Christmas in Tattertown

1988 film

Christmas in TattertownCreated byRalph BakshiWritten byTom MintonJim ReardonDirected byRalph BakshiVoices ofCharlie AdlerAdrian ArnoldArthur BurghardtJennifer DarlingKeith DavidSherry LynnPatrick PinneyComposerGary AndersonCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishProductionExecutive producerTom KleinProducerRalph BakshiAnimatorsEd BellKent ButterworthCharlie DownsTony FucileSteve GordonMike KazalehSteve MarkowskiTom MintonVirgil RossIrven SpencePhil YoungEditorBrad GuntherRunning time30 minutesProduction companyBakshi AnimationOriginal releaseNetworkNickelodeonReleaseDecember 21, 1988 (1988-12-21) Christmas in Tattertown is a 1988 animated television Christmas special created and directed by Ralph Bakshi. The special was an unsold pilot episode for a series, Tattertown, about a place where everything discarded in the world came alive. It aired on the cable television network Nickelodeon.

[edit] A high-strung, self-absorbed young girl named Debbie opens a magic book, sucking her, a stuffed dog, and her doll Miss Muffet into the realm of Tattertown, a Fleischeresque world where discarded items come to life. Miss Muffet rejoices at her newfound sentience and freedom until Debbie attempts to reassert her dominance. Muffet runs off and transforms herself into Muffet the Merciless, set on conquering Tattertown. Sidney the Spider, a villain who had previously made failed attempts at conquering Tattertown, takes Muffet to the "Deadster Zone", the home of "unsavory characters" such as war toys and weapons, to recruit the denizens into her army. A homesick Debbie decides to introduce the concept of Christmas to Tattertown, where no one has ever heard of the holiday. She recruits Mr. Tannenbaum, a stereotypically Jewish evergreen merchant, to serve as the Christmas tree. When Muffet learns of Debbie's plans, she flashes back to past trauma of rough handling during the Christmas season and vows to stop Debbie's efforts. She decides to launch an airstrike on Tattertown disguised as Santa Claus, with Sidney as all eight reindeer, but when the real Santa flies over Tattertown, the air fleet crashes into itself, creating a fireworks display that impresses Santa and the town. Frustrated that the Tattertown residents' idea of Christmas doesn't match her view of it, Debbie plays the original recording of Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" as a last resort. Tattertown is overcome by love and compassion, all except an enraged Muffet, who lands in jail. While the residents did consider "White Christmas" to be a beautiful song, it is never resolved whether anyone ever grasped the true meaning of Christmas.

[edit] Bakshi originated the idea for Tattertown in high school, where it was originally a comic strip called Junk Town. The strip made light of the human condition by showing the value of things we throw away. Bakshi worked with Nickelodeon to bring his strip to life as a regular television series, which would have served as Nickelodeon's first original animated series. In 1988, they commissioned him to create a pilot for the series. The pilot was animated by Ed Bell, Kent Butterworth, Charlie Downs, Tony Fucile, Steve Gordon, Mike Kazaleh, Steve Markowski, Tom Minton, Virgil Ross, Irven Spence, and Phil Young, with overseas animation done by Wang Film Productions and supervised by David Marshall. The music was composed by Gary M. Anderson. The pilot aired on December 21, 1988, during the network's Nick at Nite block of programming. Originally the series was to be picked up in 1989 for 39 episodes, but after a controversy involving an episode from Bakshi's other series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, the project was abandoned. Nickelodeon renamed the pilot Christmas in Tattertown and aired it annually as a special until 1992. Bakshi has retained rights to the pilot and the characters. In an interview on his official website conducted on August 2, 2007, he confirmed a DVD release; however, no such release has happened. In 1995, the special aired in syndication under the title A Tattertown Christmas alongside the Rocko's Modern Life Christmas special "Rocko's Modern Christmas!".

[edit] Charlie Adler - Stuffed Dog / Sidney the Spider / Wendell / Additional Voices Keith David - Miles the Saxophone / Plane #2 / Additional Voices Jennifer Darling - Muffet Sherry Lynn - Debbie / Doll / Hanger / Additional Voices Adrian Arnold - Harvey Arthur Burghardt - Santa Claus / Policeman / Additional Voices Patrick Pinney - Herbert Tannenbaum / Tad / Pie / Wreath / Magazine / G-Man / Microphone / Spoon / Fly / Lumberjack / Plane #1 / Additional Voices

Even though the special never spawned a full series, its quirky premise—scraps and forgotten objects gaining life—hits a nostalgic chord during the festive season. When families declutter for New Year’s, the idea that discarded bits could hold secret stories mirrors the Christmas tradition of giving new purpose to old things, like repurposing tinsel or turning stale ornaments into crafts. The animation’s slightly rough, hand‑drawn edge gives it a home‑grown feel that feels more personal than polished, reminding viewers that holiday magic often lives in the imperfect and the unexpected. That authenticity keeps it a favourite for retro‑minded parents looking for something off the mainstream radar.

Original airings were limited to Nickelodeon’s 1988 Christmas slot, so physical copies are scarce. Your best bet is to scour specialist retro‑video shops or online auction sites for the occasional VHS or early DVD pressings, often sold as part of obscure animation bundles. Libraries with extensive media archives sometimes hold a copy for in‑house viewing, and a few streaming fans have uploaded digitised versions to niche fan channels—just be aware of copyright. If you manage to secure a copy, check the format (VHS vs. DVD) and consider a modest restoration service; the original frames can look surprisingly crisp after a gentle clean‑up, making the 30‑minute runtime worth the effort.

Set the scene by dimming the lights and pairing the special with a simple, handcrafted snack—think popcorn tossed with cinnamon sugar, echoing the film’s theme of turning the ordinary into something festive. Because the runtime is just half an hour, it works perfectly as an interlude between meals or as a quick bedtime treat for kids who crave something different from the usual Santa fare. Discuss the moral with younger viewers: every discarded piece has a story, a gentle reminder that generosity can extend to the neglected. A short post‑view chat about recycling and repurposing can turn a nostalgic cartoon into a springboard for real‑world holiday kindness.