The days from Thanksgiving to the day after New Year’s is my favorite time of year. There are so many festive decorations around to get you into the holiday spirit. So, I figured, why not bring some of that holiday spirit to On Demand? Remember as a kid when you sat around the burning fire for the first time drinking some eggnog and listened to your favorite holiday tunes? Now you can relive all those memories, whenever you want. That’s right folks, the Yule Log is BACK! Not only is it back, but it’s updated and it’s On Demand (in HD, of course).
There are more festive choices in addition to my beloved Yule Log. There’s a wintry scene with a friendly snowman accompanied by holiday music, a Yule Log cousin that has the natural sounds of a crackling fire, and even a tranquil glacier lake scene to relax you…basically everything you need to get your TV (SD or HD) involved in all of the seasonal fun.
Since I love the Yule Log so much I wondered how it all started. Turns out Fred Thrower, former President and CEO of WPIX in New York City, invented the Yule Log on a whim in 1966. He wanted to offer a fireplace for the majority of people in New York City who had no real fireplace of their own.
The original Yule Log was filmed in a fireplace at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of New York City. During the shoot, producers removed a protective fire grate so the fire would look a little more telegenic. Better TV doesn’t make for safer fires, and a stray spark managed to damage a nearby rug valued at $4,000 (remember, this was in 1966!). When the original Yule Log film started to wear and needed to be re-shot, WPIX turned to Gracie Mansion and asked to re-shoot the fire there. The mayor’s office, not forgetting the rug, passed. WPIX ended up using a strikingly similar fireplace in California and filmed a burning log there (in August, no less!).
I usually have the Yule Log playing while cooking (or in my case attempting to cook) a holiday feast and of course while opening presents.
You can find the Yule Log, and the other holiday treats under Top Picks/Yule Log & More until 1/04/2010.
Tell me how you plan on using the Yule Log (& more) this year.