The Brightest Christmas

The Brightest Christmas is the 6th Christmas Special produced by Rankin Bass and was animated in stop motion. It was broadcasted on the NBC on December 9th 1973. It is narrated by Olivia Newton-John.

SYNOPSIS
In this brand new festive musical story, the story is told in the present day in a brand new town library that's getting ready to decorate and open for Christmas. The owner of the library named Paige Turner (Voiced by Olivia Newton John) decides to tell the story she found when she was a little girl before opening night. The story is set during the 1930s in a fictional town town called "Brightston", a town who is isolated from the rest of the country for its personality and its "Less than the most common citizens". Despite their predicaments, they still remain in high spirits. This is especially apparent around the holiday season. Every Christmas the town decorates their entirety of the streets with many bright lights and showcases magnificent fireflies. This is so that when Santa Claus sees the brightest town, he will know they are signalling for him to deliver wondrous presents to all the citizens, bringing them a beacon of hope. But on one unfortunate day, a legendary, but mysterious anthropomorphic fox like bandit named Lashika (Based off Kuma Lisa, a mythical being in Bulgarian Mythology), steals all of the supplies of lights, to increase her energy so she can play even more dastardly tricks on the town as an act of vengeance for stopping her reign of mischief. As a result, Santa doesn't arrive. Through the next year, a quiet and clumsy but intelligent and wise girl who runs a town library named "Catherine", determined to stop Lashika and give her town hope once again continuously documents her every move so she can analyse her routine and find a solution to defeat her.

A year passes and a young timid but compassionate man named "Malachi", who comes from the country's royal family cannot stand to see the town ostracised by the rest of the country and left with nothing, visits the town for the next Christmas and gives the town enough of what they need to have a merry Christmas. He even touches the heart of Catherine, who tells him about what has happened to the town. Malachi promises as long as they keep believing, there will always be light and even helps signal Santa this Christmas by helping make more lights. It was at this moment that they fell in love. Lashika who overhears this, knowing that if Malachi does this then Santa will return and will find out that she has done decides to have her dragonfly henchmen kidnap Malachi, only vowing to let him go if he gives all of the riches and lights to herself. Catherine decides she's had enough of this, and musters up all of her bravery to go out on her own to save Malachi for all of the kindness he gave to her and her town and get back everything Lashika stole so she, Malachi and her town can have a bright Christmas once again.

CAST AND CHARACTERS
Paige Turner (Voiced By: Olivia Newton-John): The narrator of the story who is opening a new library and preparing it for Christmas. She tells the story after finding a book she read when she was little and how it was an inspiration for a long but beautiful tradition.

Catherine (Voiced By: Helen Reddy): The protagonist of the story. Catherine is a citizen of Brightston who owns the town's library. She is a very introverted, quiet and a bit of a clumsy character, but is also very intelligent, resourceful and has a sense of bravery. She has been documenting Lashika's moves to follow her pattern and find a solution to defeat her. She eventually falls in love with Malachi because of his kindness and goes out to save him and the town's lights to save Christmas for them.

Malachi (Voiced By: Mark Baker): Catherine's love interest and a major protagonist. Malachi is a very timid but hopeful and benevolent character who hates to see people in unfortunate situations. He belongs in the unnamed country's Royal Family, and after hearing of the events that have taken place, decides to go to Brightston to help the town have a better Christmas and make new lights for them so Santa is alerted. After knowing Catherine more and giving her hope, he falls in love with her. Malachi is eventually kidnapped and held hostage by Lashika.

Lashika (Voiced By: Madeline Kahn): The main antagonist of the story. Lashika is based off Kuma Lisa, a mythical being in Bulgarian Folklore. Lashika is described as an anthropomorphic fox who is also a malicious troublemaker and bandit, who only wants all of the riches and lights for her own greed and energy to continuously cause trouble. She has two dragonfly henchmen who she forces to do her bidding and forces them to kidnap Malachi so she can live off the fortune. She's a very sly, determined, proud and cunning character, but is also very short-tempered and is extremely manipulative, violent and malicious.

Brantley (Voiced By: John Faulkner): A major protagonist of the story. Brantley is an anthropomorphic firefly who Catherine befriends along her journey. This is due to the fact that Lashika had pulled a horrid trick on his city to cause a blackout and for all of the fireflies to be unable to show their light. Brantley is a calm-headed, collected, laidback and protective but also snarky and sarcastic character, but always means well. He speaks with a Scottish accent.

Drew and Finn (Both Voiced By: Paul Frees): Two supporting antagonists who later turn into supporting protagonists. Drew and Finn are a duo of anthropomorphic Dragonflies who used to be a comedic, troublemaking duo in the forest of bugs. Unlike Lashika however, Drew and Finn's tricks were more along the lines of practical jokes and were not supposed to harm anyone. Unfortunately, they picked the wrong person to pull a prank on, and were originally intended to be on Lashika's chopping block. Horrified for each other's safety, the two begged to make a compromise with Lashika that if she spared their lives, they would force themselves to work for her and be her henchmen. Lashika agreed realising that the two were of big potential, but would still be heartless and cruel to them. However, towards the climax of the story, they would realise the extent of their treatment and actions and help the protagonists. Drew was the more ambitious and conniving of the two, while Finn was the more quirky, comedic but airheaded of the two.

Santa Claus (Voiced By: Paul Frees): A supporting protagonist who would appear at the climax of the story to help stop Lashika's terror and make Christmas possible for Brightston again.

SOUNDTRACK

 * 1) The Brightest Christmas (Vocals: Olivia Newton-John)
 * 2) Let Love's Light Shine (Vocals: Mark Baker)
 * 3) Hopefulness (Vocals: Helen Reddy)
 * 4) Lil Tune (Vocals: John Faulkner)
 * 5) You Gotta Trip With Pride (Vocals: John Faulkner/Helen Reddy)
 * 6) It's My Fun Now (Vocals: Madeline Kahn/Paul Frees)
 * 7) Where's Their Miracle (Vocals: Mark Baker)
 * 8) A Christmas Light For You (Vocals: Helen Reddy/Mark Baker)
 * 9) The Brightest Christmas Credits Version (Vocals: Olivia Newton-John/Helen Reddy/Mark Baker/John Faulkner)

TRIVIA

 * This is the first Rankin Bass Christmas special with a storyline that was not based off any other piece of media.
 * This would be one of Madeline Kahn's first TV roles.
 * This is the first and only TV special to feature John Faulkner as well as one of only two TV roles to feature John Faulkner, the other would be Bagpuss a year later in 1974.
 * Some of the character models for the children would later be reused in their 1975 holiday special "The Story Of The First Christmas Snow".