The Best Muppets Christmas Special Isn’t Even Available on Disney+

As a film enthusiast who grew up with the whimsical charm of Jim Henson’s creations, the absence of “A Muppet Family Christmas” from the streaming realm is nothing short of a Scrooge-like Grinch stealing the holiday spirit right from under our noses.

As the festive season approaches, it’s not just about getting together with loved ones to enjoy the holidays, but also about indulging in holiday-themed content. We’re squarely in the midst of Christmas specials, with Thanksgiving behind us, and there’s something for everyone during this period. With streaming services becoming more prevalent, classic Christmas shows are more accessible than ever. However, one significant exception applies to Muppets enthusiasts; their favorite Muppets Christmas special isn’t streamable on Disney+. Fans will need to put in a bit of effort to find it instead.

As a die-hard movie buff, I’ve got to say, if you haven’t figured it out yet, my all-time favorite holiday special has got to be “A Muppet Family Christmas.” This musical extravaganza aired on ABC back in December 16, 1987. It brings together some of the most beloved Muppets from various shows like “The Muppet Show,” “Sesame Street,” “Fraggle Rock,” and even “Muppet Babies.” And if that wasn’t enough, the special includes a surprise cameo from the one and only Jim Henson at the end.

This special is filled with a lot of joy and offers something unique by gathering almost all the Muppets, making it a heartwarming “family” event. It serves as an authentic tribute to Henson’s work, given even more significance since he passed away in 1990. Despite its popularity, A Muppet Family Christmas isn’t readily available on Disney+ for viewing. Instead, enthusiasts who wish to watch it must head to YouTube where the entire special has been uploaded in its original broadcast version. The reason? Well, that’s when things get intriguing.

It seems that the special A Muppets Family Christmas can’t be streamed because of complications with licensing rights for the music used in it. Interestingly, five out of the 21 songs featured were only licensed for television, and couldn’t be included when the special was released on VHS or DVD either. Since those songs can’t be used for streaming or home release, they must be omitted from the program if it appears in these formats. Leaving out five songs reduces a quarter of the total content, which significantly affects the storyline and even removes an entire group of Muppets, the Muppet Babies. However, there is an edited version available on VHS and DVD (with releases in 1994, 1998, and 2001 respectively). The full, unedited version was released in Europe, but it’s challenging to find copies of that version.

It’s important to mention that even though some licensing aspects have evolved over time, making it theoretically feasible for an unrestricted future release of “A Muppet Family Christmas,” there’s still another challenge regarding the music. Beyond the ownership of the music, specific groups of Muppets are a concern. Disney acquired The Muppets in 2004; however, they don’t automatically own all Muppets. The Jim Henson Company retains ownership of “Fraggle Rock” and “Sesame Street,” and characters from these Muppet families were crucial elements of the special. This could potentially necessitate edits or incur high license fees that might make the special economically unviable.

Although watching A Muppet Family Christmas, with its emotional tribute to Jim Henson, teamwork, and kindness, is only accessible through unofficial channels or in edited forms for those with physical copies, you can stream two Muppet holiday specials on Disney+: both The Muppet Christmas Carol and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa are available.

2024-12-01 17:39

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