Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas

Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas is a Christmas special spun off from Sesame Street that premiered on HBO on November 25, 2016 (making it the first Sesame Street Christmas special to come out following the show's move to HBO) 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.

Summary

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 into the neighborhood 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

A DVD of the special was released by Sesame Workshop, and their 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.

Cast

Actor/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
Ryan Dillon	Elmo
Haley Jenkins	Lavendar Anything Muppet Woman
Eric Jacobson	Bert Grover
David Rudman	Cookie Monster Two-Headed Monster
Matt Vogel	Count von Count Constable Two-Headed Monster
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

Behind-the-scenes photos

Screenshots

References

↑ Press release posted at TVLine.com

External links

Jim Henson Productions and Related Shows

Specials
Sesame Street and related shows	Christmas Eve on Sesame Street • A Special Sesame Street Christmas • Elmo Saves Christmas • Elmo's World: Happy Holidays! • A Sesame Street Christmas Carol • Elmo's Christmas Countdown • Christmas with Ernie & Bert • "Monster Monster Day" • Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas • "A Furchester Christmas"
The Muppets	John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together • A Muppet Family Christmas • The Muppet Christmas Carol • It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie • A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa • Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular • "Single All the Way" • "A Very Muppet Babies Christmas" • "Summer's Super Fabulous Holiday Surprise"
Other shows and specials	The Great Santa Claus Switch • Emmet 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" • "A Berry Bear Christmas"

Albums

Merry Christmas from Sesame Street • John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together • A Sesame Street Christmas • Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites • A Green and Red Christmas • Bob! from Sesame Street: Christmas Sing Along

[0] Press release posted at TVLine.com

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