A Muppet Family Christmas

"Aren't they adorable?"
"Hey, don't encourage them!"

The Muppet gang decide to surprise Fozzie Bear's (Oz) mother, Emily (Nelson), and spend Christmas at her farm.  Meanwhile, at the farm, Emily Bear is getting ready to leave for a week at the beach, and meeting Doc Christian (Gerard Parkes) and his dog Sprocket (Steve Whitmire) who are renting the farmhouse for a "nice, quiet Christmas."  But plans change when the Muppets arrive and take over the house.

"Excuse me! You promised me a nice, quiet Christmas."

"You think you're disappointed? I just took three months of surfing lessons for zip."

They are soon joined by their friends from Sesame Street.  With reports of a major blizzard on the way everyone gets comfortable in the warm farmhouse... but Miss Piggy (Oz) is still in the city with other commitments and determined to spend Christmas with her friends.  Will she make it to the farmhouse or get stuck in the city / on the way.


A sweet, family Christmas story from the Muppets.  This TV movie emphasizes the importance of family, especially spending time with family at Christmas.  My grandparents had a tape of this film and we used to watch it every Christmas.  I haven't seen it for years, and looked everywhere for it.  Thankfully the entire movie (all 42 glorious minutes) are available on YouTube, so I decided to see if I would still love it after all these years.

That's the great thing about the Muppets, or at least the old Muppet movies.  You love them as a child, and years later you are still entertained as an adult.  I love that this movie featured all the characters from Jim Henson's four TV shows: The Muppet Show, Muppet Babies (as puppets), Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock.  It really is the WHOLE family getting together for the holidays.  They sing lots of Christmas carols and have a new Christmas song, the Fraggles sing about their holiday tradition with the song "Pass It On."  My favorite song is Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem singing "Jingle Bell Rock," which is my favorite version of the song.

If you are a Muppet fan, and have the opportunity, definitely look for this film.  They certainly don't make Christmas specials like this anymore.  Also, watch for a Jim Henson cameo towards the end.

A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) 42 minutes
Director: Peter Harris & Eric Till
Starring: Jim Henson as Kermit / Rowlf / Swedish Chef (et al)
Frank Oz as Fozzie / Animal / Miss Piggy (et al)
Dave Goelz as Gonzo (et al)
Jerry Juhl as Scooter (et al)
Jerry Nelson as Emily Bear / Robin (et al)