The holiday programming season begins in earnest later this month. CBS gets things going just after Thanksgiving, with Frosty the Snowman and then Frosty Returns airing November 25. From 1969, Frosty the Snowman, from Rankin/Bass, is narrated by Jimmy Durante. From 1992, Frosty Returns has John Goodman voicing Frosty, a young Elisabeth Moss voicing Holly, and Jonathan Winters narrating.
Also on November 25 is Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer on The CW. The special is about a grandmother who goes missing on Christmas Eve, and young Jake Spankenheimer goes searching for his Grandma, and aims to prove that Santa Claus is indeed real. Michele Lee provides the voice of Jake’s Cousin Mel and Elmo Shropshire narrates.
On November 29, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is on CBS. A shy reindeer isn’t much in the mood for Christmas, until Santa realizes the deer’s red nose may just help him guide his sleigh through funky weather on Christmas Eve. Rudolph is a Rankin/Bass production from 1964.
Apple TV Plus has A Charlie Brown Christmas. The special used to also air for free on PBS, but that is not the case this year. Apple TV Plus has Charlie Brown Christmas available for non-subscribers December 22 through Christmas Day.
Peacock has the 1966 classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Boris Karloff, June Foray and Thurl Ravenscroft provide the voices in a special about a heel who aims to ruin Christmas, before eventually seeing the good in the holiday season.
Vintage TV network MeTV starts its Christmas programming November 27. ■
