Rankin/Bass put out some of the most memorable Christmas specials to date, in my opinion. The company was founded in the early 1960's by Arthur Rankin Jr and Jules Bass as Videocraft International, Ltd. It was a stop-motion production company with doll-like characters and spheroid body parts. With few exceptions, their library is currently owned by Classic Media for the pre-1974 works and Warner Brothers for the post-1974 works. These are my very favorite Rankin/Bass holiday specials.

 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was released in 1964 and is based on the popular Christmas song of the same name.  The story is all about accepting people for who they are on the inside, not what they look like.  Burl Ives narrates the story as Sam the Snowman.  Rudolph wants to get on Santa's sleigh team but he's ridiculed when the other reindeer see his glowing, red nose.  He runs away from the North Pole, looking for acceptance. He meets up with an elf named Hermey who's in a similar situation.  Hermey doesn't want to make toys; he wants to be a dentist.  They set off together looking for a place where they belong.  This is a great show and I love the lesson it teaches kids about acceptance. 

Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town was released in 1970.  As with Rudolph, the story is based on the hit Christmas song of the same name.  The voice talents in this special include Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle/Santa Claus and Fred Astaire as S.D. Kluger, a mailman who actually narrates the tale.  Written by Romeo Muller, this is the story of how Santa Claus and some other Christmas traditions came to be.  Set in Sombertown, the nasty Burgermeister Meisterberger is the ruler.  When a baby with a tag that says "Claus" arrives on the Burgermeister's doorstep, he orders it taken to the orphan asylum.  However, a strong wind blows the baby (on a sled) far away into the mountains.  Animals take the baby to the other side of the mountain where an elf family by the name of Kringle takes him in.  They name him Kris and teach him all about making toys as they were the First Toymakers to the King beore the Burgermeister took over and outlawed toys in Sombertown.  When Kris is old enough, he vows to restore the Kringle family to their former glory.  The story is all about how even small acts of kindness can change people for the better.

 The Year Without A Santa Claus was released in 1974 as a sequel to Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town.  Mickey Rooney returns as the voice of Santa Claus. Shirley Booth provides the voice of Mrs. Claus, who narrates the story.  Santa has come down with a bad cold and decides to cancel Christmas, feeling there's no Christmas spirit left in the world.  Intent on proving him wrong, Mrs. Claus sends two elves to Southtown, USA to find children who still believe in Santa Claus.  This is my absolute favorite of all the Rankin/Bass specials.  The characters Snow Miser and Heat Miser, brothers who can't stand one another, add great comedy to the story.  In my opinion, they really are what makes this film so special.