Today in Television History (November 30th, 1977): The "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas" Television Special Airs on CBS!

On November 30th, 1977, Bing Crosby's television special, "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas" aired on CBS. This was Crosby's last television special, as he, unfortunately, died during principal photography. Due to his death, Crosby's widow, Kathryn Crosby, introduced the special. The special included some celebrity guests, including Twiggy, Ron Moody, Stanley Baxter, and David Bowie. The latter performed an iconic duet with Crosby on a melody of "Peace On Earth" and "Little Drummer Boy", which became a fairly popular Christmas classic throughout the years. Although the performance first aired during the special, a single was not released until 1982, over five years after Crosby's death and the airing of the special. The television special later aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on December 24th, 1977.