My favorite is A Charlie Brown Christmas
&
The Year Without a Santa Claus
Top 10 Favorite Christmas TV Specials
By DAVID WEINER
1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Can Charlie Brown find the true meaning of Christmas? Depressed by the
over-commercialization of the holiday, the bald-headed kid decides to
direct a Christmas play about the Nativity, but there's one ingredient
missing: The perfect tree. Featuring Snoopy and all your favorite
Peanuts characters -- plus that amazing, jazzy score by Vince Guaraldi
-- A Charlie Brown Christmas initially aired in 1965, the first-ever Peanuts primetime special.
2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Arguably the most popular kiddie Christmas TV special ever, this
Rankin-Bass masterpiece about "the most famous reindeer of all" tugs at
the nostalgia heartstrings with its title tune, memorable stop-motion
characters (from Yukon Cornelius and Hermey the Elf to the Abomidable
Snowman -- "Bumbles bounce!") and universal themes of misfits finding
friendship. The show first aired in 1964, and has become a perennial
favorite ever since.
3. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
The Rankin-Bass favorite first debuted in 1970 and celebrates its 40th
anniversary this year. Dutifully answering practically question a kid
might have about Christmas traditions and why Santa Claus does what he
does, the stop-motion-animated special pits a young St. Nick (voiced by
Mickey Rooney) against the nefarious Burgermeister Meisterburger and
Winter Warlock (later tamed with the gift of a Choo-Choo) as he works
overtime to deliver toys to a town where all playthings have been
outlawed. Fred Astaire narrates and sings the title tune.
4. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Exquisitely narrated by Boris Karloff, Dr. Seuss'
humbug homage to the true spirit of Christmas is especially memorable
for its hand-drawn animated characters by Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes artist
Chuck Jones. Determined to steal every Christmas present and trinket
from the denizens of Whoville with the help of his reluctant pooch Max,
the cold-hearted Grinch poses as St. Nick to do the dastardly deed.
Despite succeeding at the task, he learns that Christmas "doesn't come
from a store," and perhaps it "means a little bit more." Featuring the
song You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch (sung by Thurl Ravenscroft, the voice of Tony the Tiger), the special originally aired in 1966.
5. Frosty the Snowman
"Happy birthday!" The animated Rankin-Bass tale (their first to use
traditional, hand-drawn animation) of an ordinary snowman brought to
life with a magic hat is based on a 1950 Gene Autry tune.
Frosty befriends the young schoolgirl Karen and the two must evade the
greedy Professor Hinkle, who wants his magic hat back. When Frosty melts
at the end, so does every kid's heart. Narrated by Jimmy Durante, the
special first aired in 1969.
6. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
The Charles Dickens holiday classic tale gets the Mr.
Magoo treatment in this 1962 animated adaptation. Framed as a Broadway
musical starring Magoo (voiced by Jim Backus), the
story casts the near-sighted character as Ebenezer Scrooge, visited by
the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. This special is the
perfect way to introduce kids to the Dickens tale without creeping them
out too much by the various spirits of Christmas.
7. The Year Without a Santa Claus
See what happens when you don't believe in Santa Claus? In this
Rankin-Bass stop-motion animated favorite, Santa gets a cold and feels
seriously unappreciated, so he decides to take the holiday off. The plot
thickens when the reindeer Vixen is impounded in Southtown and the
mayor demands snow on Christmas day to prove that Santa, his elves and
reindeer are real. Enter Mrs. Claus, who recruits the Heat Miser and
Snow Miser to save the day. Mickey Rooney once again provides the voice
of Santa in this lively 1974 special.
8. The Little Drummer Boy
Another Rankin-Bass gem, this 1968 Christmas special, inspired by the
popular Christmas Carol, tells the story of a misanthropic young
shepherd whose life is changed when he learns to play the drum and meets
the Three Wise Men on their way to Bethlehem. Accompanied by his
faithful animal companions, he plays his drum for the Baby Jesus since
he has "no gift to bring" … "that's fit to give our king." Sorry, the
title tune here is not a duet by Bing Crosby and David Bowie.
9. Twas the Night Before Christmas
Another traditionally hand-drawn animated Rankin-Bass special, this
musical finds the town of Junctionville in jeopardy of missing Christmas
when a curmudgeon declares that Santa doesn't exist and they're taken
off his Christmas Eve route. A clever clockmaker hatches a plan to lure
St. Nick with an enchanted song when the clock strikes midnight, but a
book-smart mouse named Albert throws a wrench in the plans. The special,
which first aired in 1974, is narrated by Joel Grey and is based on the famous poem.
10. Yes, Virginia
Is there a Santa Claus? The most contemporary special on the list, Yes, Virginia
is inspired by the true story of a New York Sun newspaper editorial
back in 1897 that famously replied to an eight-year-old girl's letter, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Featuring the vocal talents of Jennifer Love Hewitt and
Neil Patrick Harris as Virginia's parents, the CGI-animated special
debuted in 2009. Another animated special with a similar theme, Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus, debuted in 1974.
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