For Christmas classic movies, it doesn’t get much better than the films produced by Rankin/Bass. The stop-motion animated favorites include Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. The films are known for their unforgettable characters, such as the misfit toys; Hermy, the elf who would rather be a dentist; and the Abominable Snowman.
Based on the popular song, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was made in 1964 for NBC television, but nowadays it actually airs on CBS. As a result of the instant popularity of Rudolph, Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass went ahead with a series of other holiday television specials, most of which are also based on fun and very popular Christmas songs. Just like the songs, all of Rankin/Bass TV specials are considered Christmas classics today. I remember watching them as a kid, year after year.
While these Christmas specials have aired on American TV for many years, for true fans owning them on DVD or Blu-Ray is the only way to go. So that makes the 2010 holiday season pretty special because several of these favorites are now available on Blu-Ray for the first time, in a boxed set titled The Original Christmas Classics that includes Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. Rudolph is also getting released by itself on Blu-Ray, as are the other popular specials, The Year Without Santa Claus and Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol. Prior to this, all of these have only been available on DVD or VHS.
The release dates for all four of these Blu-Ray Christmas Releases is November 16, 2010, just in time for watching on Thanksgiving if you want to start a fun family tradition.