The Stingiest Man in Town (special)

This is Rankin/Bass Productions' 13th Christmas-themed animated television special. It is also the company's 17th holiday-themed animated TV special, its 22nd overall animated TV special, and its 9th traditionally animated (i.e. hand-drawn) TV special. It would be Rankin/Bass' final traditionally animated Christmas-themed TV special until the company released “Santa, Baby!” (2001) 23 years later.

While this is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella "A Christmas Carol", it is specifically an animated remake of a live-action musical version of "A Christmas Carol" that is also titled "The Stingiest Man in Town". That musical version, with book and lyrics by Janice Torre, aired as part of the NBC anthology series The Alcoa Hour (1955) in 1956.

Rankin/Bass Productions made this TV special because The Alcoa Hour: The Stingiest Man in Town (1956) had been transmitted live. For years, a recording was thought not to exist. The animated special was meant as a new vehicle for the music from the original production, in order to preserve it for copyright reasons. However, a kinescope version (filmed right from the TV while the 1956 version aired) was discovered in 2011, and has now been restored and released on DVD.

This was Rankin/Bass Productions' third and final production based on a story written by Charles Dickens. Previously, the company had produced Cricket on the Hearth (1967), based on Dickens' novella of the same name that was originally published in 1845, and Festival of Family Classics: A Christmas Tree (1972), based on Dickens' short story "A Christmas Tree" that was originally published in 1850.

This was Dennis Day's final TV performance.