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You know Rudolph who guided and pulled Santa's sleigh
And who saved Christmas by lighting the way.
But there's more to tell...
Rudolph saved the New Year as well.

— Father Time's opening narration

Rudolph's Shiny New Year is a stop-motion animation special produced by Rankin/Bass that aired on ABC on December 10, 1976. It is a sequel to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that is often aired during the Christmas season, despite technically being a New Year's special.

Synopsis

The story begins precisely where the original special left off, following Santa Claus' return from his trip around the world. As he begins to settle in, he receives a letter from his old friend, Father Time, who is in serious trouble - Happy, the Baby New Year, has gone missing, and if he is not found, the new year can't begin and the old one will continue on forever. Santa summons Rudolph, since he is the only one who can make it through the thick fog and across the Sands of Time to reach Father Time's castle to receive his mission.

Aeon chasing Rudolph, Ticker, and Quart

Rudolph, accompanied by General Ticker and The Great Quarter Past Five, has his first encounter with Aeon the Terrible.

Rudolph soon meets up with two agents of Father Time - General Ticker, a military clock, and The Great Quarter Past Five, a camel with a large clock in his hump. On the trek across the desert, they escape the dastardly clutches of Aeon the Terrible, a giant vulture who is also looking for Happy. Rudolph's companions explain to him that Aeon can only live until he is one eon old and will supposedly turn into ice and snow upon his death. Because his eon will be up that New Year's Eve, he plans to prevent the new year from coming, thus extending his own lifespan.

Upon their arrival at Father Time's castle, located beneath a large, bright star in the sky, Rudolph is given details about the passage of time, and how crucial it is that he finds Happy so that he can be given the Crown of Time at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. Father Time explains that Happy took off when no one, including his nurse, Nanny Nine O'Clock, could look at his oversized ears without laughing. His feelings hurt, Happy set his sights on the Archipelago of Last Years - a group of islands, each of which is home to the individual who once represented years passed after they retired when their year came to an end.

Newyear02

As Rudolph sets out on a raft to find Happy, he is greeted a large whale named Big Ben, who surfaces just as Aeon is about to attack the ocean-bound reindeer. With his new bodyguard, Rudolph makes his first stop on an island belonging to one of the oldest years in the Archipelago - One Million B.C., a caveman whose island is anachronistically inhabited with friendly dinosaurs. Nicknamed O.M. for short, the flighty cave dweller tells Rudolph that Happy had been there not long ago. Unfortunately, the same misfortune with his ears occurred as before, and the laughter of the prehistoric creatures scared him off to another island.

O.M. accompanies Rudolph for two days on Big Ben as they have no luck finding Happy on the islands of 4000 B.C., 1893, 1492, or 1965. The next one they visit is home to Sir 1023, an armored knight with an overgrown beard that hangs out of his helmet. Instilled with a sense of duty, he joins them on their quest to they seek out Happy. On their journey, they ask the island's inhabitants (who are all characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes) about Happy's whereabouts.

Rudolphshiny8

Meanwhile, Happy happens upon a house in the woods. Hungry from his travels, he samples the porridge left behind by its residents, the Three Bears. After eating Baby Bear's porridge and breaking the smallest of the three chairs, he falls asleep in Baby Bear's bed, which is where the bear family finds him upon their return. Baby Bear, identifying with Happy, befriends him and they play make-believe until he also laughs at his ears, all the while pleading for his new friend to return as he crawls away into the forest, his feelings hurt once more.

When Rudolph, 1023, and O.M. spot Happy being flown away by Aeon, they rush to Big Ben and chase after the buzzard. Big Ben is able to knock Happy free from Aeon's grasp with a spray of water from his blowhole, but a gust of wind carries the baby far off course and out of reach again. He ends up on the island of 1776 (or "Sev", for short), a kindly old man resembling Benjamin Franklin, who is out flying a kite just before the holiday festivities. On this island, the Fourth of July is being celebrated, complete with a parade and a drum and fife corps. However, when the inhabitants drive Happy away by laughing at his ears once again, Rudolph just misses his chance to catch up with him. Sev vows to help track him down after Rudolph explains everything to him. However, they soon discover that Happy has been taken away by Aeon again.

Rudolphshiny11

Happy is brought to the Island of No Name, a mountain of snow and ice where Aeon is holding him captive in his nest. Rudolph, Sev, 1023, and O.M. manage to catch up and try to climb the mountain. Unfortunately, Aeon is alerted to their infiltration and causes an avalanche that encases them in four perfect snowballs, out of which only Rudolph is able to break free thanks to his glowing nose. Once at the top, while Aeon is asleep, Rudolph shares his own misfit story (depicted in a traditionally-animated flashback) with Happy and encourages him to overcome his disfigurement. Aeon wakes up and, upon seeing Happy's ears, plummets to the bottom of his perch, laughing for the first time in his life, and also freeing O.M., 1023, and Sev from their snowballs. Rudolph figures that he is now cured forever, since he is presently so full of warmth and happiness that it would be impossible for him to turn into ice and snow.

Newyear03

Unfortunately, Big Ben's tail clock begins to strike midnight. Luckily for the heroes, Santa arrives to deliver Happy to Father Time by the last stroke, just in time for Father Time to place him at the beginning of the new year (which is designated "nineteen-wonderful"). After the celebration, everyone wishes the viewers a happy new year, with Rudolph adding, "And may it be shiny, too!"

Songs

Rudolph In Traditional Animation

Rudolph's backstory is depicted as a traditionally-animated flashback.

Broadcast history

Shiny New Year TV Guide ad

Print ad for the special's premiere.

The special was later reaired on the Disney Channel from 1984 to 1997, and again in 2015. It was then aired as part of Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas from 1998 to 2017, and also returned to ABC in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It began airing on AMC as part of their annual Best Christmas Ever event in 2018, and also appeared on its sister channel IFC in 2019.

Availability

The special has been released on home video several times over the years, including on all DVD and Blu-ray releases of The Year Without a Santa Claus, which also include Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.

Notes

Goofs

  • When Aeon decides not to attack Rudolph, General Ticker, and The Great Quarter Past Five, a string can be seen holding him up.
  • While Rudolph is traveling to the ocean to start searching for Happy, wires can be seen in between the stars in the background.
  • During the “It’s Raining Sunshine” sequence, O.M.’s mouth doesn’t move during one of the lines.

Cast

Voice actor/actress Character(s)
Red Skelton Father Time
Baby Bear
Frank Gorshin 1023
The Great Quarter Past Five
Morey Amsterdam One Million B.C.
Harold Peary Big Ben
Paul Frees Santa Claus
Aeon the Terrible
General Ticker
1776
Humpty Dumpty
Billie Mae Richards Rudolph
Don Messick Papa Bear
Rumpelstiltskin
Prince Charming
The Seven Dwarfs
Iris Rainer Mama Bear
Nanny Nine O'Clock
Happy

Note: The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, Little Miss Muffet, and Cinderella make cameo appearances during the "What a Wonderful World We Live In" sequence, but do not have speaking parts.

Gallery

External links

Rankin/Bass
Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerCricket on the HearthThe Little Drummer BoyFrosty the SnowmanSanta Claus is Comin' to Town • "A Christmas Tree" • 'Twas the Night Before ChristmasThe Year Without a Santa ClausThe First Christmas: The Story of the First Christmas SnowFrosty's Winter WonderlandRudolph's Shiny New YearThe Little Drummer Boy, Book IINestor, the Long-Eared Christmas DonkeyThe Stingiest Man in TownRudolph and Frosty's Christmas in JulyJack FrostPinocchio's ChristmasThe Leprechauns' Christmas GoldThe Life and Adventures of Santa ClausSanta, Baby!
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