Yogi's First Christmas is a 1980 animated television film starring Yogi Bear and produced by Hanna-Barbera which first aired in syndication through Operation Prime Time on November 21, 1980. Throughout the 1980s it was offered to U.S. television stations split up one episode per day for four days as a one-week strip syndicated program, generally showing the week of Christmas.
Two songs from Casper's First Christmas ("Comin' Up Christmas Time" and "Making A Big To-Do") were featured in this movie, in new re-recorded versions. Additionally, Boo Boo's song "Hope" was previously heard in the Christmas specials, A Christmas Story (1972) and A Flintstone Christmas (1977).
Plot
Yogi and his little pal, Boo Boo, are usually hibernating during the Christmas season, but this year they are awakened when Huckleberry Hound, Snagglepuss, Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy come to Jellystone Lodge for the holiday. They are joined by Ranger Smith, hotel manager Mr. Dingwell, Otto the chef, and lodge owner Sophie Throckmorton and her spoiled brat of a nephew, Snively. The gang is obsessed with keeping Mrs. Throckmorton happy to keep her from closing down the lodge, which has become unpopular due to activity caused by Herman the Hermit, a grumpy Christmas-hating hermit who just wants to be left alone.
Yogi and Boo Boo are put to work as employees of the lodge. Yogi is first ordered to operate the snowplow, to which he saves Mrs. Throckmorton on the road from an avalanche caused by Herman. Later, Yogi is working as a bellboy, where he is tasked by Ranger Smith to stay on Mrs. Throckmorton's good side. Though Snively tries to embarrass Yogi with his pranks, Yogi comes out on top. In another attempt to degrade Yogi, Snively tricks him into entering a figure skating contest, which Snively is also a participant. Although Snively earns high marks, Mrs. Throckmorton covertly wishes Snively would lose in order to tame his poor attitude. Yogi, the last contestant, manages to impress the judges well enough to earn the highest marks and win. Snively is a sore loser and enraged that Yogi beat him at his own game, but his aunt Sophie says that Yogi won fair and square and losing is a lesson of life. Fed up with Snively's antics, Yogi gets revenge on him during an ice fishing contest, with Mrs. Throckmorton agreeing that he needed to be taught a lesson. Furious, Snively runs away and meets up with Herman, and the two team up to ruin Christmas.
However, Yogi manages to thwart them every time. Cindy Bear also awakens from her hibernation, to help Yogi out (due to her love and concern for him). Eventually, Herman and Snively are forgiven, invited to the Christmas celebrations and they have a profound change of heart at such generosity of spirit. Then in the midst of the festivities, Santa Clausplummets down the chimney bearing a picnic basket full of food for Yogi. Yogi, however, falls asleep, due to his natural instincts of hibernation. Santa then says that Yogi and Boo Boo can have the basket when they wake up in the spring. With that, the partiers return Yogi, Boo Boo and Cindy to their caves for the rest of their hibernation.
The holiday TV movie was first released on VHS via Worldvision Home Video (now called CBS Home Entertainment) in 1983, and later re-released in association with Kids Klassics Home Video in 1986. It was then released on DVD as part of the manufactured-on-demand Warner Archive Collection on November 17, 2009.
Trivia
Two songs from Casper's First Christmas ("Comin' Up Christmas Time" and "Making A Big To-Do") were featured in this movie, in new re-recorded versions. Additionally, Boo Boo's song, "Hope", was previously heard in the Christmas specials, A Christmas Story (1972) and A Flintstone Christmas (1977).
Errors
Before the tree-trimming party, Mrs. Throckmorton changes from the suit that she wears throughout most of the movie into a formal evening gown; however, in several scenes during the party she is seen to be wearing her suit again.
Cindy Bear is given a sash with the words "Miss. Jellystone" on it, but in some of the subsequent scenes the sash is plain.
