THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF SANTA CLAUS (1985)

As jolly old Saint Nicholas (voice of Earl Hammond) approaches his last Christmas ride, a council of immortals discusses whether to induct him into their number. With a solemn soundtrack and a deluge of fantasy elements greeting viewers on the outset, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus doesn't appear to start off on a particularly holly or jolly note. Its tone is more akin to that of Lord of the Rings than the usual Rankin-Bass holiday fare, which makes far greater sense once you learn that the special was based upon a book by The Wizard of Oz's L. Frank Baum. The author's attention to detail and talent for crafting expansive mythologies is obvious here, as we bear witness to a vivid world populated by a diverse and distinct cast of characters. Unfortunately, while everything on its periphery serves as a finely-crafted distraction, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus doesn't give the big guy himself very much agency in his own story. As he's relegated to the sidelines during conflicts that the immortals are solving for him anyway, Mr. Kringle gets robbed of that all-important arc showing his transformation from regular guy into beacon of hope to the world. There's no denying how ambitious or handsomely-mounted the production (the last stop-motion endeavor from the RB troupe) is, but The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus's tidings of comfort and joy ultimately end up a smidge on the muddled side.

 NESTOR, THE LONG-EARED CHRISTMAS DONKEY (1977)

In biblical times, a misfit donkey (voice of Eric Stern) heads for a date with divine destiny when he's sent on a journey to Bethlehem. At first, Nestor gives off the feeling of a rush job, a hodgepodge of elements from previous Rankin-Bass productions all sandwiched together. Contributing to the air of familiarity are the show's outcast hero (a la Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), visual assets recycled from The Year Without a Santa Claus, and a setting not unlike that of The Little Drummer Boy. With the inclusion of some animation that's a touch rough around the edges, and one might be tempted to assume that the RB crew was cruising on autopilot that holiday season. But just as the bashful burro comes to prove his own tenacity, Nestor soon endears itself to the viewing audience and winds up quite a sweet serving of family entertainment. Its heart is among the least cynical in all of Christmas media, its wholehearted belief in the tale it's spinning enabling us to forgive the not-so fluid movements of its characters and get something out of all the time-weathered lessons. Roger Miller's narration is as warm and comforting as his warbling, as is our titular underdog, a lanky and likable little dude whose quest we're plenty pleased to follow. Much more than a cash-in on Gene Autry's other animal-themed holiday tune, Nestor is a half-hour's worth of pure, concentrated coziness.

(The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus / Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey is available from the Warner Archive Collection: www.warnerarchive.com)