Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
1980's Intro to Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz
Originally aired November 25, 1980 on CBS, this 25-minute animated special brought a little bit of Oz magic to the Thanksgiving season!
Plot:
Dorothy gets whisked back to Oz—this time by a green turkey balloon—on what’s meant to be her final Thanksgiving with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry before they move to a retirement community. Once there, she teams up with Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik Tok, and The Hungry Tiger to stop Tyrone the Terrible Toy Tinkerer (who looks a lot like John R. Neill’s Nome King!) from bringing the balloon to life and taking over the Emerald City.
Trivia:
Comedy legend Sid Caesar voiced both the Wizard and Mince Pie.
Frank Nelson (of The Jack Benny Show) lent his voice to the Hungry Tiger.
A second version of the special was later released with Thanksgiving references removed so it could air year-round.
The story blends characters and ideas from several of L. Frank Baum’s Oz sequels—especially The Land of Oz and Dorothy in Oz.
It actually premiered five years before Disney’s 1985 film Return to Oz!
Here is the intro to the special, enjoy and Be A Kid Again....
#ThanksgivingintheLandofOz #ReturntoOz #WizardofOz #VintageSpecials #Thanksgiving #MikesDeadFormats #80s
1980's Intro to Thanksgiving in the Land of Oz
Originally aired November 25, 1980 on CBS, this 25-minute animated special brought a little bit of Oz magic to the Thanksgiving season!
Plot:
Dorothy gets whisked back to Oz—this time by a green turkey balloon—on what’s meant to be her final Thanksgiving with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry before they move to a retirement community. Once there, she teams up with Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik Tok, and The Hungry Tiger to stop Tyrone the Terrible Toy Tinkerer (who looks a lot like John R. Neill’s Nome King!) from bringing the balloon to life and taking over the Emerald City.
Trivia:
Comedy legend Sid Caesar voiced both the Wizard and Mince Pie.
Frank Nelson (of The Jack Benny Show) lent his voice to the Hungry Tiger.
A second version of the special was later released with Thanksgiving references removed so it could air year-round.
The story blends characters and ideas from several of L. Frank Baum’s Oz sequels—especially The Land of Oz and Dorothy in Oz.
It actually premiered five years before Disney’s 1985 film Return to Oz!
Here is the intro to the special, enjoy and Be A Kid Again....
#ThanksgivingintheLandofOz #ReturntoOz #WizardofOz #VintageSpecials #Thanksgiving #MikesDeadFormats #80s
