With a new Muppet flick in theaters (with no Christmas theme, sadly) I figured it would be a good idea to look at all the felt & Feliz Navidad combos I have seen.
Here they are in no particular order:
The Great Santa Claus Switch: OK, I know I said that this was in no order, but it still seems appropriate to start with the original one. Way back in 1970 Ed Sullivan hosted a TV special with The Muppets. The story involved Art Carney as Santa and marked the debut of Gonzo.
The Muppets Christmas Carol: This film appeared in theaters at some point. I don't remember what year, but I remember it was the same year as "The Bodyguard" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula". I remember that because I asked for a ticket for "Bram Stoker's Muppet Bodyguard" when I went to see it. Yeah, no one laughed then either.
Elmo's Christmas Countdown: This one is pretty recent. Features Ben Stiller as a puppet.
Muppet Family Christmas: An absurd amount of Muppets convene at Fozzie's mom's house. This includes Sesame Street characters and Fraggles. Its a blast.
Muppets: Letters to Santa: This 2008 special follows Gonzo, Fozzie, Kermit, Rizzo & Pepe as they travel to the North Pole to deliver Santa his mail. Along the way they deal with the annoyances of airport security & Paul Williams.
Elmo's World Happy Holidays: This video release features Kelly Ripa as a mail man... uh... female man? I don't remember much about it except that they showed a Kwanza party that had some mac & cheese that looked so good I paused the tape to heat up some Easy Mac.
Oh yeah, they also tell the story of the birth of Jesus with Bert playing Joesph.
Holidays From The Ed Sullivan Show: This barely counts, but this Bob Newhart hosted showcase of Christmas themed Ed Sullivan clips features Muppets on the cover and a segment with The Muppets as they sing a tune from Muppet Christmas Carol.
A Sesame Street Christmas Carol: Oscar plays Scrooge. Some CGI Muppets are in this one.
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie: I love this one! It basically rips off "It's A Wonderful Life" and features a weird Croc Hunter parody. Plus Pepe, tries to sleep with Joan Cusack. Yeah, its that awesome.
The Christmas Toy: This one is hosted by Kermit and features a host of new characters in a story that Pixar later ripped off for "Toy Story". Seriously.
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street: Classic Sesame Street special that has Big Bird waiting up to see if Santa can visit homes that have no chimney. Then Cookie Monster eats the Christmas tree.
A Special Sesame Street Christmas: This was released the SAME year as Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. It featured just a few Muppets and Michael Jackson.
Elmo Saves Christmas: This one has Elmo wishing it was Christmas every day. Santa is played by Charles Durning who also played Doc Hopper.
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas: A great special that would take too long to explain. Google it. Then Google Gulf of Tonkin... and Otunga.
John Denver & The Muppets, A Christmas Together: Last on this list, John Denver & The Muppets was complimented by a more popular album of Christmas tunes. It features "Christmas Wish" which is my personal favorite Christmas song. It also features John Denver as a wooden soldier.
