When Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on NBC in 1964, no one could have predicted how famous the stop-motion animated special would be. The one-hour program caught the attention of millions who made the annual viewing of Rudolph a family tradition.  The special had a home at NBC until 1972 before it moved to another network. But this year, Santa’s Sleigh heads back to NBC for Rudolph’s 60th anniversary. The network aired a special extended version of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer on December 6. But don’t worry, you have another chance to catch it. NBC will air an encore presentation on December 12 at 8 p.m. ET. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TODAY (@todayshow) “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” Is A Holiday Classic It’s not Christmas without Rudolph. For generations, families gathered in their living rooms to watch the animated fun. The feature was inspired by Robert L. May’s story from the 1930s. Rudolph became wildly popular in the 1940s when Johnny Marks wrote the song Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. The stop-animation special used the lyrics and story as inspiration but added a bit of flare and whimsy to make the story come to life. Corinne Conley, who voiced Rudolph’s mother, told NBC the success surprised the cast.” We had no idea that we would be seeing this for 60 years afterward.” She added, “It’s nice to have been involved in something that affects people so warmly.” It’s an emotional tale about Rudolph and Hermey and their quest to be like everyone else. We won’t spoil it, but a trip to the Island of Misfit Toys helps the pair realize that sometimes, being different is important. In fact, we’re all different and special in our own ways. If we look at our gifts and put them to good use, we might be able to change the world. This story’s featured image can be found here. The post NBC Is Bringing Back A Holiday Classic After 50 Years appeared first on InspireMore.