History Film / TheChristmasToy

->"The special centered around a group of toys that come to life when humans leave the room, and one toy having trouble coming to grips with the fact that he will no longer be his child's favorite. [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny This might sound]] ''[[WesternAnimation/ToyStory1 familiar.]]''"

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''TheSecretLifeOfToys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format). It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced most of the supporting characters with new ones, with only Rugby, Mew [[note]] Mew was redesigned for the series.[[/note]], Ditz, Balthasar, Bleep, Cruiser, and Ding-a-Ling [[note]]Ding-a-Ling was relegated to a silent background role in the series [[/note]] returning from ''The Christmas Toy''.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male scooter horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''Secret Life of Toys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format). It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced most of the supporting characters with new ones, with only Rugby, Mew [[note]] Mew was redesigned for the series.[[/note]], Ditz, Balthasar, Bleep, Cruiser, and Ding-a-Ling [[note]]Ding-a-Ling was relegated to a silent background role in the series [[/note]] returning from ''The Christmas Toy''.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male scooter horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''Secret Life of Toys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format). It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced most of the supporting characters with new ones, with only Rugby, Mew [[note]] Mew was redesigned for the series.[[/note]], Ditz, Balthasar, Bleep, Cruiser, and Ding-a-Ling [Ding=a-Ling was relegated to a silent background role in the series [[/note]] returning from ''The Christmas Toy''.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male scooter horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''Secret Life of Toys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format). It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced most of the supporting characters with new ones, with only Rugby, Cruiser, Bleep, Ditz, Balthasar, and a redesigned Mew, returning from ''The Christmas Toy''.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male scooter horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''Secret Life of Toys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format). It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced most of the supporting characters with new ones, with only Rugby and Balthasar returning from ''The Christmas Toy''.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male scooter horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

''The Christmas Toy'' is a 1986 made-for-TV movie by The Jim Henson Company. Produced in Toronto with much of the ''Series/FraggleRock'' cast and crew with songs by ''Series/SesameStreet'' veteran Jeff Moss, it originally aired on Creator/{{ABC}} on December 6, 1986, and was sponsored by Kraft Foods. Originally introduced by Kermit The Frog, it was released on VHS format in 1993. In 2008 it was released on DVD. However, Kermit's appearance was edited out due to legal issues. It was shown occasionally on [[Creator/DiscoveryFamily The Hub]] before that network's re-branding.

''The Christmas Toy'' is a 1986 made-for-TV movie by The Jim Henson Company. It originally aired on ABC on December 6, 1986, and was sponsored by Kraft Foods. Originally introduced by Kermit The Frog, it was released on VHS format in 1993. In 2008 it was released on DVD. However, Kermit's appearance was edited out due to legal issues. It was shown occasionally on [[Creator/DiscoveryFamily The Hub]] before that network's re-branding.

Followed by ''Film/AMuppetFamilyChristmas'' in 1987, with ''The Christmas Toy'' being included as a bonus feature on its 2003 home video release.

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''Secret Life of Toys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format) and retained some of the special's performers. It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced a few characters with new ones.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male scooter horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

->"The special centered around a group of toys that come to life when humans leave the room, and one toy having trouble coming to grips with the fact that he will no longer be his child's favorite. [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny This might sound]] ''[[WesternAnimation/ToyStory familiar.]]''"

It's Christmas Eve, and Rugby Tiger -- last year's Christmas Toy -- thinks he's going to go under the tree to be unwrapped again. Apple the Doll, whom Rugby supplanted as favorite toy, tries to set him straight, but Rugby won't believe her and sets out on the dangerous expedition to the living room. Unfortunately for him, opening "his" box releases the ''current'' Christmas Toy: Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids. She's a warrior princess who doesn't know she's a toy and thinks she's landed among aliens. ([[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Does this sound familiar?]]) It's up to the other toys to get Rugby out of the box -- and Meteora back in it -- and everyone back to the safety of the playroom without getting caught out of place.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: When the toys point out to Rugby that he'll be frozen forever if Jamie finds him in Meteora's box instead of where she left him, all he can say is, "Oops."

* ItRunsInTheFamily: This was the first time Jim's son Brian Henson (Cruiser) performed a Muppet character of his own. He'd later go on to direct ''Film/AMuppetChristmasCarol'', considered by many to be the Muppets' seminal Yuletide production.

* RecycledSoundtrack: The song "Together at Christmas (Old Friends, New Friends)" was reused a year later in ''Film/AMuppetFamilyChristmas'', sung by the casts of ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' and ''Series/SesameStreet''.

* NotSoDifferent: Balthazar notes how hard it was for Apple to be replaced as Jaime's favorite. Apple protests that she thought she handled it better than Rugby will this year -- only for all of them to realize that Rugby has already left.

It's Christmas Eve, and Rugby Tiger -- last year's Christmas Toy -- thinks he's going to go under the tree to be unwrapped again. Apple the Doll, whom Rugby supplanted as favorite toy, tries to set him straight, but Rugby won't believe her and sets out on the dangerous expedition to the living room. Unfortunately for him, opening "his" box releases the ''current'' Christmas Toy: Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids. She's a warrior princess who doesn't know she's a toy and thinks she's landed among aliens.
([[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Does this sound familiar?]]) It's up to the other toys to get Rugby out of the box -- and Meteora back in it -- and everyone back to the safety of the playroom without getting caught out of place.

* NoodleIncident: "That was terrible! Even worse than that time I got put in the washing machine!"

-->'''Rugby''': Something must've happened..

* SlidingScaleOfLivingToys: Level 1.

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Mew is often regarded as a second-class citizen at ''best'' by the other toys mainly because one, he's a cat toy, not a children's toy, and two, (as is [[PhraseCatcher often nentioned]]), he smells like catnip.

-->'''Mew''': Yeah! Then suddenly, it wasn't so dark, and then it was a lot warmer. And then I woke up.

The story follows the idea that, even when no people are around to play with them, toys love to play so much that they will do it on their own. But since a toy will be frozen forever -- unable to come to life and move on their own -- if a person catches it out of position, they have to be very careful, especially when venturing out of the playroom.

It's Christmas Eve, and Rugby Tiger -- last year's Christmas Toy -- thinks he's going to go under the tree to be unwrapped again. Apple the Doll, whom Rugby supplanted as favorite toy, tries to set him straight, but Rugby won't believe her and sets out on the dangerous expedition to the living room. Unfortunately for him, opening "his" box releases the ''current'' Christmas Toy: Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids. She's a warrior princess who doesn't know she's a toy and thinks she's landed among aliens. It's up to the other toys to get Rugby out of the box and Meteora back in it -- and everyone back to the safety of the playroom -- without getting caught and frozen forever. [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory Does this sound familiar?]]

* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Mew is often regarded as an annoyance at ''best'' by the other toys mainly because one, he's a cat toy, not a children's toy, and two, his [[PhraseCatcher oft-mentioned]] smell of catnip.

* BreakTheHaughty: Rugby believes himself to be center of the toy universe as Jamie's favorite toy. He has a complete meltdown when he finds out a new toy might take his place.

* CannotTellFictionFromReality: Meteora has no idea she's a toy. The others' attempt to reason with her fails spectacularly.
* CaptainErsatz: The fashion doll is not a Barbie.

* FantasticRacism: All of the other toys look down on Mew, with Rugby often reminding him that he's "just a cat toy." It doesn't help that he smells of catnip, which apparently stinks from a toy's perspective.

* {{Irony}}: Rugby (a toy that's a cat) doesn't care for Mew (a toy for cats). Until the end, after they've been [[FireForgedFriends through toy hell]] for each other.

* JerkassRealization: Rugby only realizes how much of a jerk he was to Mew after Mew becomes frozen. Rugby tearfully apologizes to Mew, and is about to leave when Mew wakes up.

* NobodyHereButUsBirds: Mew fakes a cat meow to keep the father of the family from walking into the living room and catching the main cast out of place.
* TheNothingAfterDeath: According to Mew. After hearing he was caught & frozen.
-->'''Mew''': Come to think of it, I was someplace else. But it was like no place. And it was really dark & cold.

-->'''Mew''': Yeah! Then suddenly, it wasn't so dark, and it was a lot warmer, and then I woke up.
* NotSoDifferent: Balthazar notes how hard it was for Apple to be replaced as Jaime's favorite. Apple protests that she thought she handled it better than Rugby will this year -- only for all of them to realize that Rugby is no longer there.

* TheVoice: Molly, the eldest, is never seen, only heard.

Eight years later, the special was [[RecycledTheSeries recycled]] as ''Secret Life of Toys''. It lasted 13 episodes (with a TwoShorts format) and retained some of the special's performers. It changed the setting to a UK child's playroom and notably replaced a few characters with new ones.[[note]]Instead of Apple, Rugby was mild frenemies with a much simpler looking doll named Raisin, for instance, and the male rocking horse Belmont was replaced by a female rocking horse named Hortense.[[/note]]

* NotSoDifferent: Balthasar notes how hard it was for Apple to be replaced as Jaime's favorite. Apple protests that she thought she handled it better than Rugby will this year -- only for all of them to realize that Rugby is no longer there.

* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Ditz]] is introduced and frozen in the span of about two minutes of screen time, just so we can see how serious the consequences are.

* TooDumbToLive: Ditz takes his PlayedForLaughs stupidity to invoke the trope in its most literal sense (or as literal as it can be for the toys). Then all the toys are mourning him and it kind of stops being funny.

* DidntSeeThatComing: When the toys point out to Rugby that he'll be frozen forever if Jamie finds him in Meteora's box instead of where she left him, all he can say is, "Oops."