History Film / AMuppetFamilyChristmas

The best-remembered of several {{Christmas Special}}s featuring Franchise/TheMuppets, this could probably be better called ''A Creator/JimHenson Family Christmas''. It originally aired in 1987 on Creator/{{ABC}} in the U.S. and Creator/{{CBC}} in Canada.[[note]]Although it was actually filmed at CFTO-TV in Toronto, a Creator/{{CTV}} affiliate.[[/note]]

* MindYourStep: There's a running gag about an icy patch in front of the door. "Careful of the icy patch!" greets each new visitor... [[NowYouTellMe after they've already slipped]].

Fozzie Bear has packed up the entire cast of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' and brought them with him to surprise his mother Emily Bear on her isolated farm for Christmas. There's just one problem: Emily's scheduled a trip to Malibu and rented out the farm house to Doc (from the North American version of ''Series/FraggleRock''), who's looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas in the country. Despite his protests, they're soon joined by the ''Series/SesameStreet'' gang; complicating the matter, "the worst blizzard in fifty years" is preparing to slam the region, and Miss Piggy is missing in action. Throw in the Fraggles and even a bit of ''WesternAnimation/{{Muppet Babies|1984}}'', and HilarityEnsues.

* DescriptionCut: As they drive to Emily's farm, Fozzie gives Kermit a nostalgic description of what she will be doing at that very moment; cut to the farm, revealing that he is incorrect in every detail.

'''Animal:''' That my kinda fella! Hahahaha!

* WhatsAHenway: Fozzie and the snowman's act feature ''two'' jokes of this type.
-->'''Fozzie''': That's pretty good harmony for a snowman.
-->'''Snowman''': Actually, I'm a "snoo-man".

-->'''Snowman''': Nothing! What's a-snoo with ''you'', man?!

-->'''Snowman''': But it's always cold at Christmas.
-->'''Fozzie''': Ah, Christmas, a time when Santa Claus comes down with his eight prancing reinbear.
-->'''Snowman''': Um, that's reindeer.
-->'''Fozzie''': No! That's ''snow'', darling!

---> '''Doc:''' ''[amused]'' Don't you just hate it when you can't speak the language?

* OriginalGeneration: The turkey and snowman characters were created specifically for the special. Both puppets would be reused again in ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol.''

* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Receiving a chocolate-coated birdseed gift from Big Bird and being asked nothing in return is what drives the Swedish Chef to tears and have a change of heart, sparing Big Bird from becoming the dinner and befriending him in return.

* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: "Well, everybody, it's Christmas Eve and the tree is trimmed, so it's time for our annual carol sing!"

* GoodFeelsGood: The theme of [[CrowdSong "Pass it On,"]] which Kermit and Robin sing with a crowd of Fraggles. It's about the joy "of giving love away." Right afterward, Mokey gives the yellow pebble to Boober... who gives it to Robin... who then gives it to Grover.

** CreatorCameo: Jim Henson himself shows up at the very end, looking on from the kitchen doorway and commenting.
--->"Well, Sprocket, it looks like they're all having a good time. I like it when they have a good time."
* CanonDiscontinuity: A possible example regarding ''Fraggle Rock''. The show had aired its last episode nine months earlier, in March 1987, and had concluded with Doc befriending the Fraggles (Sprocket was already friendly with Gobo by that point although they hadn't known each other's names). However, in this special, Doc apparently still doesn't know what Fraggles are, as upon encountering the ''Muppet Show'' cast, he asks Sprocket, "Are these anything like those Fraggles you keep telling me about?" Partially justified in that ''Fraggle Rock'' was likely a new franchise to many American viewers who didn't get Creator/{{HBO}} or Creator/{{CBC}} and/or might be familiar with it only from the animated adaptation.

* AnOddPlaceToSleep: With the house crammed full of guests and space at a premium, Emily tells the gang that two of them will have to sleep suspended from hangers on a hook on the wall. Gonzo and Animal are only too happy to comply.
-->'''Floyd:''' That's the only way Animal ''ever'' sleeps, ma'am.

* RevisitingTheRoots: This special was an example of this for the Muppet organization. At the time, ''Series/FraggleRock'' was just ending (the original series had aired its finale in March, and the short-lived animated spinoff airing at the time would not be renewed), Jim Henson was working on the concept of ''Series/TheJimHensonHour'', Creator/FrankOz was busy getting his film directing career going, and in general there was a lot of activity happening on a lot of different projects.

* UngratefulBastard: Gonzo warns The Turkey about The Swedish Chef and tells him to get out of here. The Turkey ignores him and hits on his girlfriend, Camilla.

* VerbalBackspace:
-->'''Emily Bear:''' There. Fozzie's stocking is hung by the mantel so Santa can bring him a present.\\
'''Fozzie:''' Aww, Mom, this is embarrassing. I mean, I'm not a cub anymore. I'm a grown bear.\\
'''Emily Bear:''' Oh. Well, I'll take it down.\\
'''Fozzie:''' ''[quickly]'' Oh, no! I didn't say ''that''.

* VerbalBackspace:

Followed by ''Miss Piggy's Hollywood'' in 1989, among many other Muppet specials; but in a holiday context, ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' arrived next in 1992. ''Sesame Street'' next had a new Christmas special of their own with 1996's ''Film/ElmoSavesChristmas'' (note that in ''A Muppet Family Christmas'', Elmo was just a background character with no lines). Both ''Fraggle Rock'' series had ended earlier that year, but the computer-animated spin-off ''The Doozers'' followed in 2012, with an ''[[Series/FraggleRockBackToTheRock Apple TV+ reboot]]''f of the main series premiering in 2022 (which also includes a holiday episode). ''Muppet Babies'' continued first-run episodes until 1991, and saw its own CGI reboot in 2018, which has had two Christmas episodes.

* OneShotCharacter: Maureen the Mink (performed by Karen Prell) makes her first and only appearance here.

Followed by ''Miss Piggy's Hollywood'' in 1989, among many other Muppet specials; but in a holiday context, ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'' arrived next in 1992. ''Sesame Street'' next had a new Christmas special of their own with 1996's ''Film/ElmoSavesChristmas'' (note that in ''A Muppet Family Christmas'', Elmo was just a background character with no lines). Both ''Fraggle Rock'' series had ended earlier that year, but the computer-animated spin-off ''The Doozers'' followed in 2012, with an Apple TV+ reboot of the main series premiering in 2022. ''Muppet Babies'' continued first-run episodes until 1991, and saw its own CGI reboot in 2018, which has had two Christmas episodes.

* BatFamilyCrossover: The only time you'll ever see the four cornerstones of early Muppetdom (''Series/TheMuppetShow'', ''Series/FraggleRock'', ''Series/SesameStreet'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Muppet Babies|1984}}'') in the same place. Don't expect it to ever happen again, either, as the ''Sesame Street'' and ''Fraggle Rock'' characters are now owned by different entities and the original ''Muppet Babies'' will be [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes tied up in legal red tape]] until the end of time.
** This was also the only time Creator/FrankOz, who had not worked on ''Fraggle Rock'', participated in a Muppet work in which ''Fraggle Rock'' characters were leads (discounting works where Traveling Matt or Sprocket made cameos).

* ShapedLikeItself: Doc has to remind the Swedish Chef that the ''turkey'' is the turkey.

* UpToEleven: The snowstorm outside goes from cold to really, ''really'' cold, to the point that a ''snowman'' comes inside and ''asks to warm up''.