Changes: Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Revision as of 09:46, 23 December 2019

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 7pm.

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, but on all three attempts he gets so carried away with thinking about what sort of cookies Santa will bring him, that he winds up eating 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."

Cast

ChristmasEveonSSTVGuideAd — A *TV Guide* advertisement for the special.

Christmas_Eve_promo — Christmas Eve promo

PBS promo for the special, starring Oscar the Grouch

Muppet Performers: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt
Cast: Linda Bove, Northern Calloway, Debbie Chen, Will Lee, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Alaina Reed
Skating Muppets: skaters from the Holiday on Ice shows

Notes

Jon Stone provides the voice of Santa Claus when Cookie Monster tries calling him.^[1]

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.^[2] The line appears in the storybook adaptation, however.

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

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

Sources

↑ The Muppet Mindset interview with Joseph A. Bailey
↑ Bailey, Joseph. Memoirs of a Muppets Writer, page 236

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[Image:Title.xmasevess.jpg|thumb|300px]]
+[[File:Title.xmasevess.jpg|thumb|300px]]
+[[File:Ceoss cast.jpg|thumb|300px]]
-'''''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 7pm.
+'''''Christmas Eve on Sesame Street''''' is an hour-long, [[Emmy Awards|Emmy Award]]-winning ''[[Sesame Street]]'' [[Christmas]] special that first aired on [[PBS]] on December 3, [[1978]], at 7pm.
+__TOC__
 [[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 (location)|Sesame Street]], so [[Big Bird]] resolves to figure it out with the help of his friends [[Debbie Chen|Patty]], [[Kermit the Frog|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, but on all three attempts he gets so carried away with thinking about what sort of cookies Santa will bring him, that he winds up [[Items Other Than Cookies Consumed by Cookie Monster|eating 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.
+Meanwhile, [[Cookie Monster]] tries to communicate with Santa to ask for cookies for Christmas, but on all three attempts he gets so carried away with thinking about what sort of cookies Santa will bring him, that he winds up [[Items other than cookies consumed by Cookie Monster|eating 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]]."
-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]]".
-{{br}}
-==Gallery==
 <gallery widths="200" orientation="landscape" spacing="small">
-File:Xmasanother81.jpg|A little girl teaches Big Bird how to skate.
+Xmasanother81.jpg|A little girl teaches Big Bird how to skate.
-File:Xmasanother82.jpg|The Count and Cookie Monster play "Snap the Whip."
+Xmasanother82.jpg|The Count and Cookie Monster play "Snap the Whip."
-File:Xmasanother86.jpg|Big Bird and Patty help Oscar on his feet after being tossed into the air.
+Xmasanother86.jpg|Big Bird and Patty help Oscar on his feet after being tossed into the air.
-File:Xmasanother89.jpg|The cast leave the ice-rink and head back home while singing "True Blue Miracle."
+Xmasanother89.jpg|The cast leave the ice-rink and head back home while singing "True Blue Miracle."
-File:Xmasanother93.jpg|Big Bird and Patty are joined by Kermit to determine how Santa gets down the chimney.
+Xmasanother93.jpg|Big Bird and Patty are joined by Kermit to determine how Santa gets down the chimney.
-File:Xmasanother97.jpg|Meanwhile, Grover and Kermit ask some kids.
+Xmasanother97.jpg|Meanwhile, Grover and Kermit ask some kids.
-File:Xmasanother99.jpg|Linda and the kids sign "Keep Christmas with You."
+Xmasanother99.jpg|Linda and the kids sign "Keep Christmas with You."
-File:Xmasanother101.jpg|At [[Hooper's Store]], Ernie trades his Rubber Duckie to get Bert a cigar box to put his paper clip collection in...
+Xmasanother101.jpg|At [[Hooper's Store]], Ernie trades his Rubber Duckie to get Bert a cigar box to put his paper clip collection in...
-File:Xmasanother102.jpg|...while Bert trades his paper clip collection to buy Ernie a soap dish for his Rubber Duckie.
+Xmasanother102.jpg|...while Bert trades his paper clip collection to buy Ernie a soap dish for his Rubber Duckie.
-Image:Cookie.jpg|Cookie Monster has a hard time contacting Santa Claus.
+Cookie.jpg|Cookie Monster has a hard time contacting Santa Claus.
-File:Xmasanother104.jpg|Kermit analyzes the list of answers given by the kids.
+Xmasanother104.jpg|Kermit analyzes the list of answers given by the kids.
-File:Xmasanother106.jpg|Snuffy voluntarily gets into a barrel to show how Santa gets down a chimney.
+Xmasanother106.jpg|Snuffy voluntarily gets into a barrel to show how Santa gets down a chimney.
-File:Xmasanother107.jpg|Bob wishes Mr. Hooper a Happy Hanukkah.
+Xmasanother107.jpg|Bob wishes Mr. Hooper a Happy Hanukkah.
-File:Xmasanother109.jpg|Mr. Hooper wishes Bob a Merry Christmas.
+Xmasanother109.jpg|Mr. Hooper wishes Bob a Merry Christmas.
-File:Xmasanother110.jpg|Oscar expresses how much he hates Christmas...
+Xmasanother110.jpg|Oscar expresses how much he hates Christmas...
-File:Xmasanother111.jpg|...by trying to ruin it for everyone else.
+Xmasanother111.jpg|...by trying to ruin it for everyone else.
-File:Xmasanother112.jpg|Mr. Hooper points to his "Noel" sign which now reads "NO."
+Xmasanother112.jpg|Mr. Hooper points to his "Noel" sign which now reads "NO."
-File:Xmasanother114.jpg|Ernie and Bert open each other's presents...
+Xmasanother114.jpg|Ernie and Bert open each other's presents...
-File:Xmasanother116.jpg|...then, Mr. Hooper stops by to give them exactly what they wanted for Christmas.
+Xmasanother116.jpg|...then, Mr. Hooper stops by to give them exactly what they wanted for Christmas.
-File:Xmasanother119.jpg|Big Bird waits on the roof for Santa, despite the heavy snow.
+Xmasanother119.jpg|Big Bird waits on the roof for Santa, despite the heavy snow.
-File:Xmasanother122.jpg|Maria confronts Oscar about Big Bird's disappearance.
+Xmasanother122.jpg|Maria confronts Oscar about Big Bird's disappearance.
-File:Xmasanother124.jpg|Gifts from Santa for Susan, Gordon, and Cookie Monster.
+Xmasanother124.jpg|Gifts from Santa for Susan, Gordon, and Cookie Monster.
-File:Xmasanother127.jpg|Big Bird and Patty gaze upon the Christmas Tree in [[the Arbor]].
+Xmasanother127.jpg|Big Bird and Patty gaze upon the Christmas Tree in [[the arbor]].
-File:Xmasanother128.jpg|"Scotch pine delicious, but Douglas fir give me heartburn!"
+Xmasanother128.jpg|"Scotch pine delicious, but Douglas fir give me heartburn!"
-File:Ceoss cast.jpg
+Group christmas.jpg
+Kermit and Olivia.jpg
-Image:Group christmas.jpg
+CEOSSKermitShot.jpg
 </gallery>
 ==Cast==
-[[Image:ChristmasEveonSSTVGuideAd.jpg|thumb|300px|A ''[[TV Guide]]'' advertisement for the special.]]
+[[File:ChristmasEveonSSTVGuideAd.jpg|thumb|300px|A ''[[TV Guide]]'' advertisement for the special.]]
+[[File:Christmas Eve promo|thumb|300px|[[PBS Interstitials|PBS promo]] for the special, starring Oscar the Grouch]]
+[[File:Big_Bird_and_Patty_Experience_the_Tree.jpg|thumb|300px]]
 *'''Muppet Performers:''' [[Jim Henson]], [[Frank Oz]], [[Caroll Spinney]], [[Jerry Nelson]], [[Richard Hunt]]
 *'''Cast:''' [[Linda Bove]], [[Northern Calloway]], [[Debbie Chen]], [[Will Lee]], [[Loretta Long]], [[Sonia Manzano]], [[Bob McGrath]], [[Roscoe Orman]], [[Alaina Reed]]
-*'''Skating Muppets:''' skaters from the [[Ice Follies]] shows
+*'''Skating Muppets:''' skaters from the [[Ice Follies|Holiday on Ice]] shows
+==Notes==
+* [[Jon Stone]] provides the voice of Santa Claus when Cookie Monster tries calling him.<ref>[http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2011/12/interview-with-muppet-writer-joseph.html The Muppet Mindset interview with Joseph A. Bailey]</ref>
+* 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.<ref>Bailey, Joseph. ''[[Memoirs of a Muppets Writer]]'', page 236</ref> The line appears in [[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book)|the storybook adaptation]], however.
+* [[Oscar's trash can]] area is modified to resemble its initial, pre-1974 arrangement.
 ==Credits==
 * Producer: [[Dulcy Singer]]
+* Directed by [[Jon Stone]]
 * Written by [[Jon Stone]] and [[Joseph A. Bailey]]
-* Skaters from Holiday on Ice
 * "[[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]]
+* "[[Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year)|Keep Christmas With You (All Through the Year)]]" and "[[I Hate Christmas]]" Composed by [[Sam Pottle]] and [[David Axlerod]]
+* Music by [[Dick Lieb]]
-*Children's Choir: Bob Singleton's Kids Chorus · Directed by: Bob Singleton
-* Music Arranged and Conducted by [[Dick Lieb]]
 * Music Coordinator: [[Danny Epstein]]
 * Music Assistant: [[Dave Conner ]]
 * Associate Director: [[Ozzie Alfonso]]
-*Associate Producer: [[Diana Birkenfield]]
-*Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
 * Production Supervisor: Robert Braithwaite
-* Muppet Designers: [[Don Sahlin|Donald Sahlin]], [[Kermit Love]], [[Caroly Wilcox]], [[John Lovelady]]
+* Muppet Designers: [[Don Sahlin|Donald Sahlin]], [[Kermit Love]], and [[Caroly Wilcox]]
-*Muppet Winter Costumes: [[Calista Hendrickson]], [[Sherry Amott]]
-*Muppet Skating Builders: [[Faz Fazakas]], [[Jan Rosenthal]], [[Larry Jameson]], [[Wendy Midener]]
-*Muppet Workshop Coordinators: [[Amy Van Gilder]], [[Mari Kaestle]]
-*Muppet Design Consultant: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_K._Frith Michael K. Frith]
-*Muppet Creative Consultant: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Oz Frank Oz]
-*Choreographer: Norman Maen
-*Production Designer: Ronald Baldwin
 * Art Director: [[Alan J. Compton]]
 * Production Stage Manager: [[Chet O'Brien]]
 * Stage Manager: [[Emily Squires]]
-*Floor Manager: Stephen Springford
-*Senior Floor Manager: Richard Holloway
 * Set Decorator: [[Nat Mongioi]]
-*Senior Scenic Artist: [[Victor DiNapoli]]
-*Special Effects: Tim McElcheran
 * Lighting Directors: [[David M. Clark]], Tony DiGirolamo
 * Graphic Artist: Gerri Brioso
 * Costume Designer: [[Bill Kellard]]
-*Make-Up: Phyllis Grens Sternick
-*Hair Stylist: Lee Trent
 * Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
 * Production Assistants: Mercedes Polanco, Sharen Gay, [[Cathi Rosenberg-Turow|Cathi Rosenberg]]
-*Camera: [[Frank Biondo]], Joe LoRé, Mike Whitcutt
 * Technical Advisor: [[Walt Rauffer]]
 * Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
 * Sound Effects: [[Dick Maitland]], Roy Carch
 * Audio: [[Mike Shoskes]], Jay Judell
+* Executive Producer: [[Jon Stone]]
-*Video: Rolf Wahl
-*Videotape Editors: Vincent Sims, John Hutchison
-*Vision Mixer: Felicity Maton
-* Executive Producers: [[Jon Stone]], [[Jim Henson]]
-* Production Conceived and Directed by [[Jon Stone]]
-* [[Season 10 (1978-1979)|Sesame Street 10th Season]]
-==Notes==
-*[[Jon Stone]] provides the voice of Santa Claus when Cookie Monster tries calling him.<ref>[http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2011/12/interview-with-muppet-writer-joseph.html The Muppet Mindset interview with Joseph A. Bailey]</ref>
-*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.<ref>Bailey, Joseph. ''[[Memoirs of a Muppets Writer]]'', page 236</ref>
-*[[Oscar's trash can]] area is modified to resemble it's initial, pre-1974 arrangement.
-*This the Sesame Street television special that it's the [[Season 10 (1978-1979)|Sesame Street 10th Season]] special was on television that it aired.
-==Edits==
-*In various re-airings on [[PBS]] in the late-1980s, the closing scene with [[Susan]] and [[Gordon]] finding that [[Cookie Monster]] ate most of their Christmas tree was cut.
-*On video releases since the mid-1990s, the original 1978 [[Sesame Workshop|Children's Television Workshop]] logo with Christmas music was cut. The 1995 VHS replaces it with the 1983 CTW opening logo, and DVD releases of the special start without any logos.
 ==Sources==
@@ Line 111: / Line 90: @@
 *''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book)|Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]'' (book)
 *''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (video)|Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]'' (video)
+__NOWYSIWYG__
 [[Category:Sesame Street Specials]]
 [[Category:Christmas Productions]]

Muppet Wiki

Changes: Christmas Eve on Sesame Street

Revision as of 09:46, 23 December 2019

Contents

Cast

Notes

Credits

Sources

See also