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Quiz about RankinBass Christmas Television Shows
Quiz about RankinBass Christmas Television Shows

Rankin/Bass Christmas Television Shows Quiz


Between 1964 and 1985, the production team of Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass created over a dozen cartoons and stop-motion animated Christmas themed TV shows which have now become holiday standards. See how much you can remember about them.

A multiple-choice quiz by debodun. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
debodun
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
345,262
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
624
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Question 1 of 10
1. What actor and comic provided narration for the special "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In their first 1964 TV Christmas special, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", it was revealed that Rudolph was actually the fawn of which member of Santa's reindeer team? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which of these is NOT a title of a Rankin/Bass Christmas show? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which of these named Rankin/Bass Christmas specials was the earliest produced? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which of these entertainers did NOT narrate, sing or otherwise perform in a Rankin/Bass Christmas special? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. What was part of the story line in "Twas the Night Before Christmas"? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Mickey Rooney provided the voice for Santa Claus in all but which of these specials? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which of these Christmas specials was an animated cartoon and not a stop-motion production? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Did actor and comedian Art Carney ever work on a Rankin/Bass Christmas production?


Question 10 of 10
10. Which was the last Rankin/Bass Christmas TV special before they ceased production in 1987? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What actor and comic provided narration for the special "Rudolph's Shiny New Year"?

Answer: Red Skelton

Although Morey Amsterdam had the role of One Million B.C., Skelton's image and voice was used for the story-teller, Father Time. He also provided the voice of Baby Bear. In this 1976 production, Rudolph was given the task of finding Baby New Year who ran away because people laughed at his large ears.
2. In their first 1964 TV Christmas special, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", it was revealed that Rudolph was actually the fawn of which member of Santa's reindeer team?

Answer: Donner

Apparently the Donner family lived in a cave and not in the stable with the other reindeer. Donner first tried to hide Rudolph's bright nose by smearing mud on it, then somehow managed to get a nose cap. Of course while playing reindeer games with the other fawns, the cap came off exposing Rudolph's "non-conformity".
3. Which of these is NOT a title of a Rankin/Bass Christmas show?

Answer: The Miser Brothers' Christmas

"The Miser Brothers' Christmas" (2008) was a sequel to "The Year Without a Santa Claus" but it was produced by Warner Brothers. All the others named were shows that the Rankin/Bass studios made between 1975 and 1985.
4. Which of these named Rankin/Bass Christmas specials was the earliest produced?

Answer: The Little Drummer Boy

"The Little Drummer Boy" was made in 1968 and had actress Greer Garson as the narrator. Jimmy Durante narrated and sang in "Frosty the Snowman", made in 1969. With Fred Astaire as narrator, "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" was produced in 1970. It was in 1977 that "Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" debuted with Roger Miller doing honors as the story-teller.
5. Which of these entertainers did NOT narrate, sing or otherwise perform in a Rankin/Bass Christmas special?

Answer: Tennessee Ernie Ford

Danny Thomas voiced the character of Caleb in "Cricket on the Hearth" which came out in 1967 and was based on a Christmas story written by Charles Dickens. Angela Lansbury provided the voice for a convent nun who befriends a blinded orphan in the 1975 special "The First Christmas Snow". "The Stingiest Man in Town" (1978), based on Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" had Walter Matthau providing the vocalization for Ebenezer Scrooge.

While Tennessee Ernie Ford did a special for Rankin/Bass, it was a Thanksgiving-themed cartoon, "Mouse on the Mayflower" (1968).
6. What was part of the story line in "Twas the Night Before Christmas"?

Answer: A newspaper editorial offends Santa

Joel Gray voiced Joshua Trundle, a clockmaker, in whose house also lived a family of mice. The oldest mouse child, Albert, wrote a scathing editorial in the Junctionville Gazette claiming that Santa was a fraud and myth. All the townspeople's letters to Santa were returned unopened which alerted them to the problem. Trundle, with the help of Father Mouse (George Gobel) and Albert (Tammy Grimes), built a clock tower that would play a catchy tune, hoping that Santa would hear it as he flew over the town and forgive everyone.
7. Mickey Rooney provided the voice for Santa Claus in all but which of these specials?

Answer: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Stan Francis voiced Santa in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and sang "Jingle, Jingle, Jingle". In the same production he also provided the voice for King Moonracer, the lion proprietor of the Island of Misfit Toys.
8. Which of these Christmas specials was an animated cartoon and not a stop-motion production?

Answer: The Stingiest Man in Town

When Rankin/Bass did not use the stop-motion technique, which they termed Animagic, they farmed out the animation duties to Top Craft, a Japanese studio. Top Craft also animated the TV show "Adventures of the Little Koala".
9. Did actor and comedian Art Carney ever work on a Rankin/Bass Christmas production?

Answer: yes

Art worked on "The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold" released in 1981, doing the narration and providing the voice for character Blarney Kilakilarney. In this special, Dinty Doyle, a Leprechaun, was looking for the perfect Christmas tree. When he finally found it, he accidentally released a Banshee living in it, who ended up stealing the gold the Leprechauns had been saving for Christmas presents.
10. Which was the last Rankin/Bass Christmas TV special before they ceased production in 1987?

Answer: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

The R/B studio shut down after making "The Wind in the Willows" and "The Comic Strip", both released in 1987. "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" (1985) was the last of their Christmas-themed programs. However, Arthur Rankin helped with the production of the 2001 Christmas TV special "Santa, Baby" starring Gregory Hines and Patti LaBelle.
Source: Author debodun

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