Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2016/12/22/watch-this-bloom-county-christ.html
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I do! Every year since it came out on VHS (although at this point I watch it on blu-rayDVD in my blu-ray player).
“This, you call this a wing? This is a bad joke, this is built in obsolescence, I’m an insult, I might as well be a dung beetle or a fly infested, worm infused, molded mildewed scrap of rotten banana! …or a network executive.”
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Me too. In fact, it’s the only thing I asked for one Christmas years ago, a copy of this. 
But if it’s out on blu-ray, I guess I’ll have to finally replace the long-lost VHS copy I had.
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The special itself is visually gorgeous in spots – thanks to Amblin! – and I’ve always had a fondness for it. I showed it to a group of friends this year, mostly couples in their 30s, and nobody knew it existed. Two of them had never even heard of Bloom County; they’re dead to me.
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I dunno, I remember it fondly! “Look, it’s replacable! Like a tire!”
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Here it is on DVD (complete with automatically applied boingboing referrer link I hope!).
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Berkeley was right about one thing: it would have been improved by a healthy dose of amphetamine.
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Cute. But not the voice I would have chosen for Opus.
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VHS? It was available on VHS? And now on DVD? That’s bittersweet news. I missed it when it first aired (in another continent at the time), no one I knew taped it, and my hopes that it would be shown again the next year were dashed. Or maybe I just missed it. But I never forgot it.
I never bothered to check VHS/DVD/Blu-Ray because I assumed it, like some other works, wasn’t successful enough to be considered worth saving. I assumed that if copies still existed they were moldering in a vault somewhere, or perhaps in a format that’s gone the way of the dodo. Thanks to YouTube I finally watched it in its full glory a few years ago–but the quality of that version made me think it had been through multiple iterations, further cementing my belief that there was no commercially available copy.
TL;DR Thank you for telling me I can own a copy.
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I remember reading somewhere that Berke Breathed’s choice for Opus’ voice is Skip Hinnant. He was the voice of Fritz the Cat as well as a cast member from The Electric Company. You can hear him narrate this clip – I can see that as Opus’ voice easily.
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No, they never showed it again. I maintain it had to do with the “cross-dressing cockroach in crisis” portion of the show.
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Great clip. I remember it from my childhood, and hey look… it’s young Morgan Freeman making pies!
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I have no memory of this.
And I don’t like the idea of these characters talking and walking around. 
To me the exist on the printed page.
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Fun fact: the cross-dressing cockroach is a cameo by Dustin Hoffman.
And the kiwi is Robin Williams.
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Milquetoast the roach!
“Excuse me, is this cockroach cross-dressers in crisis?”
I loved the voice casting for him.
“That is totally unnatural!”
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I loved the book (gave out copies to all my friends one Christmas) and am surprised to find they turned it into a TV special. Do I watch it and risk having my fond memories turned into one of Bill’s hairballs, or chance’um?
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It’s pretty true to the book, honestly, while pulling in some stuff from Outland. If you like the book and Bill & Opus, I think you’ll enjoy it. As others mentioned, Opus’ voice isn’t ideal but it’s ok. Bill is pretty much dead on.
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I’m pretty sure it’s because it wasn’t very good. I remember when it aired and I had to tape it due to work, and was sorely disappointed. I’ll probably watch it again and see if mellowing middle age makes it any more appealing.
Beggars can’t be choosers. We got an animated Bloom County that we desperately desired. I also managed to pick up a couple of cels from the WFWTW. But, we never did get that new and improved movie.
Still, I’m very content with the recent reprieve of Opus and crew. Thank you Mr. Breathed.
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I don’t care who played the kiwi, the Aussie accent is just plain wrong
