‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Animated Special Returning To NBC After 5 Decades At CBS

The Christmas classic holiday special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is returning to NBC after more than five decades at CBS.

The 75-minute telecast will air Friday, Dec. 6 at 8 p.m., the exact same date it premiered in 1964 as part of the “General Electric Fantasy Hour” on NBC. Rudolph ran on NBC from 1964 through 1971 before moving to CBS.

The classic stop motion animated special offers the perspective of Rudolph, who’s told he could not play in any Reindeer Games due to his glowing nose. Rudolph sets out on a fantastic journey where he meets Hermey the elf, prospector Yukon Cornelius and a host of Misfit Toys, all while trying to hide from the Abominable Snow Monster. 

The story is narrated by Burl Ives, who plays Sam the Snowman and whose iconic recording of the “Rudolph” song has become part of the culture. 

NBC will also air another Christmas classic, Frosty the Snowman, on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT.