Customer Reviews

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas [VHS]

5 star:		(206)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

To clear up some of the confusion and angry reviews about this special being edited, as a fan of Emmet Otter, let me explain that there are 2 different versions of this classic holiday special. In 1977, HBO first aired Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and also ran it in 1978 and 1979 which is the version that's been available on VHS for years and was just released on DVD. In 1980, ABC snatched the special away from HBO for one year and made some changes to it including adding Kermit's voiceover narration, trimming some of the songs ("Ain't No Hole In The Washtub" and the reprise of "When The River Meets The Sea"), extending some scenes like the Riverside Rest scene where Emmet, Ma and the boys are singing inside where it pans over to Kermit narrating to us the audience (the original 1977 version did not have Kermit at the Riverside Rest but just dissolved onto the next scene when Emmet, Ma and the boys are walking home after singing) while trimming others. HBO began airing the special again in 1981 and throughout the '80s but instead of using the original 1977 version that they ran from 1977 to 1979, they instead ran the ABC network version which is what most viewers had remembered seeing and therefore were upset by the video release which was the original 1977 cut and not the 1980 network version. So my advice to those who still have a copy from HBO recorded during the '80s, keep it and buy the video version which is the original version that aired back in 1977 on HBO and watch them back to back and decide for yourself which version you like the most. Personally, I prefer the video edition because that was the version I had remembered watching as a kid. I just wanted to clear up any confusion by those who had bought the video or DVD and was disappointed to see what they thought was an "edited version" of what they had remembered seeing on ABC or HBO in the '80s which is not really the case when it comes to this classic holiday special where there are 2 versions: the 1977 cut which ran on HBO from 1977 to 1979 and the 1980 ABC network version which ran once on ABC in 1980 and on HBO from 1981 into the late '80s. Hope this information helps.

I'm 24 years old and I remember watching this wonderful movie on TV every Christmas. Emmet Otter was a holiday tradition in my family alongside the Grinch and It's a Wonderful Life. Then it disappeared for a few years until it aired on Nickelodeon in the early 90s. Luckily a cousin shared my love of Emmet and his friends, and she taped it. I was delighted to find a new copy available on Amazon.com earlier this year. It arrived today, and my excitement was soon replaced with disappointment when I realized I had been sent an edited version of the film. At three distinct parts in the story there was dialogue missing. This appalled me. How could someone edit a classic? I realize this isn't Amazon.com's fault, but I thought consumers should know that they aren't buying the original. I will continue to watch my favorite Christmas movie, even if it doesn't match perfectly with the version in my head.

This was one of my favorite Muppets features ever since the first time I saw it on HBO. Unfortunately, as other reviewers have indicated, this version has been clumsily edited and I was very disappointed in the changes. Kermit's narration has been removed, the ending is changed, and some of the lyrics of the songs are redone. The Muppets features always showed the whole range of emotions, from sentimentality to honest anger and a little cartoonish violence. These things have all been removed from the film. I am not sure if the changes were made to "sanitize" this for kids, or if it was just cut for time reasons, but the changes make no sense and really cut the heart out of the film. Save your money until they release the original HBO special.

To begin with: I love Emmit Otter's Jug Band Christmas.

This is one of my favorite Christmas stories of all.
Resembling O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi (But sort of reversed) the tale is endearing.
I recorded Emmit off the air years ago and it has been part of my Christmas collection viewed every year several times.
When I found the DVD I ordered one. It came in March 2002 and I opened it and watched the whole thing right away.
To my dismay it had CHANGED! Scenes, dialog, and even songs had been changed, rearranged, and even deleted.

For Example:

The lyrics to "There Ain't No Hole In The Washtub" were changed.
The confrontation between Alice Otter & Gretchen Fox was shortened.
Kermit's closing remarks were deleted.

My family and I have seen this classic so many times that we can recite it by memory. What a disappointment that someone decided to change what was already a fine product.

If you don't have it all memorized, or don't mind when stories are made more Politically Correct then please buy it, it's still a fine story and teaches a good lesson.

Way back in 1984 or 86, I taped this from an HBO special and have loved it ever since. Because my copy was so old, I decided to get a "store-bought" VHS of the show and have watched that for the last few years; never without a hankie. <G> I can't sing the songs without tearing up.

After viewing the video again last night, I decided to read all the Amazon reviews for fun. I NEVER noticed that the later version had been edited from the original! Went back and schlepped the old copy out and watched it. Yes, there are several differences; a bit more dialogue in one place; another verse or two in another; a little more narration throughout....but, you know what? IT DOESN'T MATTER!!!! I'd forgotten the changes, and the newer version affected me just the same. My children were babies when this originally was on, and I'm 51 now. Watch it every holiday season.

So....get a hankie, a few cats or dogs or children or special people in your life, watch Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas, and let the love flow through!

How lucky we were to have been blessed with Jim Henson for as long as we had him!

Love, love Emmet Otter! My husband had been watching this since he was a kid. He is an Emmet Otter purist. He states that Kermit was in the orginal both to at the start of the movie and at towards the end in the Riverside Rest as part of the audience. According to Wikipedia the following is the reason we may never have a full version available...
Wikapedia writes:
The original special was hosted by Kermit the Frog; however later releases edited out the frog's naration due to legal issues. While The Jim Henson Company retained ownership of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, the company sold the rights to the Muppets (including Kermit) to the Walt Disney Company in 2004.

My sister, brother and I never missed this Muppet special when it used to air in the 70's. It remains a family favorite to this day, thanks to Nickolodeon re-runs and this edited-but-still-viable video copy. Emmet and his mother would like to "just once," have a "store-bought" Christmas for each other. In our materialistic culture, the love these characters have for each other and their pleasure in the small wonders of life are a lesson to us all. The sweet-faced animal characters, their beautiful voices, and the message about true giving make this a fun and very meaningful holiday special. Thanks to Russell and Lillian Hoban, who wrote the wonderful book upon which this is based, and to Jim Henson and Paul Williams for bringing it to life. They've given us a great gift, and I can't wait to share it with my own children someday. "Like a flower that has blossomed / In the dry and barren sand / We are born, and born again, most gracefully / So the winds of time will take us / With a sure and steady hand / When the river meets the sea."

This is a charming music filled program with a slower more relaxed pace then most newer holiday faire. It tells the story of Emmet Otter and his Mother Alice, who are poor but content with their life. Having just enough money to survive day to day, they can't afford to give presents at Christmas. When they hear of a talent contest being held on Christmas Eve they both secretly enter, hoping to win the prize money and the chance to buy the other a Christmas present.
Featuring the music of Paul Williams, who wrote the "Rainbow Connection" from the Muppet Movie. The music is what makes "Emmet" fun, from the funny "Grandma's Bathing Suit" to the beautiful and moving "In our World".
I recorded "Emmet" a quarter century ago with an Betamax recorder (...). Comparing the original CBC Broadcast to the DVD, I found 3 variations between the two. The most notable is Kermit the Frog's closing remarks being totally deleted in the DVD release, also one of the funniest lines in the program is gone. When Alice Otter is delivering Gretchen Fox's laundry by boat, and is told by Gretchen that she'll pay her after Christmas for her services, Alice mutters to herself "Since It's only 2 days to Christmas I really appreciate it if you would .. fall of the dock". Unless you have a long memory or access to 25 year old video recordings you won't notice because the programs' flow and continuity remains untouched. Why Jim Henson productions feels they need to edit a 1 hour program for a DVD release I never know. Even with the changes this program gets 5 stars easily and is fun for both old and young alike.

Consistent with other muppet works, this story is full of good vibes, classic characters, laughter and tunes that stay in your head for years. Jim Henson once again brings forth the values of friendhip, family and community and all the elements we need to keep them working--not just at the holiday season. I haven't seen this in years. I think it used to air on HBO around Christmas and I never taped it as a kid. Now, going on 27, I can share this with my friends who never got to see it or haven't seen it in years. Thinking back now, I realize how much of this movie has stuck with me--The Riverbottom Nightmare Band Theme, the Mother-of-Pearl inlay, the mother-son bond, the promise that love, being a good person, and staying true to yourself and your dreams will eventually bring good things your way.

Childhood delivered many treasures, among them the beloved Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, which was (in my childhood) shown on HBO annually. My brother and I adored this story in which two otters (a mother and son) each sacrifice something that is not only important to but necessary to the livelihood of the other in order to give her/him something s/he truly wants for Christmas. Unfortunately, the sacrifice proves to be for nothing, but both forgive each other and also praise the value of having the courage to take a risk. It turns out that all is NOT lost for this pair, and they manage to "win" something possibly even better in the end than what they were hoping for.

However, the problem with this particular childhood treasure is that, first of all, it stopped being shown on HBO and was not on for a number of years. Then later, it was shown on Nickelodeon ir maybe ABC. Fine and dandy in some other incarnation. When it was finally released on video and DVD, which certainly sent my sentimental adult self over the moon with glee, I was totally dismayed and horrified to find that some fine, funny and important scenes and lines were removed. In one scene, Ma Otter is conversing with Gretchen Fox, and as the haughty Fox trots off without listening to Ma Otter, Ma Otter utters under her breath, "I'd really like it if you'd... fall off the dock." (Or something similar.) That line was removed completely, and immediately after this occurs, a possum fishing on the riverside laughs and says, "That's telling her, Alice." ??? But this line from the possum does not even make sense because Alice Otter did not say anything in this butchered version of the film. I don't know WHY this was removed; maybe it was just seen as "not nice" in the political correctness that rules these days, but I would not say I am worse off for having seen the version with this very funny and appropriate phrase in the original. There are other changes in the film that were resoundingly disappointing; I know I am not alone in being disappointed because I have seen other reviews expressing the same letdown. People don't want their cherished memories tampered with! This film is STILL a treasure, and even though I am an adult, I still watch it every year, loving the characters and loving the songs... enjoying the rambunctious nature of the Riverbottom Nightmare Band, loving all the creative and wonderful puppets and feeling a special sort of nostalgia that is impossible to duplicate in any other way. I just wish that this film were duplicated PRECISELY as it was when it was originally released. Only then would it be perfect!