Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street is an hour-long, Emmy Award-winning Sesame Street Christmas special that first aired on PBS on December 3, 1978, at 7 pm.

Oscar the Grouch raises doubts about whether Santa Claus can deliver presents on Christmas Eve if he can't fit through the narrow chimneys on Sesame Street, so Big Bird resolves to figure it out with the help of his friends Patty, Kermit, and Grover. Big Bird falls asleep while waiting on the roof of 123 Sesame Street to see Santa go down the chimney and is rescued by Gordon and Susan. Before his rescue, during the search, Maria confronts Oscar for upsetting Big Bird.

Meanwhile, Cookie Monster tries to communicate with Santa to ask for cookies for Christmas. However, on all three attempts, he gets so carried away thinking about what sort of cookies Santa will bring him that he eats a pencil, typewriter, and telephone. While all this is going on, Ernie and Bert re-enact O. Henry's classic story "The Gift of the Magi" and, with the help of Mr. Hooper, learn a valuable lesson about generosity.

The program features a variety of seasonal tunes, including "True Blue Miracle," "Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year)," "I Hate Christmas," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The special opens with an ice-skating sequence, combining the Sesame characters from Ice Follies with the Sesame Street humans to create the illusion that the entire cast of the show is enjoying an ice-skating trip. One of the highlights of this section is Big Bird skating with a little girl to José Feliciano's recording of "Feliz Navidad."

A little girl teaches Big Bird how to skate.

The Count and Cookie Monster play "Snap the Whip."

Big Bird and Patty help Oscar on his feet after being tossed into the air.

The cast leave the Skyview Rink and head back home while singing "True Blue Miracle."

Big Bird and Patty are joined by Kermit to determine how Santa gets down the chimney.

Meanwhile, Grover and Kermit ask some kids, including Christopher Wein.

Linda and the kids sign "Keep Christmas with You."

At Hooper's Store, Ernie trades his Rubber Duckie to get Bert a cigar box to put his paper clip collection in...

...while Bert trades his paper clip collection to buy Ernie a soap dish for his Rubber Duckie.

Cookie Monster has a hard time contacting Santa Claus.

Kermit analyzes the list of answers given by the kids.

Snuffy voluntarily gets into a barrel to show how Santa gets down a chimney.

Bob wishes Mr. Hooper a Happy Hanukkah.

Mr. Hooper wishes Bob a Merry Christmas.

Oscar expresses how much he hates Christmas...

...by trying to ruin it for everyone else.

Mr. Hooper points to his "Noel" sign which now reads "NO."

Ernie and Bert open each other's presents...

...then, Mr. Hooper stops by to give them exactly what they wanted for Christmas.

Big Bird waits on the roof for Santa, despite the heavy snow.

Maria confronts Oscar about Big Bird's disappearance.

Gifts from Santa for Susan, Gordon, and Cookie Monster.

Big Bird and Patty gaze upon the Christmas Tree in the yard.

"Scotch pine delicious, but Douglas fir give me heartburn!"

Cast

A TV Guide advertisement for the special.

Christmas Eve promo

PBS promo for the special, starring Oscar the Grouch

• Muppets: Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, Kermit the Frog, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Grover, Count von Count

• Muppet Performers: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt

• Cast: Linda Bove, Northern Calloway, Will Lee, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Alaina Reed

• Kids: Debbie Chen (as Patty), Christopher Wein, Katie Reilly, Jennifer Altman, Marlena Attinasi, Billy Mack

• Skating Muppets: skaters from the Holiday on Ice shows

Notes

• Jon Stone provides the voice of Santa Claus when Cookie Monster tries calling him.

• When Big Bird and Patty check on Oscar following his ice skating accident, his original line was "Sure. I've been thrown out of better places than that." It was later re-dubbed in post-production (to "Let's go back and do it again!"), as the original line was deemed too adult. The line appears in the storybook adaptation, however.

• Oscar's trash can area is modified to resemble its initial, pre-1974 arrangement.

• The special was added to the HBO Max streaming library on December 8, 2020. This release omits the use of José Feliciano's recording of "Feliz Navidad," as well as most of the funding credits.

Credits

• Producer: Dulcy Singer
• Directed by Jon Stone
• Written by Jon Stone and Joseph A. Bailey
• "True Blue Miracle" Composed by Carol Hall
• "Keep Christmas With You (All Through the Year)" and "I Hate Christmas" Composed by Sam Pottle and David Axlerod
• Music by Dick Lieb
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Music Assistant: Dave Conner
• Associate Director: Ozzie Alfonso
• Production Supervisor: Robert Braithwaite
• Muppet Designers: Donald Sahlin, Kermit Love, and Caroly Wilcox
• Art Director: Alan J. Compton
• Production Stage Manager: Chet O'Brien
• Stage Manager: Emily Squires
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Lighting Directors: David M. Clark, Tony DiGirolamo
• Graphic Artist: Gerri Brioso
• Costume Designer: Bill Kellard
• Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
• Production Assistants: Mercedes Polanco, Sharen Gay, Cathi Rosenberg
• Technical Advisor: Walt Rauffer
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland, Roy Carch
• Audio: Mike Shoskes, Jay Judell
• Executive Producer: Jon Stone

See also

• Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (album)
• Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book)
• Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (video)