Elmo Saves Christmas

*Elmo Saves Christmas*
Elmo Saves Christmas
Genre	Christmas special
Written by	Christine Ferraro; Tony Geiss;
Directed by	Emily Squires
Starring	Maya Angelou; Charles Durning; Harvey Fierstein; 14 Karat Soul; Bob McGrath; Roscoe Orman; Sonia Manzano; Emilio Delgado; David Smyrl; Carlo Alban; Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly; Desiree Casado;
Voices of	Kevin Clash; Joey Mazzarino; Fran Brill; Caroll Spinney; Steve Whitmire; Frank Oz; Jerry Nelson; Carmen Osbahr; Martin P. Robinson; David Rudman; Bryant Young; Pam Arciero; Peter Linz; Noel MacNeal; Jim Martin; John Tartaglia; Alice Dinnean; Matt Vogel;
Narrated by	Maya Angelou
Opening theme	It's Christmas Again
Ending theme	Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year)
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Nancy Kanter
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Children's Television Workshop
Original release
Network	PBS
Release	December 2, 1996

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

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 as a gift. 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 is 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 make flawed toys, 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 a plush Moo-Bunny as his new gift. Snuffy returns, telling Big Bird that his grandmother came to Sesame Street instead. Elmo finally learns that even though Christmas does not occur every day, everyone can keep their Christmas spirit alive in their hearts all year.

Cast

Humans

Carlo Alban as Carlo
Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly as Gina
Emilio Delgado as Luis
Desiree Casado as Gabi
Sonia Manzano as Maria
Bob McGrath as Bob
Roscoe Orman as Gordon
David Smyrl as Mr. Handford

Muppet performers

Frank Oz as Cookie Monster and Grover
Jerry Nelson as Count von Count, Mr. Johnson, and News Flash Announcer
Kevin Clash as Elmo, Baby Natasha, Benny Rabbit, Father and Elf 3
Fran Brill as Zoe, Easter Egg customer and Elf 2
Joey Mazzarino as Ingrid, Lightning and Elf 1
Carmen Osbahr as Rosita
Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Martin P. Robinson as Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, and Elf 5
David Rudman as Baby Bear, Humphrey and Elf 4
Bryant Young as Rear End of Mr. Snuffleupagus
Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog

Bert, Ernie, and Prairie Dawn do not have any speaking lines in the television special.

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

Songs

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

References

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

External links

Elmo Saves Christmas at IMDb
Elmo Saves Christmas at Muppet Wiki

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

[1]

v t e Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Special
Children's Entertainment Special (1974–1984)	ABC Afterschool Special ("Rookie of the Year") (1974) The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People ("Harlequinade") (1975) The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People ("Danny Kaye's Look-In at the Metropolitan Opera") (1976) Special Treat ("Big Henry and the Polka Dot Kid") (1977) ABC Afterschool Special ("Hewitt's Just Different") (1978) Special Treat ("The Tap Dance Kid") (1979) ABC Afterschool Special ("The Late Great Me: Story of a Teenage Alcoholic") (1980) ABC Afterschool Special ("A Matter of Time") (1981) ABC Afterschool Special ("Starstruck") (1982) ABC Afterschool Special ("The Woman Who Willed a Miracle") (1983) ABC Afterschool Special ("The Great Love Experiment") (1984)
Children's Informational Special (1976–1984)	Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown (1976) ABC Afterschool Special ("My Mom's Having a Baby") (1977) ABC Afterschool Special ("Very Good Friends") (1978) Razzamatazz (1979) The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People ("Why a Conductor") (1980) The CBS Festival of Lively Arts for Young People ("Julie Andrews' Invitation to the Dance with Rudolf Nureyev") (1981) Kathy (1982) No Award (1983) CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Dead Wrong: The John Evans Story") (1984)
Children's Anthology/Dramatic Programming (1980)	ABC Weekend Specials ("The Gold Bug") / CBS Library ("Animal Talk" and "Once Upon a Midnight Dreary") / Once Upon a Classic ("Leatherstocking Tales") (1980)
Children's Special (1985–2003)	CBS Schoolbreak Special ("All the Kids Do It") (1985) CBS Schoolbreak Special ("The War Between the Classes") (1986) ABC Afterschool Special ("Wanted: The Perfect Guy") (1987) CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Never Say Goodbye") (1988) ABC Afterschool Special ("Taking a Stand") (1989) CBS Schoolbreak Special ("A Matter of Conscience") (1990) Lost in the Barrens (1991) Vincent and Me (1992) ABC Afterschool Special ("Shades of a Single Protein") (1993) Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("Dead Drunk: The Kevin Tunell Story") (1994) Lifestories: Families in Crisis ("A Child Betrayed: The Calvin Mire Story") (1995) CBS Schoolbreak Special ("Stand Up") (1996) Elmo Saves Christmas (1997) In His Father's Shoes (1998) The Island on Bird Street (1999) Summer's End (2000) Run the Wild Fields / A Storm in Summer (2001) My Louisiana Sky (2002) Bang Bang You're Dead (2003)
Children/Youth/Family Special (2004–2007)	The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie (2004) Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks (2005) Reality Matters ("Teen Sexuality") (2006) Saving a Species (The Great Penguin Rescue") (2007)