Now that Christmas Eve is upon us, I thought it would be nice to reflect on a time before there were 8 billion christmas/holiday specials that saturated our televisions to the point of nausea. Back before Tony Danza's Santa movie on TNT.... before an 'American Idol' Christmas.... even before the constantly beaten into the ground "It's A Wonderful Life" on every channel known to man. When I was a child, I remember one of the few specials that I would actually LOOK FORWARD to seeing--something unheard of in today's patheitc yuletide programming.
Way back in 1977, and then repeated throughout the early 80's, there was a live-action, muppet-style Christmas show called "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas." Produced by the genius that was Jim Henson, the show was nothing short of charm-filled perfection. In short, it told the story of a young otter (Emmett) and his mother, who struggle to get by in their little river community. One day, Emmett decides to enter a talent contest, hoping to win enough money to buy his mother a gift for Christmas. The catch? He'll have to put a hole in his mother's valuable washtub to create a suitable instrument.
At the same time, Emmett's mother also decides to enter this contest, unbeknownst to Emmet. She also hopes to win enough money to buy her son a 'real' Christmas gift. The problem is she would have to hock Emmett's indespensible tool chest to buy a dress in which to perform.
As this "O. Henry"-like tale winds on, the two decide to do whatever it takes to win this contest. The washtub is punctured, and the toolbox is sold. Both Emmett and his mother perform brilliantly in the contest, but are sadly upstaged by a loud, rude rock band who revel in the fact that they've outdone their poor competitors. Emmett, his freinds, and his mother trudge home in defeat, knowing they've lost basically all they had to enter this talent show.
However, as they are walking home, they begin to sing together in the Christmas night air. The owner of a nearby resturuant overhears the singing, and offers them all a job performing for him. In the end, it makes for a wonderful Christmas.
Is it sappy? Sure it is, but you won't give a damn. The special has one thing that every special since has lacked: heart. It presents a heartwarming little tale in an uncalculating manner that will no doubt please anyone who's watching it, no matter how old. The muppets are cute and great to watch, the voice work is--as usual in a Henson production--awesome, and the songs are unforgettable. Heck, I can even remember some of the tunes without much mental prodding.
Unfortunately, this show doesn't seem to air anymore on television. My guess is that television executives think it isn't "hip" enough to join the ranks of todays' network specials, and not "kitschy" enough to have the status of the animated classics from the 60's. Whatever the case may be, Emmett Otter is sorely missed from the holiday lineup every year, and this is just plain stupid.
Thankfully, "Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas" is available on DVD and VHS, and can be purchased at places like Amazon, etc. Thank goodness for Henson's company's decision to make this calssic available: it enables you to rectify television's mistake of not airing it. Do yourself a favor, check this little holdiay tale out--I'd be shocked if it doesn't tug at your heart strings, and make you feel like a kid again.
If it doesn't, then you obviously have no heart. In that case, feel free to watch Ruben Studdard and his 'Idol' cronies belt out a set of lifeless renditions of Christmas classics. Yay.
You can check out "Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas" at Amazon by clicking here.
