Holiday special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer airs on CBS Friday, November 24. The 60-minute stop-motion special tells the story of an anxious reindeer who isn’t in the mood for Christmas, until Santa Claus realizes the deer’s bright red nose may just help him deliver some gifts on a Christmas Eve with some challenging weather.
Uneasy about his red nose, Rudolph, son of Donner, runs away from home with an elf named Hermey who’d rather be a dentist. They run into prospector Yukon Cornelius and try to stay a step ahead of the frightful Abominable Snow Monster. They end up on the Island of Misfit Toys before Rudolph returns home.
Santa, meanwhile, plans to cancel Christmas due to the weather, but then realizes Rudolph may be just what he needs to lead his sleigh through the storm.
Rudolph is a Rankin/Bass production from 1964. Jules Bass, who founded animation studio Rankin/Bass with Arthur Rankin Jr., died last year at 87. Rankin/Bass productions include Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.
Billie Mae Richards voices Rudolph in the special. Paul Soles is Hermey and Larry Mann voices Yukon Cornelius. Burl Ives does the voice of narrator Sam the Snowman.
Johnny Marks wrote the song that launched the special.
