Rating:
Oh, man, here we go. This is the one you’ve been waiting for, the very first and very best of all the Rankin/Bass stop-motion puppet shows. In fact, with an annual broadcast every year since its premiere in 1964, it might be safe to call Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the king of all Christmas specials.

The show is worthy of all the devotion it gets—and even of some that other shows get. I rather suspect that at least some of the love people feel for the subsequent Rankin/Bass specials is actually residual adoration for Rudolph and Hermey and Yukon Cornelius.

Of all the modern stories that are intended to expand on existing Christmas lore, this is the one that feels most natural, like an actual story waiting to be told rather than something more obviously expanded from a thin premise.

The essential story is the same one told in the familiar song, an ugly duckling story with a nasally noteworthy reindeer instead of a Medusan waterfowl. Everyone laughs at Rudolph and his shiny proboscis and they bar him from participating in reindder games (is his nose’s glow the result of steroid use, perhaps?), but ultimately Rudolph proves himself of value and saves Christmas. It’s that simple and simple stories are the best.

But it’s the flourishes hung on that simple frame that make Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer the enduring classic that it is. Through the course of the story, our reindeer hero encounters numerous interesting characters and has fantastic adventures that have firmly secured their place in the hearts and minds of every holiday merrymaker.

Rudolph meets a kindred spirit in Hermey, an elf who doesn’t want to make toys at all and would rather chase his dream of becoming a dentist. He meets Yukon Cornelius, a grizzly, old-timey prospector who’s more interested in prospecting for excitement than any kind of motherlode. And of course there’s the Bumble, a misunderstood Yeti who’s more than just a scary snarl.

Rudolph’s travels take him through polar wildernesses, drifting on ice floes, and to the unforgettable Island of Misfit Toys. Here reside all the toys that nobody wanted: a spotted elephant, a square-wheeled train, a Charlie-in-the-box. Each one works its way into the viewer’s heart and occupies a warm spot in his memory.

(A question for knowledgeable readers: Remember the doll who lives on the Island of Misfit Toys? What’s unusual about her? I’ve seen Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer many times over the course of my life, and I’ve never yet figured out what makes that little dolly a misfit.)

Of all the Rankin/Bass specials, this one has the best story to tell, the most memorable characters and the greatest songs. I’m sure you could sing several of them with me from memory—songs like “We’re a Couple of Misfits,” “Jingle, Jingle, Jingle” and “We are Santa’s Elves.” And let’s not forget “Silver and Gold,” which has become something of a standard, sung each year even when people forget where it originates.

You don’t need me to tell you to be sure to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer this year. You know you’re going to, or maybe you have already.

But I’ll tell you anyway. Be sure to watch this one. An absolutely indispensable classic.

If You Hated This, You Will Also Totally Hate:

• The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
• The Problem with Home Video
• The Year Without a Santa Claus
• Hello, Clarice
• Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town