Line #24 Film/ASpecialSesameStreetChristmas


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/titlespecialssxmas.jpg]]
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4	''A Special Sesame Street Christmas'' is a 1978 TV special featuring most of the human cast of ''Series/SesameStreet'' plus Big Bird, Barkley, [[TheGrinch Oscar the Grouch]], and several celebrity guests including Creator/LeslieUggams (who's basically the star of the show), Creator/HenryFonda, Creator/EthelMerman, Music/MichaelJackson, Anne Murray, Imogene Coca, and Dick Smothers.
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6	The special centers around a [[YetANotherChristmasCarol retelling]] of the classic tale ''Literature/AChristmasCarol'', with Oscar (of course) playing the role of the Scrooge-like character that does not like Christmas. Three ghosts (all celebrities) show up to show him the error of his ways.
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8	It was one of the first ''Sesame Street'' projects to air on a commercial network, debuting on Creator/{{CBS}} the same year that ''Series/ChristmasEveOnSesameStreet'' aired on the show's usual home of Creator/{{PBS}} (in fact, it aired the same ''week''--''Christmas Eve'' debuted on a Sunday, while this show ran five days later on Friday). In a departure from the latter special and the series itself, this one was not produced by the Children's Television Workshop (forerunner of today's Creator/SesameWorkshop) but by Bob Banner (known for producing ''Series/TheCarolBurnettShow'' and Perry Como's TV specials).
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11	!!Tropes:
12	* AdvertisedExtra: Music/MichaelJackson appears on the DVD cover, despite only showing up for less than two minutes and ''not singing''.
13	* ArtShift: Barkley is bigger than usual, as his costume was provided by Bob Banner Associates rather than CTW.
14	* BrutalHonesty: Creator/EthelMerman dishes some up when she sees Imogene Coca dressed as the Ghost of Christmas Present:
15	-->You look like an idiot!
16	* TheCameo:
17	** 20-year-old Music/MichaelJackson plays a fellow reading a joke book about ghosts. Oscar chats with him and offers to trade the junk book for some junk of his own. Michael offers it for free. Cute exchange between the two.
18	** Creator/HenryFonda shows up during the song "Christmas Morning" to talk about what Christmas means to him and also say he needs a 3/4 wingnut.
19	* TheGrinch: Oscar, or more technically he's playing the role of Scrooge.
20	* HiddenDepths: Who knew Oscar could play guitar and was a fan of [[Music/LeiberAndStoller The Coasters]]?
21	* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine: Creator/LeslieUggams and Bob [=McGrath=] (Bob) had previously worked together as featured singers on the Mitch Miller VarietyShow ''Sing Along With Mitch'' from 1961-64.
22	* PolishTheTurd: The back of the DVD cover "quotes" positive reviews from websites [[https://toughpigs.com/special-sesame-christmas-1/ proven to not actually exist]].
23	* SesameStreetCred: This special is notable as the only Muppet-related project that Music/MichaelJackson ever participated in.
24	* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: Quite a few, but the crowner has to be when Oscar gets out an electric guitar and starts singing "Yakety Yak" until the guitar blows up. If not that, then it would be Anne Murray singing her hit "You Needed Me" while gazing lovingly at Big Bird and Bob.
25	* TinyTimTemplate: This special involves Oscar adopting a cat named Tiny Tim, so-named because he broke his leg around Christmas.
26	* YetAnotherChristmasCarol: Quite obviously Oscar the Grouch takes the role of Scrooge and three different celebrities are the ghosts that must show him the error of his ways.
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Context Film / ASpecialSesameStreetChristmas