Ask Deanie Dean her favorite moments over the years she and her family have produced “Dean and Company” and the “Dean and Company Christmas Special,” and she hesitates.

You’ll have to forgive her. This year’s installment is the Christmas special’s 37^th, and Deanie, who was 5 or 6 when the show began, has literally grown up on the family-run series. There are a lot of memories.

“I would have to say my favorite moments were introducing my kids to the show, just seeing them enjoy it and really seeing them get involved,” says Dean.

Yes, it appears that “Dean and Company” will keep going. And going. And going.

Like the Energizer Bunny of public access TV, the “Dean and Company Christmas Spectacular” refuses to stop. This year’s edition, “Exotic Aquatic Christmas,” premieres Friday night at Birmingham’s Saturn nightclub before TV airings on Dec. 18 and 24.

For some, it’s not that much of a stretch to equate the “Dean and Company Christmas Spectacular” with the “Radio City Christmas Show” in New York.

Sure, Radio City has the Rockettes, but “Dean and Company” has Podo, the family’s ever-present sock puppet, and three generations of Deans singing up a storm.

“Dean and Company” was born in the heyday of public access television, when cable companies were required to devote some room on their schedules for programs developed by the general public.

Deanie Dean, left, her mother, Dana, right, and the puppet Podo are “Dean and Company” fixtures. (contributed)

Born out of the ministry at Crestway Baptist Church, “Dean and Company” featured grandmother Daisy Dean Lesley, mother Dana Dean Lesley Dougherty and Lesley Dean Dougherty (that’s Deanie). Each show featured family-friendly sketches and songs, with family members working in front of and behind the camera.

“It’s an easy show to watch if you don’t want to get crazy,” Deanie Dean says. “We get crazy in a different way. Our crazy is a different kind of crazy.”

That kind of crazy drew fans to the show, but it also drew, and continues to draw, some not-always-flattering attention about the quality of the show.

That doesn’t bother Deanie Dean in the least.

“From a young age, I learned that first of all, not everything that’s written about you is the truth,” she says. “And second, we want you to laugh, and we want to have fun. We’re not being serious. I guess if we were trying to do Shakespeare in the Park and were serious about it it would be different.”

Most recently, the show was lampooned on the Comedy Central series “@Midnight with Chris Hardwick.” The show featured “Dean and Company” clips highlighting Dana Dougherty’s sideways ponytail, a fixture in the ‘90s, and Dana and Deanie singing Dana’s original song, “Silver Spurs.”

“It brought back good memories for us,” Deanie Dean says. “We thought it was hilarious.”

“Dean and Company” is filled with good memories for Deanie, not the least of which was the day in 1992 when a guy named Charles Gagliano stepped in for an impromptu duet for the show.

“I had never met him before, but we sang ‘Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,’ and we had such a good time,” Deanie says.

The two married in 1999.

“I knew that Charles was definitely the one when he joined our ‘Dean and Company’ crew and he didn’t balk about it,” Deanie Dean says with a laugh.

Charles is now an integral part of “Dean and Company,” as are the couple’s two children, 11-year-old Mastin and 8-year-old Josephine.

This year’s “Christmas Spectacular” features five original songs that Deanie will perform with Eric Whitermore and Rob Robertson, as well as some of the favorite characters and songs over the years. (The special is sponsored by Rockin’ Russ Randolph and the Puttin’ on the Ritz DJ Service).

All Deanie Dean wants is for viewers to be entertained and that “Dean and Company” continues.

“I think that it’s nice that people grew up watching the show and enjoy it so much,” she says. “If we can keep people happy and make them laugh, we’re happy.”

“Dean and Company Christmas Special” premieres Friday, Dec. 16, at 9 p.m. at Saturn Birmingham. The special airs Dec. 18 at noon on WTTO/Channel 21 and Dec. 24 at noon on ABC 33/40.