The Christmas Toy: A Beloved Holiday Special from Jim Henson

When Jim Henson was alive, the Muppets could do no wrong. Many of their movies, TV shows, and specials were filled with plenty of charm and heart that appealed to children and adults alike. They still were to an extent in the immediate years following Jim's death, but in recent years, they have attempted to be more hip than witty to the extent that Jim would be rolling in his grave if he knew what had become of his wonderful creations. Still, we have many great examples of the Muppets from their heyday, and The Christmas Toy, a special from the 1980s, is one of them. This special, a childhood favorite of mine, has a lot in common with Toy Story, though the latter was released years later, but it has plenty of charm to be considered a classic in its own right. Let me tell you about this special that should have stayed on television longer than it was.

In the house of the Jones family, there lies a playroom filled with toys that Jessie and Jamie play with. What they do not suspect is that, when no humans are around, these toys come to life and begin some playtime of their own. Among the toys are Rugby, a stuffed tiger who sees himself as being quite brave; Apple, a seemingly jealous doll; Balthazar, an old bear who is regarded as the leader of the toys; and Belmont, a riding horse and a perpetual worrier. When humans return to the playroom, the toys must quickly return to the positions in which they were left the last time they were played with. Failure to do so will result in them being permanently frozen and unable to come back to life when the coast is clear.

As the story opens, it happens to be Christmas Eve night, which means that new toys will soon be joining the old toys. Rugby, remembering that he was the special Christmas toy the year before, believes that he could relive the experience and sets off to get inside a Christmas present so that he can make Jamie happy once more. By his side is Mew, a toy mouse covered in catnip, which Rugby is allergic to, but who nevertheless helps Rugby in his quest. Meanwhile, the other toys, fearing that Rugby is in danger of being discovered and frozen for all time, head out on a mission to bring him back to the playroom. When they find him, he is opening a present, and they discover the toy that is destined to be the new Christmas toy: Meteora, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Asteroids.

The problem with Meteora is that, much like Buzz Lightyear in the first Toy Story movie, she believes that she is a real queen, and not merely a toy. Meanwhile, Rugby is secure inside the present, anxiously awaiting the moment when Jamie opens it and finds him inside. Now the other toys have tow problems: not only must they convince Rugby that he will be frozen if Jamie sees him in the box, but they must also persuade Meteora to stay in the box until the next morning. Even if they accomplish these tasks, however, further problems may arise that may make this Christmas a sad one for the toys.

Simply put, this special is classic Muppet material: there is a great deal of charm and humor to be found, and there is even some suspense that may place a merry Christmas in doubt. The Christmas Toy is similar to Toy Story in several ways, from jealously towards other toys, to thinking that one is something other than a toy, to the entire action of toys coming to life when no one is looking. However, they all come together quite nicely for a wonderful story. There are also some moments that, to this day, I can not watch with dry eyes. Anyone who does not get cold chills at some parts of the special have absolutely no heart at all. As usual, the Muppeteers give wonderful performances, from Dave Goelz (The Great Gonzo) as Rugby, to Jerry Nelson (Count von Count) as Balthazar, to Richard Hunt (Scooter) as Belmont. Add some great songs to the mix, and you get an example of how a superb holiday special should be made. I still have it on videotape and watch it sometimes during the holiday season. I used to have the original airing on tape, complete with Kraft commercials, but I lost it many years ago.

It should be noted that The Christmas Toy was originally meant to be part of a twelve part series of specials based on holidays, but only one other such special, The Tale of the Bunny Picnic, was produced. Also, a series called The Secret Life on Toys was spun off from the special in the 1990s. It aired on the Disney Channel and featured some of the same characters and performers. As for the special, it is available on VHS and DVD, but be warned that in the latter version, host Kermit the Frog does not appear for licensing reasons. Apparently, HIT Entertainment has the rights to the other characters from the special, but since Disney now owns the main Muppet characters, they could not use him. To see the complete special sans the Kraft commercials, one would have to track down the VHS versions released during the 1990s.

The Christmas Toy is the kind of holiday special that is simply not made anymore. Nowadays, holiday specials try hard to be hip, sometimes with product placement, and are so focused in doing so that they forget what makes a holiday special so great. Although the special appeared on the Disney Channel a few years after its original broadcast, it has since disappeared from television forever. Luckily, the home video versions are still around, and they are worth checking out in order to see a classic special that is gone from the airwaves, but certainly not forgotten. Why not hunt down a copy and start a new holiday tradition? I guarantee that it will put many of the more recent Muppet projects to shame.

As usual, the Muppeteers give wonderful performances, from Dave Goelz (The Great Gonzo) as Rugby, to Jerry Nelson (Count von Count) as Balthazar, to Richard Hunt (Scooter) as Belmont. Add some