A few weeks ago I saw the new Muppet film, and while I enjoyed Jason Segel’s ode to everything Jim Henson, there’s really only one puppet-starring film I enjoy watching during the holiday season…Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas! While kind of obscure now, this holiday classic made in 1977 was something of a test drive for Henson and his fellow Muppet creators –– if they succeeded in making their feature-length Christmas television special, then they would be able to bring Kermit and his felt friends to the big screen for their own film. The experiment payed off, and the Emmy-nominated special about a tight-knit otter family and their riverside neighbors was a success and became a Christmas classic. While rarely shown now, I fondly remember the now worn-out VHS recording from a repeat of the special that my parents used to watch with me each and every year. I mean, it doesn’t get much better than singing otters. It’s a nostalgic Christmas classic that, at least for me, doesn’t get old. Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!