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 / Uncle Travelling Matt (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 / Self (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 | electronic keyboard | the muppets | bass guitar | guitar | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end of "Deck the Halls", Big Bird says "I love carols". Big Bird was voiced by Caroll Spinney.

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Goofs

During the caroling medley, we can see a puppeteer's black sleeve operating a Muppaphone.

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Quotes

Emily 'Ma' Bear: There. Fozzie's stocking is hung by the mantle so Santa will bring him a present.
Fozzie Bear: Aw, Ma, this is embarrassing. I mean, I'm not a cub anymore, I'm a grown bear.
Emily 'Ma' Bear: Oh. Well, I'll take it down.
Fozzie Bear: Oh, no, I didn't say that.

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Alternate Versions

In the latest video release, the following scenes were deleted:

• A very funny joke scene between Fozzie and his snowman.
• Rowlf playing the piano when he first arrives at the farm house.
• Piggy singing "Home for the Holidays" when she's first brought to the farm house and slipping on the icy patch.
• Statler and Waldorf's" I Heard the Bells on Christmas" song.
• When the Muppets watch the film strip of themselves as the Muppet Babies, the cute scenes of them singing and the adults complimenting on it were cut and it goes right to Animal bursting through the screen.
• Mrs. Bear putting up Fozzie's stocking, Fozzie says he's too old for that stuff, but doesn't want her to take it down.
• During the medley at the end, Kermit and Piggy sing, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".

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Connections

References Muppet Babies (1984)

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Soundtracks

Here We Come A-Caroling
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by the Sesame Street Gang

User Reviews

Brilliant

The Muppet gang are off to Fozzie's mother's house in the country for Christmas, she plans on going to Malibu and has already rented the house to Doc and Sprocket from Fraggle Rock, when Fozzie and his pals show up they decide to make it work. Meanwhile, Miss Piggy has been caught in a huge snowstorm and can't make it. I liked the crossover between the Muppets and Fraggle Rock but then the Sesame Street gang turn up too, and they find an old film reel of them as babies, so we get a live action Muppet Babies bit too, and then Kermit and Robin discover an actual Fraggle Hole in the basement and venture in for the first ever meeting of Muppet and Fraggle. Eventually Piggy arrives, as does Santa.

There's so much going on in this Xmas Special, it's 48 minutes long but packs in loads into the running time and is never boring for a single second. The Swedish Chef even considers cooking Big Bird for Christmas Dinner.

I think I'll make this part of my annual tradition now. It's so much better than that lame movie with Jason Segel, and just as good as A Muppet Christmas Carol.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Muppet Family Christmas

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