Clickable Advent Calendar, 17: A Muppets Christmas

The Muppets have always been all over Christmas. Some of the Jim Henson holiday specials include  the “Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas” from 1977; “John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together” from 1979 (hey, we had that album), The Muppet Christmas Carol theatrical film (with Michael Caine as Scrooge) from 1992; and one of my favorites, It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (with Joan Cusack as the villain) from 2002. “A Muppet Family Christmas” from 1987 deserves note as the only special to feature “crossover” appearances from the four major Muppet franchises: “Sesame Street,” “The Muppet Show,” “Fraggle Rock” and (ugh) “Muppet Babies.” Incidentally, you can check out some of Jim Henson’s actual puppets at an exhibit currently running at Center for Puppetry Arts.

Just when you start wondering if there’s maybe some other holiday the Muppets could pile on, a new holiday special airs tonight, Dec. 17 on NBC. A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa features appearances from “The Sopranos” Tony Sirico and Steve Schirripa, “30 Rock’s” Jane Krakowski and  Uma Thurman, among others. There’s a clip edited to show the Muppets rocking out to the Beatles-esque “Glad All Over” performed the Dave Clark Five, which has presumably has nothing to do with Christmas and may not even be in the special. Still fun, though:

Judging from this clip, “A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa” also includes my favorite of the “new generation” puppets, Pepe the King Prawn, whom you can check out singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” with talk show host Craig Ferguson.