In 1955, puppeteer Jim Henson created a quirky, diverse group of puppets called The Muppets. These puppets included kindhearted Kermit the Frog, dramatic and unwavering Miss Piggy, comedian Fozzie Bear, eccentric and fearless sometimes-alien Gonzo the Great, and a slew of other colorful characters rounding out the eclectic squad. The Muppets grew to become a cultural phenomenon, creating a franchise that spawned television series and specials, as well as eight feature films, including The Muppet Christmas Carol.
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Released in 1992, The Muppet Christmas Carol was adapted from Charles Dicken’s 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. Having been released over three decades ago, this movie has become a holiday tradition for many Muppet lovers. However, even after years of rewatching, there may be two things that even the most eagle-eyed viewer may have overlooked, which include the absence of not only one important Muppet stagehand but also, a collective of frequent crossover collaborators.
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Where is Scooter in The Muppet Christmas Carol?
Scooter was originally introduced as the as the nephew of J.P. Grosse, who owned the theater the Muppets performed in. Originally portrayed as an antagonist in early adaptations, Scooter would annoy and anger others with outrageous demands. However, over time, he developed into a more positive, intellectual, and helpful character who acted as a stage manager and gofer for the Muppets.
Due to this role, it should not come as a surprise that the bespectacled stagehand has appeared in most of the Muppet films and television specials, including The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan, as well as the television show Muppet Babies, where his character was given a twin sister named Skeeter.
However, Scooter was not seen in The Muppets Christmas Carol due to the death of his voice actor, Richard Hunt, earlier that year before its release. Hunt was not only the original voice of Scooter, but also performed as Miss Piggy with Frank Oz until the later part of the first season of The Muppet Show, as well as Beaker, Janice, Statler, Sweetums, Junior Gorg, Don Music, and Forgetful Jones. The character of Scooter was retired for seven years until 1999 and did not receive a consistent performer until David Rudman in 2008. The Muppet Christmas Carol was dedicated to Hunt, as well as Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppets who also passed away before production began.
There Were No Sesame Street Characters in the Movie
In 1969, Jim Henson joined the children’s educational television program Sesame Street, to develop characters for the show. Muppets such as Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Elmo, and the iconic giant yellow bird himself, Big Bird, became integral to the show and Henson’s work.
Henson and his creative team became closely involved with Sesame Street over the years, and he retained ownership rights to the Muppet characters developed for the show. Because of this, Sesame Street characters have been consistently featured in Muppets television series and movies. In 1979’s The Muppet Movie, characters such as Big Bird performed the song “Rainbow Connection” during the finale. Big Bird can also be seen walking along the road during the song “Movin’ Right Along.” In 1981, Oscar the Grouch makes a brief cameo in The Great Muppet Caper and characters such as Herry, Count von Count, Cookie Monster, and Bert and Ernie can be spotted during the wedding of Kermit and Miss Piggy in 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan.
While Sesame Street characters were seen in every movie until 1992, The Muppet Christmas Carol is the first Muppet film not to feature any of them. Although no reasoning was given as to why, it can be surmised that these characters were left out due to the much darker tone of The Muppet Christmas Carol, as it is a closer adaptation of the Dickens novel than many other adaptations which are generally geared to children. It is worth noting, however, that several recycled puppets from Fraggle Rock, including Sprocket, are featured in the movie’s background.
Another reason for the absence of Sesame Street characters in the film are is that there have been other Muppet and Sesame Street adaptations of A Christmas Carol, including 2006’s direct-to-video special A Sesame Street Christmas Carol, 1978’s TV special A Special Sesame Street Christmas, and A Muppet Family Christmas is a crossover musical television special featured characters from the Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, as well as Muppet Babies.
The Muppet Christmas Carol has cemented itself into the hearts of Muppets fans as a holiday classic, showcasing the Muppets’ ability to create a story that truly stands the test of time. While the film does lack two elements that fans have come to know and love in other Muppet films, the movie stands as a loving tribute to the talents of both Jim Henson and Richard Hunt and serves as a reminder of a long-lasting legacy filled with wit, imagination, and holiday cheer.
The Muppet Christmas Carol is streaming on Disney+.
