History Literature / EmmetOttersJugBandChristmas

In 1977, Creator/JimHenson adapted the story (with [[strike:puppets]] {{Muppet}}s, of course) for {{Creator/CBC}} in Canada. The following year it debuted in the US on the fledgling Creator/{{HBO}} and was very well-received, winning a [=CableACE=] award and remaining a holiday staple on HBO for over a decade (its success making ''Series/FraggleRock'', also made in Canada with many of the same talent, possible a few years later), thereafter syndicated on Creator/{{ABC}}, {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} and Creator/{{Freeform}}. It sticks very true to the story. (The only real difference is that in the special, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band are a gang of mean-spirited bullies, while in the book they were just another band with a flashier, more glamorous act.) Original music was written by Music/PaulWilliams; despite positive reviews, a soundtrack was never officially released until November 2018 through Varese Sarabande.[[note]]"When the River Meets the Sea" is also notable for having been sung by Jerry Nelson (Emmet) and Louise Gold at Jim Henson's memorial service.[[/note]] In 2008–09, the Goodspeed Theater and The Jim Henson Company produced a live stage version of the show, featuring a mixture of Muppets and costumed humans.

* AdaptationSpeciesChange: Wendell goes from a raccoon in the book to a porcupine in the special, presumably to get around his book self's last name being [[UnfortunateImplications "Coon"]].

* CunningLikeAFox: Played straight with Gretchen Fox, who stiffs Ma and Emmet on payment by claiming there was a scorch mark, but averted with her husband Harrison.

In 1977, Creator/JimHenson adapted the story (with [[strike:puppets]] {{Muppet}}s, of course) for {{Creator/CBC}} in Canada. The followng year it debuted in the US on the fledgling Creator/{{HBO}} and was very well-received, winning a [=CableACE=] award and remaining a holiday staple on HBO for over a decade (its success making ''Series/FraggleRock'', also made in Canada with many of the same talent, possible a few years later), thereafter syndicated on Creator/{{ABC}}, {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} and Creator/{{Freeform}}. It sticks very true to the story. (The only real difference is that in the special, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band are a gang of mean-spirited bullies, while in the book they were just another band with a flashier, more glamorous act.) Original music was written by Music/PaulWilliams; despite positive reviews, a soundtrack was never officially released until November 2018 through Varese Sarabande.[[note]]"When the River Meets the Sea" is also notable for having been sung by Jerry Nelson (Emmet) and Louise Gold at Jim Henson's memorial service.[[/note]] In 2008–09, the Goodspeed Theater and The Jim Henson Company produced a live stage version of the show, featuring a mixture of Muppets and costumed humans.

In 1977, Creator/JimHenson adapted the story (with [[strike:puppets]] {{Muppet}}s, of course) for {{Creator/CBC}} in Canada. The followng year it debuted in the US on the then-fledgling Creator/{{HBO}} and was very well-received, winning a [=CableACE=] award and remaining a holiday staple on HBO for over a decade (its success making ''Series/FraggleRock'', also made in Canada with many of the same talent, possible a few years later), thereafter syndicated on Creator/{{ABC}}, {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} and Creator/{{Freeform}}. It sticks very true to the story. (The only real difference is that in the special, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band are a gang of mean-spirited bullies, while in the book they were just another band with a flashier, more glamorous act.) Original music was written by Music/PaulWilliams; despite positive reviews, a soundtrack was never officially released until November 2018 through Varese Sarabande.[[note]]"When the River Meets the Sea" is also notable for having been sung by Jerry Nelson (Emmet) and Louise Gold at Jim Henson's memorial service.[[/note]] In 2008–09, the Goodspeed Theater and The Jim Henson Company produced a live stage version of the show, featuring a mixture of Muppets and costumed humans.

* ColorCodedCharacters: Blue for Emmet, vermilion for Ma, red for Wendell, green for Harvey, yellow for Charlie.
* CounterpointDuet: "Brothers in Our World". On the 2005 DVD, Music/PaulWilliams revealed that "Our World" and "Brothers" were actually both written as the counterpoint reprise, with the latter song being written as a streamline to the former.

* ChekhovsSkill: Early on, the River Bottom gang is shown entering a music store and jamming out... and they're ''good.'' This comes back to haunt our heroes at the end.

[[https://nerdist.com/article/bret-mckenzie-taking-on-emmet-otters-jug-band-christmas/ A remake is currently in production for HBO]], with ''Series/FlightOfTheConchords''' Bret [=McKenzie=], songwriter for the [[Film/TheMuppets recent Mup]][[Film/MuppetsMostWanted pet films]], taking the helm for the music and script and possibly directing.

In 1977, Creator/JimHenson adapted the story (with [[strike:puppets]] {{Muppet}}s, of course) for {{Creator/CBC}} in Canada. It debuted in the U.S. in 1978 on the then-fledgling Creator/{{HBO}} and was very well-received, winning a [=CableACE=] award, and remained a holiday staple on HBO for over a decade (its success making ''Series/FraggleRock'', also made in Canada with many of the same talent, possible a few years later), thereafter syndicated on Creator/{{ABC}}, {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} and Creator/{{Freeform}}. It sticks very true to the story. (The only real difference is that in the special, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band are a gang of mean-spirited bullies. In the book, they were just a band with a flashier, more glamorous act.) Original music was written by Music/PaulWilliams; despite positive reviews, a soundtrack was never officially released until November 2018 through Varese Sarabande.[[note]]"When the River Meets the Sea" is also notable for having been sung by Jerry Nelson (Emmet) and Louise Gold at Jim Henson's memorial service.[[/note]] In 2008–09, the Goodspeed Theater and The Jim Henson Company produced a live stage version of the show, featuring a mixture of Muppets and costumed humans.

A children's picture book written by Russell Hoban and first published in 1971. It tells of the widowed Ma Otter and her son Emett, who are struggling to make ends meet: she earns a lttle money by taking in laundry while he does odd jobs around town. Christmas is coming, and each wants to get the other something really special – she wants to get him a guitar and he wants to get her a piano. Times are especially tough this year, however, with the locals doing their own laundry and adults taking the jobs that Emmet used to get.

A children's book written by Russell Hoban and first published in 1971. It tells of a widowed otter and her son who are struggling to make ends meet: she takes in laundry and he does odd jobs around town. Both of them want to get the other something really special for Christmas -- she wants to get him a guitar and he wants to get her a piano. But times are especially tough this year: adults are taking the jobs that Emmet used to get and people are doing their own laundry. Then the town announces a talent show with a $50 prize.

Emmet and Ma both enter without the other's knowledge. Emmet joins a jug band with his friends, even though it means drilling a hole in the bottom of Ma's washtub to turn it into a bass. Ma Otter decides to sing, and has to sell her son's tools to get a dress to wear. Their acts go well, and both seem to have a strong chance of winning, but the flashy River Bottom Band from two towns over sails in and steals the show.

A Christmas story published in 1971 by Russell Hoban. It tells of a widowed otter and her son who are struggling to make ends meet: she takes in laundry and he does odd jobs around town. Both of them want to get the other something really special for Christmas -- she wants to get him a guitar and he wants to get her a piano. But times are especially tough this year: adults are taking the jobs that Emmet used to get and people are doing their own laundry. Then the town announces a talent show with a $50 prize.

In 1977, Creator/JimHenson adapted the story (with [[strike:puppets]] {{Muppet}}s, of course) for {{Creator/CBC}} in Canada. It debuted in the U.S. in 1978 on the then-fledgling Creator/{{HBO}} and was very well received, winning a [=CableACE=] award, and remained a holiday staple on HBO for over a decade (its success making ''Series/FraggleRock'', also made in Canada with many of the same talent, possible a few years later), thereafter syndicated on Creator/{{ABC}}, {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} and Creator/{{Freeform}}. It sticks very true to the story. (The only real difference is that in the special, the Riverbottom Nightmare Band are a gang of mean-spirited bullies. In the book, they were just a band with a flashier, more glamorous act.) Original music was written by Music/PaulWilliams; despite positive reviews, a soundtrack was never officially released until November 2018 through Varese Sarabande.[[note]]"When the River Meets the Sea" is also notable for having been sung by Jerry Nelson (Emmet) and Louise Gold at Jim Henson's memorial service.[[/note]] In 2008–09, the Goodspeed Theater and The Jim Henson Company produced a live stage version of the show, featuring a mixture of Muppets and costumed humans.

* AdaptationExpansion: The River Bottom kids are a gang of thugs in the Jim Henson special, and appear in a number of scenes before they show up at the talent show as the Nightmare.

* TheBadGuyWins: In the TV version, the River Bottom kids - portrayed as bullying delinquents throughout the show - wins the talent show fair and square.

* TheBadGuyWins: In the TV version, the River Bottom kids - portrayed as bullying delinquents throughout the show - wins the talent show fair and square.