(Photo by Courtesy: Artisan Entertainment, Rankin/Bass Productions, Classic Media)
12 Rankin/Bass Christmas Specials Ranked by Tomatometer
It’s simply not Christmas on television without the holiday stop-motion classics from Rankin/Bass, the production company founded in 1960 by Arthur Rankin, Jr., and Jules Bass. Did you know that 1964’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the longest-running special on television? This year, AMC is hosting a multi-day Rankin/Bass marathon that began in late November and runs through late December andincludes airings of Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey, Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, and, of course, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.
For every holiday icon there’s a Rankin/Bass movie to explain its backstory: from Rudolph (ostracized by other reindeer for his famous cherry nose) to Santa (alienated from his peers before donning that big red suit); from an elf who’d rather fix teeth than build toys to a donkey ridiculed for his basset hound–like ears and soft Eeyore-like demeanor. There are also several lesser-known tales, such as Cricket on the Hearth (an animated adaptation of a Charles Dickens short story) and two installments of The Little Drummer Boy story, and even stories for other holidays (New Year’s, Easter, and pseudo–St. Patrick’s Day).
We’ve ranked the top 12 Rankin/Bass specials by their Tomatometer scores, and included a few unscored films at the end to show you more of the titles in their catalog. Though its score is based on fewer reviews than some of Rankin/Bass’ more familiar films, the top-ranking movie might still surprise you.
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95%
93%
90%
73%
75%
71%
63%
50%
56%
67%
14%
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20%
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