'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a 1974 Rankin-Bass animated Christmas television special based on the famous 1823 poem that opens with this line. The special first originally aired on CBS on December 8, 1974, where it aired annually until 1994, when The Family Channel (now ABC Family) took over its syndication rights. Although the opening credits mention "told and sung by Joel Grey", it is really narrated by George Gobel, as there is more emphasis on the point of view of Father Mouse, with