A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)

Kermit and his friends spend Christmas staging a surprise visit to Fozzie Bear's mother's farm.

Directors:

Peter Harris, Eric Till (uncredited)

Writer:

Jerry Juhl

Stars:

Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Frank Oz	...	Fozzie Bear / Animal / Miss Piggy / Bert / Grover / Cookie Monster / Sam the Eagle (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	The Great Gonzo / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Boober Fraggle / Zoot / Beauregard (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Janice / Statler / Beaker / Gladys the Cow / Two-Headed Monster / Snowman (voice)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Mokey Fraggle (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Emily 'Ma' Bear / Robin the Frog / Sgt. Floyd Pepper / Count von Count / Herry Monster / Two-Headed Monster / Gobo Fraggle / Camilla the Chicken (voice)
Karen Prell	...	Red Fraggle / Maureen the Mink (voice)
Steve Whitmire	...	Turkey / Rizzo the Rat / Wembley Fraggle / Sprocket the Dog / Lips (voice)
David Rudman	...	Miss Piggy's Photographer (voice)
Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Rowlf the Dog / Dr. Teeth / Swedish Chef / Waldorf / Ernie / Guy Smiley / The Newsman / Himself (voice)
Caroll Spinney	...	Big Bird / Oscar the Grouch (voice)
Gerard Parkes	...	Doc (as Gerry Parks)

Storyline

When Fozzie and the Muppet Show gang drop in unexpectedly on Fozzie's mother, she is forced to cancel her winter vacation plans and entertain them all. Soon the Sesame Street gang comes by as carolers, and then Kermit and his nephew Robin discover a Fraggle Rock hole in the basement. A snow storm blows in, stranding everyone at the house, except for Miss Piggy, who arrives just in time for all the Muppets to celebrate Christmas together.

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Plot Keywords:

bandleader | bassist | electronic keyboard | tv special | the muppets | 

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Taglines:

It's a merry Muppet Christmas with Fozzie and Friends!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Henson.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Muppets feiern Weihnacht

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Henson Associates (HA),The Jim Henson Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

47 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second known Muppet production to feature The Muppets associated with all four of the major Muppet franchises - The Muppet Show (1976), Sesame Street (1969), Fraggle Rock (1983), and Muppet Babies (1984) (as puppets here) - the first being The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986).

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Goofs

In most wide shots during the caroling medley, Janice can be seen sitting near a stairway at the end of the room, but there are a few shots where she is next to Floyd Pepper, who is always behind the couch during the carols.

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Quotes

Snowman: But it's always cold at Christmas.
Fozzie Bear: Ah, Christmas. Time for Santa Claus and his eight prancing rein-bear.
Snowman: That's reindeer.
Fozzie Bear: No, that's SNOW, DARLING!

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Alternate Versions

A brief segment where Fozzie and Elmo light the Christmas tree only appears in the original 1987 version.

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Connections

Featured in Phelous & the Movies: Jack Phroest 2 (2011)

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Soundtracks

Deck the Halls
(uncredited)
Traditional tune, lyrics by Thomas Oliphant
Performed by the Sesame Street Gang

User Reviews

The Muppetiest Christmas You Could Ever Ask For

This is probably my favorite Christmas special of all time, and I never even saw it as a kid. I have a weakness for the Muppets, and this special literally just hits you with all the muppety goodness you could ever ask for. The crossovers with Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock are so well done, and the little relationships they build with the characters (Oscar and Rizzo, Big Bird and Swedish Chef, Animal and Cookie Monster, Kermit and Doc) are just so sweet and funny and incredibly heartwarming. That's the best word to sum the whole thing up- heartwarming. The music is wonderful, the jokes are actually kind of hilarious (the scene with Fozzie and the Snowman is INCREDIBLE), and it's just a lot of fun. My favorite bit in the whole thing has got to be the scene with Ernie and Bert and Doc ("where we're from, this is small talk), and the whole plot line with Miss Piggy trying to get to the farmhouse and her big entrance at the end is so CLASSIC Piggy, and that cameo at the end has me in tears every single time. I can't ever not watch this special, as it's the biggest and best crossover the Jim Henson Company ever did, and it's just DRIPPING in Christmas magic. I absolutely love this special, and I highly recommend it. 9.5/10