Performer(s) Appeared in Sam the Snowman is a character from the Rankin/Bass special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He serves as the special's narrator, telling the story and performing songs with the accompaniment of his banjo, and inviting the audience to "pull up an ice-block and lend an ear." Of the characters created for the Rankin/Bass special, Sam was the only one who did not reappear in the 2001 Goodtimes Entertainment-produced sequel, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys; his role was instead given to a similar snowman character named Scoop.