holidays

Not even Christmas is safe from reality show producers.

The people who brought you Dancing with the Stars have another show up their sleeves: Clash of the Choirs. It will pit five celebrity singers who will go back to their hometowns and try to build a choir. Once the choirs are built and perform live, viewers will vote for them via phone (of course). The winner gets to pick a prize for their hometown (I suggest maybe passing a law that says no reality shows can be filmed in their hometowns). The four episode show will run just before Christmas, December 17-20.

(S02E10) I was basically a good kid, so during the Christmas season I didn't fret too much about upsetting my parents and not getting presents. I did worry about Santa, though, a fictional being I believed in slightly longer than most kids. What was interesting about this episode is that the "real" Santa is never referred to. I don't know if this was for plot convenience, or because Chris' family was more realistic about what the kids could and could not get for Christmas.

• An all-new twelve days of Festivus!
• Retro Squad reviews of some top holiday specials!
• Another Festivus contest!
• TV Squad gift guides!
• All we want for Festivus!
• Top TV stories of 2006!
• Best and Worst of 2006!

All you've got is hours left. Everyone else planned ahead, bought their gifts... probably even wrapped them already. And what are you doing? Sitting here reading this post. Nice job. So what are you going to do? Fight the crowds, scour the many picked over store shelves? There's not going to be much left. It happens to the best of us, and I should know because I plan on doing most of my shopping after I finish writing this. So what's going to be left? Not much, but here's a few things you might be lucky to find sitting next to the empty spaces where Lost Season 1 DVDs and SpongeBob memorabilia used to rest.

• The Genuine Miami Vice 100% Pre-Shrunk Cotton T-Shirt! Get excited friends because everyone is going to want to shake your hand when they see Don Johnson's mug emblazoned on your chest. My kid sister is going to love this!
• Authentic Brady Bunch American Made Figurines! Okay, maybe they're not American made, but who's going to even try and question your patriotism when they see you playing with these hot items?
• 100% Recycled Paper 2006 Munsters Calendar! Again, not sure if it's actually recycled paper but that's okay because you'll be ringing in the new year with the calendar for a 40 year old sitcom.

Now as I said, you're going to be lucky if these items are still around especially because I'm probably going to scoop them up before you. Honestly though, everyone wants these... I'm telling you, that Munsters calendar? This year's "Tickle me Elmo."