A holiday tradition continues this week when the CBS television network begins airing its holiday animated specials. First up is the 40th anniversary broadcast of Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer on tonight at 8pm ET. Rudolph features a popular musical score from Johnny Marks and the voice talent of the legendary Burl Ives. It was produced by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass and directed by Larry Roemer. Romeo Muller wrote the television adaptation from a story by Robert L. May. Rudolph will air in high definition.

On Friday, December 3 at 8pm ET, Frosty the Snowman is back in his 35th anniversary broadcast. Frosty features the unique voice of Jimmy Durante narrating. The show was produced and directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, with additional lyrics and music by Bass and Maury Laws.  The story was written by Romeo Muller. Following Frosty is the relatively new Frosty Returns which was originally broadcast in 1995. Narrated by Jonathan Winters with John Goodman as the voice of Frosty, Returns has Frosty’s existence put in jeopardy by a new snow-removal spray which they plan to use to de-ice the town’s annual winter carnival. Frosty and Frosty Returns will air in high definition.

The two year old special Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves Of Fire will air on Saturday, December 11 at 8pm ET. With the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Hugh Grant, Britney Spears, Jim Belushi, Brad Garrett, Leah Remini, Jerry Stiller, James Woods, Dan Dierdorf, and Dick Enberg, in Hooves Of Fire Robbie must train to compete in the Reindeer Races against reindeer-gone-bad Blitzen to become a part of Santa’s sleigh team. A new sequel follows, Robbie the Reindeer: Legend Of The Lost Tribe, reuniting the original cast. In The Lost Tribe Robbie, with the help of an elusive tribe of Vikings, battles Blitzen in an effort to stop his nemesis’ launch of a reindeer theme park.