Winter arrives and with it comes that wonderful time of year when people string up lights, head out to the malls to find the perfect gifts, and when holiday songs can be heard from speakers all over town. Christmas time also means it’s time to check out the classic holiday TV specials.
The sights and sounds of the season come to life on television as the networks change their normal programming line-up to include the timeless Christmas classic specials that have become just as much a part of celebrating the holiday season as drinking eggnog, hanging stockings, and unwrapping gifts under the tree.
If you’re struggling to get into the Christmas spirit – or counting down the days to Christmas morning – here’s a rundown of some of the very best television Christmas classics that you don’t want to miss:
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)
The very first Peanuts special that brought Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy from the comics to the small screen, with Charlie Brown in search of the true meaning of Christmas. He’s made director of the school play and just can’t seem to find the right tone and feeling for the show. In search of inspiration, he and his best friend, Linus, go looking for a Christmas tree to help create the perfect mood. When Charlie picks out a tiny twig of a tree for the play, he quickly loses what little favor he had among his peers. It falls to Linus to explain to him what Christmas really is all about.
Although there have been almost countless Peanuts television specials and movies, A Charlie Brown Christmas stands out as the best of the group. Vince Guaraldi created a classic soundtrack, which the network execs disliked, that has gone on to become one of the top-selling Christmas albums of all time. It was also the first time that actual child actors instead of adults were hired to voice the characters.
Charles M. Schultz only agreed to bring his Peanuts gang to television for a Christmas special on the guarantee he would have creative control and that his vision of Linus relating the Nativity story to Charlie and the gang be at the heart of the story. It’s impossible to imagine A Charlie Brown Christmas without it.
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (1964)
Producers Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass created the “Animagic” style of stop-motion animation to tell the warm-hearted sweet story of the Red-Nosed Reindeer who couldn’t join in on the reindeer games. Rudolph, always teased and not even accepted by his own father or Santa because of his red nose, runs off and meets Herbie, an elf who’s no good at making toys but desperately wants to be a dentist. The two decide to join forces and “be independent together.” On the road, they come across Yukon Cornelius, an adventure-seeking prospector who befriends them. The three “misfits” head out to find a new home while trying to avoid the dangerous Abominable Snowman.
Narrated by Burl Ives playing Sam the Snowman, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is a charming, funny, and endearing television special that not only entertains and stays true to the classic song but delivers the message to children and reminds adults that it’s okay – and important – to be different from everyone else.
THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (1968)
“I played my drum for him, per rum bum bum bum.” Rankin Jr. and Bass join forces once again to bring to the small screen an animated special based on the timeless classic Christmas song, The Little Drummer Boy.
An orphan drummer boy named Aaron whose three companions – a donkey, a camel, and a sheep – are all kidnapped by the treacherous Ben Haramed (voiced by Jose Ferrer) to help him make his fortune. Haramed forces Aaron to play his drum for the crowds in the city to entertain them while he passes the hat for money. Aaron hates all people and blames everyone for the untimely death of his parents. When his rage takes over, he yells at the crowd and both he and Haramed are chased out of town.
Broke and exhausted, Haramed promises Aaron he’ll pay for what he’s done. It’s not long after that that three traveling wise men on their way to Bethlehem are in need of a camel, and Haramed sells Aaron’s camel to them for gold. Aaron, determined to get his friend back, follows the same star the three wise men were following to get to Bethlehem, not knowing what he’s about to witness and become a part of forever.
Moving, spiritual, and touching, The Little Drummer Boy is perhaps the closest animated adaptation of a Christmas song to television. It has an excellent cast of voice actors bringing to life the characters including Jose Ferrer, Paul Frees, Ted Eccles and Miss Greer Garson as the storyteller. The animated special focuses on what Christmas is really all about. Not flying reindeer, elves, or a jolly man in a sleigh but a child being born in a manger and how his birth is still celebrated over 2,000 years later.
DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966)
“I must stop Christmas from coming.” Voiced by the unforgettable actor Boris Karloff, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas tells the story of an extremely unpleasant creature named The Grinch, a hermit who lived high above Whoville who hated both the Whos and their celebration of Christmas.
On Christmas Eve he decides to go down to the village after Santa has been there delivering all the gifts to steal them and dump them off the highest mountaintop in the valley. The Grinch dresses up as Saint Nick and makes up his loyal dog, Max, look like a reindeer. Both the Grinch and Max get on their sled and head down to commit their evil plan.
Funny, cute, and inventive, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a sweet, heartwarming animated classic that shows how the true spirit of Christmas can change even the most bitter, foul creature into something decent, caring, and kind. It has hilarious, very creative scenes of the Grinch and his dog Max traveling down to the village and showing the different ways the Grinch steals the presents from the Whos. The animated tale also greatly benefits from the wonderfully talented actor Boris Karloff narrating the story – as well as being the voice of the Grinch himself. It’s almost impossible not to get a little choked up when the Grinch discovers Christmas is “just a little bit more” than just packages, boxes and bags.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN (1970)
The North Pole mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) finally decides to tell the story of Santa Claus in this Rankin Jr. and Bass animated television classic.
Santa, whose name when he’s a baby is Claus, is abandoned by his real parents and taken in by the loving elf family, the Kringles. While growing up, he learns to play with almost all the animals (especially the deer) and also how to make toys, which is the family business. When he’s grown up, Kris (the name the Kringles gave him as a boy) decides he wants to deliver the toys to the nearby town of Somberville.
This proves to be incredibly dangerous because the cranky Burgermeister of the town declares a law banning all toys and making Kris an outlaw. There’s also an evil Winter Warlock who wants to prevent Kris from traveling back and forth from the town. It’s up to Kris to change the Warlock’s heart and to come up with clever ways to sneak into the children’s homes without the Burgermeister finding out about it.
Sweet, original, and entertaining, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is an animated classic that explains the origins of almost all the classic traits and actions of Santa Claus, from his coming down the chimney, to hang stockings by the fireplace, and even the Christmas tree. The animated tale also stars a stellar cast of voices bringing the characters to life including Mickey Rooney as both young and old Santa, Paul Frees as the Burgermeister, and Keenan Wynn as the Winter Warlock.
Once again Rankin Jr. and Bass deliver a valuable lesson with their story, which is no matter what the obstacles if a person is doing the right thing out of love, it’s worth the struggle.
FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (1969)
“Happy Birthday!” exclaims Frosty the Snowman as he comes to life and greets the children who made him in the animated classic, Frosty the Snowman. After being released on the last day of school before Christmas break, Karen and her classmates decide to make a snowman. When a clever rabbit hops away from a mean magician to where the kids have built their snowman, they put the magician’s hat on ‘Frosty’ who then magically comes to life.
At first, the kids enjoy singing songs and playing games with Frosty, but when Frosty himself realizes he’s starting to melt Karen decides to help Frosty get to the North Pole. Frosty and Karen head off to try to find a safe route for Frosty to get to the North Pole while being pursued by the angry magician who desperately wants his hat back, even though that would mean certain doom for Frosty.
Funny, sweet, and true to the classic Christmas song, Frosty the Snowman is an animated special that doesn’t have as much heart as some of the earlier specials but is still very entertaining. It has a wonderful cast of voices to bring the characters to life including Paul Frees, Jackie Vernon, and Jimmy Durante as the storyteller.
This post was last modified on December 12, 2022 8:52 pm