Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The real topper to this week’s show is the debut of young Muppet fan Juliannah Wilson as she presents the first-ever Muppet Storytime segment. She provides our feature segment this week, gracing us with her reading of “Baby Kermit’s Christmas“.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

The special introduction to this week’s show will hopefully be heard all around the Disney podosphere this Christmas. It’s a combined reading done by some of us of the well-known editorial piece “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”. I’d like to thank EVERYONE who helped bring this idea to a reality in the span of a few short days. The voices heard on the recording are:

Juliannah Wilson as Virginia
Paul Barrie – A Window to the Magic
Bryan Ripper & Jonathan Dichter – All About the Mouse
Gary Chambers – The Mouse Lounge
Clinton Alvord – Comedy4Cast
Tom Corless – WDW News Today
James Songster – WDW Cast Member
Scott & Tracey Morris – Disney, Indiana
Tairy Rich – Disney Tidbits
Steve Swanson – The MuppetCast

Thanks to Michael Stork for his Kermit impression and the Hawaiian Christmas tune!

The MuppetCast remembers actress Alaina Reed Hall, who passed away a few days ago at age 63. Ms. Hall played the part of Olivia on Sesame Street from 1976 to 1988, and many of us grew up knowing her as a familiar face on the Street. We celebrate her life this week.

CBS News recently featured the Muppet Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz on The Early Show, Saturday Edition. The hosts made their own whatnots!

If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you owe it to yourself to get the new “The Muppets Animal Drummer” app from the iTunes Store. For just $1.99 you can match skill with Animal, and even create your own original beats that Animal plays back to you!

Make sure to pick up the iPhone and iPod Touch-ready Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody (iTunes link) video for only $1.49. Normally I don’t buy the YouTube-released vids in iTunes, but I think you’ll agree that this is highly worth it.

The Muppets will appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on January 3 on ABC. Set your DVRs to see the Muppets pitch in and help a St. Paul, MN family save their home.

Sesame Workshop is set to begin making digital books starting in 2010. Check out their official eBook website!

Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter will not return to Goodspeed Opera House next holiday season. Instead, it may go out on tour, or find a different home in the Northeast US. Plans are still being made.

Carl Huster got the unique opportunity to work with Jim Henson very early in Jim’s career. If you’ve heard of the Southern Colnel Muppet character, Carl was working with Jim on the Southern Bread ad campaign, for which the Colnel was invented. Some great video on this site with rare Henson ad footage!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

You can follow Michael Davis and see where he’s appearing around the US at his official website.

See and hear 14 Karat Soul – a group with a long history with Sesame Street and other children’s shows – at their official website!

James Wojtal wanted everyone to know about Puppetworks and their participation in the Macy’s Herald Square Annual Puppet Show, titled “Miracle on 34th St.” It’s based on the film of the same name. Find the official Puppetworks website here.

The Swedish Chef as Santa Claus! Bork, bork, bork…I mean Ho, Ho, Ho!

The Muppets Studio released a new YouTube video recently, featuring the singing trio of the Swedish Chef, Beaker, and Animal as they sing the Christmas classic, Carol of the Bells. Nice work!

The Jim Henson Company also posted several new YouTube videos, all taken from “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter”, now playing at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. Click here for tickets!

During this episode we played a game where the winner received an autographed first-edition hardcover copy of “Street Gang”, courtesy of Michael Davis. Listener Colbynfriends was the winner, so congratulations! Listen for even more ways to win signed books (and audiobooks) in the coming weeks!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Also making an appearance is Dave Hulteen, an extremely talented Muppet fan artist. Dave’s work can be seen here on MuppetCast.com, as well as a recent feature article on ToughPigs.com! Dave has two Deviant art accounts, one featuring his premium work, and the other his Muppet work. Make sure to keep an eye out for Dave’s awesome artwork!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

BJ mentioned that Muppet Babies writer Jeffrey Scott published a book in 2003 that he loves called “How to Write for Animation.” There’s your Amazon link!

The Muppets made a fine showing at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every Muppet moment was captured and presented in the show.

Fox News political commentator Bill O’Reilly may have met his match in grouch form. Spill O’Reilly dropped by the Factor and assured Bill that the “Pox News” jibe wasn’t a slight against just one network. After all, Spill said, “…we don’t like anybody!”

The Muppets made a huge internet splash this past Tuesday November 24 with their new version of Queen’s hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The video earned millions of views in only a few days, and fans everywhere are loving it! If you haven’t seen it, watch it here.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

This month, you won’t have to travel across an ocean to experience the work of some of the world’s premier puppet artists! Venues from around Atlanta – including the Center for Puppetry Arts – have invited innovative puppet companies from Canada, France, Spain, and the United States to share their exciting array of performances, artist-led workshops, and exhibits.

Listener Hilarie Mukavitz recently made a stop in Leland, Mississippi, and visited the Jim Henson Mississippi Delta Boyhood Museum. Here’s a link to her Facebook pictures documenting the trip.

Head over to The MuppetCast Flickr Page for new additions from listeners Kyle W. and Lianne! Kyle sent pictures of some great new plushes he picked up in San Antonio, TX. Lianne found her old Muppet Show Book (the really big one from the late 1970s), and other books and figures. Great stuff!

Just as they did last year, the Jim Henson Company will be at this year’s Comic Con in San Diego, CA. This year they’ve got a big announcement for Farscape fans. As “Farscape” marks its 10th anniversary, A&E Home Entertainment and the Jim Henson Company have partnered to release all four seasons of Farscape in one DVD set! You can find certain DVDs here and there on the internet right now, but this will be a new collection encompassing all episodes, complete with new featurettes and commentary.

Canada.com tells of how the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Northeast Alabama once saw a full-sized Hoggle from the film “Labyrinth” come through their doors. Something tells me the Henson Company wound up recovering that particular piece of lost luggage.

Did you see Sesame Street singing and playing at this year’s PBS “Capitol Fourth” concert? Yes? No? Either way, I’ve included their portion of the concert in this week’s show, so enjoy!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Next week, during the normal course of the show, we will observe the day that Jim Henson passed away. The actual date is May 16, which is Saturday, so spend a little time watching your favorite episode of a Henson production, or maybe your favorite Muppet film. I encourage you to call or write with your special memories and messages for inclusion on next week’s show. I’m not planning on doing a special “tribute episode” as we have done in the past, mostly because I believe what we’ve already done serves as such a fitting tribute in and of itself. Then again, if I’m bombarded with your Henson remembrances, I may have no choice! We’ll see what happens.

In Muppetology, we remember actor Dom DeLuise as he passed away last week. DeLuise was a very talented comedic actor and loved collaborating with folks like Mel Brooks and Burt Reynolds. He also appeared twice with the Muppets, once as Bernie the agent (named in tribute to Bernie Brillstein, Henson’s longtime agent), and again in the second season of The Muppet Show. You’ll hear both appearances in the show.

Listener David Blain sent a link to the first appearance of Little Muppet Monsters. The Monsters appeared as inserted pieces in the Muppet Babies cartoons for a short time.

Michelle G. sent a link to the new Hallmark keepsake ornament – the Swedish Chef! Fans will love this one, illustrating a great Chef moment being held at gunpoint by the lobster banditos.

Look for an official Sesame Workshop book full of photos and memories of the past 40 years of Sesame Street to be released around early November 2009. You can go ahead and pre-order the book if you like. I still can’t believe it’s been 40 years!

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page for some new pics sent in by listener Robin! She and her family visited Sea World San Diego last year just before their Sesame-themed Bay of Play area opened to the public. Sesame Street characters were already out and about, though, taking pictures with kids and singing and dancing.

Alma sent a YouTube link to Part 1 of the Sesame special “Don’t Eat The Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art“. This is from the early 1980s. Once you view the YouTube page for part 1 you’ll see the links to parts 2-8. You can watch the whole thing!

Check out our friends at The Muppet News Flash and ToughPigs for outstanding Muppet news coverage and commentary!

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Paul created and helped write Letters to Santa, along with writing the wonderful new songs for it. He talks about both this special AND the new Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas musical, which he also revamped for the stage, and for which he also wrote new songs.

Hugh, Scott, and Andrew also wrote the much-discussed but never-seen Muppet Election Special, and you’ll briefly hear about their ideas for that piece. In my opinion these three have the right idea of where to take the Muppets, and Letters to Santa is a good “first project” in Disney’s new campaign to revitalize them.

Stick around for some after-Christmas fun next week.

Questions/Comments can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the studio phone line at 614-364-4270. Make sure to stop by the Muppet Central Forums for some spirited discussion of Letters to Santa (or any other Muppet topic), and check out Muppet Central Radio’s offering of Muppet Christmas music.

Merry Christmas, Jolly Everything, and Have a great week!

-Steve

Next week is another special episode, as I’ll be featuring “A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa“. That airs on NBC this Wednesday, December 17, at 8PM EST. Along with listening in on much of it, you’ll hear from writers Scott Ganz, Andrew Samson, and Hugh Fink. There may be a fourth special guest, but that isn’t confirmed at this point. Stay tuned!

The premiere performance of Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas went very well last Sunday, the Hartford Courant has a picture of Brian Henosn, Jane Henson, and Paul Williams at the theater.

On January 30, William Paterson University will be hosting “Sesame Street at 40: A Night of Celebration and Discovery with the Legendary Cast“. This special evening’s panel discussion will feature Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Marty Robinson, Fran Brill, and David Rudman. Also on the panel are Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, and writer Tony Geiss. Michael Davis, author of “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street“, will be the evening’s moderator.

This episode features much of “Christmas Eve on Sesame Street”, but there were parts that I left out on purpose. This video is posted in seven parts on YouTube (not by me), and I want you to go watch it yourself! There are some truly laugh-out-loud moments with the Muppets interacting with the kids that are just adorable. That, and the fact that so much of this special gets right to the heart of Sesame Street – with some very memorable moments from characters like Mr. Hooper, Big Bird, and Maria – makes this one for the ages. They truly don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Here are the links to see it all on YouTube. Apologies if you’re reading this on your iPod and not on the website:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

And there you have it! I hope this episode of The MuppetCast helps keep you in the holiday spirit and brings a little joy into your week. Let me know how you liked it.

Questions/Comments can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the studio line at 614-364-4270. Make sure to also stop by the Muppet Central Forums and say hello. It’s the best time of year over there, with Muppet Central Radio playing nonstop Muppet Christmas music. What could be better?

Have a great week!

-Steve

Merry Christmas everyone! This is the special Christmas Eve edition of The MuppetCast, and I think you’ll really love it. Some updates on a few goings-on in the Muppet world, lots of great listener emails, and, just this once, we’re even playing some Muppet Christmas music this week.

Some websites of interest: the new S.U.D.S. preview from the Jim Henson Company, Joe the Talking Mute’s awesome pictures from inside the Cinderella Castle suite (with a little nugget of joy for Muppet/Henson fans), the screening schedule for the Burns Film Center featuring lots of Muppet/Henson screenings.

Also, click over to The MuppetCast flickr page and see Erin Roll’s panel of the AIDS quilt made in honor of Richard Hunt. A wonderful tribute to a wonderful man.

Congratulations to PuppeteersUnite.com on their 2nd anniversary. Here’s to many more, and the new website design looks great!

Questions/Comments can always be sent to me@muppetcast.com, or called in at 614-364-4270. Also make sure and visit the Muppet Central Forums and say hi to all the other crazy Muppet fans!

Again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

-Steve

Remember, The MuppetCast will post a special Christmas Eve episode on December 24. Don’t miss it!

Have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

-Steve

Speaking of Muppet Christmas music, last year’s “A Green and Red Christmas” album has been nominated for a Grammy! Make sure you have this album for the holidays if you don’t already. If you do already have it, buy it for someone else this year!

Thanks to our sponsors, Bell Book & Comic, October Toys, and Bill’s Bricks!

If you live in the Mesa, Arizona area, you have a special Christmas present, in the opening of “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” at the Arizona Museum for Youth. Read all about it here.

Still haven’t bought the Sesame Street Old School Vol. 1 and 2 DVD sets yet? No problem! Pick them up here, in a special gift set from Borders Bookstores.

I hope you’re enjoying these Christmas edition podcasts as much as I am! Look for two podcasts next week, one for the normal Sunday released show, and another extra-special show posted on Christmas Eve! The Muppet Goodness just doesn’t stop!

Questions and Comments can always be sent to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voice line at 614-364-4270. Stop in and say hello at the Muppet Central Forums, if you havent been there before.

Merry Christmas, and Have a great week!

-Steve

Three sponsors to thank this week: Bell, Book & Comic, October Toys, and Bill’s Bricks. BIG Thanks to all three!

Congratulations to the winner of the Christmas contest! Rob Fullmer, you lucky guy! Also, thank you to Leander Linhoff for your donation this week!

Listener Trish Hausmann made an amazing wall hanging quilt recently, and it’s up for viewing on The MuppetCast’s Flickr page.

Sesame Workshop has a great new website up and available for viewing free, on-demand video content! You need to see this website this week, it is truly one of the most wonderful things to happen on their website in a while!

We take an in-depth look at “A Muppet Family Christmas” and “John Denver & the Muppets: A Christmas Together.” Not only that, we get to hear from an old friend of the show, Muppet writer Jim Lewis! I hope you love it!

Questions and Comments can always be sent to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voice line at 614-364-4270. Stop in and say hello at the Muppet Central Forums, if you haven’t been there before.

Merry Christmas! Have a great week.

-Steve

Remember that you still have one week to enter the MuppetCast Christmas Contest! See the website for details. The cutoff date for contest submissions is December 8.

The MuppetCast is sponsored as always by Bell Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

Some of the background Christmas music you hear in the podcast both this week and last week was taken from the Podsafe Music Network. Good music, make sure to give them a listen!

Joe the Talking Mute sent two links to FREE Muppet icons for your computer! I believe they work with both PC and Mac, so get them here and here.

Along with recounting some great moments from Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas, we hear from musican Matt Surowiec and hear some of his Emmet Otter 30th Anniversary Tribute CD.

We also get to hear from Dave Goelz, in an exclusive interview done while he was in Colubmus, OH. Dave was in Columbus presenting a special, unedited screening of Emmet Otter. We even hear from Gonzo!

(Dave also remembered, and wanted me to tell everyone, that he built the Snake character, along with the others that he mentioned in the podcast.)

Hopefully you’ll agree that this episode serves as a fitting tribute to a great Christmas special, and you’ll take some time and watch it all over again this holiday season.

Comments? Questions? Send them to me@muppetcast.com, or phone in your comments to the MuppetCast voice line at 614-364-4270.

Have a great week!

-Steve