One of the biggest reminders that Halloween is just around the corner is the inevitable aisles of Christmas butting into the witches and ghosts. Yes, Christmas is coming, and Warner Brothers and Universal are going to be ready for this year. The two companies have teamed up to quietly release something very near for the fans of the Rankin/Bass television specials, a brand-new DVD collection that contains a whopping 18 of their beloved programs!
The Complete Rankin Bass Collection is out right now and is available at various retailers like Best Buy and Amazon. The set holds 18 of the beloved specials over a collection of 9 DVDs. Bundled with them is a booklet that features a short summary of each special, the original airdate, and lists what special features are available. Here is the total list.
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
- Cricket on the Hearth (1967)
- The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
- Frosty the Snowman (1969)
- Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
- ‘Twas 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 Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)
- The Stingiest Man in Town (1978)
- Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979)
- Jack Frost (1979)
- Pinocchio’s Christmas (1980)
- The Leprechaun’s Christmas Gold (1981)
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1985)
While this is quite the impressive list, some fans have been quick to point out that there are still a few titles missing. These titles include 1992’s Frosty Returns, 2001’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys, 2001’s Santa Baby, and 2008’s A Miser Brothers’ Christmas. But it’s worth mentioning that, outside of one outlier, none of those missing titles were made specifically by Rankin/Bass. They were outsourced to other studios, and therefore aren’t owned by Warner Brothers or Universal. Santa Baby, on the other hand, is the first and only Rankin/Bass special since 1985’s The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. The special has yet to receive an official home release.
The set is also missing the various specials that focus on other holidays, such as 1971’s Here Comes Peter Cottontail, which is an Easter-centered 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. Starting in 1964 with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the specials have had a special kind of impact on the holiday season. Whenever a show or a film decides to parody the art of a holiday special, chances are they’ll choose to go the stop-motion route for this reason. Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas was also animated in stop-motion for this very reason.
While the specials themselves are about as cheesy as they come, they still hold a particular magic to them that captivates audiences both new and old. Whether it’s the silly tunes, or the charming characters, there’s a good reason why they continue to air on television to this day. But with live television becoming a rare feature in most households, being able to keep a copy of your favorite specials can come in handy for the holidays. Dedicated Rankin/Bass fans would not want to sleep on this release, for some of these specials it’s the first time they got a proper DVD release! Do you see your favorite in “The Complete Rankin/Bass Collection”?
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