5 little-known facts about ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t adore the much-beloved Christmas classic, “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” There have been many adaptations of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” yet it’s this Muppet musical that remains a stand-out favorite among fans. In addition to it being the first Muppet movie after the death of the group’s creator, Jim Henson, it marks the feature directorial debut of his son, Brian Henson, who took over for his father. And released in 1992, “The Muppet Christmas Carol” turns 25 years old this Christmas.
In its honor, here are five fun facts you might not have known about this holiday classic:
1. The shooting star that streaks overhead as Kermit sings “One More Sleep” is in memory of Jim Henson.
The touching scene in which Kermit looks wistfully at the sky as a shooting star flies by is a nod to the same scene that occurs in “The Muppet Movie.” Since then, framing Kermit with a shooting star is a reccurring element in many Muppet movies, including “Muppet Treasure Island,” “Kermit’s Swamp Years,” “It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie” and “The Muppets.”
2. The making of the Ghost of Christmas Past involved water (and oil).
The making of the ghoulish Ghost of Christmas Past involved a special puppet that had to be submerged in a tank of water (though, initially, it was baby oil) in order to capture its floating, eerie movements. It was then green-screened into the film to make it look like it was otherworldly.
3. Kermit’s full body stroll required a lot of extra hands.
For the scene “Tis the Season,” where Kermit walks down a snowy street with his nephew Robin on his shoulder, Brian Henson had to employ 10 puppeteers. If you look closely, you can see a rotating drum underneath Kermit’s feet, making way for a more natural gait.
4. This is the first Muppets movie to use humans as main characters.
Moreover, it’s the first not to include any characters from “Sesame Street.” Disney didn’t have the rights to use them.
5. The movie’s sets were built to accommodate the Muppeteers.
This meant that the actors were elevated in order to allow enough room for the Muppeteers to roam around below the “London” streets.
So how about it? Is this your favorite Muppet holiday movie, too?