Rankin-Bass' adaptation of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer is returning to NBC next month, and he's not coming alone.
Rudolph, based on the song by Johnny Marks, made famous by Gene Autry, and narrated by Burl Ives, will air December 6 with an extended running time, commercials included, of 75 minutes.
Rudolph & Hermy.
Frosty The Snowman, featuring the talents of Jackie Vernon, Billy DeWolfe, & narrator Jimmy Durante, makes his NBC debut the preceding night, on December 5. The specials will stream on Peacock, I think, as well as on Hulu.
Frosty, oh, by the way, turns 55 this year, while Rudolph marks 60 years on television, and his return to NBC after 53 years away.
4 comments:
Now to cross my fingers and hope YouTube TV actually lets viewers watch both specials this year, instead of denying us the opportunity because either Google or the current rights holders aren't interested in throwing a bone to the streaming crowd. If such is the case, at least I've got 'em on DVD as part of a "complete box set" of all the Rankin Bass holiday specials. I will die on the hill that declared "Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" a more faithful Nativity adaptation than "The Little Drummer Boy!"
Who said Nestor was more faithful than the Little Drummer Boy, which merited a sequel, while Nestor did not?
Good point. And since all three shows aggressively streamline "salvation history," so that events which took place more than a year apart in "real life" (per the original text; your belief mileage may vary) occur in a day or so, faithfulness might as well be thrown out the window. I can see how "Drummer Boy" worked well enough to support a sequel, the accuracy of bell-making tech in ancient Bethlehem notwithstanding. "Nestor" does have wraparound sequences with Rudolph and the whole North Pole gang recounting the tale, though, so I considered that the cooler special for quite a while. Since all three are part of AMC's "Best Christmas Ever" programming a few times this coming month, I guess everyone wins?
I would assume so. Nestor on AMC? I'll have to check that.
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