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The Henson Family Hub is the official social home to The Jim Henson Company's Family Entertainment and a virtual community celebrating, supporting and connecting all iterations of today’s families.

 

Jim Henson's Family Hub is the official social home to The Jim Henson Company's Family Entertainment and a virtual community celebrating, supporting and connecting all kinds of families. Welcome!

 

 
 

 

Stories, articles, profiles and more about The Jim Henson Company’s productions and life on our historic lot, as well as ideas, activities and interesting finds about parents, kids, families and fun.

 

An Emmet Otter Fan Celebrates Her Love of Family, Music, and Jug-Bands

 

by Stephanie Myers

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Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a holiday classic! It has music, laughs, and enough holiday cheer to fill Frogtown Hollow.  And at the center of it all is the love that only comes from family. 

I remember when this special first premiered on HBO. My brother and I had been seeing its commercials for weeks and on that night, we were ready – parked in front of the TV, already in our pajamas, and with our freshly made popcorn. We loved every minute of that first viewing and the songs quickly became some of our Christmas favorites.  It also became tradition that he and I would watch Emmet Otter every year. Even today, we still sing the songs every year at Christmas time, from “Aint No Hole in the Washtub” and “Brothers” to “Barbeque” and “River Bottom Nightmare Band!”

As a young child, I had no idea about all the careful work that went into the show that would become a part of my holiday traditions.  Now working at The Jim Henson Company, I have learned a lot about Jim Henson’s work – especially from the curated entries in his online journal, “Jim’s Red Book.”  As is so often the case, the world that Jim made look so real and beautifully simple, was full of genius and technical innovations.



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Over the years, I would continually check TV Guide to see when Emmet Otter would air. When it came out on DVD, I purchased it immediately. And today, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is a part of our Christmas tradition in my own family’s home, and hopefully my daughters will continue to love it as they grow older.

The 40th anniversary special release of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas (including the original introduction by Kermit the Frog!) is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

 

Stephanie Myers is the Director of Digital & Interactive Media at The Jim Henson Company.