‘Frosty the Snowman’: When Is the Classic Movie on This Year?
For many families, watching the movie Frosty the Snowman has become a tradition thats mark the start of the holiday season. Though the film premiered back in 1969, it is still being enjoyed and discovered by new audiences year after year. But how did Frosty the Snowman become so popular? And where can families tune in to watch the holiday movie today?
‘Frosty the Snowman’ was a popular song before it was made into a TV movie
Before Frosty the Snowman became a popular movie, it was (and still remains) a very popular Christmas song. Written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Stevie Nelson, the song was first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cast County Boys in 1950. The previous year, Autry had found success with another popular Christmas song, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and Rollins and Nelson felt that he’d find similar success with the song about the friendly snowman.
Of course, Nelson and Rollins were correct about their hunch. “Frosty the Snowman” quickly became another seasonal hit and was also recorded by another popular artist, Jimmy Durante. When the song’s popularity showed no signs of waning, the story was transformed into a TV special. The movie first aired on CBS on December 7, 1969, and it has been capturing the hearts of fans ever since.
What is the classic film about?
The Frosty the Snowman movie, similar to the song, tells the story of a group of children who are at school on Christmas Eve. To entertain themselves, they work together to build a snowman whom they call Frosty. To their delight, when they place a magical hat atop Frosty’s head, he becomes enchanted and comes to life right before their very eyes.
After the children have begun enjoying time with their magical snowman, Frosty the Snowman notices that the temperature is rising. Fearing that he will melt, he, along with a rabbit called Hocus Pocus and a girl called Karen, set out on a quest to the North Pole where he will be safe from high temperatures. In their quest, Karen learns that Frosty can’t stick around with her all year round. However, she finds comfort in the fact that the snowman will return every year thanks to the magical Christmas snow.
Where and how to watch ‘Frosty the Snowman’ this year
The TV special was well-received and continues to be well-loved to this day. CBS even commissioned a sequel entitled Frosty Returns back in 1992, which has also gained popularity. In fact, the Frosty the Snowman movie continues to air annually, making it the longest run of a television special on the same network as well as the longest running Christmas special on the same network, even beating out A Charlie Brown Christmas.
While the holidays may look different for everyone this year, Frosty the Snowman fans can find comfort in the tradition of watching their favorite snowman on television. Fans can catch a live streaming of Frosty the Snowman on CBS Friday, November 27, 2020, at 8 PM. And, if you’re looking for a double feature, stick around for the sequel, Frosty Returns, also airing on CBS directly after the original on Friday, November 27, 2020, at 8:30 PM.
