Viewed on TV during the Christmas season, a well-known puppet show can be seen in downtown Atlanta.

The Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St., is hosting “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” through Dec. 31.

Robert L. May’s Rudolph book inspired Johnny Marks to write the hit 1949 song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” sung by Gene Autry, which led to the TV special.

In 1960, advertising and broadcast professionals Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass formed a production company focused on children’s programming, according to a Center for Puppetry Arts statement.

They were looking for stories for a series funded by General Electric, called the GE Fantasy Hour.

Tickets are $30 on Dec. 26 and $26 on Dec. 27-31 at puppet.org/programs/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer.

Show times are 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Dec. 26 and 27; 10 a.m. and noon Dec. 28 and 29; 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 30 and 1 p.m. Dec. 31.

Each ticket includes the Create-A-Puppet Workshop - a shadow puppet of Rudolph, the Worlds of Puppetry Museum and “Festive Features,” including holiday puppets, on display daily through Dec. 31.

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