History Creator / RankinBassProductions

** ''Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey'' also has a more somber tone than usual, particularly when Nestor's mother [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifices her life]] for her son by shielding him with her body during a blizzard. Generally, the Biblical-themed Christmas specials are all more serious and melancholy than the ones centered on Santa Claus and secular festivities.

* ''Series/ThatGirl in Wonderland'' (TV) (1974) AnimatedAdaptation of the series combined with with assorted fairy tales. Produced for ''The [[Creator/AmericanBroadcastingCompany ABC]] Superstar Movie'' UsefulNotes/TheSeventies were a strange time.

* ''That Girl in Wonderland'' (TV) (1974)

The company's lesser-known Christmas specials (such as ''Nestor the Long-Eared Donkey'' and ''The First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas Snow'') and followups (''The Little Drummer Boy II'', ''Rudolph's Shiny New Year'' and ''Frosty's Winter Wonderland'') currently air on Creator/{{AMC}} for their Christmas block ''Best Christmas Ever''. Sometimes the channel would air a marathon of Rankin-Bass Holiday specials during the weekends after Thanksgiving. Prior to AMC, [[ChannelHop these specials used to air]] on "ABC Family" (now "[=FreeForm=]") between the late 1990s and throughout [[Main/TurnOfTheMillennium the 2000s decade]].

While ''Rudolph the-Red Nosed Reindeer'' and ''Frosty the Snowman'' still air annually on Creator/{{CBS}} every Christmas season, as does ''Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town'' on Creator/{{ABC|US}}, near the end of the [[Main/TheNewTens 2010s]], these specials would also begin airing on Creator/{{Freeform}} as part of their ''25 Days Of Christmas'' block, including the 1968 special ''The Little Drummer Boy''.

While ''Rudolph the-Red Nosed Reindeer'' and ''Frosty the Snowman'' still air annually on Creator/{{CBS}} every Christmas season, as does ''Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town'' on Creator/{{ABC}}, near the end of the [[Main/TheNewTens 2010s]], these specials would also begin airing on Creator/{{Freeform}} as part of their ''25 Days Of Christmas'' block, including the 1968 special ''The Little Drummer Boy''.

If you're an American and have had a childhood since TheSixties, (or if you grew up from your parents keeping the tapes), then chances are you've seen something by Rankin/Bass Productions.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheJackson5ive'' and ''The Osmonds'' also had most of its animation done at British studio Halas and Batchelor, better known for ''WesternAnimation/AnimalFarm1954''.

* ''WesternAnimation/RudolphAndFrostysChristmasInJuly'' (limited theatrical release, got most of its viewership on TV) (1979) Creator/MickeyRooney as Santa Claus

* ''Literature/TheLifeAndAdventuresOfSantaClaus'' (1985) Creator/PattiLaBelle as Melody Songbird
* ''Santa, Baby!'' (2001)

* ''Literature/TheLifeAndAdventuresOfSantaClaus'' (1985)

* ''Marco'' (Live Action) (1973)* ''Film/TheLastDinosaur'' (live action) (1976) (produced with Creator/TsuburayaProductions)

* ''WesternAnimation/RudolphAndFrostysChristmasInJuly'' (1979) Creator/MickeyRooney as Santa Claus

* ''Marco'' (Live Action) (1973)
* ''Film/TheLastDinosaur'' (live action) (1976) (produced with Creator/TsuburayaProductions)

* SharedUniverse: Their Christmas specials have several subtle connections between each other (the shot of Santa's sleigh flying at the end of ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'' being replicated or referenced multiple times throughout the specials, for example), and they outright have a crossover in ''Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July''.

If you're an American and have had a childhood since TheSixties, then chances are you've seen something by Rankin/Bass Productions.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to their future Christmas Specials, their second stop-motion Christmas Special ''The Little Drummer Boy'' has a very melancholy and somber tone. Since Aaron (the special's main protagonist) is angry at humanity after witnessing a group of thieves killing his parents and stealing his parent's flock of sheep. Alongside being one of the only Rankin/Bass specials to show an on-screen murder even if it's bloodless.

If you're an American and have had a childhood since the 1960s, then you know Rankin/Bass Productions.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndAdventuresOfSantaClaus'' (1985)

* TheWikiRule: The [[http://rankinbass.wikia.com/wiki/Rankin/Bass_Wiki Rankin/Bass Wiki]].

** ''WesternAnimation/TheJackson5ive'' and ''The Osmonds'' also had most of its animation done at British studio Halas and Batchelor, better known for the AnimatedAdaptation of ''Literature/AnimalFarm''.