Nearly No Christmas

Nearly No Christmas is a 1983 Christmas-themed television movie about Santa Claus leaving the North Pole to get a job and raise money to fix his boiler at his workshop named "Rumbletum".

The budget of this special was very low. All the costumes look like they were rented. The casting was also 2nd rate. The special effects are also laughable

Now I could of overlooked many things but the show failed on so many levels that a repeated showings should be outlawed. TGo watch it again would amount to torture.

Kids under 7 will might like this but those same kids would also eat their vegetables!

The first barrier to enjoying the DVD version I have is that it shows signs of having been made from an ageing videotape. The worst problem is a smearing of the light areas. I do not know why the DVD version I have was released, the quality is way too low, but I found that contrast up a bit and brightness down a bit helped a bit.

I get the impression that the original is a television film made for the pre-school and elementary school age groups. The feel reminds me of 1980's UK radio geared to supporting junior school drama activities.

I found this story to be alien the first time I viewed it. I did not look at the screen all that much, I just pottered around in the kitchen instead. My second viewing, contrast and brightness adjusted, I actually found it watchable. If the quality was more tolerable I would have found it nothing like high powered viewing, but still enjoyable and okay.

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What follows is a copy of the front and end credits. The legibility was not all that good but most should be accurate.

I could not get the credits to list here as one name per line, then I added a cr and space instead of just a cr to delimit the lines and things went smoother.

The credits do not list the New Zealand schools, etc, who provided the bulk of the cast.

There are also some adults not listed.

Michael and Mildred are likely to be the actors playing Santa and his wife.

The credits list this as 1982. I assume that it was likely made then, but sold or released in 1983.

I had assumed from the story that this was a Canadian film, but credits list New Zealand sites: Wellington and Mt Ruapehu.

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front credits:

Movie Makers -MM- presents

Gibson Film Productions present

Nearly No Christmas *** UK DVD box title: Christmas Wonderland

written by ------- John Banas

starring --------- Michael Haigh

also ------------- Mildred Woods

produced by ------ Dave Gibson

directed by ------ Yvonne MacKay

***

end credits, in order:

written by ------------------ John Banas

director -------------------- Yvonne MacKay

producer -------------------- Dave Gibson

photography ----------------- Alun Bollinger

design ---------------------- Rob Pearson

film editor ----------------- Simon Reece

music ----------------------- Dave Fraser

production manager ---------- Sue May

sound recordist ------------- Malcolm Cromte

script editor --------------- Chris Hampson

1st assistant director ------ Dave Gibson

production accountant ------- Hazel Moffitt

continuity ------------------ Bridget Bourke

2nd assistant director ------ Jo Hayes

3nd assistant director ------ Costa Botes

camera operator ------------- John Toon

camera assistant ------------ Murray Milne

gaffer ---------------------- Dave Brown

best boy -------------------- Andy Reid

electrician ----------------- Peter McBride

key grip -------------------- Brian Kassler

grips ----------------------- Joe Bleakley

also ------------------------ Richard Scott

special effects supervisor -- Tony Rabbit

construction supervisor ----- Rob Outterside

props buyer ----------------- Fiona Gunter

standby props --------------- Johnny Morris

props assistant ------------- Dale Major

wardrobe -------------------- Hermione Olsen

also ------------------------ Jessica Bidwill

also ------------------------ Mike Kane

costume manufacture --------- Nancye Seaton and associates

make up --------------------- Patricia Cohen

makeup assistant ------------ Lisa Shearer

builders -------------------- Bob Dolman

also ------------------------ Peter Camp

also ------------------------ Bruce Gigg

also ------------------------ Grant Campbell

sound editor ---------------- Finola Dwyer

sound mixer ----------------- John Van Der Reyden

assistant editor ------------ Michael Hopkins

boom operator --------------- Tony Woollams

stage managers -------------- Aurthur Slankard

also ------------------------ Barry August

production assistants ------- Kate Raue

also ------------------------ Elizabeth McLeish

also ------------------------ Nicola Smith

also ------------------------ Hilary King

also ------------------------ Lorinda Banas

stunt doubles --------------- John Banas

also ------------------------ Ian Heappey

also ------------------------ Alpine Guides Ltd

also ------------------------ Mike Leary

title graphics -------------- Rob Pearson

catering -------------------- Eileen Gavigan

also ------------------------ Chris Douglas

studio and laboratory ------- National Film Unit

special thanks to ----------- Bing Harris Sargood Ltd

also ------------------------ Winstones Ltd

also ------------------------ Morrison Industries Ltd

also ------------------------ Turoa Skifields, Mt Ruapehu

c Gibson Film Productions --- Wellington --- 1982