Between the Hallmark romantic comedies, the litany of Peanuts specials, and all those movies starring a goofy guy who has to do something to save Christmas, the media is awash with excitement as the holiday season begins. Browsing the stew can be difficult when not constrained by the limitations of television programming. In the past, a relatively unknown IP was discovered simply because it was on TV.
Such is the case with the oft-forgotten Emmy-nominated TV special Olive, the other reindeer produced by Simpsons Creator Matt Groening. The special first aired after an episode of Futurama in December 1999, the kind of television event that has since undone the transition to streaming. Instead of being just another part in an ocean of film and television, Olive, the other reindeer has been given the space it needs for people to discover its silly, star-studded story. It’s the kind of well-rounded, original animated special that’s hard to find these days.
The special thing begins like many others: with singing! Olive, an anthropomorphic Jack Russell Terrier voiced by Drew Barrymore, dances and sings around her small snowy town in anticipation of Christmas. As the song plays, we see a mix of 3D animated objects such as buildings and cars in the background, while the people and anthropomorphic animals appear flat. Compared to today’s animation, it’s quaint, but Olive, the other reindeer was an important part of the change in animation, even rendering his 2D-like characters in 3D CGI software. Even now, the mixed style still makes sense olive stand out; It evokes a sense of ’90s nostalgia with its sometimes chunky 3D environment design, while the storybook-inspired character design ensures it feels timeless. DNA Productions, who worked on the special, then animated the special Jimmy Neutron: Young genius Movie, with Olive, the other reindeer as an important springboard for the use of emerging animation software.
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Image: Fox/YouTube
A serious Christmas story, Olive, the other reindeer continues to focus on whimsy – after all, the name is based on a joke: while discussing their plans for the holidays, Olive and her pet flea Fido (Peter MacNicol) hear the news on the radio that Christmas may be canceled due to a reindeer injury. Then Santa comes on the show and announces that things aren’t looking good, but maybe they’ll make do with all the other reindeer. All… Olive… and so from there we go on a search for the North Pole.
Featuring a cast of lovable characters (including an impostor penguin and a flightless reindeer, voiced by REM’s Michael Stipe) and a diverse animation style, Olive, the other reindeer distinguishes itself as unique in its special Christmas competition. And yet, olive is fully aware of what it is trying to be – at a moment when all seems lost, Olive finds a letter marked “Deus ex machina”. This is a Christmas special, after all; The ending has to be happy. Still Olive, the other reindeer is characterized by the perfect mix of classic and (for the time) modern, on par with the classic claymation specials, but with a fun 3D update. We still watch Christmas episodes on television, but we don’t tend to get one-off, original specials that tell entirely new worlds and Christmas parables olive.
Olive, the other reindeer stopped airing on television in 2012 and is not available on any streaming services, although you can find it on YouTube. Watch anyway Olive, the other reindeer is a necessary holiday tradition for me every year. It’s authentic, funny and unlike the many other holiday specialties that exist thanks to its distinctive style and eccentric voice. The special is only about 45 minutes long, but still manages to introduce a huge world of characters, subvert Christmas tropes, and feel timeless in the process. olive deserves reverence for its role in animation history and a place at the table of Christmas specialties of yore.
