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Elmo Saves Christmas

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Elmo Saves Christmas
GenreChristmas special
Written by
Directed byEmily Squires
Starring
Voices of
Narrated byMaya Angelou
Opening themeIt's Christmas Again
Ending themeKeep Christmas with You (All Through the Year)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerNancy Kanter
Running time60 minutes
Production companyChildren's Television Workshop
Original release
NetworkPBS
ReleaseDecember 2, 1996 (1996-12-02)

Elmo Saves Christmas is a Sesame Street Christmas musical fantasy comedy drama television special which was released on PBS on December 2, 1996.[1] It was released to VHS that same year. Inspired by the 1892 short story "Christmas Every Day" by William Dean Howells, Elmo wishes for Christmas to occur every day, only to be taken to the future to learn the adverse consequences of his wish. The program was filmed in Sesame Street's usual home, the Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City. Footage from the film It's a Wonderful Life also appears in the program and after the credits.

Plot

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Elmo stays up on Christmas Eve to meet Santa Claus. He falls asleep, but is awakened by Santa stuck in the chimney. Elmo helps pull out Santa, who gives him the choice of a teddy bear or a magical snow globe. Elmo chooses the globe and is granted three wishes, wasting the first on a glass of water.

On Christmas Day, Elmo wishes for Christmas to be every day, but Santa warns him that Christmas would no longer be special. Lightning, a reindeer-in-training, takes Elmo to the future to see the effects of his wish. Big Bird becomes sad that Snuffy does not return from visiting his grandmother in Cincinnati, the businesses remain closed, It's a Wonderful Life plays continuously on every TV channel, Santa's overworked elves end up producing a cow/rabbit hybrid toy called the "Moo-Bunny", and other holidays are overshadowed. Meanwhile, Oscar the Grouch enjoys the increasing misery.

By next year's Christmas, everybody is tired of celebrating, Christmas trees are endangered, all the businesses are bankrupt, and Santa is retiring to Florida. Elmo uses his last wish to make Christmas be once a year again, but breaks his snow globe before the wish is granted. Fortunately, Lightning takes him back to the Christmas Eve when he rescued Santa, and Elmo chooses the Moo-Bunny as his new gift. Snuffy returns, telling Big Bird that his grandmother came to Sesame Street instead. Elmo finally learns that everyone can keep their Christmas spirit alive in their hearts all year even when it is not Christmas.

Cast

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Humans

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Muppet performers

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Additional Muppets performed by Pam Arciero, Peter Linz, Noel MacNeal, Jim Martin, John Tartaglia, Alice Dinnean and Matt Vogel.

Songs

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  1. "It's Christmas Again"
  2. "Every Day Can't Be Christmas"
  3. "Give Your Friend an Easter Egg for Christmas"
  4. "All I Want for Christmas is You"
  5. "Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year)"

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Geiss, Tony (12 July 1996). "Elmo Saves Christmas". Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Retrieved 14 May 2019.[permanent dead link]
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