Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas is a 1977 Christmas special created by Jim Henson, based on a book by Russell and Lillian Hoban. The special originally aired on HBO. For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... A Christmas television special is typically a one_time, 30 minute animated program aired during the Christmas season. ... Jim Henson James Maury Henson, commonly known as Jim Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990), was one of the most important puppeteers in modern American television history. ... HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network with headquarters in New York City. ...

While it uses Muppets, it does not feature any of the major Muppet characters except for Kermit the Frog, who introduces the story. (Due to legal issues, he does not show up in all releases, particularly the Hit Entertainment DVD; in some releases, he also shows up toward the end, and in certain edited releases he narrates to replace trimmed parts of the story.) It features songs composed by Paul Williams and performed by veteran voice talents Jerry Nelson (Emmet), Marilyn Sokol (Ma), and Frank Oz (Chuck). John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters created by Jim Henson and the company he created. ... Kermit has a TV star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. ... HIT Entertainment PLC was established in 1989 and is one of the fastest growing childrens animation studios. ... DVD-R writing/reading side DVD-R with purple dye, 4. ... Paul Williams is an American composer and songwriter who was born Paul Hamilton Williams September 19, 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska. ... Jerry Nelson (born July 10, 1934) is a Muppet puppeteer. ... Richard Frank Oznowicz (born May 25, 1944), better known as Frank Oz, is a film director, actor and puppeteer. ...

A recent 2005 release of the DVD leaves out Kermit, but adds a lengthy 'making of' video. With 2005 interviews with Paul Williams, Marilyn Sokol, Jerry Nelson, and Jim Henson's daughter, it adds more detail to the songs and the back story. It includes a 'bloopers' section as well.

The Story

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 of Frogtown Hollow. As Christmas approaches, they hear of a talent contest in the nearby town of Waterville, and separately decide to enter to buy nice presents for each other -- a nice guitar for Emmet, or a piano for Ma. However, in a twist on The Gift of the Magi, 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. A widow is a woman whose spouse has died. ... Man and woman washing linen in a brook, from William Henry Pynes Microcosm, 1806. ... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a traditional holiday observed in much of the world on 25 December, or on 7 January in most Eastern Orthodox Churches. ... A guitar is a stringed musical instrument. ... A grand piano A piano is a keyboard instrument, widely used in western music for solo performance, chamber music, and accompaniment, and also as a convenient aid to composing and rehearsal. ... Spoiler warning: The Gift of the Magi is an O. Henry short story in which a young couple are very much in love with each other but can barely afford their one-room apartment opposite the elevated train. ... Modern pawnbroker storefront A pawnbroker is a person who offers loans to individuals who use their personal property as collateral. ... A bathtub A bathtub (in the UK simply bath) is a plumbing fixture used for bathing. ... The washtub bass, or gutbucket, is a folk instrument that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. ... A jug band is a band employing a jug player and other traditional and homemade instruments, such as rhythm guitar, washtub bass, washboard, jug, mandolin, spoons, and kazoo. ...

Emmet and Ma each do an excellent job, only to be defeated at the last minute by a rock and roll band formed by a local gang. However, as Ma and Emmet's jug band sing a song together on the way home, they are overheard by Doc Bullfrog, owner of a local restaurant, who hires them to sing for his customers. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A gang is a group of individuals who share a common identity and, in current usage, engage in illegal activities. ... Toms Diner, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld A restaurant is an establishment that serves prepared food and beverages to be consumed on the premises. ...