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Poster-KermitsWonderfulLife

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is a feature-length made-for-TV Christmas movie starring the Muppets, originally broadcast on NBC on November 29, 2002. The story is loosely based on It's a Wonderful Life, but also includes references to other Christmas movies such as A Christmas Story and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

The movie is owned by NBC Universal, and as such was not included in the Walt Disney Company's acquisition of The Muppets franchise in 2004 (though it was aired on the Disney-owned Freeform from 2020 to 2022). Interestingly, the movie shares a lot of similarities with the 2011 Disney-released film The Muppets, particularly the basic plot of the Muppets putting on a show to raise money in order to save their theater.

Synopsis[]

The movie opens with a snowman named Joe Snow (a parody of Sam the Snowman from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer) recounting how the Muppet Theatre was going through financial hardship, and the Muppets seeking Kermit the Frog for guidance. Joe is then hurriedly ushered off the set by a technician who tells him there is no "narrator snowman" in this film and dismisses him as a "Burl Ives wannabe". The story proper then starts at the Muppet Theatre, where the Muppets are all exchanging Christmas gifts, but Kermit is in no mood to celebrate with them, for he feels that he has let them all down. Up in Heaven, an angel named Daniel brings this up with his boss as they review what has gone on with Kermit in the past few days.

VMX-Kermit&Piggy

A few days earlier, Kermit is preparing a Christmas show with his fellow Muppets, with Bobo the Bear playing Santa Claus. The Muppets are approached by Rachel Bitterman, a banker/real estate agent who says that she will foreclose the Muppet Theatre if Kermit does not pay her. Pepe the King Prawn leaves the Muppets because he has fallen in love with Bitterman. While trying to raise money to pay Rachel, Kermit tries to find a celebrity to participate in his Christmas play to no avail. Meanwhile, after learning from Pepe that the deadline is midnight, Bitterman changes it to 6:00 p.m. When he sees her with another man, however, Pepe leaves her and warns Kermit about the deadline change. Upon learning this, Fozzie volunteers to deliver the money to Bitterman. But in the process of trying to bring the money to deposit, Fozzie confronts a crazed nature-show host, a gang of angry Whos who mistake him for the Grinch (after he gets dyed green at a Christmas tree lot), and an array of lasers. When Fozzie finally makes it into Bitterman's office, he discovers too late that he has grabbed the wrong bag, containing clothes for the Salvation Army (following his incident at the Christmas tree lot).

Kermit meets Daniel

After witnessing these events, the Boss allows Daniel to help Kermit. When Daniel arrives, Kermit refuses his help, screaming that he wishes he had never been born. Daniel then takes Kermit to see what would have happened to his friends if he had not existed. In the world without Kermit, Bitterman has changed the park near the Muppet Theatre into a shopping center. Gonzo is homeless, and Rizzo the Rat stars in an episode of Fear Factor where a woman has to eat him alive. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem perform Irish stepdance. Doc Hopper's French Fried Frog Legs from The Muppet Movie has become a famous restaurant franchise. The Muppet Theatre has become a nightclub called Club Dot. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew became a rapper, Beaker became a nightclub bouncer, Scooter and Sam the Eagle are club-dancing ravers, and Fozzie is a pickpocket, living on the streets. Worst of all, Miss Piggy is a spinster who lives in an apartment in the Murray Hotel with a series of pet cats, working from home as a phone psychic with a fake Jamaican accent.

Horrified at what he has seen, Kermit has Daniel restore him back to his reality and joyously returns to the Muppet Theatre. However, Bitterman arrives to shut the theater down and fights with Miss Piggy. Pepe then arrives and announces that he had the Muppet Theater declared a historical landmark, foiling Bitterman's plan. The movie ends with the Muppets and Joe Snow singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".

Availability[]

Immediately following the initial airing of the special, NBC released a special VHS package of the film, bundled with the album The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem and More! It was available for a limited time at the NBC Shop and on NBC.com. In 2003, MGM Home Entertainment released a "Special Edition" DVD of the film with several bonus features, including deleted scenes and outtakes. Universal Home Entertainment released the film on DVD again on October 12, 2010. The disc presented the film in its original widescreen format for the first time in America and retained some of the extras from the MGM disc. It also came with a holiday CD featuring nine songs. A Blu-ray of the film was released on October 7, 2014.

Domestic releases[]

International releases[]

Notes[]

Muppet 1
Muppet 2
Muppet 5
  • Besides the cameo by Doc Hopper's French Fried Frog Legs mentioned in the above synopsis, other references to The Muppet Movie include a statue erected in Kermit's honor with a caption that reads "For the lovers, the dreamers, and you" (quoting a line from the song "The Rainbow Connection"), and a framed photo of Miss Piggy having won the Miss Bogen County pageant. Also, Joe Snow was voiced by Mel Brooks, who portrayed Professor Krassman in The Muppet Movie.
  • This film marked the first major performance of Eric Jacobson in the roles of Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, both of whom were previously performed by Frank Oz. Kevin Clash performed Sam the Eagle's voice, but Jacobson would later take over that role as well.
    • This movie also had Jacobson performing a Muppet version of another Frank Oz character, who makes a very brief cameo when Daniel takes Kermit to the alternate world - Yoda from Star Wars. (Funnily enough, Disney would eventually buy out the Star Wars franchise as well.)
  • Jerry Nelson was ill during filming, so his characters were puppeteered by others and later dubbed by Nelson. The exception was Lew Zealand, who was performed by Bill Barretta.
  • Within the alternate universe in which Kermit had never been born, a poster for "Farm Fresh Bacon" can be seen on Miss Piggy's fridge.
  • An early working title was He's a Wonderful Frog. Coincidentally, that title was previously used for an episode of the original Muppet Babies series.
  • In the "Moulin Scrooge" sequence, Bunsen and Beaker dress as they did in The Muppet Christmas Carol.
  • Miss Piggy would sing "Santa Baby" again on the album A Green and Red Christmas and in Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular.

Edits[]

  • When the movie aired on The CW in 2012, the "Crocodile Hunter" parody sequence was cut, along with the shot of Kermit showing the NBC logo on his foot, due to licensing rights.
  • When the movie was aired on Universal Kids in 2018, the scenes featuring Scooter cage dancing and Statler and Waldorf at the bar were cut for time.
  • Freeform's broadcasts removed the NBC chimes being the passcode to the Boss' office as well as Kermit showing the NBC logo on his foot.

Deleted scenes[]

Over thirty minutes of footage was cut from the original broadcast of this film. Many of the deleted scenes were included as special features on the DVD, most of them appearing as part of the 20-minute documentary Inside Pepe's Studio. Deleted scenes included the following:

  • The Santa hired for the Christmas show claims to be the real one and leaves, so Kermit has Bobo fill in.
  • A sequence in "Moulin Scrooge" in which Sam the Eagle portrayed Baron Von Scrooge.
  • An extended interview between Carson Daly and Kermit, where Kermit explains that the Muppets inherited the theater from Scooter's uncle.
  • Joe Snow melting in the world without Kermit.
  • A scene with Snoop Dogg (this scene was not included in the DVD release).
  • A scene at a prison that is presented as a news report, which announces that the criminal Pepe the King Prawn has escaped, with Bill Barretta as a newsman and Kirk Thatcher as a guard (this scene was an Easter Egg on the MGM DVD release and a non-Easter egg on the Universal release, and may have shown what had happened to Pepe in the world in which Kermit was never born).
  • An alternate finale scene which had Glenn starting an angel teaching class, while bragging he had been supportive of Daniel all the way through (this scene was included as an Easter Egg on the MGM DVD release and a non-Easter egg on the Universal release).

Cast[]

Muppet 6
Muppet 4

A promotional photo featuring Whoopi Goldberg with Kermit, Fozzie, Pepe, Gonzo, and Miss Piggy.

Muppeteer/actor/actress Character(s)
Steve Whitmire Kermit the Frog
Rizzo the Rat
Beaker
Dave Goelz Gonzo
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
Zoot
Waldorf
Bill Barretta Pepe the King Prawn
Rowlf the Dog
The Swedish Chef
Johnny Fiama
Bobo the Bear
Lew Zealand
Howard Tubman
Eric Jacobson Miss Piggy
Fozzie Bear
Animal
"Yoda"
David Arquette Daniel
Joan Cusack Rachel Bitterman
Matthew Lillard Luc Fromage
William H. Macy Glenn
Whoopi Goldberg The Boss
Carson Daly Self
Kelly Ripa Self
Brian Henson Scooter
Janice
Sal Manilla
Jerry Nelson Robin the Frog
Pops
Floyd Pepper
Announcer
Statler
John Kennedy Dr. Teeth
Kevin Clash Sam the Eagle
John Henson Sweetums
Mel Brooks (voice)
Allan Trautman (puppeteer)
voice
Joe Snow
Eugene
Chantal Strand Nancy Nut-What
Dave "Squatch" Ward Sally Ann Santa
Bill Lawrence Self
Molly Shannon Herself
Zach Braff Himself/Dr. J.D.
Sarah Chalke Herself/Dr. Reid
Judy Reyes Herself/Nurse Espinosa
John C. McGinley Himself/Dr. Cox
Neil Flynn Himself/Janitor
Joe Rogan Himself
Robert Smigel Triumph the Insult Comic Dog

Note: Crazy Harry, Beauregard, Bean Bunny, a green monster from the meeting film "Think Bigger", Mr. Poodlepants, Zippity Zap, the Frackles, Chip, Andy and Randy Pig, Yolanda Rat, Doreen the Camel, Maxine, Foo-Foo, Shirley, Gimley's Boss, Wesley, the Muppet Newsman, Louis Kazagger, George the Janitor, Mildred, J.P. Grosse, Slim Wilson, Zeke, Flash, Flower-Eating Monster, Luncheon Counter Monster, Lenny the Lizard, Bill, Gil, and Jill from The Muppets Take Manhattan, Shakey Sanchez, Quongo, Butch the Tiger, Sprocket, Brool the Minstrel, Murray the Minstrel, the Koozebanian Phoob, Aretha, Begoony, the Blustering Bellowpane Monster, Mudwell the Mudbunny, Poison Cackler, Wander McMooch, Eugene from Muppets Tonight, Bernice the Warthog, Lydia the Ostrich, Clarissa, Bill the Bubble Guy, Bubba the Rat, and various Elvises, Lobsters, Rats, Chickens, Penguins, Frogs, Whatnots, Fazoobs, Inkspots, and Pigs appear, but do not have speaking parts.

External links[]

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Jim Henson Productions and Related Shows
Specials
Sesame Street and related shows Christmas Eve on Sesame StreetA Special Sesame Street ChristmasElmo Saves ChristmasElmo's World: Happy Holidays!A Sesame Street Christmas CarolElmo's Christmas Countdown • "Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten" • "Christmas Special (Barrio Sésamo)" • Christmas with Ernie & Bert • "Jul med Jeppe, Marie og Elmo" • "A Christmas Present in Summer" • "Boot" • "Monster Monster Day" • Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas • "A Furchester Christmas" • "Holiday at Hooper’s" • Sesame Street: The Nutcracker Starring Elmo & Tango • "Yip Yip Tree Tree" / "The Snowman Scarecrow"
The Muppets John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas TogetherA Muppet Family ChristmasThe Muppet Christmas CarolIt's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie • "Christmas (From the Balcony)" • A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa • "Ringing of the Bells" • Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular • "Single All the Way" • "Ho Ho Ho!" • "Christmas" (Muppet Moments) • "Santa Claus" (Muppet Moments) • "A Very Muppet Babies Christmas" / "Summer's Super Fabulous Holiday Surprise" • "It's a Wonderful Elf-bot" / "A Merry Litter Christmas"
Other shows and specials The Jimmy Dean Show: Episode 114The Jimmy Dean Show: Episode 214The Jimmy Dean Show: Episode 314Santa Claus Routine with Arthur GodfreyChristmas ReindeersThe Great Santa Claus SwitchEmmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas • "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" • The Christmas Toy • "Refrigerator Day" • Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree • "Mrs. Zabarelli's Holiday Baton" • "The Siberian Tiger and the Reindeer" • "A Berry Bear Christmas" • "Holidays" • "Hooblebumper Box Day" • "Oh Christmas Tree" • "Sid's Holiday Adventure" • "Cretaceous Conifers" • "Don's Winter Wish" • "The Annoying Orange Generic Holiday Special" • "Orange Carol" • "Joy to the World (Pajanimals)" • "War on Christmas (No, You Shut Up!)" • "A New York Christmas to Remember" • "A Song For Everyone" • "The Holiday Tree" • "Whitebeard/Coral Day" • "Traditions on Ice" • "Night of the Lights"
Albums
Christmas Eve on Sesame StreetMerry Christmas from Sesame StreetJohn Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas TogetherA Sesame Street ChristmasElmo Saves Christmas: Holiday FavoritesA Green and Red ChristmasBob! from Sesame Street: Christmas Sing AlongHoliday Classics . It's Christmas Time
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