The Year Without a Santa Claus

Santa wakes up with a cold in early December, and when an elf doctor sarcastically says that nobody cares about Christmas like they used to, he decides to stay home. That's the premise of this Rankin/Bass stop-motion classic, narrated by Shirley Booth, with Mickey Rooney as the poorly Santa. Mrs Claus sends the elves Jingle and Jangle off to find some proof of Christmas spirit, and off they go with Vixen the reindeer. It's as lovingly wonky as a cardboard model and twice as charming. Think of it as the one that starts with a sniffle and ends with a lot of warmth, ideally watched under a blanket on the big sofa.