The original post: /r/television by /u/theKinkajou on 2025-12-26 00:04:04+00:00.
Every year we watch the same holiday specials—Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frosty. They’re classics for a reason. But have you ever noticed how flat they look compared to modern animation?
I’m not talking about remakes. Nobody wants that. Boris Karloff IS the Grinch. Vince Guaraldi’s jazz score IS Charlie Brown Christmas. Those performances are irreplaceable.
But imagine if skilled artists worked from the original animation to add what 1960s TV production couldn’t: dynamic lighting that actually flickers when the Grinch holds his candle, shadows that deepen as he creeps through Who-ville, falling snow that has weight and texture, the warm glow spreading as his heart grows three sizes.
Shows like Arcane, Blue Eye Samurai, and Gravity Falls have proven what happens when you layer atmospheric effects and modern lighting over animation. Dragon Ball Z Kai showed you can polish a classic without replacing it.
The Grinch just got a 4K release in 2024—but it’s still the same old master with better encoding. It’s not a new scan from the original film elements. It’s not restored. And it’s definitely not enhanced.
These specials are pushing 60 years old. The people who made them are gone. The performances are irreplaceable. But the presentation could be so much better.
Anyone else think this should happen? Or am I crazy?