Home  •  About  •  Contact  •  Twitter  •  Google+  •  Facebook  •  Tumblr  •  Youtube  •  RSS Feed
A Muppet Family Christmas

A Muppet Family Christmas

By Patrick Samuel • December 18th, 2012
Static Mass Rating: 5/5
A MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS (TV SPECIAL)
ABC / Jim Henson Home Entertainment

Release date: December 16th, 1987
Running time: 49 minutes

Directors: Peter Harris, Eric Till
Writer: Jerry Juhl

Cast: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Rizzo the Rat, Big Bird, Ernie & Bert, The Fraggles

A Muppet Family Christmas

You might wonder why it is I’m so in love with these Christmas movies and television specials. The truth is, they represent everything I love about this time of year; where Christmas is an event shared with friends and family, where decorating a tree is a joyous occasion, where cards are exchanged, songs are sung and presents are unwrapped. A big part of that fun each year are these movies and shows that have an amazing ability to tap into those things we hold dear in our hearts. Among them is this 1987 television special, A Muppet Family Christmas.

I’ve watched it every year since it was first aired and it never fails to capture my imagination with its heart-warming, super silly, furry fun. At the start we find the gang packed into a truck and are making their way to Fozzie’s mom’s house for the holidays. Kermit’s worried they should’ve told her first they were coming, but Fozzie insists his mom is most likely sitting at home in her rocking chair beside the tree and will be glad to see them all. What he doesn’t know is that she’s getting ready for a trip to Malibu and is about to rent her house to Doc and Sprocket from Fraggle Rock!

When the gang arrive, mom changes her plans, greets all of her new house guests warmly and decides to stay at home. Meanwhile Doc has to get used to the idea this might not be the quiet Christmas he hoped for. As they settle in, Fozzie’s excited about his comedy act with a snowman for the Christmas show the Muppets are going to perform for each other. The Swedish chef has some problems with the turkey but his eyes very nearly pop out when he sees Big Bird arrive from Sesame Street. Ernie and Bert strike up a conversation with Doc about the alphabet while Oscar the grouch and Rizzo the rat decide to share a trash can together as the house gets more and more crowded.

A Muppet Family Christmas

In the midst of all if this is a very worried Kermit. With a blizzard raging outside, there’s still one Muppet missing. Miss Piggy’s making her way from a photo shoot in New York and despite the treacherous journey she faces she’s her usual optimistic and determined self, knowing nothing will keep her from her frog.

Seeing how much better his Christmas is going to be with them all there, Doc offers to go out and look for her and bring her back safely. It all works out OK in the end with Piggy making a grand entrance – the thing she does best of all. Along the way there are a lot of Christmas songs including Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Bells, Here We Come A-Caroling, Deck the Halls, We’ll Be Together on Christmas, I’ll Be Home For Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and they contribute to making A Muppet Family Christmas everything its title promises.

It’s a show that makes this time of year feel all the more special. There’s so much warmth and fun here. It feels like this is how Christmas should be and it’s absolutely perfect in every way, even if it does leave me wondering how on earth the Fraggles could also be living under Fozzie’s mom’s house – as well as Doc’s!

A Muppet Family Christmas

Patrick Samuel

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

© 2022 STATIC MASS EMPORIUM . All Rights Reserved. Powered by METATEMPUS | creative.timeless.personal.   |   DISCLAIMER, TERMS & CONDITIONS

HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT | TWITTER | GOOGLE+ | FACEBOOK | TUMBLR | YOUTUBE | RSS FEED

CINEMA REVIEWS | BLU-RAY & DVD | THE EMPORIUM | DOCUMENTARIES | WORLD CINEMA | CULT MOVIES | INDIAN CINEMA | EARLY CINEMA

MOVIE CLASSICS | DECONSTRUCTING CINEMA | SOUNDTRACKS | INTERVIEWS | THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR | JAPANESE CINEMA