RUDOLPH'S SHINY NEW YEAR {INCOMPLETE PROGRAM} (TV)

Summary

This stop-motion musical children's special is a sequel to 1964's beloved Christmas special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." The story begins as Santa Claus receives a message from Father Time explaining that Happy, the New Year Baby, has gone missing, and Santa realizes that if he is not found in time, it will "be December 31st forever." He calls upon Rudolph, noting that he can use his nose to navigate the fog and snow. Rudolph sets out and is joined by the rhyme-happy General Ticker, and they soon come to the edge of the Great Desert and realize that they must cross the vast Sands of Time to reach Father Time. They are aided by a camel, Quart (short for "The Great Quarter Past Time"), but are then attacked by Eon the Terrible, a vulture who is also in search of Happy. Rudolph learns that Eon is fast approaching the end of his very long lifespan, and will turn into ice and snow if he does not stop the New Year's arrival. He makes it to Father Time's palace, and Father Time explains how the New Year comes to pass, adding that Happy ran away from the castle when everyone laughed at his overlarge ears. He suggests that Happy may be hiding at the Archipelago of Last Years, where the representations of years past retire onto personal islands when their time is up.

Rudolph heads to the Sea of Auld Lang Syne and follows a sundial out towards the archipelago, determined to "Turn Back the Years." He is nearly attacked by Eon again, but is rescued by Big Ben, a friendly whale, who escorts him to the oldest island in the sea, inhabited by One Million B.C., known as "O.M." O.M. declares that "It's Raining Sunshine" and that everyone there is "happy," but then explains that the baby in question did in fact visit and made some friends before departing. Rudolph continues searching and arrives at the "most fantastic" island of 1023, where he encounters a knight, Sir Ten-Two-Three. The island's inhabitants are all unsure of Happy's current whereabouts, though Happy is nearby and enters an empty house, where he samples some porridge, breaks a chair and crawls into a "just-right" bed for a nap. The inhabitants, a family of bears, return home and find their unexpected guest, but Baby Bear befriends him and invites him to play games. The family laughs, however, when Happy removes his hat and reveals his ears, and he leaves, disappointed.

Rudolph and the others are dismayed to find that Eon has grabbed Happy, and with two days left Big Ben takes them to the island of 1776, where "Sev" invites them to join in his "Fourth of July Parade." Happy attends the parade as well, but is laughed at again, and Eon recaptures him by pretending to be his "only friend in the world." Eon takes Happy to his home on The Island of No Name, jubilant that he will now live forever, and though Rudolph's companions are losing hope, he urges them to "Have A Little Faith in Me," and they arrive at the island with half an hour left. Eon buries the rescuers in an avalanche, but Rudolph uses his nose to melt the snow and finds Happy. He tells the baby that he too was mocked for his nose but now enjoys being different, suggesting that people laugh at his ears because they inspire genuine happiness.

The program cuts off at this point, but the story resolves as Eon too finds sheer joy in Happy's comical ears and ultimately avoiding his icy fate, and Santa delivers Happy to Father Time at the stroke of midnight and the new year commences as planned.

Asset contains an ABC News Special Report in which anchor Terry Moran explains that former President Gerald Ford has died at the age of ninety-three, making him the longest-living and shortest-serving president. Fellow anchor Charles Gibson and Gerald R. Ford Museum & Library former director Richard Norton Smith both call in to discuss Ford's legacy, touching upon his nature as "the common man," his "accidental" ascension to power after Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon's resignations, and his controversial decision to officially pardon Nixon for his crimes. Moran also reads an official statement from former First Lady Betty Ford. Includes commercials and promos.

---