Christmas Story was already a classic and that’s why TBS/TNT began airing it for 24 hours on Christmas Day.

It wasn’t a big hit when it came out in 83, but it became a cult classic in the 80s when it was syndicated for television. I remember first watching it on my local independent channel in the late 80s. Turner took ownership when MGM was bought around 1986. It wasn’t until 1996 or 1997 when the movie was aired all day on Christmas Day.