One of the greatest memories that Halloween is just around the corner is the inevitable aisles of Christmas bumping into the witches and ghosts. Yes, Christmas is coming and Warner Brothers and Universal will be ready for this year. The two companies have teamed up to quietly release something very close for fans of the Rankin/Bass TV Specials, a brand new DVD collection featuring a whopping 18 of their beloved shows!
The complete Rankin bass collection is out now and is available at various retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon. The set includes 18 of the much-loved specials across a collection of 9 DVDs. Included with them is a booklet with a brief summary of each special, the original airing date, and an overview of the special features available. Here is the total list.
- Rudolph the red nosed reindeer (1964)
- Cricket on the fireplace (1967)
- The little drummer boy (1968)
- Frosty the snowman (1969)
- Santa Claus is coming to town (1970)
- ‘It was the night before Christmas’ (1974)
- The first Christmas (1975)
- Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (1976)
- Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976)
- The Little Drummer Boy, Book II (1976)
- Nestor, the Christmas donkey with long ears (1977)
- The stingiest man in town (1978)
- Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979)
- Jack Frost (1979)
- Christmas from Pinocchio (1980)
- The gnome’s Christmas gold (1981)
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985)
While this is a pretty impressive list, some fans have been quick to point out that there are still a few titles missing. These titles include 1992’s Frosty Returns2001’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys2001’s Santa Babyand 2008’s Christmas from a miserly brothers. But it’s worth noting that, apart from one outlier, none of those missing titles were specifically created by Rankin/Bass. They are outsourced to other studios and therefore are not owned by Warner Brothers or Universal. Santa Babyon the other hand, is the first and only Rankin/Bass special since 1985 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The special has not yet received an official home release.
The set also lacks the various specials that focus on other holidays, such as the one from 1971 Here comes Peter Cottontailan Easter-centric story, and the 1968 Thanksgiving special titled The Mouse on the Mayflower.
Bringing the Holidays Home
It’s hard to imagine Christmas movies without recognizing the impact of the Rankin/Bass specials. From 1964 with Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, the specials have had a special effect on the holiday season. When a show or movie decides to parody the art of a holiday special, chances are they go the stop-motion route for this reason. For this reason, Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas was also animated in stop motion.
While the specials themselves are about as cheesy as they come, they still have a certain magic to them that captivates audiences new and old alike. Whether it’s the crazy tunes or the charming characters, there’s a good reason why they’re televised to this day. But as live television is becoming a rare feature in most households, it can be helpful to keep a copy of your favorite specials for the holidays. Devoted Rankin/Bass fans won’t want to sleep with this release, some of these specials will be their first real DVD release! Do you see your favorite in “The Complete Rankin/Bass Collection”?