Olive, the Other Reindeer (1999)

When Santa cancels his annual flight because of a hurt reindeer, a young Christmas loving dog named Olive is convinced she has what it takes to get Santa's flight off the ground and save Christmas.

Director:

Steve Moore (as Oscar Moore)

Writers:

J. Otto Seibold (book), Vivian Walsh (book)

Stars:

Drew Barrymore, Dan Castellaneta, Joe Pantoliano

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Drew Barrymore	...	Olive (voice)
Dan Castellaneta	...	The Postman (voice)
Joe Pantoliano	...	Martini (voice)
Edward Asner	...	Santa (voice)
Peter MacNicol	...	Fido (voice)
Tim Meadows	...	Richard Stands (voice)
Jay Mohr	...	Tim (voice)
Michael Stipe	...	Schnitzel (voice)
Diedrich Bader	...	Zoo Director (voice)
David Herman	...	Guard Shack Elf (voice)
Matt Groening	...	Arturo (voice)
Mitch Rouse	...	Round John Virgin / Comet (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Danny Jacobs
Tress MacNeille	...	Mrs. Claus / Mrs. Eskimo (voice)
Kath Soucie	...	(voice)

Storyline

After mis-hearing a radio broadcast about Santa canceling his Christmas trip due to an injured reindeer, Olive the dog decides to travel to the North Pole and volunteer to be a replacement. Unfortunately, Olive must deal with an evil postman who's tired of handling all the extra Christmas mail. Will Martini the penguin be able to help Olive realize her dream?

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Plot Keywords:

animal character name as title | olive the reindeer character | four word title | north pole | dog | 

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Genres:

Animation | Short | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

TV-G

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the bus depot, the destinations are all sacred religious cities and/or sites: Arrivals:

• Bethlehem (Christianity)
• Ganges River (Hinduism)
• Jerusalem (Judaism, Christianity, Islam)

Departures:

• Mecca (Islam)
• Salt Lake City (Mormonism)
• Los Angeles (... Scientology?)

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Quotes

Olive: I love Valentine's Day and the Fourth of July, I'm a little bit sad when Halloween has gone by, I'm thankful Thanksgiving comes around in the fall, but I've always loved Christmas the best of them all. Everyday's special, I'm not complaining, but I'm always counting the days still remaining 'til Christmas.

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Alternate Versions

Further airings by Fox has some scenes removed in order to show more commercials.

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Connections

References The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

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Soundtracks

Christmas...Bah, Bug and Hum
Written by Matt Groening
Performed by Dan Castellaneta

User Reviews

Great holiday fun

Olive, the Other Reindeer is a delightful holiday special that aired on Fox last winter. Drew Barrymore voices Olive the dog, who thinks she is a reindeer and goes on a quest to help Santa after one of reindeer can't. With the help of a Martini the penguin, they try to accomplish their task while dodging the evil mailman who wants to stop Christmas. It's a hilarious special and should be seen when ever possible. I have taped this animated special and have watched it regularly. To sum it up, it's great!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Olive, the Other Reindeer

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

DNA Productions, Flower Films (II), Fox Television Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1