Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

By Missy Armstrong on November 20th, 2009

Rudolph It’s just not Christmas without Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph is one of my favorite Christmas characters and TV specials. Nothing says its Christmastime like sitting down with some hot chocolate and watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. If you haven’t experienced Rudolph in all his glory you need to catch it this year.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created in 1964, by Rankin/Bass. This stop motion animated holiday TV special first aired on NBC during The General Electric Fantasy Hour. The show was based on the Robert L. May poem, written in 1939. In 1972, the special moved to CBS and was digitally remastered in 2005. The show has been telecast every year since 1964, at least once. This makes Rudolph the longest running holiday special.

The plot of the story follows Rudolph as he deals with his disappointed father, Donner. He is ridiculed about his shiny nose. Clarice, a doe, is the only reindeer that accepts Rudolph. The adventure really begins when Rudolph meets Hermey, an elf that wants to be a dentist. Hermey stops working in the workshop and they run away together. On their journey they met Yukon, a miner obsessed with riches. They are then attacked by an abominable snowman, Bumble. The three find themselves on the island of misfit toys. From there the adventures is just beginning.

This TV special inspired many sequels including, Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, Rudolph and the Island of the Misfit Toys and Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. All of these are wonderful shows to watch. However, the original can never be beat. It is a Christmas tradition that I hope never ends.