Holiday TV specials

I just love holiday TV specials. Any of them will command my attention, like Rudolph or How the Grinch stole Christmas. The simple stories and catchy animation brings me back to my childhood snuggling up on my parents' couch and realizing that Christmas will be coming soon.

But there is one special that warms my heart more than any other. That one would be "Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas"! It is neither animated or clay-mated but instead a product of the genius Jim Henson's puppetry. It is a re-telling of The Gift of the Magi. For anyone who isn't aware, in the original story of a young, broke married couple are trying to figure out how to get presents for each other during their first Christmas together. They each agreed to get each other nothing, but then conspire to get each other something. The husband sells his pocket watch to get his wife hair clips, while she sells her hair for him a pocket watch fob. You get where the ending leads. The moral would be the age-old expression "it's not the gift, but the thought that counts." Well Emmett Otter has the same meaning as the Magi story, but in this story Emmett Otter wants to get his mother something so bad that he creates a jug band with his friends and...well I won't give it away. You should definitely see it. I think it's a very underrated holiday special compared to the others. You might see some puppet strings, but the magic will always be there. The memories of my sisters and I sitting close to the TV and swaying to the sounds of Emmett Otter's jug band.

Of course, you might not want to make your decision on my opinion, so I'll give it over the experts.

http://www.tvguide.com/PhotoGallery/Holiday-TV-Classics-67160/5.aspx