The Trolls and the Christmas Express

This animated show sets out exactly what it intended for a family Christmas show. The storyline is unique but simple enough for kids to follow. The animation is simple but effective. The voices are perfect for the characters -- several long-term character actors were employed. The music (Roger Miller - "King of the Road") is memorable and encourages children to dance and act silly. Our children are now 20, 15, and 13, but this is still required viewing in our family every holiday season.

Sure, Charlie Brown, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are classics. But hunt down this video or some other lesser-known production while your children or grandchildren are young and start your own special tradition.

Here is another animated Christmas TV special straight from my childhood. I could barely remember seeing it as a kid until I saw it on YouTube. Anyway, this special is about six "horribly ugly, rougish, rascally, tricky, and troublesome" trolls who snuck into Santa's village dressed like elves to stop Christmas from coming.

With the vocal talents of Roger Miller (Disney's Robin Hood and Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey) and Hans Conried (Disney's Peter Pan), the animation from Atkinson Film-Arts, known for the four "Raccoons" TV specials, is one of the reasons I love this holiday classic. So that is all I have to say.