A Special Sesame Street Christmas
Encyclopedia
A Special Sesame Street Christmas was a low-budget 1978 CBS
Christmas special, made the same year as the legendary and still popular Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
. The special was first broadcast on Friday, December 8, 1978 at 8 PM ET on CBS, pre-empting Wonder Woman
that week.
The special features only three of the Sesame Street
Muppets: Oscar
, Big Bird
, and Barkley. Barkley is played by gymnast Toby Towson
. The Barkley used for the special was a different puppet than the one used for the series, making Barkley gigantic and rather intimidating five feet tall, or higher, at times in the special. Mr. Hooper
, David, Bob, and Maria are the only humans from the regular cast to make appearances.
Instead, the regulars are replaced by a large, somewhat all-star cast.
The special features many plot elements that are very loosely tied together, the most major being Oscar as the "Scrooge" on Sesame Street, as a minor takeoff on A Christmas Carol
. They include Leslie Uggams
thinking lemonade
was hot cocoa, singer Anne Murray
and a magic eggnog container, Oscar adopting a kitten with a broken leg who was never seen again on the television series (which is out of character for Oscar, even on Christmas), and Ethel Merman
calling Imogene Coca
an idiot. Also appearing is Dick Smothers
(only one half of The Smothers Brothers was hired for the special), Henry Fonda
and Michael Jackson
.
Due to the utter lack of purpose to this special, none of these stars have ever shown up on Sesame Street as guests, possibly fearing a repeat of this fiasco. Merman had already appeared on The Muppet Show
two years before the making of this special.
It was more than likely that the least fondly remembered of Sesame Street specials was mainly produced for CBS not by the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop
), but by Bob Banner Associates, notable for Perry Como
's Christmas specials. The producers paid CTW for the use of the set, some of the adult characters, Big Bird and Oscar, with everything else, including the script and the Barkley costume, provided by staffers hired by Bob Banner.
However, some credit has been given to this special. It was nominated in the 31st Annual Emmy Awards (1979) under the category of Outstanding Children's Program, losing to Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
.
The special has not yet been released on home video or DVD, presumably due to music rights issues.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
Christmas special, made the same year as the legendary and still popular Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street is a Sesame Street Christmas special first broadcast on PBS on December 3, 1978.-Plot:The opening features the inhabitants of Sesame Street enjoying an ice skating party. Big Bird has trouble skating, but a child gives him a hand, and he ends up skating very well...
. The special was first broadcast on Friday, December 8, 1978 at 8 PM ET on CBS, pre-empting Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (TV series)
Wonder Woman is an American television series based on the DC Comics comic book superhero of the same name. Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and Lyle Waggoner as Steve Trevor, the show originally aired from 1975 to 1979....
that week.
The special features only three of the Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
Muppets: Oscar
Oscar the Grouch
Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street. He has a green body , has no nose , and lives in a trash can. His favorite thing in life is trash; evidence for this is the song "I Love Trash". A running theme is his compulsive hoarding of seemingly useless items...
, Big Bird
Big Bird
Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
, and Barkley. Barkley is played by gymnast Toby Towson
Toby Towson
Toby Towson is a gymnast and dancer. He performed Sesame Street Muppet dog Barkley in its debut appearances, in A Special Sesame Street Christmas and season 10....
. The Barkley used for the special was a different puppet than the one used for the series, making Barkley gigantic and rather intimidating five feet tall, or higher, at times in the special. Mr. Hooper
Mr. Hooper
Harold Hooper was a character on Sesame Street, played by Will Lee, who was the original proprietor of Mr. Hooper's Store, which still retains his name.-Biography:...
, David, Bob, and Maria are the only humans from the regular cast to make appearances.
Instead, the regulars are replaced by a large, somewhat all-star cast.
The special features many plot elements that are very loosely tied together, the most major being Oscar as the "Scrooge" on Sesame Street, as a minor takeoff on A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
. They include Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for her work in Hallelujah, Baby! She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.-Singing:...
thinking lemonade
Lemonade
Lemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
was hot cocoa, singer Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
and a magic eggnog container, Oscar adopting a kitten with a broken leg who was never seen again on the television series (which is out of character for Oscar, even on Christmas), and Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
calling Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
an idiot. Also appearing is Dick Smothers
Dick Smothers
Richard Remick "Dick" Smothers is an American actor, comedian, composer and musician. He is best known for being half of the musical comedy team, the Smothers Brothers, with his older brother Tom.-Life and career:...
(only one half of The Smothers Brothers was hired for the special), Henry Fonda
Henry Fonda
Henry Jaynes Fonda was an American film and stage actor.Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor. He also appeared in 1938 in plays performed in White Plains, New York, with Joan Tompkins...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
.
Due to the utter lack of purpose to this special, none of these stars have ever shown up on Sesame Street as guests, possibly fearing a repeat of this fiasco. Merman had already appeared on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
two years before the making of this special.
It was more than likely that the least fondly remembered of Sesame Street specials was mainly produced for CBS not by the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...
), but by Bob Banner Associates, notable for Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
's Christmas specials. The producers paid CTW for the use of the set, some of the adult characters, Big Bird and Oscar, with everything else, including the script and the Barkley costume, provided by staffers hired by Bob Banner.
However, some credit has been given to this special. It was nominated in the 31st Annual Emmy Awards (1979) under the category of Outstanding Children's Program, losing to Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street is a Sesame Street Christmas special first broadcast on PBS on December 3, 1978.-Plot:The opening features the inhabitants of Sesame Street enjoying an ice skating party. Big Bird has trouble skating, but a child gives him a hand, and he ends up skating very well...
.
The special has not yet been released on home video or DVD, presumably due to music rights issues.
External links
- A Blue Christmas Tough Pigs review of this disastrous holiday special.
- A Muppety Christmas Overview of the special. Site also includes many other specials, movies, videos, albums and assorted cards and ornaments.
- Internet Movie Database entry