One of the stranger quirks of the holidays on television is the way networks and channels program. Movie marathons have become very common, especially TBS's tradition of 24-hours of A Christmas Story. Now, another network is following in TBS's tradition by scheduling a movie marathon of its own. The TV Guide Network will present a 12-hour marathon of Dirty Dancing. That's right, the Patrick Swayze-Jennifer Grey drama musical. Look at this beautiful image from the movie. That's Johnny and Baby in the lake, practicing jumps for their big dance number. Doesn't it just scream "CHRISTMAS" to you?
Don't misunderstand me. I love Dirty Dancing. I was a fan long before it reached cult classic status. As a kid, I spent my summers in Monticello, New York, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, so watching what happens at Kellerman's in 1963 is very nostalgic for me. Then there's also the terrific dancing and the music. I really, really enjoy Dirty Dancing.
It's just not what I would select for a Christmas Day marathon. TV Guide Network clearly is going for counter-programming him, choosing a summery film instead of a holly and Santa Claus confection. We'll see how well they do.
The 12-hour DD marathon commences Friday, December 25 at 12 p.m. (noon) and continues till midnight. By then, you should be able to do every lift and twirl just like the stars.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-22-2009 @ 2:46PM
adam merkley said...
My family always watches Die Hard around Christmas time. Might sound weird, but it's a tradition!
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11-23-2009 @ 2:19AM
mb said...
Mine too. Die Hard, Die Hard 2 and Lethal Weapon-All great action movies set during Christmas. A nice break from the overly sweet programing on TV.
I also like White Christmas.
11-22-2009 @ 9:09PM
Lorelie said...
I dunno. Sounds perfect to me. When I'm tired & stressed from cooking pots of food and wrapping 602 gifts at the last minute? Might be nice to get an hour or two break from Christmas madness.
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11-23-2009 @ 8:29AM
Amber said...
Weird. I always associate movies with the time of year that they take place, so to me, Dirty Dancing is a late August movie. It would be perfect for a Labor Day marathon.
For the people that like Die Hard at Christmas, it makes sense. It happens at Christmas.
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11-23-2009 @ 5:47PM
Salsa dancer said...
I am an avid salsa dancer http://salsadancingonline.com and obviously love the movie dirty dancing, however I much prefer to watch real christmasy movies such as home alone, santa claws etc during christmas, as they are more in tune with the festivities, besdies I don't think my kids would appreciate dirty dancing that much.
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12-24-2009 @ 8:19PM
Kristi said...
Since Patrick Swayze died this year, they're airing Dirty Dancing to honor him. I suppose they could have picked a different day, but I think Christmas was a good choice.
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