Oscar the Grouch Stars in 'A Sesame Street Christmas Carol'

Another long-running television show finally succumbed to the inevitable Christmas Carol episode in 2006 which, given that was thirty seven years into its run, is either commendable or just plain daft - after all, they've had a ready-made Scrooge in Oscar the Grouch for years.

This forty five minute show actually borrows little from Dickens.  Determined to sleep through Christmas, Oscar takes to his trash can on Christmas Eve, places a sign stating he should not be disturbed outside and settles down to sleep after remonstrating with narrator Tim Curry to keep his voice down.  However, only moments later he is awoken by a visit from local mail monster Joe Marley who has three ghostly items of post, each containing a ghostly surprise.

The first, a Victorian can of beans from London is haunted by the ghost of Rhubarb the Grouch who, despite sounding more like he comes from Birmingham, joins Oscar to criticise, badmouth and generally ridicule two classic shorts from Sesame Street past.  In this section we are given a touching version of O.Henry's 'The Gift of the Magi' from Bert and Ernie who, as the story dictates, sell their prized possessions to furnish each other with the best present they can think of.  The day is saved when kindly, old Mr Hooper, who some may remember ran the Sesame Street store in the 1970s, calls round with a couple of extra special presents for the loveable duo.

The section is completed with Big Bird singing a very early version of Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' (no, not really) down the phone to his good friend Snuffie who, as usual, has gone to spend the festive season with his mother in Cincinatti.  The dancing included is pretty nifty for a bloke in such a big suit, but that bird could use some singing lessons.

The second visitor, the shrill Christmas Carol, visits next, covering Oscar's dank abode with fanciful decoration and unwanted cheer.  Once again this ghost is used as a means to introduce various films, this time all set in the present.  The inexplicably popular Elmo pays a visit to Father Christmas before realising that the notion of celebrating Christmas every day of the year may cause it to lose its sparkle (yeah Roy Wood, did you ever think of that?).  Later, all of Sesame Street get together to sing in various registers a fairly uninspiring piece but not before the show's cultural diversity alarm rings and we drop in on a family so Jewish they'd make David Baddiel's foreskin grow back for Hanukkah.  Lots of candles, lots of dancing basically.  Next we visit an African-American family for their celebration of Kwanzaa, a "holiday" I'd never heard of until now.  Lots of candles, lots of dancing again - still, it beats getting smashed on sherry and watching the Queen's speech I'm sure.

Finally, with no sign of redemption in sight, an utterly pointless robot ghost of the future appears and introduces a crude animation about "holidays (note, not Christmas) in the future".  It looks like it was made in 1942 and quite probably was, which means the amazing self-decorating trees they talk of probably should be with us by now.

The show ends with Oscar waking up on Christmas Day and being given some nice, sticky, used wrapping paper by Marley.  So touched is he, he repays the monster with the smelliest sneaker he can rustle up from the bottom of his trash can.  Finally Oscar has found one element of Christmas that makes him truly happy, just in time for a new festive melody version of the theme tune over the credits.

There are no clips on Youtube of this show, so here are the whole gang singing a reggae tribute to Ernie's favourite rubber duck.