(CNN) -- The longest-running holiday special still has a very shiny nose.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer" premiered on television December 6, 1964, and is now one of
the holiday season's perennial favorites. The story of the reindeer who
saves Christmas is beloved among children and adults alike.
The Rankin-Bass animated
film production company used Japanese puppets and stop motion to tell
the tale, bolstered by a soundtrack featuring Burl Ives' rendition of
the theme song.
In the story, Santa's
reindeer Donner and his wife have a son, Rudolph, who has the
distinction of a nose that glows. He runs away after being made to feel
an outcast and links up with an elf who dreams of becoming a dentist and
an adventurer seeking silver and gold.
After ending up on the
Island of Misfit Toys and wandering for a while, Rudolph goes on to save
his loved ones from the Abominable Snow Monster and guides Santa
through a blizzard that threatens to ruin Christmas.
In 2006, the New York Times reported
that fans drove for miles to see the Rudolph and Santa Claus puppets at
the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. The pair were thought to be
the last of the surviving production puppets. They had been taken home
by a production company employee and given to her children after filming
was completed.
"In 2005, the nephew of
the original rescuer found the puppets in a family attic and brought
them to be appraised on the PBS series 'Antiques Roadshow,' " the Times
said. "Created for about $5,000 each in 1964, they were valued at $8,000
to $10,000 for the pair. The family sold both figures to Kevin A.
Kriess, the president of TimeandSpaceToys.com and a lifelong fan of the
Rankin-Bass films."
The special has been
shown every year since it premiered, which gives it a leg up over other
beloved shows like "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Frosty the Snowman"
and makes it the longest-running program of its type. And viewers still
love it.
One fan posted on social
media, "I love watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...and remember
our tv that was like this growing up. Of course our picture was black
and white. Lol. #rudolphrocks #thosewerethedays."
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