It's strange, but I'll also stop and watch a film when I see it on TV--even though it's sitting in my DVD collection, uncut and without commercials! There have actually been times when I've perused the collection and couldn't even bring myself to watch anything. As I'm looking, my mind is actually playing snippets of each film, and I'm thinking: gee, I've seen all of these SO many times. Sigh.

As for the frequency of classics like Rudolph and Charlie Brown (and the Wizard of Oz, too), I'd most definitely agree that their constant availability has taken away some of the magic. In our house when I was a kid, the annual showing of Wizard was a major event! If we happened to be somewhere right before it came on, we'd rush home, breaking speed limits like maniacs! And when the conclusion came, and Dorothy said goodbye to her three Oz friends, it was always such a crusher--because a WHOLE YEAR (an eternity, back then) would go by before we'd be in their company again.

There are so many great specials from my childhood that have become less special because I can see them anytime I want to. The anticipation is gone, and that's a very big part of the fun.

Rod