"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a 2D animated Christmas special, first airing on NBC in 1993.
Narrated by a partridge, this animated tale explains the lengthy and confusing Christmas carol of the same name. A brave and boorish knight named Sir Carolboomer wishes to marry the beautiful yet closed off Princess Silverbelle. In an attempt to win her heart, he steals what he thinks is a Christmas list, but turns out to be the answers to the King's Crossword Puzzle. He mistakenly enlists his long suffering servant Hollyberry to find every item on her bizarre list, including a partridge in a pear tree, eight maids a milking, four calling birds… you get the basic idea. As to be expected, Hilarity Ensues.
Primarily notable today for featuring Phil Hartman as the voice of Hollyberry, and for being the final animated special conceived by the late Romeo Muller, best known for his work writing holiday specials for Rankin/Bass Productions.
The special provides examples of:
- Agony of the Feet: For the "ten lords a' leaping" part of the list, Hollyberry fills the lords' shoes with hot pepper flakes, causing them to leap about uncontrollably.
- Daddy's Girl: Silverbelle is willing to continue putting up with the gifts from Hollyberry due to them helping her father out with his crossword puzzle.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Princess Silverbelle starts off as being very dismissive and outright hostile towards Hollyberry, threatening to have him executed if he continues to bring her gifts. Over the course of the story however, she warms up to him relatively quickly, and begins to find his valiant efforts to bring her gifts amusing and adorable.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Played with. Princess Silverbelle threatening to have her father cut off Hollyberry’s head if he brings her Sir Carolboomer’s gifts again is pretty harsh, but when she goes to her father she simply asks for the Squire to be barred from the palace instead, so either the threat was an improvised bluff, or she realized how much of an overreaction it was once she calmed down a bit.
- Endearingly Dorky: Hollyberry is a shy, well-meaning, glasses-wearing sweetheart with a shy demeanor and nervous stammer. No wonder Silverbelle eventually falls for him.
- Fiery Redhead: Princess Silverbelle has vibrant red hair and and equally fiery temper.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While threatening to have Hollyberry killed just for doing his job is an overreaction, by the time Princess Silverbelle makes the threat, she’s had to endure allergy attacks every day for several days in a row because of the gifts he keeps bringing back on behalf of his boss, despite her telling him again and again to stop. She’s really more fed up with the whole situation than anything.
- Off with His Head!: Princess Silverbelle threatens to have Hollyberry executed in this way if he keeps bringing her birds, given that they've been triggering her feather allergy. Carolboomer also threatens poor Hollyberry with this if he refuses to continue bringing her gifts.
- One Head Taller: Silverbelle stands about a head taller than Hollyberry.
- Plot Allergy: Silverbelle is allergic to feathers, which results in her breaking out into sneezing fits whenever Hollyberry brings a bird-themed gift to her.
- Princesses Prefer Pink: Silverbelle wears a pink gown.
- Produce Pelting: As a thank you for the six geese a-laying, Silverbelle throws one of its eggs at Hollyberry.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: Silverbelle's reaction to the seven swans: "No. More. BIRDS!"
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Silverbelle winds up falling in love with the sweet and good-natured Hollyberry, much to the confusion and dismay of Carolboomer.
