Muppet Family Christmas: Official Talkback Forum

[wiley207]

Anybody remember "Muppet Family Christmas" from 1987. This is the place to talk about it.

 

[Telekinesis]

All I have to say is thank God for the internet. I don't know what I would do without a full copy of this. What I can't understand is why NBC would choose to air It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas instead of this. We don't even get to see Christmas Carol anymore around here, what a shame.

I think I read somewhere that Muppet Family Christmas will be on in Japan this year though. So that's good news for any readers over there. Are there any?

 

[wiley207]

Here are some lyrics I know for scenes:

Sesame cast intro

Kermit: It's the Sesame Street gang!
(everyone cheers)
Big Bird: Merry Christmas, everyone!
Other SS cast: MERRY CHRISTMAS!
(sung)
Big Bird: Deck the Halls with boughs of holly,
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Cookie Monster: Tis' the season to be jolly,
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Grover: Don we now our gay apparel,
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Natalie/Gladys: Join the ancient yuletide carol!
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Big Bird: Your turn, Ernie and Bert!
Ernie: See the blazing yule before us,
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Bert: Strike the harp and join the chorus!
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Oscar the Grouch: I will NOT sing this song!
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Count Von Count: While I count the yuletide treasure!
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Big Bird: Your turn, Herry Monster!
Herry: Fast away the old year passes,
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Guy Smiley: Hail the new year, lads and lasses!
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala!
Two Headed Monster(?): Sing we joyous, all together.
Other SS cast: Falalalala,lalalala! Deck the halls with bounds of holly, tis' the season to be jolly, Falalalala, falalalala, falalalala,lalaaaaaaalaaaaaaaalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
(Song ends)

(Film leader countdown (4) (3) 2, then piano intro)
Baby Piggy: You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry...
Floyd Pepper: It's Miss "Ham-heart" when she was just a little sausage roll!
Babies: ...is coming to town!
Baby Fozzie: AaaaaAAAAAAaaah! He's making a list, and checking it twice...
Mrs. Bear: You were still in diapers in those days!
Fozzie: MOOOOOm!
Babies: ...Claus is coming to town!
Baby Rowlf: He sees...
Offscreen Muppet: Hey, there's Rowlf when he was a real puppy!
Rowlf: Not so wee! I was paper-trained!
Baby Gonzo: He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake! Oh,
Gonzo: I was a little devil back then!
Babies: You'd better not pout, I'm telling you why.
Baby Piggy: Why?
Babies: Santa Claus is coming to townnnn!
(Baby Animal breaks out of a present.)
Kermit: Oh, Animal!
(Footsteps are heard, and then adult Animal rips a hole through the movie screen.)
Everyone except Animal: OH ANIMAL!
(Everyone cheers.)
Scooter: (shutting off projector) Yep, some things never change!


And remember when Doc dressed up as Santa Claus?

"Santa": (loud jolly Santa voice) Ho-ho-ho! Merry Christmas!
Everyone except "Santa": IT'S SANTA! (cheers)
"Santa": (Doc's voice) Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

[Whatever]

I want to KILL my family because they LOST my unedited edition of it. So I am getting an edited DVD for Christmas, sigh. It was hard to be too mad, though, watching my mother go through ALL of the tapes in the house. But I love it so much... even the Osh Kosh B'gosh commercials! sigh.

 

[Amazing Mumford]

Anybody remember "Muppet Family Christmas" from 1987. This is the place to talk about it.

My favorite part of the special is Swedish Chef's expanded role. He's just a hilarious character and Jim and Frank clearly went all out performing him here. His reaction to seeing Big Bird is priceless. Plus, he rarely got as much airtime on any of the other Muppet productions.

Also, they blended the Sesame and Fraggle characters in perfectly while still including most of the major classic Muppets. The new characters (the Snowman, the Turkey) even fit in w/o taking away from the established ones. The Christmas music is great too. This is easily my favorite Henson production of all time and I've already watched it a few times this holiday season.

 

[Oliver]

Can someone please post what segments have been cut from this special on the dvd release?

Thanks!

 

[Oliver]

Okay, I got my information from reviewers at Amazon, but I'd just like to know if there is any possibility that an un-edited version would be released to dvd anytime soon?

 

[Phillip]

All of your questions about the Muppet Family Christmas edits should be answered here...

http://www.muppetcentral.com/help/faq/collectibles.shtml#9

 

[Oliver]

All of your questions about the Muppet Family Christmas edits should be answered here...

http://www.muppetcentral.com/help/faq/collectibles.shtml#9

Thanks Philip, all were answered... except... whether or not an un-edited version will ever be released to R1 dvd in the near future?

Is it an issue of spending money to license songs for home video release, or is it that whoever owns the rights is refusing to allow the Henson Company to integrate the segments onto home video for whatever reason?

 

[Phillip]

I wouldn't expect to see an unedited version for a minimum of five years. The market is pretty saturated right now with people who have already bought Muppet Family Christmas. It's pretty unlikely really at least in the US. This has been an issue since Disney's first VHS release of the special almost ten years ago.

In my personal opinion, the issue is spending the money to acquire the music rights. There are just too many songs not included for it to be solely an issue of one rights holder holding out. Keep in mind, the responsibility belongs partially to Henson and also the video distributor (whether that's Disney or Columbia). The special may be released unedited (or close to it) some day in the US, but Henson needs to be in a more stable financial situation and have a distributor who sees the value in paying for the rights whatever they might cost.