Okay, settle back into that comfy armchair, maybe imagine the faint hum of a CRT television warming up. Remember flipping through the channels around the holidays in the late 90s, hoping for something... different? Amidst the beloved Rankin/Bass classics and perennial network showings, sometimes a strange little gem would pop up, looking unlike anything else. That's precisely the feeling conjured by Olive, the Other Reindeer, a quirky, charming animated special from 1999 that felt instantly unique the moment its distinctive visuals hit the screen.
### Not Your Average Reindeer Game
Forget Rudolph's shiny nose or Frosty's corncob pipe for a moment. Olive, the Other Reindeer sprang from a delightfully simple misunderstanding. Our hero, an enthusiastic and endearingly optimistic dog named Olive (voiced with infectious sweetness by Drew Barrymore), overhears a radio report about Santa Claus having to cancel Christmas because one of his reindeer is injured. But when the announcer laments that Santa hopes to make it through with "all of the other reindeer," Olive mishears it as "...Olive, the other reindeer." Convinced she's being summoned for duty, she embarks on a determined journey to the North Pole. It’s a premise built on a pun, and the film leans into that gentle, slightly absurd humor with gusto.
What immediately set Olive apart, and still does, is its visual style. Based on the children's book by J. Otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh, the animation, directed by Steve Moore and produced by Matt Groening's (yes, The Simpsons creator!) The Curiosity Company alongside Barrymore's own Flower Films, used computer animation to replicate Seibold's distinctive flat, almost paper cut-out aesthetic. In an era where CGI was often striving for slick realism or Pixar's burgeoning roundedness, Olive's look was refreshingly stylized and intentionally lo-fi, feeling like a quirky illustration come to life. It gave the special an identity that was instantly recognizable and utterly charming. This wasn't just another holiday cartoon; it felt handcrafted, even through the digital medium.
### A Cast of Characters Worth the Trip
Olive's adventure wouldn't be nearly as memorable without the characters she meets along the way. Her primary companion is Martini, a smooth-talking, slightly shifty penguin she encounters selling counterfeit watches (naturally). Voiced by the great Joe Pantoliano (who, funnily enough, was also zipping around the digital world that same year as Cypher in The Matrix), Martini becomes an unlikely but loyal friend, adding a touch of street-smart cynicism to Olive's boundless optimism.
Their journey is persistently threatened by a disgruntled Postman, voiced hilariously by Dan Castellaneta (the legendary voice of Homer Simpson, adding another layer of Groening connection). Bitter about the extra workload Christmas brings, the Postman is determined to stop Olive and derail the holiday entirely. Castellaneta brings a wonderfully cartoonish villainy to the role, making the Postman menacing enough to drive the plot but goofy enough to fit the special's overall lighthearted tone. And for music fans, keep an ear out for Schnitzel, one of Santa’s reindeer, voiced by none other than Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M.! It's one of those delightful late-90s casting choices that feels both random and perfect.
### More Than Just Holiday Cheer
Olive, the Other Reindeer wasn't just a throwaway special; it clearly had ambition. It aired on Fox network television and even earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming More Than One Hour), squaring off against heavy hitters like The Simpsons and King of the Hill. Written by Steve Young (a veteran writer for David Letterman), along with the book's authors Seibold and Walsh, the script maintains a gentle wit that works for both kids entranced by the adventure and adults catching the clever wordplay and slightly surreal situations (like encountering a disgruntled bus driver voiced by Matt Groening himself, credited as 'Arturo the Penguin').
The journey itself is filled with inventive moments – navigating a shady Arctic bar, hitching a ride with a surprisingly helpful truck driver (voiced by Diedrich Bader), and using Olive's unique dog abilities (like sniffing out lost mail) to overcome obstacles. The songs are catchy and fit the whimsical mood, enhancing the feeling that you're watching something special and distinct. It captures that hopeful, anything-is-possible spirit that the best holiday stories evoke, but wraps it in a package that feels uniquely quirky and heartfelt.
### A Quirky Classic Finds its Place
For many of us who caught Olive back in '99, it lodged itself in our memory banks as something refreshingly different. It didn't rely on established characters or traditional animation styles. Instead, it offered a genuinely original story, a unique visual flair, and a voice cast brimming with unexpected talent. It proved that holiday specials could still feel inventive and surprising, even borrowing a page from the charming simplicity of a children's book. It might not have the sheer ubiquity of Rudolph, but its oddball charm has earned it a dedicated following over the years – a true cult classic of the festive season.
VHS Heaven Rating: 8/10
Olive, the Other Reindeer earns a solid 8 for its sheer originality, delightful voice cast, and enduring quirky charm. The distinctive visual style, born from Seibold and Walsh's book and brought to life with late-90s CGI ingenuity, makes it stand out. While the plot is simple (as many holiday specials are), the execution is full of heart, gentle humor, and memorable characters voiced by an unexpectedly stellar cast (Barrymore, Pantoliano, Castellaneta, Stipe!). It perfectly captures a specific, slightly off-kilter late-90s sensibility while delivering genuine holiday warmth. It might be "the other reindeer," but it's definitely one worth seeking out on your festive viewing list.