While CBS ditched their annual airings of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, ABC is holding on to the rights to Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. The Disney-owned broadcaster will continue its annual tradition of showing the 1970 Rankin/Bass Christmas special.
ABC, which has shown the special every year since its premiere, will air Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 3. If you miss the ABC broadcast, Disney-owned cable channel Freeform will air the stop-motion special several more times throughout the holiday season:
Videos by PopCulture.com
- Dec. 3, 9:55 p.m. ET
- Dec. 4, 1:30 p.m. ET
- Dec. 8, 12:55 a.m. ET
- Dec. 8, 4:30 p.m. ET
- Dec. 16, 10:25 p.m. ET
- Dec. 17, 6:15 p.m. ET
- Dec. 21, 4:35 p.m. ET
- Dec. 22, 1:20 p.m. ET
About Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town debuted on Dec.13, 1970, and retold the origins of Saint Nicholas. Mickey Rooney voiced the titular character, with Fred Astaire, Keenan Wynn, Robie Lester, Paul Frees and Joan Gardner also voicing characters. As the title would suggest, it heavily features the J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie composition “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” Rankin/Bass Productions artfully crafted the stop-moton special as their fourth Christmas special, following 1964’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 1967’s The Cricket on the Hearth, 1968’s The Little Drummer Boy, and the traditionally animated Frosty the Snowman.
Most Viewed
-
Side-by-side: Images of Tim Allen, Stefan Gossler and Jackie Chan (Credit: Christian JENTZ/Gamma-Rapho // Franziska Krug/Getty Images // Stephane Cardinale/Corbis) -
Handcuffs laying on top of fingerprint chart in file (Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto) -
A defocused police car sits behind crime scene tape with flashing lights at night. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) -
Beverly Hills, CA – January 31, 2026: Jelly Roll, left, and Bunnie Xo, right, pose for portraits on the red carpet during the 68th GRAMMY Awards Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Avery Lipman & Monte Lipman at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Beverly Hills, CA. Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party hosts an array of A-listers from entertainment, sports, and politics to come together and enjoy performances. (Kayla Bartkowski/ Los Angeles Times) -
Netflix logo (Credit: Netflix) -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 20: Bijou Phillips attends the World Premiere of "Infinite Icon: A Visual Memoir" at AMC The Grove 14 on January 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) -
TODAY — Pictured: Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on Thursday, June 15, 2023 — (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC) -
PARK CITY, UTAH – JANUARY 25: Brandi Glanville attends the PBM Princess x Kemo Sabe red carpet event special screening of Rachel Strauss’ Documentary "Side Effects May Include” during Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2026 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Rachel Strauss)
