


Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas is a Christmas special spun off from the PBS television series Sesame Street that premiered on HBO on November 25, 2016 (making it the show's first Christmas special to come out following its move to there) and featuring guest stars Audra McDonald, Zosia Mamet, and Jim Gaffigan (as Santa Claus). It won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program.
Synopsis[]
From the press release:
“ | Once Upon a Sesame Christmas opens with the lyrical number "Holiday Lights", a musical glimpse into the homes of Sesame Street families celebrating winter holidays, and unfolds into a fanciful bedtime story that brings the past alive. After a day of holiday fun, while being tucked into bed on Christmas Eve, Elmo asks, “Why do we leave cookies out for Santa?" Elmo's father spins a tale about a dreary Sesame Street of yesteryear, a place so unfriendly not even Santa Claus would visit, viewers are transported to a period-perfect 19th-century city neighborhood, with characters in authentic hand-sewn costumes, but marked by unkindness and a serious lack of holiday spirit. Luckily, Elmo's great-great-great-grandmonster moves there with the best of intentions and endless good will, gradually winning over the unhappy citizens and bringing kindness and cheer to Sesame Street once and for all.[1] |
” |
Availability[]

The cover to the DVD release.
A DVD of the special was released by Sesame Workshop's then-current video distributor, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, on October 10, 2017. The DVD also included the 2006 direct-to-video special A Sesame Street Christmas Carol as a bonus feature, along with two Christmas-themed Sesame Street segments that originally premiered online, "Twas a Night Before Cookie" and "Elmo's Christmas Song", six other holiday shorts from Sesame Studios' YouTube page, and a downloadable storybook version of the special's plot through DVD-ROM. Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas was later included as a bonus feature on the Sesame Street: My Favorite Holidays DVD from Shout Factory Kids, released on November 1, 2022.
Songs[]
Cast[]
Actor/actress / Muppeteer | Character(s) |
---|---|
Alan Muraoka | Alan |
Suki Lopez | Nina |
Caroll Spinney | Big Bird Oscar the Grouch |
Jim Gaffigan | Santa Claus |
Audra McDonald | Caroler |
Zosia Mamet | Bella |
Billy Barkhurst | Ernie |
Jennifer Barnhart | Holly |
Tyler Bunch | Louie |
Leslie Carrara | Abby Cadabby Becky/Smudge |
Ryan Dillon | Elmo |
Haley Jenkins | Lavender Anything Muppet Woman |
Eric Jacobson | Bert Grover Two-Headed Monster (left-head) |
David Rudman | Cookie Monster Two-Headed Monster (right-head) |
Matt Vogel | The Count Constable |
Carmen Osbahr | Rosita |
Kolette Tetlow | 19th century downtrodden child |
Julius Thomas III | 19th century Present day SE |
Liz Hara Chris Thomas Hayes Kathleen Kim Tim Lagasse Spencer Lott Lara MacLean Andrew Moriarty |
Additional Muppet performers |
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Behind-the-scenes photos[]
Other[]
References[]
External links[]
- Muppet Wiki: Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
- Tough Pigs' review
- Boomerang video #1
- Boomerang video #2
- Boomerang video #3