10 Overlooked Rankin/Bass Holiday Specials

If you associate your beloved Christmas figures with stop-motion animation, Rankin/Bass deserves your gratitude. Founded by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, the studio excelled at turning festive tunes and folklore into elaborate TV specials during the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. Classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman remain holiday TV essentials even today.

However, not every Rankin/Bass holiday production became a hit. After tackling the most cherished Christmas tales, the studio ventured into less conventional holiday themes, with mixed results. Some films faded into obscurity, while others were so bizarre and eerie that they left young audiences wanting to erase them from memory. Below are a few Rankin/Bass specials that might not make it onto this year's holiday TV lineups.

1. Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976)

Following the chaos of his 1964 Christmas adventure, Rudolph was due for a break. However, in Rudolph's Shiny New Year (1976), the famous reindeer barely catches his breath before embarking on another mission. After Santa and his team return to the North Pole post-Christmas, they discover that Happy the Baby New Year has vanished. Rudolph must find him before New Year’s Eve ends, or time will freeze at December 31. Adding to the stakes, a menacing vulture named Eon the Terrible is also hunting Happy to gain eternal life. Fortunately, Rudolph teams up with a caveman, a Medieval knight, and Benjamin Franklin to save the day.

2. The Little Drummer Boy, Book II (1976)

The 1968 classic The Little Drummer Boy concludes with the nativity of Jesus Christ, the essence of Christmas. While this made a sequel seem unlikely, Rankin/Bass defied expectations with The Little Drummer Boy, Book II in 1976. This follow-up draws inspiration from the song "Silver Bells," despite its lack of connection to the original Christmas story. In this installment, Aaron the drummer boy and the wise man Melchior team up to safeguard silver bells crafted for baby Jesus from Roman soldiers determined to steal them.

3. Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

By the late 1970s, Rankin/Bass seemed to exhaust the well of Christmas legends to adapt into TV specials. Their 1977 stop-motion film, Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, follows the journey of a misfit donkey enduring a string of hardships during the Roman Empire. Mocked by fellow animals, abandoned by his owner, and grieving the death of his mother, Nestor ultimately finds redemption by transporting a pregnant Mary to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. Unsurprisingly, Nestor, the Long-Eared Donkey failed to achieve the same iconic status as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

4. The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow (1975)

While it concludes on a hopeful note, The First Christmas (1975) stands out as the most somber entry on this list. The story centers on Lucas, a young shepherd orphaned and blinded by a lightning strike, who finds refuge with a group of nuns. During the abbey’s Christmas celebration, a snowfall miraculously restores Lucas’s vision, allowing him to witness snow for the first time. Departing from Rankin/Bass's usual whimsy and fantasy, the film leans heavily into emotional drama, which likely contributed to its lack of appeal among younger audiences. A standout feature is Angela Lansbury’s narration, adding a touch of elegance to the tale.

5. Jack Frost (1979)

Though technically a Groundhog Day special, this 1979 film is often grouped with Rankin/Bass’s Christmas lineup due to its winter theme. Narrated by a groundhog named Pardon-Me-Pete (voiced by Buddy Hackett), the story follows Jack Frost, who falls for a mortal woman. Father Winter grants him a chance to become human, but with a condition: Jack must secure a house, a horse, a bag of gold, and a wife before spring arrives, or he’ll revert to his sprite form. The special is remembered for its eccentric cast, including a villain with a mechanical horse and peculiar henchmen. Notably, spoiler alert!, Jack’s failure to win the girl makes this one of the rare Rankin/Bass productions without a traditional happy ending.

6. Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)

In 1979, Rankin/Bass brought together two of their most beloved holiday figures—Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer—for a feature-length film. The studio had such faith in Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July that it even enjoyed a limited theatrical release internationally. However, the movie never achieved the same iconic status as the original specials, possibly due to its darker elements, such as menacing snow snakes and an evil wizard who transforms into a tree, which may have been too intense for young audiences.

7. Pinocchio's Christmas (1980)

While Pinocchio isn’t typically associated with Christmas, Rankin/Bass reimagined the timeless Italian tale as a festive holiday special in 1980. Pinocchio's Christmas retains the core themes and characters of The Adventures of Pinocchio but shifts the focus to the wooden puppet’s first Christmas experience. The special even includes a guest appearance by Santa Claus, adding a seasonal twist to the classic story.

8. The Stingiest Man in Town (1978)

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is among the most frequently adapted tales ever written, and Rankin/Bass added their own spin to it in 1978. This musical version features an insect narrator named B.A.H. Humbug, with Walter Matthau lending his voice to the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Unlike most of Rankin/Bass’s holiday specials, The Stingiest Man in Town uses traditional 2D animation, placing it alongside Frosty the Snowman as one of the studio’s rare non-stop-motion productions.

9. The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold (1981)

Rankin/Bass reached the height of holiday mash-up strangeness in 1981 with The Leprechauns' Christmas Gold. This special follows an Irish sailor who aids a group of leprechauns in safeguarding their treasure from Old Mag the Hag, a malevolent banshee. Attempting to create a story suitable for both Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day, the studio ended up with a tale that felt out of place no matter the season.

10. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985)

In 1970, Rankin/Bass offered one version of Santa Claus’s origin in Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. Fifteen years later, they revisited the concept with a different take, inspired by L. Frank Baum’s 1902 book. This lesser-known special introduces the Great Ak, a mystical figure with antlers, who discovers an abandoned infant in the woods. Raised by wood nymphs, the child grows into the beloved gift-giver Santa Claus, battling creatures called Awgwas along the way. The story concludes with a council of mythical beings granting Santa eternal life. This unique and eccentric special marked the end of Rankin/Bass’s stop-motion animation era.