Robbie the Reindeer is a series of three animated comedy television specials co-produced by the BBC and the charity Comic Relief which were broadcast on BBC One between Christmas 1999 and 2007. Although the series is distributed commercially by BBC Studios, and has been sold to more than 30 countries internationally, the entirety of the net profits from the series go to Comic Relief. The first two specials were animated in stop motion by the BBC Bristol animation unit, while the third was a CGI animation by Absolute Digital Pictures. Loosely based on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May, Robbie the Reindeer was created by Richard Curtis, who also was executive producer of the first two specials and co-wrote Hooves of Fire.