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).

• Check out our guide to the 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time

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.