Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Countdown to Christmas: Olive The Other Reindeer (1999)

 We've all misheard musical lyrics, and it's one such case that led to a 1997 children's book, in turn, adapted for television 2 years later by Matt Groening (The Simpsons, Futurama) into a primetime special for Fox.

Olive The Other Reindeer is what you get if you mishear the line from "Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer" which otherwise is "all of the other reindeer". Olive (Drew Barrymore) is actually a Jack Russell terrier who hears a "clarion call", if you will, when one of Santa's legendary reindeer is sidelined.

Barrymore doubles as co-executive producer with Groening. Additional voice talent includes Dan Castelleneta (The Simpsons), Billy West (Futurama), Ed Asner, Diedrich Bader (The Drew Carey Show), and toon vet Kath Soucie.


Olive has moved around the dial in recent years, airing on Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, My Network TV, and WB, among other places.

No rating, just a public service.

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