TV Show Info
TV Show Name: Twas the Night before Christmas
Studio: CBS
Genre(s): Cartoon/Seasonal
Release Date(s): December 8, 1974
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
You ruined Christmas for everyone Albert
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and All through the House, all that was stirring was a mouse. The mouse in question is Father Mouse (voiced by George Gobel) and he lives in the town of Junctionville, New York. The reason everyone in Junctionville is worried is that none of their letters to Santa Claus have been opened after an anonymous letter in the paper says that he doesn’t exist. Father Mouse’s son Albert (voiced by Tammy Grimes) admits to writing the letter and now Father Mouse and a clockmaker named Joshua Trundle (voiced by Joel Grey) must get Santa to stop at Junctionville to save Christmas for all the children (and mice) of the town.
Dear Santa…DENIED!!!
Twas the Night before Christmas was a Rankin/Bass production that aired on CBS on December 8, 1974. It aired regularly for years and can still be found floating around during the holiday seasons.
Much like Frosty the Snowman, Rankin/Bass chose to use traditional animation for Twas the Night before Christmas and as a result, it just doesn’t have the same feel that specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town have. In addition to that classic claymation feel missing, the story has problems.
I don’t trust this guy
I always kind of dreaded when Twas the Night before Christmas was going to air as a child. I would watch it because it was Christmas, but it just wasn’t my favorite. The poem is short and sweet and here, it is dragged out into a full length story…which it is not. I found the story irritating with the obnoxious mice and the voice actors just grate on your nerves. Unfortunately, Twas the Night Before Christmas seemed to always be on at times when nothing else was on, so it always felt like you saw Twas the Night before Christmas more than any other special (like March of the Wooden Soldiers).
It isn’t really a bad special looking back, but definitely isn’t the best if a person is being choosy on holiday specials, it is a mid-tier special could be replaced by better specials. Kids might enjoy it though I still don’t trust a Santa without a mustache…what type of Santa just has an Amish beard?
