A logical mind might expect that all Adam Reeds are the same.
Or, at least, that all Adam Reeds who make animated TV shows are the same.
Not so. One such Adam Reed makes “Archer,” which is a popular Emmy-winner … and ripples with cynicism. The other is the creative force behind “Reindeer in Here” (shown here), which debuts at 9 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 29) on CBS, with abundant optimism.
“I couldn’t find a positive Christmas” book, the latter Reed said. He was particularly down on “Elf on the Shelf,” which he has called “creepy.” So he wrote a thoroughly non-creepy, non-cynical book. The basic notion, Reed said, is that “every child, at some point, feels different.” In this case, it’s a boy who has moved a lot and feels alone.
Crashing into his window is a reindeer who is also different; one antler is shorter than the other, causing him to fly erratically. That’s Blizzard, desperate to save Christmas, with the help of Pinky (the only pink reindeer at the North Pole) and Candy, an oversharing snowman.
“Reindeer in Here” came out in 2018, became a best-seller, and won awards. Now it’s an animated special with a lofty goal. “We want it to be a Christmas classic that would outlive all of us, like ‘Rudolph,’” Reed said.
To boost that goal, the show will air right after “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on Tuesday, before then moving to Paramount+.
Lino DiSalvo, the former head of Disney Animation, was the director and producer. In his old job, he said, “I would oversee 200 people.” Now he could mold his own film.
Adam Devine was cast as Blizz, with Melissa Villasenor as Candy. Pinky is Candace Cameron Bure, whom Reed calls “obviously the queen of Christmas.”
She’s done a string of holiday films, often for Hallmark and now in a long-range deal with Great American Family. “I feel like I’m in Christmas 24/7,” she said, “because I’m always reading Christmas scripts.” And now she’s doing her first cartoon voice, for one of the Adam Reeds.
Yes, this one does sometimes get confused with the “Archer” producer. (For a time, they were represented by the same agency.) But his background is far different.
Reed came to Thinkfactory Media in 2005 to produce a reality show centering on Gene Simmons of Kiss. He’s gone on to produce other reality series – “Marriage Boot Camp,” “R&B Divas,” “Mama June,” “Million Dollar Matchmaker,” etc. — and a few scripted mini-series: “Hatfield & McCoys,” “Sun Records” and “Texas Rising.”
Most of those have been for basic cable, but lately he’s moved into streaming (a four-part Carole Baskin documentary on Discovery+) and broadcast, with Fox’s “Rat in the Kitchen.”
Now he’s CEO of Thinkfactory, moonlighting as an author. He’s presumably doing well. So is the “Archer” guy, and maybe all the other Adam Reeds.