On December 6, 1964, the animated television special, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" aired for the first time on NBC. The special was based on the classic 1949 Gene Autry hit of the same name, which was written by Johnny Marks based on his brother-in-law's poem. The special has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest continuously running Christmas TV special in the U.S. Since its release, the 52 minute special has been featured on numerous "top ten" lists, and is often considered one of the greatest Christmas films of all time!
