Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas


Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 TV special based on the children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban. Directed by Jim Henson, it features a cast of Muppet characters. It was produced by The Jim Henson Company and premiered on CBC Television.

Production

In 1977, Muppets creator Jim Henson produced a one-hour television adaptation of the story filmed in Toronto. The special premiered on CBC on December 4, 1977 with a U.S. premiere the following year on HBO on December 17, 1978. The special later aired on ABC and Nickelodeon in the 1990s. The special features several original songs written by songwriter Paul Williams.
The special utilizes a number of different puppetry methods. The main puppets used are the usual Muppet hand puppets, but the characters are frequently represented by marionettes as well. It also utilizes the bunraku and Black Theater techniques. This is also one of the first Muppet productions to use radio control puppet effects, designed by Faz Fazakas.
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas also featured extensively platformed-up sets, all created with great attention to detail. Jim Henson explained:
The original special featured an introduction by Kermit the Frog, who also narrated certain scenes, and made an appearance near the end delivering closing remarks. The Jim Henson Company sold the rights to the Muppets to The Walt Disney Company in 2004, and Kermit's scenes and narrations were thus omitted from the special's 2005 DVD release.
Kermit's scenes have been reinserted in the newer releases.

Plot

Following an introduction by Kermit the Frog, the story tells of Emmet Otter and his Ma, a widow who scrapes by on the small amount of money she gets from doing laundry and that Emmet gets from doing odd jobs around their home in the town of Frogtown Hollow despite both of them often being cheated. Some of the people who cheated them are Old Lady Possum and Gretchen Fox of Waterville. As Christmas approaches, they hear of a talent contest in the nearby town of Waterville with a grand prize of $50, and separately decide to enter to buy store-bought presents for each other: an elaborate guitar for Emmet or a piano for Ma. However, in a twist on The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, they must sacrifice each other's livelihood for the talent contest. Ma hocks Emmet's tools for dress fabric while Emmet turns Ma's washtub into a washtub bass for a jug band. Emmet assembles Wendell Porcupine, Harvey Beaver, and Charlie Muskrat as the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band.
Emmet and Ma each do an excellent job, only to be defeated at the last minute by a rock and roll band called The Riverbottom Nightmare Band, which comprises a hoodlum gang from the fairly distant town of River Bottom made up of Chuck Stoat, Fred Lizard, Howard Snake, "Pop-Eyed" Catfish, and Stanley Weasel. However, as the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band sing a song together on the way home, they are overheard by Doc Bullfrog who hires them to sing for his customers. This grants them the bigger prize. Kermit concludes the special with Emmet, Ma, and the gang playing in front of Doc Bullfrog and the customers.

Muppet performers

The special features several original songs written by songwriter Paul Williams. Paul Williams had previously worked with the Muppets on The Muppet Show and would go on to collaborate with the Muppets by writing all the songs for The Muppet Movie and The Muppet Christmas Carol. The song "Brothers In Our World" was later covered by My Morning Jacket for the special Muppets cover album .
On November 2, 2018, Varese Sarabande Records released the soundtrack on CD, and it released on LP on November 23, 2018.
The soundtrack is at 26 minutes and 20 seconds in legth:
  1. "The Bathing Suit That Grandma Wore" – 2:43
  2. "Jam Session – 1:07
  3. "Ain't No Hole in the Washtub – 2:11
  4. "When the River Meets the Sea – 2:30
  5. "Bar-B-Que – 1:39
  6. "Carrots the Dancing Horse – 0:51
  7. "Bar-B-Que – 0:36
  8. "Dancing Rabbit Act – 0:44
  9. "Squirrel Acrobatic Act – 0:39
  10. "Our World – 1:51
  11. "Brothers – 2:03
  12. "Riverbottom Nightmare Band – 2:42
  13. "Our World-Brothers – 2:13
  14. "Our World-Brothers Club Reprise – 0:50
  15. "When the River Meets the Sea Reprise – 2:32
  16. "Born in a Trunk – 1:09

    Releases

In 2005, HiT Entertainment released a "Collector's Edition" DVD which featured several deleted or alternate scenes, as well as a "lost" song that was recorded, but never actually used in the special. Called "I Was Born in the Trunk", the song was written for the talent show scene and was performed by the Waterville music store owner. Due to the sale of the Muppets to Disney a year earlier, Kermit's scenes and narrations were omitted from this release.
On Saturday, December 12, 2015, a remastered version of the special's 1980 release had its cable channel debut alongside remastered The Bells of Fraggle Rock on ABC Family during its 25 Days of Christmas programming block. A 40th Anniversary DVD of the special was released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on October 10, 2017, followed by a Blu-ray release on December 18, 2018. For the 2015 airing, as well as the subsequent DVD and Blu-ray releases, Kermit's introduction and closing scenes were restored.
In 2017, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the special, musician Matt Surowiec produced an officially licensed "tribute" album featuring all-new covers of Paul Williams' original songs from the special.

Reception

gave the special a very positive review in The New York Times on December 15, 1980 for its ABC airing: "Jim Henson and the Muppets are on a dazzling winning streak these days... Mr. Henson has produced and directed one of the most charming Christmas specials of the last several years... Once again, Mr. Henson's creations verge on the marvelous, perfectly capturing the Wind in the Willows aspects of Emmet Otter's story... These really are the nicest folk on the river – and on prime-time television."

Awards

Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas was nominated for four Emmy Awards in 1981:
On October 21, 2019, it was announced that Bret McKenzie is writing the script and songs for a film adaptation of the TV special, which will be produced by The Jim Henson Company, Pacific Electric Picture Company, and Snoot Entertainment.