I came to the game kind of late when I first saw Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (1977).

I am a big fan of Paul Williams, who composed and wrote so many of my favorite soundtracks. Such as the soundtracks for The Phantom of the Paradise and The Muppet Movies, and countless others. So when I was looking at this Internet Movie Database profile. I did not recognize the title “Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas.

So, out of curiosity, I found a version of the title on YouTube.

I watched it and enjoyed it so much that I watched it twice more! What I really loved about this Christmas special was the songs and the continuous message that, even when times might look like they are in despair, you gotta use your brain and your know-how to succeed. Also, it does not hurt that Kermit the frog makes a special appearance during the beginning and end of the special!

This special is based on a book of the same title by Russell Hoban, published in 1971. The plot of the book centers around Emmett Otter and his mother, Ma.

They have both recently suffered a loss in their family. Pa Otter passed away, and Emmett and Ma try their best to make ends meet. Ma washes clothes and irons clothes for the rich set of townspeople of Frogtown Hollow. While Emmett does odd handyman jobs with his Dad’s toolbox, which is filled with tools. However, when it comes time for the richer set of people to make good and pay Emmett and Ma, they are often met with criticism and delayed payment. If they get paid at all.

With Christmas fast approaching, both Emmett and Ma are informed of a contest offering a monetary prize. Both of them entered separately without knowing that they did, because they wanted to give something that the other verbally expressed. Emmett really wanted a guitar, while Ma wanted a piano. However, they are both faced with a difficult decision because, in order to participate in the contest, both of them have to sacrifice a heavily used item that they both used in order to work and make money. Emmett is convinced by his friends to form a band, and he has to make a hole in the washing bin that Ma used to make her living. Ma has to sell Emmett’s toolbox to get the money to make a costume she needs to perform in the contest.

In 1977, Jim Henson came out with the one-hour Christmas special that was created in Toronto, Canada. It first made its debut on December 4, 1977, on CBC, and it did not make its US debut until December 17, 1978, on HBO, which was an up-and-coming TV channel at the time.

The Christmas special has the same bones as the book, though it includes the amazing Riverbottom Gang, whose band is called the Nightmare. Who was a last-minute submission in the contest and ended up taking the prize from Emmett and his Jug Band.

However, not all is lost for Emmett, his jug band, and Ma! After the contest, Emmett, his band, and Ma realized the sacrifices they had made for each other to enter it. Ma came up with the idea of combining their two songs together, and they decided to try it out while walking home.

Their singing catches the attention of Doc Bullfrog, who was one of the contest judges walking, and is the owner of one of the restaurants in town.

And he decides to hire Emmett, the jug band, and Ma to sing at his restaurant regularly as the restaurant’s entire staff. So no more washing and ironing clothes for Ma, nor no more doing odd handyman jobs for Emmett. They are all destined to work in their passions all along!

What Christmas specials are your yearly tradition? Comment below!

Source: YouTube, Wikipedia, MuppetWiki.