Elmo Saves Christmas (special)

Elmo Saves Christmas is a Sesame Street Christmas special which originally aired on PBS in 1996, and was released to VHS that same year. It was released on DVD in 1997.

Plot
Everyone on Sesame Street is preparing for the holidays on Christmas Eve. Elmo plans to stay up all night on Christmas Eve to see Santa Claus descend from the chimney. He falls asleep, but is awakened when Santa is stuck. Elmo nobly pulls Santa out, where they discern the cause of the extra mass -- a stowaway reindeer-in-training named Lightning. In gratitude, Santa offers Elmo a gift: a pink bear, or a magical snowglobe. He wants the pink bear at first, but then chooses the latter when Santa mentions the snowglobe will grant him three wishes, and Lightning recommends it. To test it, Elmo uses his first wish to obtain a glass of water. Santa tells him he could wish for anything, but to not waste the rest.

On Christmas Day, the excitement, joy, and happiness everyone experiences inspires Elmo, and he wishes that Christmas was every day. At first, everyone is thrilled about it being Christmas again, thanks to a news report given by Kermit the Frog. Elmo thinks it's a wonderful wish, until Santa thinks otherwise and returns to convince Elmo otherwise, he gives Lightning to him and instructs them to visit the future and see how Christmas every day is a terrible idea. Elmo sees Big Bird mope over the fact that Snuffy is in Cincinnati, spending Christmas with his grandmother for a whole year, Maria and Luis get crabby over the Fix-It Shop being closed all year, everyone gets annoyed at It's a Wonderful Life always playing on television, and general unhappiness is evident. Also, the elves are annoyed at their continued work shift, and slack off on the job, producing a cow-bunny combination called the "Moo-Bunny". Other holidays, especially Easter and Independence Day, aren't as fun anymore either. Also, obviously, the only Sesame Street resident who likes Christmas every day is Oscar the Grouch because he loves to see all the broken toasters piled up by the Fix-It Shop, a whole lot of trash piled up by his trash can and that there's nothing on television but It's a Wonderful Life. He says it's a "bah, humbug" Christmas every day.

A year after that first fateful Christmas, Count von Count has had enough of counting 365 Christmas days, all the stores, especially the Fix-It Shop, have gone out of business, all the carolers (including Bob) have lost their voices from singing so much, Christmas trees become endangered species, Big Bird is crying over missing Snuffy for a whole year, and even Santa is about to retire from his job (thus moving to Florida). That's when Elmo realizes "if everyday was Christmas, there wouldn't be Christmas at all."

Guilty and realizing that wish was all his fault, he decides to use his third and last wish to undo his second [though it was originally for rollerblades], but he shakes the snowglobe too much, causing it to fly from his hands and smash into dust among hitting the ground before he can make the wish. Elmo’s wish becomes unlucky, so he suggests that Lightning could fly him back in time to the starting Christmas Eve. He does and Elmo decides to pass on the snowglobe and take the pink bear, that is until Santa offers him the Moo-Bunny instead. Also proud of Lighting's part in helping Elmo, Santa offers to promote him so he may pull the sleigh with the other reindeer. The next morning, Big Bird is standing near the Fix-it-Shop alone and sad. He is brightened up when he sees Snuffy who tells him that instead of him going to Cincinnati to spend Christmas with his grandmother, she actually came to Sesame Street. Elmo learns that although Christmas can't be every day, it's important to have its spirit in your soul every day and every year. Everyone on Sesame Street in the arbor around the big Christmas tree sings "Keep Christmas With You All Through the Year".

Songs

 * It's Christmas Again
 * Every Day Can't Be Christmas
 * Give Your Friend an Easter Egg for Christmas
 * All I Want for Christmas Is You
 * Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year)

Characters
Muppets:
 * Elmo, Lightning, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, Baby Bear, Zoe, Grover, Mr. Johnson, Count von Count, Cookie Monster, Kermit the Frog, Elves, Rosita, Humphrey, Baby Natasha, Benny Rabbit.

Background Muppets:
 * Ernie, Bert, Grundgetta, Herry Monster, Prairie Dawn, Forgetful Jones, Ingrid, Penguins, Sherry Netherland, Honker, Anything Muppets.

Humans:
 * Bob, Maria, Luis, Gina, Gabi, Gordon, Mr. Handford, Carlo

Cast
Muppet Performers
 * Kevin Clash as Elmo
 * Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar

Also Starring
 * Sonia Manzano as Maria
 * Emilio Delgado as Luis
 * Bob McGrath as Bob
 * Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly as Gina
 * Roscoe Orman as Gordon
 * David Smyrl as Mr. Handford
 * Carlo Alban as Carlo

With Special Guest Stars
 * Maya Angelou
 * Charles Durning (Santa Claus)
 * Harvey Fierstein (The Easter Bunny)
 * 14 Karat Soul

Child Talent
 * Desiree Casado (Gabi)
 * Mara Feinstein
 * Noemi Hernandez
 * Andrew Mackasek
 * Theresa Sophia Rivera

Credits

 * Executive Producer: Nancy Kanter
 * Written by: Christine Ferraro and Tony Geiss
 * Directed by: Emily Squires
 * Produced by: Karin Young Shiel
 * Puppet Captain: Kevin Clash
 * Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop: Ed Christie, Mark Zeszotek, Lara MacLean, Stephen Rotondaro, Carlo Yannuzzi
 * Production Designer/Second Unit Director: Victor DiNapoli
 * Costume Designers: Bill Kellard, Terry Roberson
 * Associate Director: Ken Diego
 * Music Director: Dick Lieb
 * Associate Music Director: Dave Conner
 * Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
 * Talent Coordinator: Danette DeSena
 * Animation: Paladino Design
 * Art Director: Bob Phillips
 * Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
 * Graphic Designers: Mike Pantuso, Pete Ortiz
 * Control Room PA: Carol-Lynn Parente
 * Camera: Frank Biondo, Mark Whitman, Patrick Minietta
 * Audio: Blake Norton, Carla Bandini-Lory
 * Music and Lyrics by: Tony Geiss
 * Executive In Charge Of Production For Sony Wonder: Becky Mancuso-Winding
 * Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York