It looks like kids everywhere have a fun new Christmastime tradition. In 2017, TV producer and father of two Adam Reed gave us the delightful book-and-plush gift set, ‘Reindeer In Here.’ And now, thanks to CBS and Paramount Global, it has a CGI-animated TV special to go with it. Not just your average holiday film, Reindeer In Here also provides children with an uplifting message — that being different is perfectly normal. And if you ask us, we can’t think of a better first gift for your little one this Christmas.
Your Child’s New Favorite Christmas Toy
Shortly after his daughter turned one, Reed struggled to find a Christmas tradition with a positive core message. More importantly, he wanted one that didn’t stress out parents in the process — unlike Elf on a Shelf. With that in mind, he wrote a short story about a reindeer with uneven antlers and some very unique friends. In the book, they give Santa the idea to send a reindeer friend to each child as a first Christmas gift. And to make its premise feel even more real, he designed an extra-fuzzy reindeer plush to go with it. Each child gets to name their new pal and decide if it's a boy or girl, making it as unique as they are and further strengthening their bond.
Upon its release, this gift set instantly sold out on Amazon and became the site’s #1 New Release that year. It also won a whopping twelve different awards, including two Creative Child Awards and the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. With all this success, an animated film was sure to follow soon enough. Reed even said in a recent interview with Forbes that he hopes this special reaches even more children and families this holiday:
“Every child, at some point in their life, feels different, and our film celebrates the uniqueness of every child.”Adam Reed, Creator of Reindeer In Here
When Reed isn’t working on film sets or writing new books, he’s living happily in Brentwood, Tennessee with wife and two children. And yes… both his kids still love their reindeer friends to this very day.
A Christmas Special for Modern Times
As for the special, Reindeer In Here centers around Blizzard — or Blizz — a reindeer with uneven antlers that cause him to crash every time he flies. His unique group of friends includes Candy the snowgirl, head elf Smiley Gumdrops, and Pinky the bright pink reindeer. One day, a cloaked villain steals Santa’s magical snow globe and frames Blizz, leaving him scrambling to clear his name. During the search, he crashes into a house and gets help from a lonely boy named Theo. With old and new pal in tow, Blizz sets out to save Christmas for children all over the world.
This short but heartwarming story is brought to life by a terrific voice cast, led by Adam Devine as Blizz. He’s joined by the likes of Jim Gaffigan as Santa, Melissa Villasenor as Candy, Henry Winkler as Smiley, and Candace Cameron Bure as Pinky. Rounding out the cast are Donald Faison, Jo Koy, Brooke Monroe Conway, and Gabriel Bateman as Theo. And for that extra touch of magic, we have some Disney creatives behind the scenes. Its director is renowned animator Lino DiSalvo, who also worked on Disney’s Tangled and Frozen. Greg Erb and Jason Ormeland, co-writers of The Princess and the Frog, came on board to adapt the script. And, of course, Reed himself is back in the familiar role of executive producer.
Reindeer In Here debuted on CBS on November 29th, 2022 and will air again the weekend before Christmas. It’s also streaming on Paramount+ for you and the family to watch all season long. As for the gift set, you can purchase it wherever books are sold… if you can find it in stock!