| Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas | |
|---|---|
 2008 DVD cover | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas byRussell Hoban andLillian Hoban Kermit the Frog byJim Henson |
| Written by | Jerry Juhl |
| Directed by | Jim Henson |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog |
| Theme music composer | Paul Williams |
| Country of origin | Canada United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jim Henson |
| Editor | Geoff Craigen (videotape editor) |
| Running time | 48 min. |
| Production company | Henson Associates |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBC (Canada) HBO (US) |
| Release | December 4, 1977 (1977-12-04) |
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977television special directed byJim Henson, based on the 1971children's book of the same name byRussell Hoban, itself inspired by "The Gift of the Magi" byO. Henry. The special features characters from Hoban's novel, in a teleplay adapted byJerry Juhl. The special features narration byKermit the Frog, who tells the story of Emmet Otter and his widowed Ma, a poor family ofotters who struggle to get Christmas presents for the other as a result of their financial situation. The special was produced byThe Jim Henson Company and first premiered onCBC Television on December 4, 1977.[1]
The special received positive reviews from critics and audiences, and would later be syndicated in the years that followed with airings onHBO in 1978 andABC in 1980.[2] In 2019, it was announced that a film remake ofEmmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas was in the works to be directed byBret McKenzie.[3]
In 1977,Muppets creatorJim Henson produced a one-hour television adaptation of the story video taped in Toronto. The special first premiered onCBC on December 4, 1977,[4][5] with a U.S. premiere the following year on the fledglingHBO on December 17, 1978.[6][7] The special later aired onABC andNickelodeon in the 1990s. The special features several original songs written by songwriterPaul 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 bymarionettes as well. It also utilizes thebunraku andBlack Theater techniques. This is also one of the first Muppet productions to use radio control puppet effects, designed byFaz Fazakas.
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas also featured extensively platformed-up sets, all created with great attention to detail. Jim Henson explained:
Emmet Otter was the first time we had gotten into those kind of elaborate sets where we had floors in the interiors and we would take a wide-angle shot with characters coming up through holes in the floor. Or we'd cut into the set and remove the floor and have the characters moving through space in waist shots. That was the most elaborate production we had gotten into at that point.Frog Prince had been platformed-up andThe Muppet Show was always platformed-up, but inEmmet Otter... we'd go rightinto a scene. We'd have the whole set in three dimensions... rigged so we could pop parts and come out through the openings, which is really time consuming...[8]
The original special featured an introduction byKermit 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) toThe Walt Disney Company in 2004 (namely their branch inThe 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.
Kermit the Frog is introducing the story of EmmetOtter when he is interrupted by the Riverbottom Gang, a group of hoodlums (made up of ChuckStoat, FredLizard, HowardSnake, "Pop-Eyed"Catfish, and StanleyWeasel), who insult him and steal his scarf. The scene then shifts to a river featuring Emmet and his widowed Ma, who scrape by on the small amount of money Ma gets from doing laundry and Emmet gets from doingodd jobs around their community in Frogtown Hollow. Emmet and Ma are kind to their neighbors, despite often being cheated out of what they deserve for the work they do. While window shopping in nearby Waterville, Ma and Emmet wistfully reflect on Pa's life, and his unsuccessfulsnake oil venture. As Christmas approaches, they each hear of a talent contest with a grand prize of $50, and separately decide to enter, so they can afford to surprise the other with a present: Ma, a fine guitar for Emmet, and Emmet, a piano for Ma. However, they must sacrifice each other's livelihood to be able to perform. Mahocks Emmet's tools for dress fabric while Emmet turns Ma's washtub into awashtub bass for ajug band, each convincing themselves it is what Pa would have done. Emmet assembles WendellPorcupine, HarveyBeaver, and CharlieMuskrat as the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band.
Emmet and Ma each perform well (despite Emmet's band having to frantically change songs after another contestant performs their song), only to be defeated by the last-minute entry of the Riverbottom Gang as a rock and roll band called The Nightmare. However, as Ma and Emmet's band walk home together, disappointed, Ma realizes their two songs could fit together, and as they sing, they are overheard by DocBullfrog, one of the talent show judges, who hires them to play regularly in his restaurant. Emmet and Ma decide they will be happier performing together than with the thankless work they had been doing before, and Kermit concludes the special with Emmet, Ma, and the gang playing in front of Doc and his customers.
The special features several original songs penned by songwriterPaul Williams.[9] Williams had previously worked with the Muppets onThe Muppet Show and collaborated with the Muppets by writing the songs forThe Muppet Movie andThe Muppet Christmas Carol. The song "Brothers in Our World" was later covered byMy Morning Jacket for the Muppets cover albumMuppets: The Green Album.
On November 2, 2018,Varese Sarabande Records released the soundtrack on CD and LP.
The special was released onCED videodisc in 1981, alongside "The Muppet Musicians of Bremen" as part of the "Tales from Muppetland" videodisc.[10]
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 remasteredThe Bells of Fraggle Rock onABC Family during its25 Days of Christmas programming block.[11] A 40th Anniversary DVD of the special was released bySony 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.[12]
In 2022, the special, with Kermit's introduction and ending but not his other narrations, was made available for streaming onPeacock.[13]
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas received very positive reviews from critics.John J. O'Connor gave the special a very positive review inThe 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 theWind in the Willows aspects of Emmet Otter's story... These really are the nicest folk on the river – and on prime-time television."[2] Review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of100% based on 8 reviews, with an average score of 8.4/10.[14]
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas was nominated for fourEmmy Awards in 1981:[15]
On October 21, 2019, it was announced thatBret McKenzie is writing the script and songs for a film adaptation of the TV special, which will be produced byThe Jim Henson Company, Pacific Electric Picture Company, and Snoot Entertainment.[3]
In December 2008, a musical stage adaptation of the TV special was performed at theGoodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. The adaptation was developed by Goodspeed Musicals andThe Jim Henson Company.[16]
