Hudson Valley's Favorite Christmas Cartoons

We asked the Hudson Valley to give us their favorite Christmas cartoons and have compiled a top 5 list.

First off, as a kid growing up, The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas was a holiday favorite and my all-time favorite Christmas cartoon.

Who remembers the animated Christmas TV special about Ted E. Bear, and his search for Christmas while the other bears hibernate for the winter? It is quite an underrated gem I must say.

The special premiered on NBC in Dec. 1973 in the U.S. and starred the voices of Tommy Smothers, Arte Johnson, and Barbara Feldon, with narration by Casey Kasem. Although rather obscure, Plush Ted E. Bear toys were actually sold in stores in the early '80s and the television special was always my favorite Christmas cartoon. I have fond memories of watching it as a kid. The rights to the special are currently owned by Lionsgate and the program is available through the Lionsgate YouTube channel and Netflix.

Have you ever seen The Bear Who Slept Through Christmas? You can view a clip below.

Hudson Valley's Top 5 Favorite Classic Christmas Cartoons

Keep in mind Claymation and Puppetry falls under cartoons with this list:

5. Frosty the Snowman

Credit: Hurrikin Productions via YouTube

Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It is the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. The special first aired on December 7, 1969, on the CBS television network in the United States, airing immediately after the fourth showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas, both scored high ratings. The special has aired annually for the network's Christmas and holiday seasons every year since.

4. The Year Without a Santa Clause

Credit: Halloweeniehutjr via YoutTube

The Year Without a Santa Clause is a 1974 stop-motion animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley''s 1956 book of the same name. It is narrated by Shirley Booth (her final acting credit before her retirement from acting) and stars the voices of Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, and George S. Irving. It was originally broadcast on December 10, 1974, on ABC.

3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Credit: HolidayFavorites via YouTube

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!) is a 1966 American animated television special, directed and co-produced by Chuck Jones. It is based on the 1957 children's book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, and tells the story of the Grinch, who tries to ruin Christmas for the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway. Originally telecast in the United States on CBS on Sunday, December 18, 1966, it went on to become a perennial holiday special. The special features the voice of Boris Karloff as the Grinch and the narrator.

2. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Credit: Animated Cartoons for Children via YouTube

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a 1964 Christmas stop-motion animated television special produced by Videocraft International, Ltd. (later known as Rankin/Bass Productions) and currently distributed by NBCUniversal. It first aired on December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States and was sponsored by General Electric. It has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest continuously running Christmas TV special in the USA.

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas

Credit: Mark Cordell via YouTube

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated television special. It is the first TV special based on the comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the program made its debut on CBS on December 9, 1965. In the special, Charlie Brown finds himself depressed despite the onset of the cheerful holiday season. Lucy suggests he direct a neighborhood Christmas play, but his best efforts are ignored and mocked by his peers when he chooses a real, but puny, Christmas tree as a centerpiece.

There ya have it! A Charlie Brown Christmas places to number 1 on our list of the Hudson Valley's Favorite Classic Christmas Cartoons.

Honorable Mentions: Check out some of these other great classic Christmas cartoons that certainly could have made the list: