Christmas with the Muppets, by Reed Lackey

I took a poll recently among my friends to discover what was their favorite adaptation of Charles Dickens’s immortal classic short novel A Christmas Carol. The polling group was no more than twenty people, but the votes yielded a nearly unanimous result. The landslide winner was Brian Henson’s The Muppet Christmas Carol.

No, that wasn’t a typo. Everyone knows that The Muppets belong forever to the brilliant heart and mind of Jim Henson. However, at the time that Muppet Christmas Carol was made, Henson had sadly just passed away and his son Brian directed the film. It ultimately became not only one of the most beloved and popular adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic, but a love letter to the life and legacy of Jim as well.

That small poll made me reflect on more than just that wonderful classic by the Henson gang. I also recall two other little gems you may never have heard about. They’re somewhat difficult to find on DVD, but YouTube has both of them in their full versions for free viewing as of this writing. I’m referring to Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas from 1977 and A Muppet Family Christmas from 1987.

Both gems are under an hour and you’d be giving yourself a tremendous present to seek them out this holiday season. Each of them are also so simple and brief that to discuss them too deeply would spoil the enjoyment of discovering them, so I’ll restrain myself.

In Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, a loose homage to the idea originally explored in O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi, Emmet Otter and his mother each enter a Christmas music competition in the hopes that the grand prize will provide them with the means to make Christmas special for the other one. It is a tender and lovely portrayal of sacrifice, hope, and love that was actually crafted partially as a practice run for what Jim Henson wanted to do with The Muppet Movie. Just try not to tear up during Ma Otter’s song, or to tap your toe during the performance of the Riverbottom Nightmare Band.

Along similar themes of family and togetherness is A Muppet Family Christmas, where nearly every possible Muppet character you can think of from Sesame Street to Fraggle Rock converge at the home of Fozzie Bear’s mother to celebrate the holiday. The joy and laughter are abundant, but the only problem is that Miss Piggy has not yet arrived and a blizzard threatens to prevent her from reaching the family at all. Full of humorous one-liners, catchy songs, moments of tenderness and poignancy, and my favorite cameo in any Muppet story ever during its final moments, A Muppet Family Christmas is an essential delight for any fan and a great introduction for people who haven’t yet caught onto what makes the Muppet family so special. (Note, please don’t confuse this with the more recent, lower quality Christmas editions of the Muppets gang. This version was made for TV in 1987.)

There’s no specific, profound lesson I have to unpack for you with these recommendations. I merely wanted to take a few moments this Christmas season to point your attentions towards the brilliance of Jim Henson, whose “friends” have brought so much delight and warmth into people’s lives for nearly 40 years. If you’ve somehow managed to miss any of the three stories I’ve referenced here, please seek them out. I can almost guarantee it will make your holiday a bit more merry and bright.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.