It's Your Move/The Christmas Show

The Christmas Show
Season 1, Episode 11
Airdate	December 19, 1984
Written by	Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh
Directed by	Arlando Smith
← 1x10 Don't Leave Home Without It	1x12 → The Dregs of Humanity (1)
It's Your Move — Season One

The Christmas Show is the eleventh episode of the first season of It's Your Move, and the eleventh episode overall.

Guest Stars: Adam Sadowsky (Eli), Kristin Gamboa (Horrified Caroler)

Plot Overview

The Burton family is ready to celebrate another traditional family Christmas. Matt and Julie are preparing a liquid concoction in their bathtub, bottling it, and giving it out as gifts. Eileen is out shopping for a poster of a fireplace to hang on the door. Norman cannot quite accept these unusual traditions, nor their aluminum Christmas tree, and brings along some of his nauseatingly thick Christmas egg nog to spread his homestyle good cheer.

As he heads back to his apartment, Norman encounters Eli who is dropping off his gifts (ham) and looking for some advice as to what to get for his parents now that he's spent his money on everyone else. Norman suggests that he make his own Christmas presents for them, and in fact likes the traditional idea so much that he decides to do the same thing himself.

On Christmas Eve, Norman is joining the Burton's in their holiday celebration and is again taken aback when he finds out that they are going to open their presents that night and go bowling on Christmas day. Matt warns Norman that Eileen will not take kindly to a homemade Christmas gift but Norman doesn't believe him. When Eileen opens the gift and reads aloud the card that Norman has made, she is delighted...until she realizes that there isn't also a gift in the package with it. She tries to play it off, but Norman can sense her complete disappointment.

Norman explodes in a tirade against Eileen and their traditions, until Eileen throws him out. Back in his apartment Norman tries to have some traditional fun on his own, but his holiday enjoyment falls flat. Matt arrives and chastises Norman for his behavior, but then gives Norman a gift for him to give his Mom...one he guarantees is something that she wants.

When he returns to Eileen with the gift, she finds that it is another card, this one another self-deprecating poem that apologizes to her for his behavior. It works like a charm, and Norman can't really find fault with Matt's logic that the card truly is just 'what she wanted'.

Trivia

Norman's Poem

• This is the time for giving
  And time is the gift I give
  Time to praise your gentle spirit
  Time to note your giving heart
  Time to thank your love and laughter
  And for making me a part
  Of your world of joyous living
  And your treasured, measured time

Matt's Card Presented as Norman's

• Dear Eileen,
  Thank you for helping me understand the true meaning of Christmas. It doesn't matter what your traditions are as long as you're with the people you love. I'm sorry I was such a fool, an idiot, a jerk, a membrane. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.
  Love, Norman

Christmas Songs

• Little Drummer Boy (by Norman as he enters the Burton's apartment)
• Deck the Halls (by the horrified carolers)
• White Christmas (by Norman as he stares at the snow spray)
• Little Drummer Boy (by Norman as he sprays the snow spray on the window)
• O Tannenbaum (by Norman as he struggles to remember any more of the words)
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (by Norman as he sprays the snow spary on the tree)
• Winter Wonderland (by Norman as he sprays the snow spray into the air and dances through it)
• Little Drummer Boy (by Norman as he flashes the Christmas tree lights on and off)
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas (by Norman as he sits on the couch and sprays snow spray on the floor)
• We Three Kings of Orient Are (by Norman as he begins to play with the Nativity set)
• Little Drummer Boy (by Norman on his harmonica. As Matt enters he says "Oh please Tex Christmas, go on!")
• Little Drummer Boy (played on KNLA radio as part of a jingle contest. They will call a random person in the phone book and if they can identify the song, they will win $5000. The station picks Norman Lamb of Van Nuys, California. Unfortunately his phone just rings as he is over at the Burtons' apartment).

Allusions and References

• When Norman pours Julie a glass of Grandma Lamb's Famous Christmas Eggnog, she inquires, "Before I drink this, this isn't the stuff that chased Steve McQueen in The Blob is it?"

Memorable Moments

• Norman is thrilled when carolers show up at the Burton apartment on Christmas Eve, but when he answers the door, the little girl in front screams "Look! It's the egg nog man!" The children scream and run.

• The 'Gift' that Matt and Julie are preparing is a bubbling liquid that begins to eat through the bathtub enamel. It is designated different things to different people on their Christmas list. For their Uncle Morty, it is hair tonic (as they had called it cologne the year before). For Mr. Donatelli, it is after-dinner liquer. Norman states that if they think so little of him that they were going to give him some of it, then he would rather have nothing. Matt crosses him off the list.

• Matt calls Mr. Donatelli to their apartment to assist with their Christmas cards. When he arrives, Matt wipes the envelope on Donatelli's forehead and then seals it.

Quotes

• Julie: That's our tree.
  Norman: Why is it silver?
  Julie: That's the way aluminum grows. It comes that way.

• Eli: Merry Christmas. It's a ham.
  Norman: Perfect. It'll go great with that rasher of bacon you got me for the Fourth of July.
  Eli: Our family believes that when you care enough, say it with pork products.

• Norman: (as he plays with his Nativity set) Hey, Wise Man #2, I hope Eli's grandmother gets to play me in the prison play. Let's go find the baby. Okay. Well, here's the inn, you got the money? No, I got the myrrh. Oh great, we're gonna be known througout history as the two wisemen and idiot who brought myrrh. Woah, we're havin' some fun now!

• Norman: You're accusing me of making someone miserable? Aren't you the kid who had my mail forwarded to Iceland? Wasn't it you who reported me as an illegal alien? Weren't you the one who put an ad in the paper with my address saying 'Kittens Wanted'?

• Norman: What do I owe you?
  Matt: Eternal gratitude.
  Norman: No, I was hoping to get off cheaper than that. I'll write you a check.
  Matt: Oh Norman, come on. I wouldn't take your check. No one in this town'll take your check.

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