CBS Serves Up the New Animated Holiday Special ‘Reindeer in Here’

A reindeer romp

TV producer Adam Reed wanted to create a Christmas tradition for his kids that celebrated individual differences and didn’t cause them stress. And thus Reindeer in Here was born. CBSPremiering immediately after CBS’s annual airing of 1964’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the one-hour Reindeer in Here is actually based on the bestselling children’s book and plush toy also created by Reed. The animated special follows the adventures of Blizzard (voice of Adam DeVine, The Righteous Gemstones), a young reindeer living in the North Pole who has an unusual trait—one antler is significantly shorter than the other. CBSThen, all of a sudden, fate calls upon him to band together with a group of friends all sporting quirks of their own—Candy the Snowgirl with a candy cane nose (Melissa Villaseñor, Saturday Night Live); Pinky the pink reindeer (Candace Cameron Bure, Fuller House); Hawk (standup comic Jo Koy), the polar bear with a Mohawk; ever-jittery reindeer Bucky (Donald Faison, Scrubs); and Smiley (Henry Winkler, Barry), the elf who has served 500 years under Santa (comedian Jim Gaffigan). Their mission? To save Christmas when a mysterious villain swipes a magical snow globe that holds the wishes of every child in the world. CBSThe idea was nearly a decade in the making and Reed, who has a long list of reality credits that includes Mama June: From Not to Hot, Gene Simmons: Family Jewels and Marriage Boot Camp, says its different-is-normal message is one that he thinks resonates with viewers. CBS“Every child at some point in their life, every person feels different, whether inside or out. Everyone feels different for some reason,” he says. “And what we all set out to do was to create the next Christmas tradition brand, the next holiday classic that would truly outlive all of us. Truly. That was the goal, and I hope and believe we have hit that.” 

CBSBut this isn’t necessarily just for kids. Reed says the storyline and the humour are designed to work on two levels, with comedic moments that only parents will pick up on and characters that will appeal to the little ones, thus making it a special the whole family can watch together and enjoy. 

CBS“For me, it’s interesting because it’s a holiday movie but that different-is-normal message is a message that lasts year-round,” he says. “And to celebrate that at the most magical time of year I think just helps everybody embrace what that means.”  

Reindeer in Here premieres Tuesday, November 29 on CBS