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Christmas episodes of popular TV shows have been released on DVD
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"Peanuts Holiday Collection" is a new 4K/Blu-ray release with three classic holiday episodes, including "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965). - photo by Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News
Published: Nov 10, 2017, 2:51 AM
If you look forward to holiday-themed episodes of your favorite TV series, these new DVDs are for you.

The Carol Burnett Show: Carols Lost Christmas (Time Life, 1967-78, three episodes; eight-page booklet). These three December shows are from Burnetts first four seasons and havent been seen in more than 40 years. Highlights include Jonathan Winters as Saint Nick and early incarnations of the regular skits The Old Folks, Carol & Sis and The Charwoman. A funny non-Yule courtroom skit was penned by Neil Simon and features Burnett's old buddies Garry Moore and Durwood Kirby, who gave the comedian her start on The Garry Moore Show.

Peanuts Holiday Collection: Deluxe Edition (Warner, 1965-73, three episodes, six bonus episodes, three featurettes). This 4K/Blu-ray release includes three classic animated CBS specials: A Charlie Brown Christmas, Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, along with six more "Peanuts specials.

Emmet Otters Jug-Band Christmas: 40th Anniversary (Sony, 1977, deleted/alternate scenes, lost song, featurette, bloopers). Jim Henson created this hourlong HBO family-friendly special based on the 1967 book by Russell Hoban (The Mouse and His Child), using Muppets and his stock company of familiar voice actors (including Frank Oz). The special is charming, witty and fun, with songs by Paul Williams and an introduction by Kermit the Frog.

The Honeymooners: Christmas Laughter (CBS/Paramount, 1955-56, b/w, six episodes). This ancient sitcom is still hilarious, thanks to sharp writing and the singular comic chemistry of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. But the series lasted only a single filmed season (the lost episodes collected elsewhere were kinescope segments from Gleasons earlier variety shows), so theres only one Christmas show here. But its a hoot, as are the other five episodes especially TV or Not TV and The Golfer.

Frasier: Christmas Episodes (CBS/Paramount, 1993-2004, eight episodes). Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin were a grand comedy ensemble for this long-running spinoff of Cheers, as demonstrated by these Christmas-themed episodes, all of them very funny.

A Very Brady Christmas (CBS/Paramount, 1988). This ones a TV-movie reunion that brought back almost the entire cast of the original 1969-74 blended-family sitcom. Only Susan Olsen, who played Cindy, was absent, with Jennifer Runyon taking over the role. The shows huge fan base made this the second-most-watched TV movie of the year.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Christmas Episodes (CBS/Paramount, 1996-2003, six episodes, TV-movie, featurette). The holiday episodes here are gleaned from the silly magical sitcom based on the comic book character, with Melissa Joan Hart in the title role. Included is the TV movie Sabrina Goes to Rome (1998) and its promotional featurette.

Murdoch Mysteries: Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas (Acorn, 2016, featurette). This Christmas special has turn-of-the-20th-century Toronto Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) investigating a train robbery, which leads him to Toronto businesses being robbed in the days leading up to Christmas. For the uninitiated, this is a witty Canadian mystery series about a detective using at-the-time innovative technology to solve crimes.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
Lois M Collins
Deseret News special workflow
Published: Apr 13, 2018, 2:39 PM
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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