I'm going for quieter, less talked about Rankin-Bass Christmas special. Third special in the Rankin-Bass Christmas canon, this is the first 30 minute special(with breaks), that's right, this one is before "Frosty". This is also part of their "let's take a Christmas song and turn it into at special.
The song is simple and only offers a few hints mostly about boy who has nothing else to offer at the in seeing the newborn King, Jesus, but can play his drum in a quiet way the song goes because otherwise playing it like a fast drummer might not be good for a baby.
The writers for this special had flesh out a story based off the song way more than they had to for Rudolph. This special is credit written by Rankin Bass go to writer, Romeo Muller. First airing on NBC on December 19, 1968, this is special about Aaron, the little drummer boy.
The special wants you to know it takes place during like Luke 2, with Greer Garson narrating the line about the taxation found in Luke chapter 2. Her voice is great for this story and she brings the right class and tone to the special.
Aaron is a wandering boy who has 3 animals, Baba, a lamb, Joshua (hey!) a camel, and Samson, a donkey. He's kidnapped by these two scam artists ,led by a guy named Ben Haramed. He wants Aaron to play his drum and have the animals who like to dance with the drum play for the tax payers so he can get some extra money, because that's his thing.
Aaron hates all people, and has a good reason. For a Rankin Bass special, it has some dark moments, compared to their other. Aaron's backstory is that he was having a happy birthday and his parents got him a drum. He was once happy, but that night some bandits were trying to steal some of the shepherd family's animals and they burned down the house when they get caught, and kill Aaron's parents. The last thing his mother did was help him escape, and all he's left with is the three animals and his drum, the last tangible things connecting him to his parents. It's not gruesome in the sense of seeing blood, because you don't, but it's brutal in just context. This is why Aaron hates all people, and he wants to be left alone.
Haramed makes Aaron go to a city full of people and makes him perform in front of them. He's even made to wear a fake smile, Aaron performs a song. Aaron hates that the crowd likes his song and they have happiness while he doesn't. He has an understandable break down.
The songs in this special are pretty good, kind of sad they aren't as remembered as other special's songs. The use of the the main title song ,as background score is also well done and well placed. The Vienna Boys' Choir also provides music for this and this also adds to the great emotions this special has.
The 3 Kings, yes those 3 kings, appear in this special as Arron and the scam artists are chased into the desert, and are camping for the night, and are spotted, by the greedy Ben Haramed because kings have money. They decide to go see them to see if some money could be made. Ben Haramed makes a promise that if he does this well, he'll give half the money to Aaron.
Since the three wiseman are following yonder star and the star is better to see at night, that means they are leaving to follow it, just as the entertainment troop goes to see the kings. As luck would have it, not for Aaron, they find out that Aaron has a camel, and they need a camel. (not the cigarette, though) so the swindler has an idea to sell the camel to the kings. Aaron, the boy who hates people, really isn't going to like people if they sell his friends. I will give Ben points in that he does keep his promise- gives half the money to Aaron (which Aaron casts aside) and let's him go- so, uhh he's still bad but not rude?
Aaron decides to follow the kings who are following the star to see if he can get Joshua back. Since this is THE STAR, they are seeing shepherds also following the star, and they are lead to the manger where Jesus is laying. They also find Joshua, but because this special wants Aaron to feel more pain, they get his lamb hit by a chariot. (Great, he's going to hate people and chariots) He decides to go find the kings, to see if they can fix Baba. 
At first though, he sees the kings giving gifts to Jesus and tells one of the kings, and he says to Aaron, the babe can help him. Has no gift to bring, except one thing his drum and he plays a song for the babe a song with his drum. ( a quiet one, because other wise) Due to the fact his gift was given out of pure love, uh Baba will live! He learns that his hate was wrong and that he needed to let it go, it was hurting him. That he still did have love inside him, but couldn't find it.
A simple special, that ties in the biblical story and gives a character to invest our time into. A well done story, packing a lot into it's 24-25 minutes. While not flashy and big, that's what makes it work, it's slower, simple. It makes one think about how something can be absorbed into all of us , our own resentments and anger, that love is there. It shows the biblical message well done of the message of God's love.
(As of this writing it airs on TV every year, Freeform, kind of only airs it off hours though, but it's also readily available to watch)
Do it give a watch, especially if you want something a little different in your Christmas viewing a thon.
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