Every holiday season, we give thanks for Rankin/Bass, the team behind Christmas TV ... Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970) Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (CREDIT: Rankin/Bass) This 1970 ...

But in honor of Santa’s annual tour around the world, we’re republishing it today. There’s exactly one criterion for a great performance of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”: Is it joyful?

The 1970 classic “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” will air tonight on ABC. Tune it at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, for the stop-motion animated film, narrated by Fred Astaire as the mailman.