I remember when I used to come home after school every day and turn on YTV to watch The Zone, their block of Children’s shows from 3-6. I loved it, and for most of the time that I watched it, the programming stayed the same. I remember, however, when they announced that they were replacing Rugrats with a show about a funny looking kid with hair like Fido Dido called Doug. I was outraged, and so were my brother and sister! How could any show measure up to Rugrats!? We dreaded the day when Rugrats would end, but when Doug finally premiered, I could see that this show was something special. It hit close to home for me, a show about a less than popular kid with a crush on a popular girl in school, so I got over the loss of Rugrats and embraced Doug. My whole family loved Doug, and I am sad to say I don’t remember watching this special with them when we were growing up, because it is a really nice special about families and togetherness, but we’ll get into that after I tell you a bit about Doug.
Doug, as I mentioned, is a less than popular kid who moves into a new city with his Mom, Dad and older beatnik sister Judy. He becomes best friends with a guy named Skeeter, and develops a crush on a girl named Patti. The show is told through Doug’s narration, by his entries into his secret journal. Other than Skeeter, Doug is also great friends with his dog Porkchop, whom Doug often uses as a sounding board and conscience when working through a problem. Doug also gets along with Mr. Dink, his next door neighbour, who is always buying new things that are, in his own words, “Very expensive Douglas”. Doug is just your average growing kid, and maybe that’s why I think the Christmas Special is great, it hits closer to home than most.
The cover of the VHS tape
The Dougrinch!
After the opening, we cut to the day after American Thanksgiving, when Doug starts getting excited about his family’s Christmas traditions. He is looking forward to getting out all of the decorations, going to buy the best tree at the local lot, visiting his Grandmother, and last but not least writing out a list of the presents he’d like to get that year. Once he figures out what he’d like to see under the tree, he goes downstairs to hand the list off to his dad. He finds his mom and Judy in the living room doing breathing exercises, because Doug’s mom is pregnant and the baby is due in a month or two. Doug ends up finding his dad in the den, and is about to hand him his Christmas list when his dad cuts Doug off to try and get up the nerve to tell him about the birds and the bees. It turns out he’s been wanting to talk to Doug about it for months, but hasn’t known how. Doug tells his dad that he knows all about sex, having learned about it in school, and after a long talk (That we see through a montage), he even ends up teaching his dad a bit. (I found this to be a very interesting scene for a cartoon, because it’s not often you even hear the word sex in a kid’s cartoon, especially one produced by Disney. It wasn’t played for laughs however, so I think it was a cute little scene to throw in the episode for the older viewers. It might bring up question about sex from younger viewers though, so keep that in mind if you watch this episode with children)
The book Doug's dad consults for advice
Anyways, Doug’s dad tells him that because of the baby on the way, they might not be getting as many presents this year. Doug is upset, but puts on a brave face for his dad, and hides his wish list. Judy, being the bratty older sister that she is, snatches the list away from Doug. He tells his dad it is a list of baby name recommendations, which is hard to believe after Judy reads off dirt bike and inline skates. Doug chases her off while she says she’d prefer the name Cleopatra.
The next afternoon, after a long day at school, Doug passes by the Christmas tree lot, and the owner tells Doug he’ll have to come get a tree soon, as they are selling quick. Doug heads home to get his dad, but upon arriving home sees a tiny, fake tree siting on the coffee table. Doug’s dad tells him that they just can’t be bothered with a real tree this year because of the baby. Already a little down about everything going on, Doug heads to the mall with Skeeter so they can go shopping for presents. Doug is about to buy some nice earrings for his crush Patti, when Skeeter calls him over to show him that he has found a replacement Christmas tree shaped waffle iron for his family. It is Skeeter’s family’s tradition to make Christmas tree shaped waffles every Christmas morning, something they can’t do this year because Skeeter accidentally broke their last waffle iron. Skeeter picks it up, but realizes it is way outside his price range. Doug feels bad, and wants to help Skeeter stick with his family’s traditions, even if Doug’s family can’t stick with theirs, so he gives Skeeter the money to buy it. Doug leaves the mall feeling happy about helping his friend, but a little bummed now that he can’t afford a present for Patti.
Doug leaving the mall and feeling a little down
After coming home from the mall, Doug goes up to his room, upset that all of the family traditions are being ignored, and tries to take his mind off it by thinking what he can get Patti with only 63 cents to his name. He realizes he should just make her a present, and gets started on making a pair of earrings himself. Being the oddball that he is, he makes Patti a pair of ear shaped earrings (It’s actually kinda cute, but at the same time, when you see a cartoon wearing cartoon ears, it is a little unsettling) They turn out great and he goes to the local malt shop to give them to Patti. She loves them, and gives Doug his present, which she tells him he can’t open until Christmas morning. They leave together, and Patti gets picked up to go to her grandparent’s house. Doug walks home, and along the way, passes by the houses of some of his school friends, and is a little jealous to see them all enjoying their yearly traditions. He is still a little optimistic though, hoping when he gets home his family will be more in the Christmas mood, and he even has a daydream about his family acting in their own Christmas variety special. He arrives home and is excited that at least they’ll be going to his grandmother’s house for dinner, but his mom tells him they won’t be going because of how far of a drive it is for someone as far along as she is in her pregnancy, plus Doug’s dad is still at the mall. Doug storms up to his room to cool down, and then decides to go for a walk. He goes to the Christmas tree lot, and the owner is just packing up, but he gives Doug his last tree. It’s small, but it’s a nice tree, and Doug goes home a little bit happier than when he left, and goes right to bed.
Angry Doug, as he storms off to his room
He wakes up the next morning and it is Christmas! He and Porkchop exchange presents, and he waits for his family to come and get him. And waits. And waits. But no one comes upstairs. He goes looking for everyone, and the house is empty. Just then, the phone rings, and it’s Doug’s dad. He tells him they are all at the hospital, and that something has happened. Doug gets there as fast as he can, and goes into his mom’s room only to see that she has had the baby a week early! Doug’s parents tell him and Judy that they combined the names that both kids suggested, and have named their new little girl Cleopatra Dirtbike Funnie! (One of my all-time favourite cartoon names)
Little Cleopatra Dirtbike Funnie
We cut to a few days later, December 27th, and Doug and his family are having a big Christmas party with all of the neighbours. Everyone is excited to meet Cleopatra, and Doug is happy to be surrounded by all the people he loves, even if it isn’t the 25th. He says something really sweet about it: “I guess no matter how you celebrate it, with lights or funny costumes, on the 25th or 27th, Christmas isn’t just a tree and presents, it’s a feeling.” Cleopatra runs out of diapers, so Doug goes to make a diaper run, when Patti comes up to him with her present in her hands and tells Doug he should open it. He does, and is excited to see it is a hand knit scarf that Patti made him, even though she hates knitting. They hug, Doug blushes, and they all lived happily ever after.
This episode falls under the category of a special that tries to convey a nice Christmas message, and I think that it does so greatly. Actually, Doug even goes beyond just learning a lesson about how sometimes traditions can change to make way for new and better traditions. He goes so far as to give away the last of his money to help Skeeter keep his traditions alive, because he realizes that even though his life is changing, it’s great to try and help someone keep a tradition alive if you can. Also, as the quote above demonstrates, Doug realizes that Christmas isn’t about the day or the presents or the traditions, it’s about being with the people you care about and getting together to celebrate.
I highly recommend this special to both adults and children. Even though the sex talk may bring up some uncomfortable questions with kids of a certain age, that shouldn’t dissuade any families from sitting down and enjoying this special together. I know that closer to Christmas when all of my family is around, I’ll be popping this tape back in the VCR for us all to watch.
Christmas Special Reviews 