A Miser Brothers' Christmas is a 2008 Christmas stop motion special that is also a spin-off of the 1974 Rankin/Bass special The Year Without a Santa Claus. Santa Claus, while riding on a sleigh designed by elf Tinsel, has his back injured as a result of a malfunction. Mother Nature blames it on the continuously-feuding titular brothers, Heat and Snow, placing them in charge of the toy factory as a consequence. Their ability to co-operate, as well as the fate of Christmas, are challenged by their inherent character flaws and evil schemes by the North Wind, who, out of lust for glory, tries to eliminate Santa and replace him in his position.
The animation was by Toronto-based Cuppa Coffee Studios, attempting to replicate the Rankin/Bass aesthetic of the original. Mickey Rooney and George S. Irving reprise their respective roles as Santa Claus and Heat Miser.
A Miser Brothers' Christmas was distributed by Warner Bros. Animation under their Warner Premiere label (the rights holder of the post-1974 Rankin/Bass library). The special premiered on ABC Family on December 13, 2008, during the network's annual programming event The 25 Days of Christmas. It garnered 3.7 million viewers in its first airing and was nominated for an Annie Award for "Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children". Reviews from critics were mixed, with acclaim given to the animation and the performances of Irving and Rooney, but criticism aimed towards the writing and songs.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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