‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Airing Tonight

Christmas season is upon us, which means everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer is making his appearance soon! It is finally that time again for Rudolph to make his annual descent in time for the festive holidays. Beloved Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will return to CBS tonight, airing on Monday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Let’s Make a Deal Primetime and an encore of NCIS.

Originally, Rudolph was going to air on Friday, Nov. 24. The reason for the date change is unknown. However, CBS did recently pull freshman game show from its Monday lineup, so it’s possible that the network wanted something to fill up the empty slot instead of just adding another NCIS rerun. Either way, don’t expect Rudolph to come on TV until after Thanksgiving. It will be just the thing to get you into the Christmas spirit after having your feast.

Narrated by Burl Ives, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on NBC in 1964. Since 1972, the special has aired on CBS, with an HD, digitally remastered version releasing in 2005. It is the longest continuously running Christmas TV special in the United States. To this day, fans young and old gather around their TVs to watch Rudolph, Santa, a misfit elf who wants to be a dentist, and the rest of the characters in the North Pole.

Even though Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer continues to delight viewers, it’s not always loved by everyone. Last year, Santa Claus was blasted by CBS viewers when they realized how much of a jerk the jolly guy was to Rudolph and his nose until he actually needed him. The special also once again sparked a bullying debate, which has happened practically every year. While the storyline for Rudolph is not so surprising because of the classic song, seeing it actually happen is definitely a lot different. Though that doesn’t stop people from watching it every year, even if some parts are hard to deal with.

CBS is not the only place that fans can catch Rudolph, however. The special is also part of Freeform’s annual 25 Days of Christmas lineup and will be airing numerous times throughout December, among other Christmas classics. It’s likely CBS will also be a place for more Christmas classics as December inches closer and closer. For now, fans will be able to look forward to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer not long after Thanksgiving. Be sure to tune in on Monday, Nov. 27 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.