SPECIAL SESAME STREET CHRISTMAS, A (TV)
Summary
A musical Christmas special starring characters from the children’s show “Sesame Street.”
It’s Christmas on Sesame Street, and everyone is getting into the festivities despite Oscar’s constant complaining. Big Bird and the rest of the crew present Leslie Uggams with a Christmas gift, a hat, but she doesn’t seem to like it. Big Bird is disappointed, as he picked out the gift himself, but Leslie points out that the gift is unimportant compared to the generosity which inspires it (“It’s the Thought that Counts”). Later, the snowplow comes and dumps mounds of snow on the sidewalk, so the residents call upon Barkly to help them shovel it off. Oscar continues to torment everyone, as he despises Christmas. Leslie tries to convince Oscar that Christmas is a special time, but he rebuffs her argument (“Christmas Blech”). Maria shows Leslie a stray kitten she found that morning, and explains that she bandaged its damaged leg. They decide to name the cat “Tiny Tim” and ask Oscar to give him some scraps, but Oscar recognizes the cat as one that took some fish out of his can the previous month, and refuses to help. He is disgusted with the various Christmas-related trash in his can (“The Six Days of Christmas”), and refuses to speak to them. Leslie realizes that Oscar is behaving in a Scrooge-like manner, and takes inspiration from that character in order to teach Oscar a lesson about Christmas.
Leslie confers with the others on Sesame Street, proposing that they costume themselves as ghosts in a similar fashion to “A Christmas Carol” in order to change Oscar’s behavior. Anne Murray arrives and Leslie attempts to rope her into the scheme; she arrives carrying a talking Santa doll supposedly given to her by Oscar. She sings a song for Big Bird (“You Needed Me”) and agrees to help Leslie with her plan. She appears before Oscar dressed in a costume incorporating the various Christmas trash he ejected from his can, and claims to be the Ghost of Christmas Past. She presents him with a “vision” of his past, featuring Leslie pushing around Oscar’s trash-can baby carriage (“Oscar Remember”), trying to convince him that he was once generous and kind, and loved Christmas. However, Oscar insists that he has always been the way he is, and offers a musical retort (“Yakety Yak”).
Early the next morning, Leslie views Oscar from afar (“That Face”) before Imogene Coca appears garbed as the Ghost of Christmas Present. She awakens the whole neighborhood to celebrate Christmas, much to Oscar’s ire. They celebrate without noticing Oscar’s presence (“Christmas Morning”), claiming that Oscar has “gone on the run.” Imogene’s efforts are wasted, as Oscar proves to be just as selfish and callous as before. Everyone’s mood sours when suddenly Ethel Merman arrives, and she encourages them not to give up so easily (“Tomorrow”). Michael Jackson gives Oscar a book on ghosts before Dick Smothers arrives as the Ghost of Christmas Future. He claims that in the future Oscar will eventually drive everyone to move out of Sesame Street, tired of his constant grouchiness. He also presents Oscar with a bell from Tiny Tim’s neck before he leaves, telling him that his friends want desperately to be able to believe in him. Tiny Tim suddenly appears before Oscar, and Oscar expresses genuine concern for him, even wishing him a merry Christmas. Leslie emerges with everyone else, satisfied that her plan was successful (“Just One Person”). Oscar begrudgingly wishes them a merry Christmas, and everyone sings a Christmas medley together. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: December 8, 1978 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:53
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 109072
- GENRE: Children's; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Children's; Specials
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1978
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bob Banner … Executive Producer
- Stephen Pouliot … Producer
- Jack Seifert … Associate Producer
- Russ Petranto … Director
- Tom Dunsmuir … Writer
- Larry Grossman … Music by
- Michael Gibson … Music by
- David Mathews … Music by
- Jim Tyler … Music by
- Christopher Cadman … Choreographer
- Caroll Spinney … Cast, Big Bird, Voice, Oscar the Grouch
- Leslie Uggams … Cast, Herself
- Ethel Merman … Cast, Herself
- Anne Murray … Cast, Herself
- Imogene Coca … Cast, Herself
- Dick Smothers … Cast, Himself
- Michael Jackson … Cast, Himself
- Henry Fonda … Cast, Himself
- Bob McGrath … Cast, Bob
- Northern Calloway … Cast, David
- Will Lee … Cast, Mr. Hooper
- Sonia Manzano … Cast, Maria
- Toby Towson … Cast, Barkly Dog