does anyone know if the orginal uncut version of the Muppet Family Christmas is available anywhere or if it by any chance going to be reaired - the video and DVD versions have several scenes cut. Thanks for any info!
Jack: Now bring me that horizen..(hums).. and really bad eggs... drink up, me hearties, yo ho!!
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What was cut exactly? How long was it originally?
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Thats the version I have here in Dublin,Ireland! Cheers for the info.
sharethere was a part in the very beginning that was cut. Additionally, there were a few scenes with the snowman and the baby muppet movie scene were cut. I hope that helps.
shareWhy would they cut those scenes? Anyway, luckily I have the uncut version on tape but it's on BETA instead of VHS.
sharethe original statement:
"The original agreement that was made for the music of this special was for broadcast television only. Subsequently, when we tried to arrange for the home video we were not allowed to release it unless certain selections were removed. This situation, which currently remains unchanged, is regrettable both to us and to our many friends who have been disappointed with their purchase. We are attempting to cope with these restrictions, but so far without success. "
Wow, I never realized that some scenes had been cut from the video/DVD. For those who get it, Canada's YTV airs the Muppet Family Christmas every year and it has all the mentioned scenes...
shareThe original contained a couple selections that were cut, icluding Fozzie and the Snowman doing a duet of "Sleigh Ride" during which they hone their act (Snowman: "It's a reindeer" Fozzie: "Now it's snow, darling!"). They took out all of the home movie segment, where the muppet babies sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (Floyd, upon seeing Ms. Piggy as a baby: "Hey look, it's Miss Ham Hots when she was just a little Sausage Roll!") They also cut a substantial chunk from the end singalong (which escapes my memory).
shareThey cut out a song when Piggy finally made it to the house, too. They even skipped the final "Careful of the icy patch" gag because of that.
shareMy, but that's sad. I absolutely love this special. I bought it and watched it tonight and was simply struck by the careless nature of the cuts. I guess if it's a copyright thing, or whatever the above post was referring to, then there's nothing we can do. I suppose I'll just have to enjoy what they DID leave.
On a side note, it's amazing how moving a bunch of felt puppets can be. There were so many times I welled up at a simple gesture from those silly creatures.
Absolutely, one of my favorite specials.
Alexis
"Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing."
-Data
I hope I rented the uncut version from my local library.
shareThey cut out the Muppet baby segment? Blasphemy!
I can see you right now in the kitchen, bending over a hot stove. But I can't see the stove.
i wish i could see (and tape) it!!!
shareI was in grade school when this originally aired. I had taped it on VHS, along with A Claymation Christmas Celebration (the California Raisins' Christmas program from tv) and A Garfield Family Christmas My siblings and I must have watched the tape a dozen times every Christmas and at least three times during the rest of the year. When I began junior high, the tape had vanished and the specials were no longer shown on television.
So, like most of you, I was elated when I found that it was released on VHS (dvd as well, I assume), and completely deflated when I found that sections had been removed. I'm just so thrilled that all three of those have been released and I can watch them again! But, you know, I can't watch this one and make it through to the end without griping about how much better it was before it was cut. Guess that's the way it goes, though --can't go back again and all that. Anyway, let's just be glad they at least put out what they did. So, Merry Christmas (or insert your own holiday here), anyway!
--Kat
There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl's complexion.
ha i thought my family was crazy, we have watched this movie every christmas eve for as long as i can remember. my parents recorded it like the 1st or 2nd time it was on tv, so now its like 17 years old. last year we bought the dvd, but were saddened to see that a few scenes were removed, so this year (tonight) we reverted back to the stone age technology of primative VHS. anywho, im glad to know that other people like this movie and we arent the only people who bought the shortened DVD
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Oh my gosh! You could be my sister! My mother taped all of those specials plus Rudolph and Charlie Brown. We watched them every Christmas Eve until someone taped over it. I was devastated, but have since been doing the same thing as yoy; collecting them again. I have searching all over to find the Muppets, but many places are either back ordered or cost $70 (and even I'm not that crazy)!
Anyway, it was just nice to know that I'm not the only one trying to cling to my childhood. Merry Christmas to you too!
--Chelsea
Ive obtained the customer service number for Columbia/Tristar and i intend to call them reguarding this matter, any idea what department i should request or who? I mean maybe we can ask them to release the uncut version or something if we can get to the right people. I would repost the number but im unsure of the message board policy on redstributing contact information.
shareColumbia TriStar no longer has rights. Disney owns the rights to the special and will likely release it if they can get rights to everything. With Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock owned by two other companies, it might be a long shot.
Check out the info I've compiled at (including exact cuts) :
http://www.geocities.com/muppetchristmas/mfc.html
Wow, nice site, Disney needs the legitamacy the Hension studio creations will buy them, I just pray they can get at all the rights. Who owns the necessary other rights for the studio/special?
shareI typed this on VHS, I watch it every year.
The best is watching the commercials:
- "Who's the Boss" Premiers Tomorrow!
- "Catch an all new Season of Mr. Bellvedere!"
- A commercial for the season premier of Moonlighting
- There's the first Lego commercials to use "Zack the Lego Maniac"
- The "GET YOUR SKIS SHINED UP GRAB A STICK OF JUICY FRUIT" commercial..from the 80s.
- There's a Ritz Commercial with Jerry O'Connel on it!
- "I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R Us Kid" song
Great memories.
- - Clark
does it have a commercial for squeaks??? a stuffed animal mouse? and the playschool (?) kitchen..i remember those becuase i had them. i miss this tape! you should think about offering it to those who dont have it anymore..cough cough me!
shareIll pay money for someone to make me a copy of the orignal version on VHS. Im 17 and my mom and I used to watch it every christmas and it is a great memory. But sadly we lost the video copy we had when we moved. Now my moms really sick and I know that this is going to sound like a pathetic sob story but i have been serching for the tape for about 3 months now because this will probably be the last christmas Ill have with my mom and I really wanted to bring back our tradition one last time. Please if anyone has an orignal copy Ill pay for a copy! Please this would mean the world to me and my mom.
-Lindsay
P.s: mngopher716-1 i remeber those commercials for squeaks the stuffed animal mouse and the playschool kitchen :)
I would pay for a copy of this too. Our original copy accidentally got taped over and it would mean a lot to my family to have it back. Please let me know if you find it somewhere. Thanks!
~Meredith
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It's a travisshammockery that this was allowed to be released cut up the way it was. I won't get into a Disney and Henson bad match diatribe but I would really like to know where I can address a letter on this matter if anyone has any suggestions.
sharei would love to have the original. My family eawatched this every christmas for 17 years but now the vhs is too badly damaged to even watch 10 minutes of it, so to all who are looking for the original, try amazon. they have many users who would be glad to help out.
shareI absolutely loved this special when I was a kid! They showed it for a few years in a row on dutch tv. (I'm from the Netherlands) It was one of my favourite things of christmas! I didn't tape it back then, because we didn't have a vcr. Every year around christmas time I check if a dutch or belgian network is showing it, but no luck so far.
Maybe I'll buy the dvd this year. Too bad some scenes have been cut though. I do vaguely remember something with Fozzie and a snowman. I read somewhere that these cuts were because of the copyright of the songs that were used. Perhaps it was too expensive to buy all the songs for a dvd release? Oh well, I probably won't notice the cuts anyway, because it was such a long time ago that I last saw the thing. Although I do remember all the muppets singing 'Deck The Halls' and I always loved the bit where Count Count would say "I refuse to sing this song", followed by the others continuing with their Fa la la la las. I'd be disappointed if that's been cut too. Does anyone know?
If you want the uncut version on DVD, check out Muppet Central Forums. The Buy/sell section ussually has someone with the uncut version. Thats where I got mine.
shareThe version that everyone on here is talking about is the 1989 EDIT, Jim Henson made a new master in 1988 so a few additional scenes are missing. They are:
Elmo and Fozzie putting up the Christmas tree
Fozzie and Ma hanging stockings
I have the 1989 edit and am in the process of moving it to DVD before my tape goes kaput. I'm also downloading it from Limewire...it appears to be the 1987 original broadcast version! If it is, I'll update this.
Now that I have more of the Limewire file downloaded, I can confirm that it is the original 1987 broadcast featuring the following missing scenes
*Background music during the cutting of the tree (cut from 1989 edit)
*Jingle Bell Rock (cut from the DVD)
*An additional line from the turkey after the "this is starting to be fun" line right before the home movie (may have been on DVD and 1989 Edit, cut from Nickelodeon's broadcast)
*The home movie (cut from DVD)
*Elmo and Fozzie putting up the Christmas tree (cut from 1989 edit)
*Fozzie and Ma hanging stockings (cut from 1989 edit)
*Home for the Holidays (cut from DVD)
*The carol sing in its entirety (parts cut from DVD)
You can get the uncut version of this on DVD in the UK, but it is now OOP, amazon marketplace has a few copies up for sale though http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000C24UZ/202-1612811-1438259?v=glance&n=283926&s=gateway&v=glance
It also has the 1986 Hendon feature 'A Christmas Toy%
Jingle Bell Rock IS on the DVD. The DVD also has two scenes that were missing in 1989: Gonzo and the Turkey have a face-pressing argument regarding Camilla (broken up by the arrival of the Sesame Street carolers), and Mama Bear informs the crowd that two guests must sleep on coathangers in the closet (Gonzo and Animal volunteer since Animal already does that anyway). But it is still missing 90% of the Muppet Babies cameo and small bits of the medley as well as "A Bear and a Snowman Like You" (a pivotal scene introducing the Snowman) and "Home For the Holidays" (which wraps up the icy-patch gag). This is sacrilege! I demand an uncut edition immediately or sooner!
shareI still say check http:\\www.muppetcentral.com forums. They usually always have someone on there with the '87 uncut version. I got mine there plus, "The Christmas Toy," and "Emmit Otter's Jug Band Christmas." Trust me, it's a great resource site for old classics.
sharehaha i have this movie on tape so its complete and comes with all the super awesome 80s commercials.... wouldnt have it any other way!
I have it on a really old tape and I want to replace it, like many of you, but there is no way I am going to by a DVD copy with half the scenes cut out of it.
My mom used to tape all the Christmas specials for me, from Charlie Brown to Rudolph to Frosty the Snowman. I think she even taped the Claymation Christmas one.
P.S. If you go to reviews and scroll down, you can read my review of the movie!
yeah i still have the tape from 1987 when it aired... i was only like 9 months old haha... by now i have it all memorized including the commercials
shareThis was a huge Christmas tradition for my family and I was wondering...Does anyone have the unedited 1987 version on dvd? I would be willing to pay for it...and I have tried peoples suggestions without luck and checked ebay but they only ship to the US (I'm in Canada). My email is [email protected] if anyone could help. Thanks
shareFor the original 1987 broadcast, I'd say to do Limewire if you. Then if you have a DVD burner on your computer, you can burn it for what...$3? I think that's how much an individual blank DVD costs. That's where I got it...I've yet to put it on DVD though...
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