The Thanksgiving Promise

🦃 This Thanksgiving in July, I’ve decided to treat y’all to a feast of a special I’ve had tucked away in my memory for decades, but it’s finally time to cross those Bridges. 

Chad Young and Tommy Coombs hop onto either side of our tractor for a hayride back to 1986 to watch a very special Disney family movie directed by Beau Bridges and featuring 3 generations of his family, along with teenage Jason Bateman and Courtney Thorne-Smith, and an injured goose named Chester. 

“The Thanksgiving Promise” is on YouTube with or without commercials. 

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💬 Topics & Tangents: 

We all hung out! 

TV Guide’s Close Up feature from 1986. 

“Chester, I Love You,” the original book. 

“In the Bag” (bump, bump). 

Beau Bridges in “The Wizard.” 

Lloyd Bridges as Izzy Mandelbaum on “Seinfeld.” 

The Christian Cringe podcast on “The Buttercream Gang.” 

Courtney Thorne-Smith (Sheryl) and Norm MacDonald on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (1997). 

Jason Bateman’s (Steve) turkey costume. 

The “Gleaming the Cube” chicken scene. 

Today’s TV Trope: Teetering on the Edge. 

This Milk PSA with the most forward-thinking bullies ever (circa 1988). 

McDonald’s put Fievel on a Christmas stocking. “An American Tail” opens with him celebrating Hanukkah. 

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📼 Commercials: 

Pringles Butter N Herbs (1986) 

Bingo Bear (1986) 

Kingdom Chums (1986) 

“Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story” (1986) 

McDonald’s: “One-Ups-Man-Ship” (1986) 

“Gung Ho” TV series promo (1986) 

Juicy Fruit: Skiing (1985) 

Nutrasweet ad starring William “Refrigerator” Perry and his daughter (1986) 

Cool Kids Club Podcast 

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“The Thanksgiving Promise” © 1986 The Walt Disney Company. 

Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost. 
Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house.