including a nice Jewish candy-maker who offers his opinion on this mysterious character. Jimmy Osmond sang the title song in his near-castrati range - he has sung other songs better.