Rankin/Bass Productions’ Christmas programs are a special part of the Christmas season for many and have always taken me down a beautiful memory lane. Stop-motion specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Year Without a Santa Claus and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town unlock nostalgia for lots of people who’ve watched them on TV for decades. One of those Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, The Little Drummer Boy, officially has a streaming home for 2024.
The 25-minute special, which follows a small boy and his journey to the nativity of Jesus Christ, is now streaming on Hulu. Its sequel, The Little Drummer Boy, Book II, is available on AMC+.
Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. directed the special from a script by Romeo Muller. It is based on the 1941 song “The Little Drummer Boy” by Katherine Davis and Jack Halloran. The cast includes Greer Garson, Jose Ferrer, Paul Frees, June Foray and The Vienna Boys’ Choir. Teddy Eccles voices Aaron, the titular drummer boy.
The Little Drummer Boy isn’t airing on broadcast TV this year; it’s only airing a few times on Freeform, which requires a cable subscription. Watching on Hulu is likely your best bet if you have a reliable internet connection.
It’s not the only Rankin/Bass special made available on the Disney-owned platform. The streaming service also is hosting Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus’ Is Comin’ to Town.
The show received an approval rating of 75% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on thirteen reviews. The site’s critical consensus reads: “The Little Drummer Boy is a mature addition to the Rankin-Bass catalogue, with a powerful conclusion that compensates for the special’s dour storytelling and unpolished animation.” Contemporary reviews rated it highly, with a 1970 viewer survey ranking it among the best Christmas specials to air that year.