UB's top 5 Christmas Specials: # 5 Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman first aired in 1969 and like most of these specials makes a story out of a song. Jimmy Durante narrates the story in which Frosty comes to life when a group of children find a magic top hat and put it on his head.

The magic hat didn't seem to do a whole lot of magic for its previous owner Professor Hinkle (After dropping an egg on the floor: "Messy, messy, messy") so he throws it away with his rabbit. Of course when he sees that it makes the snowman come to life, and the potential marketing possibilities, he wants it back.

Professor Hinkle gets his hat back and everybody lives happily ever after...until that damn rabbit gets the hat back to Frosty who comes to life again with the now annoying, "Happy Birthday!"

Frosty and the kids, who apparently connect the now walking/talking snowman with the kids song, begin to sing and march around town...

They march here and there and around the square singing "catch me if you can". Eventually he leads them down the streets of town right to a traffic cop, then he only stops a moment when he hears him holler "STOP!"

With Professor Hinkle hot on their trail, Frosty's little friend Karen decides he needs to go to the North Pole where he won't melt and stay away from Hinkle...and what do you know, there happens to be a train to the North Pole leaving right now!! As if it isn't cold enough for Frosty and his skirt wearing friend to ride in the the ice-box car, Hinkle jumps aboard too...

By the time they hit the North Pole Karen is half frozen so Frosty and Karen hang out in a greenhouse to warm up...Hinkle shows up moments later and locks them in, KILLING FROSTY!!! Not to worry Santa shows up and uses his magic powers to bring back Frosty: "Happy Birthday!" Hinkle is threatened with no toys for Christmas and suddenly changes his ways...Of course he's still stuck in the North Pole with no magic hat or rabbit or at least a ride from Santa who drops Karen off...Next winter is shown, and all though none of the kids appears any older, Frosty is back for more fun...

So what is so great about a Christmas special featuring an annoying snowman with a New York accent? Um, UB doesn't know...but he does know that it wouldn't be the Christmas season with out Frosty the Snowman on TV...