A Very Henson Christmas - The Great Santa Claus Switch

Christmas looms large over the pop culture landscape. The majority of TV shows are expected to have some sort of themed episode devoted to it at some point in their run and that's not counting the shows that are specifically just to be shown as Christmas specials. There’s something about the non-stop need for televisual good cheer that very much provokes my inner Grinch. When it comes to Christmas films, there are few that I would watch repeatedly* and certainly not many that I want to put on every year. 

There is one main exception to that (even though I don’t actually watch it every year, I would happily do so) and I’ll come on to that later on… although given and theme to these posts, it really should come as no real surprise. That set me thinking that, when it comes to Christmas stuff, there is one creator whose Christmas themed output I’ll always give a chance to and that is Mr Jim Henson.

Again, no big surprises here as I’ve banged on about Muppets and Muppet-related stuff before. I was briefly tempted to go in the other direction and cover some of the more terrifying Christmas-themed stuff out there (Box Of Delights, anyone?) but decided that I would allow my heart to grow three sizes instead and go with the heartwarming option. Because, let’s face it, it’s always the right time of year for the Muppets.

Let’s kick off with one of the very first Christmassy Muppet specials and one which very few people will have seen (and certainly very few in the UK).

The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)
In A Nutshell:- Evil wizard Cosmo Scam, assisted by the Frackles, hatches a plot to kidnap and replace Santa Claus and his elves and it’s up to Fred The Elf to save the day.

The Background:- Jim Henson had appeared on the Ed Sullivan show numerous times in the late 60s; as a thank you, Sullivan offered him this prime time special (which he hosts/narrates). It’s only been shown a few times in the States and never over here (as far as I’m aware) so it;s one of the least known Muppet specials.

Muppetrivia:- This special features the first appearance of a long-nosed puppet which is referred to as Snarl here but would later go on to be more well known as Gonzo The Great (not performed by his regular puppeteer Dave Goelz at this point).Also is the special is a big blue full-body puppet called Thog who go on to appear in more specials with stars such as Julie Andrews and Nancy Sinatra before finally settling into a regular spot as one of the monsters in the opening titles for the Muppet Show.

Is It Any Good? It’s got a certain sense of charm (as all Henson productions do), particularly in a nicely silly sequence where the elves are gradually replaced by the Frackles, but it’s probably more interesting nowadays as a historical piece, showing the evolution of Henson’s puppeteering and offering a glimpse at some formative Muppet favourites.

Next Time:- It’s the Muppet Christmas equivalent of Avengers Endgame...


*I realise that will have me branded as a heretic in some circles but I’m just not that fond of Elf. It’s a film with some funny moments and a certain amount of charm but it is certainly not a film that I would want to watch every year. Will Ferrell can be funny but sometimes he’s just shouty. There, I’ve said it. Judge as you will.