| Genre: | Christmas special Fantasy Comedy drama Mystery Musical |
| Story: | Fred A. Rappoport Elmo Shropshire Jim Fisher Jim Staahl |
| Director: | Phil Roman |
| Voices: | Elmo Shropshire Michele Lee Alex Doduk Susan Blu Cam Clarke Christopher Gaze Phil Hayes Scott McNeil Pauline Newstone Maggie Blue O'Hara Venus Terzo Jim Fisher Jim Staahl Kathleen Barr |
| Narrated: | Elmo Shropshire |
| Composer: | Nathan Wang Randy Brooks |
| Country: | United States Canada |
| Language: | English |
| Executive Producer: | Fred A. Rappoport Phil Roman |
| Producer: | Jim Fisher Noel-Quinn Roman Jim Staahl |
| Runtime: | 51 minutes |
| Company: | The Fred Rappoport Company, Inc. Phil Roman Entertainment |
| Network: | The WB |
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is a 2000 animated Christmas television special directed by Phil Roman. The special was first released on home video in October, and then aired on The WB network on December 21, 2001.[1] The title and story are based on the 1979 novelty song of the same name.[2]
The film subsequently airs on The CW (the successor to The WB) and AMC, and also aired on Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and Freeform.
Jake Spankenheimer's grandmother owns a small general store in the town of Cityville. The store happens to be the only piece of property not owned by Austin Bucks, the wealthiest man in town, whose corporation specializes in making Christmas easier and less involved for the town's busy residents. Grandma tells Austin that his method of trying to make Christmas easier is not really for the best and refuses to sell the store. Cousin Mel, who plans to sell the store anyway, sabotages Grandma's fruitcake by adding an ingredient with hopes that they won't sell.
Jake and his grandparents are the only ones in the family to believe in Santa Claus, further supported by them witnessing Grandma get run over by Santa’s reindeer diving down on her. The following morning, Grandma is confirmed missing as an imprint of her is found in the snow, along with her belongings. Cousin Mel finds a letter that she quickly hides from the others.
Nine months pass without Grandma and the store's business drops. During this time, Cousin Mel comes up with a new plan to sell the store to Austin by tricking Grandpa into giving her his power of attorney. When Jake objects, Austin agrees to give him another week in order to find Grandma before going through with the deal. Adamant in his belief that Santa ran over her, Jake emails Santa and soon Quincy, Santa's head elf, comes to take Jake to the North Pole, explaining Santa took Grandma back to the North Pole for medical treatment but she developed amnesia from the accident and until receiving Jake's e-mail Santa had no idea of who she was. After Jake explains the situation, Santa, Quincy and Grandma agree to go with him to stop the deal.
When they arrive in Cityville, however, Cousin Mel and her attorney, I.M. Slime, quickly trick Grandma into accompanying them. After Santa explains to Austin what has happened, Jake and Quincy discover that Grandma has disappeared once again. Cousin Mel uses the chance to accuse Santa of being behind her disappearance and put him on trial for kidnapping, leaving the scene of an accident and "sleighicular negligence". Cousin Mel and I.M. Slime then plot to sue him, believing that someone who can pay for billions of presents must be incredibly wealthy.
Three months later, Daphne suspects that Cousin Mel may have been involved in Grandma's second disappearance and Jake and Quincy follow her to a cabin in the woods where she and I.M. Slime are keeping Grandma out of sight. They rescue Grandma and find Santa's letter explaining what happened, that Cousin Mel had found at the site of Grandma's accident and also what Cousin Mel had added to Grandma's fruitcake that Christmas Eve night, which had the effect of "reindeer-nip" irresistible to reindeer. They restore Grandma's memory by feeding her some of her own fruitcakes and rush to the courthouse.
Confronted with the evidence, Cousin Mel is arrested for obstructing justice and "almost ruining Christmas" and the judge lets Santa go after the truth is uncovered. Austin, realizing how much the family cares about their business, offers to franchise Grandma's store throughout the country. Grandma accidentally opens up Cousin Mel's reindeer nip fruitcake, causing the reindeer to run her over once again. Jake and Grandpa rush to help her up, only to be alright this time.
The song "Grandpa's Gonna Sue The Pants Offa' Santa" became an internet meme on YouTube.
Warner Home Video (owned by Time Warner Entertainment, the then-part owner of the WB network) released Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer to VHS on October 31, 2000 and to DVD on October 16, 2001.
Jerry Beck said, "…obvious the writers, actors and crew did the best they could with the (low) budget… (it has) echoes of It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle On 34th Street.", and concluded, "it may disappoint a few adults".[3]