Cricket on the Hearth on WXXI-TV

Charles Dickens' classic story as told by a charming group of animated characters.

Cricket on the Hearth, an animated musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1845 novella, the third of Dickens' five Christmas books airs Sunday, December 25 at 5 a.m. on WXXI-TV (DT21.1/cable 11/cable 1011). Voiced by an all-star cast, this digitally remastered holiday special, which originally aired in 1967 on The Danny Thomas Show, tells the heartwarming story of a cricket (Roddy McDowell) who befriends kind toy maker (Thomas) and his blind daughter (played by real-life daughter, Marlo Thomas). Nearly 40 years since its broadcast television premiere, a new generation is poised to rediscover this classic Christmas tale. In the same spirit as the much-beloved Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, the music-filled Cricket on the Hearth charmingly captures the spirit of the holiday season.