Robbie the Reindeer
Encyclopedia
Robbie the Reindeer is a series of three animated comedy television special
s shown on BBC One
at Christmas, filmed in aid of Comic Relief. Written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, the programmes are based on the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
, with Robbie as Rudolph's son and the tenth of Santa Claus's reindeer. The three episodes produced so far are titled "Hooves of Fire", "The Legend of the Lost Tribe" and "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind". Mark Knopfler
composed most of the music for the television specials; along with the accompaniment of Guy Fletcher
.
, is the eponymous hero
of the tales. Like his father, his power is concentrated in his nose; however, Robbie's nose does not glow, it can target just about any location in the world and also has other various supernatural powers.
Various parts of the original story have been changed for the purposes of plot or jokes. The gender of Donner has been switched from the traditional role (Donner has been portrayed as a male in previous creations). the most notable result is that Donner, who according to the original Rudolph storyline would be Robbie's grandfather, is instead Robbie's love interest and eventual wife (a possible play on the common female name of Donna). Vixen's role as the attractive female, as well as Prancer's portrayal as a powerful male, however, are retained nearly intact.
A running gag in the program is that none of the characters can ever mention Rudolph by his full name. The reason given is that the villain, Blitzen, is outraged to hear the name of his rival, but the implication for the viewers is that the program's producers were unable to get copyright
permission to name Rudolph (while popular and nearly ubiquitous, the character has not yet fallen into the public domain).
. Other voices were provided by Jane Horrocks
, Steve Coogan
, Paul Whitehouse
, Harry Enfield
, Jeff Goldblum
, David Attenborough
(as himself), Alistair McGowan
and Ricky Gervais
, among others. The director was Richard Goleszowski
of Aardman Animations
. Though not technically an Aardman production, several of the company's staff did work on the project, hence its heavily Aardman-esque visual style. The executive producer was Richard Curtis
.
The programme was first shown in the United States on Fox Family
with the original British voices until 2001. CBS
then acquired the rights and began airing the special in 2002. However, the program was redubbed with American accents. Ben Stiller
voiced Robbie, while other voices included Hugh Grant
(as Blitzen; Blitzen was the only character to retain a British accent), Britney Spears
(Donner), Leah Remini
(Vixen), James Belushi
(Santa Claus), Dick Enberg
(Des Yeti), Dan Dierdorf
(Allan Snowman), Brad Garrett
(Prancer), and Stiller's father Jerry
(Old Jingle and a talking garbage bag). Airplay of this version was discontinued by CBS after the 2005 holiday season; it has not been seen since. Nicktoons Network
aired the original British version for the next two years, meaning CBS likely either lost or gave up the rights to the special after the breakup of CBS Corporation
and Viacom
. Neither version currently has a broadcast home in the United States.
reindeer
Robbie arrives at the North Pole
in August to be the navigator for the sleigh team. There, he meets the other deer on Santa's team and falls in love with the beautiful Vixen. However, he has an enemy in Blitzen, his father's jealous arch-rival. Blitzen gets Robbie kicked off the team, and the only way to regain his place is to win the steeple-chase at the Reindeer Games.
Robbie is trained by Old Jingle, a mad old coach. Just before the race is due to start, Old Jingle's house begins to slide down the hill on which it's built, forcing Robbie to abandon the race for a rescue mission. Nevertheless, he manages to join the race late, and catch up thanks to his heavy training. A photo finish is taken between himself and Blitzen - and he sees to his horror that Blitzen has won. He is then stampeded by the other competitors. However, he is given a kiss
from Donner (similar to when Clarice
tells Rudolph he is cute), and in his happiness promptly beats every single record for every single event.
As Blitzen is arrested for taking drugs, Robbie and Donner take the sleigh to the moon and enjoy a romantic day together. It then shows Blitzen being forced to paint Robbie dolls in prison.
"). He brings them out of their shame and they agree to help. He discovers that the reindeer have been put into an exhibit at Blitzen Theme Park. Robbie rescues them and Blitzen is once more jailed. "The Legend of the Lost Tribe" was directed by Peter Peake (also of Aardman), whose credits include the animated short "Captain Sarcastic" and the Oscar nominated short "Humdrum".
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Gillian Anderson
and Russell Brand
. Robbie and Donner's wedding is interrupted when Donner is kidnapped by aliens. Robbie saves the day again though with the help of his friends and an alien crystal.
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
s shown on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
at Christmas, filmed in aid of Comic Relief. Written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley, the programmes are based on the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
, with Robbie as Rudolph's son and the tenth of Santa Claus's reindeer. The three episodes produced so far are titled "Hooves of Fire", "The Legend of the Lost Tribe" and "Close Encounters of the Herd Kind". Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
composed most of the music for the television specials; along with the accompaniment of Guy Fletcher
Guy Fletcher
Guy Wilson Fletcher is an English multi-instrumentalist, best known for his position as the keyboardist in the British rock band Dire Straits from 1984 until the group's dissolution, and his involvement in nearly every part of Mark Knopfler's solo work to date.-Biography:Fletcher was born into a...
.
Relation to original story
Robbie, the son of Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
, is the eponymous hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
of the tales. Like his father, his power is concentrated in his nose; however, Robbie's nose does not glow, it can target just about any location in the world and also has other various supernatural powers.
Various parts of the original story have been changed for the purposes of plot or jokes. The gender of Donner has been switched from the traditional role (Donner has been portrayed as a male in previous creations). the most notable result is that Donner, who according to the original Rudolph storyline would be Robbie's grandfather, is instead Robbie's love interest and eventual wife (a possible play on the common female name of Donna). Vixen's role as the attractive female, as well as Prancer's portrayal as a powerful male, however, are retained nearly intact.
A running gag in the program is that none of the characters can ever mention Rudolph by his full name. The reason given is that the villain, Blitzen, is outraged to hear the name of his rival, but the implication for the viewers is that the program's producers were unable to get copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
permission to name Rudolph (while popular and nearly ubiquitous, the character has not yet fallen into the public domain).
Episodes
In the original British production, Robbie was voiced by Ardal O'HanlonArdal O'Hanlon
Ardal O'Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his roles in television sitcoms as Father Dougal McGuire in Father Ted and George Sunday in My Hero.-Early life:...
. Other voices were provided by Jane Horrocks
Jane Horrocks
Barbara Jane Horrocks is an English voice, stage, screen and television actress, voice artist, musician, and singer. She is best known for her role as "Bubble" in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous as well as her distinctive voice....
, Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
, Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
, Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
, Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
, David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
(as himself), Alistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan is a British impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for The Big Impression , which was, for four years, one of BBC1's top-rating comedy programmes - winning numerous awards, including a BAFTA in 2003...
and Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
, among others. The director was Richard Goleszowski
Richard Goleszowski
Richard Goleszowski is an English animator.Goleszowski was born in Suffolk and grew up in Ipswich, attending Northgate Grammar School...
of Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
. Though not technically an Aardman production, several of the company's staff did work on the project, hence its heavily Aardman-esque visual style. The executive producer was Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
.
The programme was first shown in the United States on Fox Family
Fox Family
Fox Family may refer to:* The Fox Family, a 2006 South Korean film* Fox Family, a former name of American television cable network ABC Family...
with the original British voices until 2001. CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
then acquired the rights and began airing the special in 2002. However, the program was redubbed with American accents. Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
voiced Robbie, while other voices included Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
(as Blitzen; Blitzen was the only character to retain a British accent), Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
(Donner), Leah Remini
Leah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
(Vixen), James Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
(Santa Claus), Dick Enberg
Dick Enberg
Richard Alan "Dick" Enberg is an American sportscaster. He currently provides play-by-play for telecasts of San Diego Padres baseball on 4SD, following a long career calling various sports for such networks as NBC, CBS, and ESPN...
(Des Yeti), Dan Dierdorf
Dan Dierdorf
Daniel Lee "Dan" Dierdorf is a former American football player and current television sportscaster. He played 13 NFL seasons and has worked for ABC's Monday Night Football and CBS as a color commentator since retiring from football....
(Allan Snowman), Brad Garrett
Brad Garrett
Bradley "Brad" Garrett is an American actor, voice actor, stand-up comedian, and professional poker player. Throughout he has appeared in numerous television and film roles....
(Prancer), and Stiller's father Jerry
Jerry Stiller
Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara...
(Old Jingle and a talking garbage bag). Airplay of this version was discontinued by CBS after the 2005 holiday season; it has not been seen since. Nicktoons Network
NickToons Network
Nicktoons is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Viacom. It is a sister service of the Nickelodeon cable channel...
aired the original British version for the next two years, meaning CBS likely either lost or gave up the rights to the special after the breakup of CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
and Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
. Neither version currently has a broadcast home in the United States.
Hooves of Fire
The story begins when overweightOverweight
Overweight is generally defined as having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is a common condition, especially where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary...
reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
Robbie arrives at the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
in August to be the navigator for the sleigh team. There, he meets the other deer on Santa's team and falls in love with the beautiful Vixen. However, he has an enemy in Blitzen, his father's jealous arch-rival. Blitzen gets Robbie kicked off the team, and the only way to regain his place is to win the steeple-chase at the Reindeer Games.
Robbie is trained by Old Jingle, a mad old coach. Just before the race is due to start, Old Jingle's house begins to slide down the hill on which it's built, forcing Robbie to abandon the race for a rescue mission. Nevertheless, he manages to join the race late, and catch up thanks to his heavy training. A photo finish is taken between himself and Blitzen - and he sees to his horror that Blitzen has won. He is then stampeded by the other competitors. However, he is given a kiss
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
from Donner (similar to when Clarice
Clarice
Clarice is a given name of Latin and Greek origin. The "Clarice" spelling is the Germanic variant of the Latin Clarus and the Greek Clarissa .It may refer to:*Clarice Vance, American actress...
tells Rudolph he is cute), and in his happiness promptly beats every single record for every single event.
As Blitzen is arrested for taking drugs, Robbie and Donner take the sleigh to the moon and enjoy a romantic day together. It then shows Blitzen being forced to paint Robbie dolls in prison.
Legend of the Lost Tribe
The second Robbie special originally aired on BBC One in 2002. Robbie and the other reindeer now run a bankrupt holiday resort. While rescuing a tourist, Robbie falls of a cliff and is rescued by a Viking, who then disappears. Meanwhile, Blitzen returns and captures the reindeer, turning them into robots with special remote-controlled hats. Robbie is the only one to escape, and he seeks the aid of the last remaining Viking tribe (whose diminutive members are all named "MagnusMagnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was sometimes used as a first name among Romans but was not particularly common among them. The best-known Roman bearing the name was the third-century usurper. The name gained wider popularity in the Middle Ages, various European peoples, and their royal houses,...
"). He brings them out of their shame and they agree to help. He discovers that the reindeer have been put into an exhibit at Blitzen Theme Park. Robbie rescues them and Blitzen is once more jailed. "The Legend of the Lost Tribe" was directed by Peter Peake (also of Aardman), whose credits include the animated short "Captain Sarcastic" and the Oscar nominated short "Humdrum".
Close Encounters of the Herd Kind
A third installment was broadcast on BBC One during the Christmas 2007 period. O'Hanlon and Horrocks returned as their original characters, with additional voice appearances by Keira KnightleyKeira Knightley
Keira Christina Knightley born 26 March 1985) is an English actress and model. She began acting as a child and came to international notice in 2002 after co-starring in the film Bend It Like Beckham...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
and Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
. Robbie and Donner's wedding is interrupted when Donner is kidnapped by aliens. Robbie saves the day again though with the help of his friends and an alien crystal.
External links
- Press pack from the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire at Keyframe