‘A Wish For Wings That Work’ – The ONLY Christmas Special You WON’T See on TV

There was Milo, Steve Dallas, Binkley, Cutter John, Hodge-Podge, Opus The Penguin and of course, Bill The Cat (ACK! THHBBT!). They were a lovable, if not irreverent cadre of friends. This sorted bunch from the 80's all lived in a humble off-the-beaten-path tract of Midwestern land known only as: Bloom County.

If you remember the Bloom County comic strip in your local newspaper, consider yourself amongst the elite. It ran for nearly 10 years (December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989) in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Created by (Gus) Berkley Breathed, the strip was a much-more accessible version of Doonesbury and by all accounts, a heck of a lot funnier. It also garnered Breathed a Pulitzer Prize.

Most of folks will just remember Opus and maybe Bill, but in my circle of friends, Bloom County was akin to Gospel. We discussed the politcally charged, current-events riddled laugh-fest to wit's end. We pined for real-life 'Billy and the Boingers' t-shirts and greeted each other with ACK! THBBT! in the hallowed high school halls.

Near the end of it's run, Breathed published a Christmas book called 'A Wish For Wings That Work', detailing Opus the Penguin's lamentation of being a flightless avian and his subsequent adventures that eventually lead him to Santa Claus and the revelation that he's pretty darn good just the way he is.

A couple of years later, the book (which I cherished along with my plush life-sized Opus) came to life on TV. It is on DVD, but I haven't seen it since it's original airing. I'm doubtful it will appear on TV ever again or if it even has been on since it's initial airing. What I do remember about it, is that I balled like a little school-girl while watching it.

I don't know what made me recall this gem, but it popped into my head today during a conversation about TV Christmas Specials. You'll find the entire special below.