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Cockman Family Holiday Special
North Carolina Public Television, 2003

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ONIFFREY AND BOB ROYSTER

Stand by on the set!

After recording our Christmas Album, we wanted to invite everyone to our home to sit on the couch and experience the music as it was meant to be experienced -- surrounded by family.  Of course this was impossible, but Daddy submitted the idea to North Carolina Public Television.  The original idea was to bring cameras into the house and filming an actual Cockman Family Christmas, but they convinced us that it would be much more practical to build a set and film it at UNC TV in Chapel Hill.  We were encouraged by their interest, and started writing the script and designing the set.  To simplify matters, we decided to use our Christmas Album as the soundtrack.  The Holiday Special includes every song on the CD, plus David doing a bass solo and Ben playing "The First Noel" on resophonic guitar.

Daddy, Billy and Ben try to make themselves at home.

For several weeks we all met to brainstorm on the script.  We wanted the program to have the feel of a loving family sitting around their living room for a time together at Christmas.  Daddy designed the set with our living room in mind, and we worked hard to write natural-sounding dialogue for the family interaction between songs.  We made sure to mention our grandparents and some fond Christmas memories, and of course we carried on the tradition of reading Luke's Christmas story to our children.

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The grandchildren gather for the Christmas Story
 
John Sr. Jane
Billy David
John Jr. Caroline
Ben plays "The First Noel" Jessie and Joseph
Jamie must stay in this position. Jennifer, Arwen and Lorien
Arwen entertains herself Caroline adjusts Samuel's shirt
John and David wait for the next song. Arwen looks at the miniature winter scene.
Billy and Daddy get ready for "O Holy Night" John and David

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