Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (TV program)

''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban. The special features an ensemble cast of Henson's Muppet characters as well as characters from Hoban's novel, in a teleplay adapted by Jerry Juhl. The special features narration by Kermit the Frog, who tells the story of Emmet Otter and his widowed Ma, a poor family of otters who struggle to get Christmas presents for the other as a result of their financial situation. The special was produced by The Jim Henson Company and first premiered on CBC Television on December 4, 1977.

The special received positive reviews from critics and audiences, and would later be syndicated in the years that followed with airings on HBO in 1978, and ABC in 1980. In 2019, it was announced that a film remake of ''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' was in the works to be directed by Bret McKenzie.

Production

In 1977, Muppets creator Jim Henson produced a one-hour television adaptation of the story filmed in Toronto. The special first premiered on CBC on December 4, 1977 with a U.S. premiere the following year on HBO on December 17, 1978. The special later aired on ABC and Nickelodeon in the 1990s. The special features several original songs written by songwriter Paul Williams.

The special utilizes a number of different puppetry methods. The main puppets used are the usual Muppet hand puppets, but the characters are frequently represented by marionettes as well. It also utilizes the bunraku and Black Theater techniques. This is also one of the first Muppet productions to use radio control puppet effects, designed by Faz Fazakas.

''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' also featured extensively platformed-up sets, all created with great attention to detail. Jim Henson explained:

The original special featured an introduction by Kermit the Frog, who also narrated certain scenes (in the 1978 release), and made an appearance near the end delivering closing remarks. The Jim Henson Company sold the rights to the Muppets (including Kermit) to The Walt Disney Company in 2004 (namely their branch in The Muppets Studio), and Kermit's scenes and narrations were thus omitted from the special's 2005 DVD.

The 2018 releases of the special on Blu-ray and DVD reinstate Kermit's scenes, but not his narrations.

Plot

Following an introduction by Kermit the Frog, the story tells of Emmet Otter and his Ma, a widow who scrapes by on the small amount of money she gets from doing laundry and that Emmet gets from doing odd jobs around their home in the town of Frogtown Hollow despite both of them often being cheated. Some of the people who cheated them are Old Lady Possum and Gretchen Fox (the wife of Mayor Harrison Fox) of Waterville. While going into Waterville for some window shopping, Ma and Emmett reflect on Emmett's father's life, including his unsuccessful attempt at selling snake oil. As Christmas approaches, they hear of a talent contest in the nearby town of Waterville with a grand prize of $50, and separately decide to enter to buy store-bought presents for each other: an elaborate guitar for Emmet or a piano for Ma. However, in a twist on " The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, they must sacrifice each other's livelihood for the talent contest. Ma hocks Emmet's tools for dress fabric while Emmet turns Ma's washtub into a washtub bass for a jug band. Emmet assembles Wendell Porcupine, Harvey Beaver, and Charlie Muskrat as the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band.

Emmet and Ma each do an excellent job (despite Emmet's jug band having to frantically change songs after another contestant performs their song), only to be defeated at the last minute by a rock and roll band called The Nightmare, which comprises a hoodlum gang from the fairly distant town of River Bottom made up of Chuck Stoat, Fred Lizard, Howard Snake, "Pop-Eyed" Catfish, and Stanley Weasel. However, as the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band sing a song together on the way home (more accurately, both of their talent show songs together after Ma realized they fit together), they are overheard by Doc Bullfrog (owner of a local restaurant called the Riverside Rest) who hires them to sing for his customers. Kermit concludes the special with Emmet, Ma, and the gang playing in front of Doc Bullfrog and the customers.

Muppet performers

* Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Harvey Beaver, Howard Snake and Mayor Harrison Fox
* Frank Oz as the performer of Alice Otter and the voice and performer of Chuck Stoat
* Jerry Nelson as Emmet Otter, Doc Bullfrog, Melissa Rabbit, Stanley Weasel and Yancey Woodchuck
* Richard Hunt as Charlie Muskrat, Fred Lizard and George Rabbit
* Dave Goelz as "Pop-Eyed" Catfish, Wendell Porcupine and Will Possum
* Eren Ozker as Gretchen Fox, Hetty Muskrat, Mrs. Mink and Old Lady Possum
* Marilyn Sokol as the voice of Alice Otter

Songs

The special features several original songs penned by songwriter Paul Williams. Williams had previously worked with the Muppets on ''The Muppet Show'' and collaborated with the Muppets by writing the songs for '' The Muppet Movie'' and '' The Muppet Christmas Carol''. The song "Brothers in Our World" was later covered by My Morning Jacket for the Muppets cover album '' Muppets: The Green Album''.

:List of songs
:* "The Bathing Suit That Grandma Otter Wore"
:* "There Ain't No Hole in the Washtub"
:* " When the River Meets the Sea"
:* "Bar-B-Que"
:* "Our World"
:* "Brothers"
:* "Riverbottom Nightmare Band"
:* "Brothers in Our World"

On November 2, 2018, Varese Sarabande Records released the soundtrack on CD and LP on November 23, 2018.
#"The Bathing Suit That Grandma Wore" – 2:43
#"Jam Session – 1:07
#"Ain't No Hole in the Washtub – 2:11
#"When the River Meets the Sea – 2:30
#"Bar-B-Que (Jug Band) – 1:39
#"Carrots the Dancing Horse – 0:51
#"Bar-B-Que (Yancy Woodchuck) – 0:36
#"Dancing Rabbit Act – 0:44
#"Squirrel Acrobatic Act – 0:39
#"Our World – 1:51
#"Brothers – 2:03
#"Riverbottom Nightmare Band – 2:42
#"Our World-Brothers – 2:13
#"Our World-Brothers Club Reprise – 0:50
#"When the River Meets the Sea Reprise – 2:32
#"Born in a Trunk – 1:09 (Bonus Track)

Releases

In 2005, HIT Entertainment released a "Collector's Edition" DVD which featured several deleted or alternate scenes, as well as a "lost" song that was recorded, but never actually used in the special. Called "I Was Born in the Trunk", the song was written for the talent show scene and was performed by the Waterville music store owner. Due to the sale of the Muppets to Disney a year earlier, Kermit's scenes and narrations were omitted from this release.

On Saturday, December 12, 2015, a remastered version of the special's 1980 release had its cable channel debut alongside remastered '' The Bells of Fraggle Rock'' on ABC Family during its ''25 Days of Christmas'' programming block. A 40th Anniversary DVD of the special was released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on October 10, 2017, followed by a Blu-ray release on December 18, 2018. For the 2015 airing, as well as the subsequent DVD and Blu-ray releases, Kermit's introduction and closing scenes were restored.

In 2017, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the special, musician Matt Surowiec produced an officially licensed "tribute" album featuring all-new covers of Paul Williams' original songs from the special.

In 2022, the special, with Kermit's introduction and ending but not his other narrations, was made available for streaming on Peacock.

Reception

''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' received very positive reviews from critics. John J. O'Connor gave the special a very positive review in '' The New York Times'' on December 15, 1980 for its ABC airing: "Jim Henson and the Muppets are on a dazzling winning streak these days... Mr. Henson has produced and directed one of the most charming Christmas specials of the last several years... Once again, Mr. Henson's creations verge on the marvelous, perfectly capturing the ''Wind in the Willows'' aspects of Emmet Otter's story... These really are the nicest folk on the river – and on prime-time television." Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 100% based on 8 reviews, with an average score of 8.4/10.

Awards

''Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas'' was nominated for four Emmy Awards in 1981:
* Outstanding Children's Program, David Lazer (executive producer) and Jim Henson (producer)
* Outstanding Individual Achievement – Children's Programming, Calista Hendrickson (costume designer) and Sherry Ammott (costume designer)
* Outstanding Individual Achievement – Children's Programming, Paul Williams (composer/lyricist) for the song "When The River Meets the Sea".
* Outstanding Individual Achievement – Children's Programming, Tom Wright (lighting)

Later appearances

* Emmet Otter, Alice Otter, Mayor Harrison Fox, Gretchen Fox, Doc Bullfrog, Yancy Woodchuck, Will Possum, Fred Lizard, Stanley Weasel, Chuck Stoat, Howard Snake, Charlie Muskrat, Harvey Beaver, and Wendell Porcupine, George and Melissa Rabbit, two squirrels, and Old Lady Possum made cameos in '' The Muppet Movie''. They are seen in the Rainbow Connection Finale.
* Some of the puppets made cameos in '' The Muppet Show'':
** Mayor Harrison Fox's puppet was reused in several episodes that included the Woodland Animals including the " Bob Hope" episode (where he was in the "For What It's Worth Number" with unclothed versions of Old Lady Possum, James Badger, Will Possum, George Rabbit, and Nat Muskrat alongside a deer, a mouse, a toothless beaver, and a weasel), the " Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge" episode (where he alongside James Badger, Nat Muskrat, and Will Possum were repurposed for the "We're All Alone" song that also featured Billy the Bear, a Deer, a Beaver, and a Weasel), and the " Leo Sayer" episode (where he was featured in the "When I Need You" number with Billy the Bear, Mickey Moose, Harold Woodpecker, a beaver, a weasel, James Badger, and Crazy Harry).
** Fred Lizard was seen in the "Shields & Yarnell" and the "Dyan Cannon" episode.
* Emmet Otter, Alice Otter, Mayor Harrison Fox, Gretchen Fox, and Wendell Porcupine appeared in '' The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years''.
* Doc Bullfrog, Yancy Woodchuck, Old Lady Possum, George and Melissa Rabbit, and two squirrels appeared in the "Jim Henson's Musical World" concert at Carnegie Hall.

Film adaptation

On October 21, 2019, it was announced that Bret McKenzie is writing the script and songs for a film adaptation of the TV special, which will be produced by The Jim Henson Company, Pacific Electric Picture Company, and Snoot Entertainment.

See also

* List of Christmas films

References

External links

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''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas''
at Muppet Wiki

''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band'' fan site

{{Jim Henson films

Christmas television specials
The Muppets television specials
The Jim Henson Company films
HBO network specials
Television shows directed by Jim Henson
1970s musical films
1977 television specials
Television shows written by Jerry Juhl
Films about otters
American Christmas television specials