( CNN ) -- The longest-running holiday special still has a very shiny nose . `` Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer '' premiered on television December 6 , 1964 , and is now one of the holiday season 's perennial favorites . The story of the reindeer who saves Christmas is beloved among children and adults alike . The Rankin-Bass animated film production company used Japanese puppets and stop motion to tell the tale , bolstered by a soundtrack featuring Burl Ives ' rendition of the theme song . In the story , Santa 's reindeer Donner and his wife have a son , Rudolph , who has the distinction of a nose that glows . He runs away after being made to feel an outcast and links up with an elf who dreams of becoming a dentist and an adventurer seeking silver and gold . After ending up on the Island of Misfit Toys and wandering for a while , Rudolph goes on to save his loved ones from the Abominable Snow Monster and guides Santa through a blizzard that threatens to ruin Christmas . In 2006 , the New York Times reported that fans drove for miles to see the Rudolph and Santa Claus puppets at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta . The pair were thought to be the last of the surviving production puppets . They had been taken home by a production company employee and given to her children after filming was completed . `` In 2005 , the nephew of the original rescuer found the puppets in a family attic and brought them to be appraised on the PBS series 'Antiques Roadshow , ' `` the Times said . `` Created for about $ 5,000 each in 1964 , they were valued at $ 8,000 to $ 10,000 for the pair . The family sold both figures to Kevin A. Kriess , the president of TimeandSpaceToys.com and a lifelong fan of the Rankin-Bass films . '' The special has been shown every year since it premiered , which gives it a leg up over other beloved shows like `` A Charlie Brown Christmas '' and `` Frosty the Snowman '' and makes it the longest-running program of its type . And viewers still love it . One fan posted on social media , `` I love watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ... and remember our tv that was like this growing up . Of course our picture was black and white . Lol . # rudolphrocks # thosewerethedays . ''
The beloved 'Rudolph ' special turns 50 this year . It 's the longest-running holiday special . The story has become a fan favorite .