Christmas with the King Family TV Special

A new special called Christmas with the King Family debuted on public television this past weekend - specifically airing on KOCE TV. It will be aired again at least three more times this week on the same station - once on Tuesday and twice Wednesday.

The special - produced, directed and written by Shane Rosamonda and Rene Reyes - is about the TV entertainment group called The King Family, which started with singing sisters Alyce, Donna, Louise and Yvonne King and guitarist Alvino Rey and expanded to a large brood of singers and dancers of varying ages. The family had a television variety series in the 1960's and their material was as wholesome as it got. If you are old enough, you know who the King Family is.

The extended family has included not only the original sisters and eventually their husbands and kids, but also Robert Clarke (a 'B' movie actor and director, primarily in the 1950's and 60's and married to Alyce), Cam Clarke (now a voice over artist), Lex de Azevedo (now a film composer) and Ric de Azevedo, who sings with The Letterman spinoff group called Reunion, among many others.

The special includes previous Christmas special material as well as interviews with several members of the family - Ric de Azevedo and Cam Clarke being two - as well as other archival footage of others, including the King Sisters, Rey and Tina Cole, among others.

Look for it in your listings of public television stations. KOCE will re-broadcast the special on December 1st from 1:30am to 3:00am, as well as on December 2nd at 9am and 7pm.