Deck the Halls with Wacky Walls

Deck the Halls with Wacky Walls is an American television Christmas special that aired on NBC on December 11, 1983.[1] The special is inspired by the Wacky WallWalker toys that were imported from Japan and merchandised by Ken Hakuta in 1982.[1] The toys are small plastic octopus-like figures molded out of a sticky elastomer; when thrown against a wall, the figures slowly "walk" down as the appendages briefly adhere to the surface. More than 200 million of the toys were sold in the early 1980s.[1] Hakuta set up the TV deal with NBC, and said that the young boy in the special bore a "distinct resemblance to Mr. Hakuta's 4-year-old son, Kenzo."[2]

Deck the Halls with Wacky Walls
GenreAnimated TV special
Written byMark Evanier
Directed byCandy Kugel
Al Kouzel
Vincent Cafarelli
Voices ofDaws Butler
Peter Cullen
Tress MacNeille
Marvin Kaplan
Howard Morris
Frank Welker
Scott Menville
ComposersElliot Lawrence
Amy Lawrence
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerBuzz Potamkin
Running time30 minutes
Production companyNBC Productions in association with Buzzco Associates
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseDecember 11, 1983 (1983-12-11)

In the special, the WallWalkers are extraterrestrial octopoids from the planet Kling-Kling, sent to Earth to discover the true meaning of Christmas. The team of aliens — Wacky, Big Blue, Springette, Stickum, Crazy Legs and Bouncing Baby Boo — disguise themselves as Santa Claus, but they're discovered by a spoiled human boy, Darryl, who needs a lesson in the Yuletide spirit. Darryl threatens to inform the U.S. Air Force about the aliens, unless they help him earn money to buy an expensive toy car. At an orphanage, Crazy Legs discovers the kindness of strangers, and Darryl and the WallWalkers listen to the story of the Three Wise Men and the Star of Bethlehem. Learning his lesson, Darryl donates his presents to the orphanage.[3]

The special was not well-received, and was in the bottom five of the Nielsen TV ratings for the week.[4]

Cast

Reception

Suzanne Barnes of The Cedar Rapids Gazette observed, "I personally don't believe that the whole purpose of Deck the Halls with Wacky Walls was to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas. I believe it was simply a 30-minute commercial for Wacky Wallwalkers."[5]

References
  1. Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 108–109. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  2. Clarity, James F.; Weaver Jr., Warren (July 11, 1983). "Briefing". The New York Times. p. A12. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  3. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 84. ISBN 9781476672939.
  4. "CBS tops the TV heap". Associated Press. December 15, 1983. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. Barnes, Suzanne (December 17, 1983). "Specials have different approach to Christmas". Cedar Rapids Gazette. p. 2D. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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