Casper's First Christmas

Lore & Background

The plot follows Casper and his friend Hairy Scary, who are in a house about to be demolished on Christmas Eve. They go out to look for a new place to move to after Christmas in California. Meanwhile, Yogi Bear and his friends get lost and arrive at Casper and Hairy's house, cleaning and decorating it to celebrate Christmas. Casper befriends Yogi and company, but Hairy tries to ruin the party. Hairy eventually has a change of heart and celebrates Christmas with Casper and his new friends, ending with Santa Claus saving the house and turning it into Hairy's Haunting Lodge.

Reader's Guide

Casper's First Christmas is significant as a rare crossover between Hanna-Barbera and Harvey Entertainment characters, being the first and only time such a pairing occurred. It also features a laugh track, a hallmark of many Hanna-Barbera productions from the 1970s, and is the last Hanna-Barbera Christmas special to include one. The special's theme song, 'Comin' Up Christmas Time', sung by Yogi's pals, was reused a year later in Yogi's First Christmas. The song was later released on Hanna-Barbera's Christmas Sing-A-Long album in 1991 and is available on streaming services. The special aired on NBC and later on Network Ten in Australia. Its home media releases include multiple VHS editions from 1986 onward and a DVD release in 2012 as part of the Hanna-Barbera Christmas Classics Collection.

Did You Know?

• The special aired on NBC on December 18, 1979.
• It is the first and only time characters from Hanna-Barbera and Harvey Entertainment were paired together.
• The theme song 'Comin' Up Christmas Time' was reused a year later in Yogi's First Christmas.
• The special is the last Hanna-Barbera Christmas special to contain a laugh track.