This is the best of the Rankin-Bass animated holiday specials, much more entertaining than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which is much better known. The songs are catchier, the invented story elements less silly and more pertinent, and the vocal performances more accomplished.
That's not to say it's perfect. The story is less silly than Rudolph, but it's still pretty silly in spots. Some of the appeal of this is a campy quality that applies to all of these shows. But the songs in this are catchy and memorable, much more so than the other shows. I think it's a shame that this has been relegated to minor cable showings while Rudolph still gets a network showcase every year.
That's not to say it's perfect. The story is less silly than Rudolph, but it's still pretty silly in spots. Some of the appeal of this is a campy quality that applies to all of these shows. But the songs in this are catchy and memorable, much more so than the other shows. I think it's a shame that this has been relegated to minor cable showings while Rudolph still gets a network showcase every year.