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(β†’β€ŽGallery: Added b/w photo.)
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*Denver and the Muppets sing "[[The Twelve Days of Christmas]]."
 
*Denver and the Muppets sing "[[The Twelve Days of Christmas]]."
 
*Denver sings "[[The Pleasure of Your Company]]."
 
*Denver sings "[[The Pleasure of Your Company]]."
βˆ’
*John tells the tale of Alfie the Christmas Tree before singing "[[It's in Every One of Us]]"
+
*John tells the tale of [[Alfie the Christmas Tree]] before singing "[[It's in Every One of Us]]"
 
*[[Kermit the Frog]] and Denver reminisce about past Christmases with their friends and families, and sing "[[The Christmas Wish]]."
 
*[[Kermit the Frog]] and Denver reminisce about past Christmases with their friends and families, and sing "[[The Christmas Wish]]."
 
*[[Miss Piggy]] confronts Denver in her dressing room about their presumably mutual attraction.
 
*[[Miss Piggy]] confronts Denver in her dressing room about their presumably mutual attraction.
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<gallery spacing=small widths=200 orientation=landscape>
 
<gallery spacing=small widths=200 orientation=landscape>
Image:AChristmasTogether-PromoShot-(1979).jpg
 
 
Image:Twelvedays.jpg|"The Twelve Days of Christmas"
 
Image:Twelvedays.jpg|"The Twelve Days of Christmas"
 
Image:Myweekxmas05.jpg|Cast meeting
 
Image:Myweekxmas05.jpg|Cast meeting
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Image:Myweekxmas07.jpg|John visits Miss Piggy's dressing room
 
Image:Myweekxmas07.jpg|John visits Miss Piggy's dressing room
 
Image:Myweekxmas08.jpg|"The Christmas Wish"
 
Image:Myweekxmas08.jpg|"The Christmas Wish"
βˆ’
Image:Myweekxmas09.jpg|"Christmas Is Coming"
+
Image:Myweekxmas09.jpg|"[[Christmas is Coming]]"
 
Image:Myweekxmas12.jpg|"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
 
Image:Myweekxmas12.jpg|"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
 
Image:Myweekxmas13.jpg|"The Peace Carol"
 
Image:Myweekxmas13.jpg|"The Peace Carol"
βˆ’
Image:Jesuschrist.jpg|Denver narrates a nativity scene
 
 
Image:AChristmasTogether-SilentNight-Panorama.jpg|"Silent Night"
 
Image:AChristmasTogether-SilentNight-Panorama.jpg|"Silent Night"
 
Image:AChristmasTogether-SilentNight-Studio-Children'sChoir.jpg|The studio's children's choir
 
Image:AChristmasTogether-SilentNight-Studio-Children'sChoir.jpg|The studio's children's choir
Image:JDMuppets.JPG
 
Image:JDXMAS_ad.JPG|TV Guide ad
 
Image:John_denver_muppets_1.jpg
 
Image:John_denver_muppets_2.jpg
 
JDxmas ad Odessa American Dec 2 1979.jpg|illustrated newspaper ad
 
JDxmas Star Press Muncie Indiana Dec 2 1979.jpg|illustrated newspaper ad
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
   
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*Special Material by: [[Jon Stone]]
 
*Special Material by: [[Jon Stone]]
 
*Special Musical Material/Choral Direction by [[Ray Charles (music consultant)|Ray Charles]]
 
*Special Musical Material/Choral Direction by [[Ray Charles (music consultant)|Ray Charles]]
βˆ’
*Art director: [[Ray Klausen]]
+
*Art director: Ray Klausen
 
*Musical director: George Wyle
 
*Musical director: George Wyle
 
*Music supervisor: Milt Okun
 
*Music supervisor: Milt Okun
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* There are multiple references to previous elements in this special:
 
* There are multiple references to previous elements in this special:
 
**John and Miss Piggy's conversation refer back to John's [[Episode 401: John Denver|Muppet Show episode]], which would have aired in American syndication by this point.
 
**John and Miss Piggy's conversation refer back to John's [[Episode 401: John Denver|Muppet Show episode]], which would have aired in American syndication by this point.
βˆ’
**During the "I Will Wait for You" number during a "slow motion" scene with John, Piggy mentions "I seem to remember doing this in a movie somewhere", referring to the ''[[Never Before, Never Again]]'' number in "''[[The Muppet Movie]]''".
+
**During the "I Will Wait for You" number during a "slow motion" scene with John, Piggy mentions "I seem to remember doing this in a movie somewhere", referring to the "[[Never Before, Never Again]]" number in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]''.
   
 
* Twenty-two new Muppets were created for the nativity scene.<ref name="hayden" /><ref>''Detroit Free Press'' TV listings, December 5, 1979</ref> Jim Henson told the press, "they were carved from urethane foam, like most of the Muppets, and painted in New York. We had to be careful not to offend anyone by giving the figures comic characteristics. These are the first serious puppets we've made."<ref>''Press Democrat'' "Muppets are genuine individuals" December 5, 1979</ref>
 
* Twenty-two new Muppets were created for the nativity scene.<ref name="hayden" /><ref>''Detroit Free Press'' TV listings, December 5, 1979</ref> Jim Henson told the press, "they were carved from urethane foam, like most of the Muppets, and painted in New York. We had to be careful not to offend anyone by giving the figures comic characteristics. These are the first serious puppets we've made."<ref>''Press Democrat'' "Muppets are genuine individuals" December 5, 1979</ref>
  +
  +
==Gallery==
  +
<gallery>
  +
Image:Denver10.jpg
  +
Image:Jesuschrist.jpg
 
Image:AChristmasTogether-PromoShot-(1979).jpg
  +
Image:Denver09.jpg
  +
Image:Denver15.jpg
 
Image:JDMuppets.JPG
 
Image:John_denver_muppets_1.jpg
 
Image:John_denver_muppets_2.jpg
 
Image:JDXMAS_ad.JPG|TV Guide ad
 
Image:JDxmas ad Odessa American Dec 2 1979.jpg|illustrated newspaper ad
 
Image:JDxmas Star Press Muncie Indiana Dec 2 1979.jpg|illustrated newspaper ad
  +
</gallery>
   
 
==Sources==
 
==Sources==

Revision as of 06:53, 28 March 2020

Title

A Christmas Together is a television special starring John Denver and the Muppets. Based on the album of the same name, this one hour Christmas special was originally produced for ABC and aired on December 5, 1979.

Highlights

The program concludes with Denver and the Muppets singing "Stille Nacht," and children in the audience join in for the English version, "Silent Night."

Reviews

Writing for the Los Angeles Times, James Brown found the combination of Denver and the Muppets to be an "overdose of cute". He opined that the special "overextends its welcome with too many spoonfuls of sugar and not enough holiday surprises. Denver's easy-going songs tend to blur from one to the next. Miss Piggy coos and boils in predictable fashion. The production numbers are ordinary. And the cardboard sets and spray-can snow do little to unearth the holiday spirit. Only Kermit the Frog β€” thank God for Kermit β€” manages to touch and tickle us as he talks about building a β€œsnow frog” back at the old pond. Now that’s cute."[1]

Bill Hayden starts his review for the Gannett News Service by placing John Denver at the top of his list of "least favorite performers" and the Muppets as ranking "exceedingly high" on a list of his most-liked performers. He goes on to credit Miss Piggy for stealing the show (particularly in "I Will Wait for You") and points to the "beautifully serious" nativity scene as the special's highlight.[2]

Muppet Characters

Animal, Beaker, Camilla, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Foo-Foo, Gonzo, Janice, Kermit the Frog, Lew Zealand, Link Hogthrob, Miss Piggy, Robin the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, Scooter, Statler and Waldorf, The Swedish Chef, Zoot

Credits

Cast

Muppet Performers

Notes

  • The special was taped in November 1979 at the ABC-TV Center in Los Angeles.[3]
  • The three-minute sequence of wooden soldiers dancing and singing "Camaraderie" was deleted from some reruns on The Disney Channel (which also appear to be slightly zoomed in compared to the original broadcast). The original ABC broadcast also included an announcer mentioning the sponsors, DuPont and Dr. Pepper, at the end of the first and last segments. Some Disney Channel airings also included part of an introduction with Michael Eisner and Kermit the Frog which was filmed for an NBC airing of A Muppet Family Christmas.
  • There are multiple references to previous elements in this special:
    • John and Miss Piggy's conversation refer back to John's Muppet Show episode, which would have aired in American syndication by this point.
    • During the "I Will Wait for You" number during a "slow motion" scene with John, Piggy mentions "I seem to remember doing this in a movie somewhere", referring to the "Never Before, Never Again" number in The Muppet Movie.
  • Twenty-two new Muppets were created for the nativity scene.[2][4] Jim Henson told the press, "they were carved from urethane foam, like most of the Muppets, and painted in New York. We had to be careful not to offend anyone by giving the figures comic characteristics. These are the first serious puppets we've made."[5]

Gallery

Sources

  1. ↑ Los Angeles Times "The Tube Tonight" James Brown, December 5, 1979
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Pensacola News "To Networks, It's Christmas" by Bill Hayden, December 5, 1979
  3. ↑ Jim Henson's Red Book 12/5/1979 – β€˜San Diego Museum of Art – Muppet Exhibit. Air John Denver Christmas Special.’
  4. ↑ Detroit Free Press TV listings, December 5, 1979
  5. ↑ Press Democrat "Muppets are genuine individuals" December 5, 1979

See also