Xmas Eve on Sesame St

This special was taped shortly before the death of the Mr. Hooper character, before Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch were "toned down," and before the arrival of the obnoxious red intruder Elmo. It is classic, old-school Sesame Street, beautifully made and written with some very memorable original songs that my family knows by heart ("Keep Christmas With You," "I Hate Christmas," and the wonderful "I Believe in Miracles"). The script is sharp and entertaining for adults as well as kids. The main storyline follows a distraught Big Bird, on a frantic mission to find out how fat Santa Claus can fit down chimneys. If he can't figure it out before Christmas Eve, then Santa won't come, is his childlike reasoning. (Gordon's kind intervention is one of my favorite Sesame Street moments ever.) Subplots include Ernie and Bert's innocent reenactment of "The Gift of the Magi," Cookie Monster's attempts to write Santa a letter, and Oscar's surliness brought on by the happiest season of the year. In the early 80s, an audio-only version of this special was released on vinyl, with the addition of an "anonymous" narrator. (If you can find it, I leave it to you to figure out who he is!) My mom would play it while we decorated the tree or played with our toys Christmas morning.

This is an adorable, heartwarming Christmas story that I will treasure always.