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Rudolph, the
enduring story of Christmas


Certainly on TV, where it out-shines other specials

Dec 2, 2009
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Of all the annual Christmas specials, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which airs tonight at 8 p.m., has arguably held up the best.

The hour-long 1964 show follows Rudolph and Hermey the Elf, two Christmasville outcasts, on their journey from losers to heroes. "Rudolph" deals with themes of alienation, belonging and forgiveness, issues that still resonate among kids and adults 45 years after its debut.

In 1998, Golden Books color-corrected the special to restore it to its original palette, making a noticeable difference. The elves, for example, whose suits had faded to green, are once again wearing blue.

Those universal themes and recent corrections have helped keep "Rudolph" feeling a bit fresher than some of the other Christmas specials.

While they're all still enjoyable, there's an undeniably retro vibe to "A Charlie Brown Christmas," with its pink metallic Christmas trees, and "Frosty the Snowman," with its evil, handlebar mustachioed-magician.

Even "Shrek the Halls," while produced in CGI, has a dated feel. There hasn't been a new "Shrek" movie out in two years, a veritable lifetime to young children.

"Rudolph" should do quite well among kids and adults alike tonight. Last year the special averaged a 4.2 among adults 18-49. Even if it drops by a third, it will still likely win the timeslot, as there's no one standout show at 8 p.m. Wednesday.


A look at this week’s top TV draws

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2

Time

Network

Program

Description

8 p.m.

CBS

“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (A)

The beloved 1964 special makes its annual return.

8 p.m.

Fox

“So You Think You Can Dance” (R)

The final 10 turn into the final eight after two are bounced.

8 p.m.

Versus

“Boxing” (S)

Bernard Hopkins takes on Enrique Ornelas in Philadelphia.

9 p.m.

CBS

“Grammy Nominations Concert Live!” (A)

LL Cool J hosts the Grammy nomination celebration.

9 p.m.

Fox

“Glee” (C)

A tight budget at school means no yearbook photo for the glee club.

9:30 p.m.

ESPN

“College Basketball” (S)

Duke versus Wisconsin in more Big Ten/ACC play.

10 p.m.

FX

“Nip/Tuck” (D)

Christian consults with a friend of Liz's, then rethinks his relationship with Kimber.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3

Time

Network

Program

Description

8 p.m.

ABC

“FlashForward” (D)

Mark and Demetri head to Hong Kong to find a woman who may know the fate of Demetri.

8 p.m.

Fox

“Bones” (D)

Brennan and Booth look into the killing of a competitive gamer.

9 p.m.

NBC

“The Office” (C)

Jim tries to start an employee-of-the-month program.

9 p.m.

ABC

“Private Practice” (D)

The first of back-to-back episodes has Addison impressing her dad after a tough surgery.

9 p.m.

Comedy Central

“The Jeff Dunham Show” (C)

Peanut wants to hire a dance crew for the show.

9 p.m.

ESPN

“College Football” (S)

The annual Civil War game between Oregon and Oregon State.

10 p.m.

Bravo

“The Real Housewives of Orange County” (R)

Vicki tries to find someone for her daughter to date.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

Time

Network

Program

Description

7 a.m.

NBC

“Today” (N)

Acting legend Robert De Niro guests.

8 p.m.

CBS

“Ghost Whisperer” (D)

A high-school-aged ghost tells Melinda a policeman murdered him.

8 p.m.

Fox

“Dollhouse” (D)

Two hours of the show can only mean one thing: burnoff time.

9 p.m.

ABC

“Ugly Betty” (D)

Shakira guests as the Mode staff heads to the Bahamas.

9 p.m.

USA

“Monk” (D)

Series finale. Monk tries to finally find Trudy’s killer.

10 p.m.

CBS

“Numb3rs” (D)

Henry Winkler guests as an FBI agent.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5

Time

Network

Program

Description

12:30 p.m.

CBS

“College Basketball” (S)

Good early-season game between North Carolina and Kentucky.

4 p.m.

CBS

“College Football” (S)

Alabama versus Florida for the SEC title, with the winner likely headed to the BCS championship game.

8 p.m.

Fox

“Cops” (R)

Cops in Vegas deal with a man who thinks the police are out to get him.

8 p.m.

ABC

“College Football” (S)

The Big 12 championship game between Nebraska and Texas.

9 p.m.

Food Network

“Guy’s Disney Holiday” (A)

Guy Fieri takes a look at Disneyland during the holidays.

10 p.m.

CBS

“48 Hours Mystery” (N)

The case of a young father who went missing in a small town.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6

Time

Network

Program

Description

8 p.m.

Fox

“BCS Selection Show” (S)

The participants in the BCS title game and Sugar, Fiesta, Orange and Rose Bowls are revealed.

8:15 p.m.

NBC

“NFL Football” (S)

A battle between to aging quarterbacks: Favre and the Vikings and Warner and the Cardinals.

9 p.m.

ABC

“Desperate Housewives” (D)

A plane crashes and endangers lives on Wisteria Lane. (Wait, isn't sweeps over?)

9 p.m.

Showtime

“Dexter” (D)

Debra is close to breaking open the Trinity Killer case.

10 p.m.

ABC

“Brothers & Sisters” (D)

Justin and Rebecca’s wedding plans are still up in the air.

10 p.m.

Biography

“Shatner’s Raw Nerve” (T)

Season premiere Shatner welcomes Rush Limbaugh.

10 p.m.

E!

“The Girls Next Door” (R)

Hef’s new girls throw a baby shower for Kendra.

A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.


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Louisa Ada Seltzer is a staff writer for Media Life.




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