Happy New Year! - Sesame Street Stays Up Late

PBS, 1993

Voices of Carol Spinney, Kevin Clash, Martin P. Robinson, and Fran Brill

Directed by Chuck Vinson

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's kick off 2026 with a look at one of Sesame Street's lesser-known specials. Though Big Bird was still the focus of most stories at this point, with the death of Jim Henson and the need to recast many of his characters (like Ernie), other Muppets and puppeteers stepped up to the spotlight. Elmo was just being built up as a major character when this special debuted. Sesame Street had been evolving at this point as well, with new adult human characters, a new set, and new Muppets like the just-debuted Rosita and Zoe. How is all this reflected in this look at how countries around the world celebrate the New Year? Let's get to Sesame Street, where Big Bird is announcing that it's time to party, and find out...

The Story: As most of the adults go out for the New Year, the kids and Muppets of Sesame Street remain behind for a party of their own. Gina (Alison Bartlett) and tap-dancing wunderkind Savion (Savion Glover) keep an eye on them and help them with preparations. Oscar the Grouch (Spinney) is trying to get through to his family long-distance and isn't too happy with Ernestine the Telephone Operator's (Lily Tomlin) constant chatter. He tells a nervous Telly the Monster (Robinson) that if the year ends, so will everything else. Telly does everything he can to keep the New Year party from happening. 

Meanwhile, Elmo (Clash), Prairie Dawn (Brill), and the Muppet News Network do reports on New Year's Eve celebrations around the world. The reports from Norway, Germany, Israel, and Portugal come direct from those countries' versions of Sesame Street and their own Muppet characters. Elmo's "cousin" Pepe (Clash) helps Rosita (Carmen Osbahr) with the reports on the New Year's fiesta in Mexico, while Elmo's cousin Elmo-noske (Clash) reports from Japan. 

The Song and Dance: This is so sweet. For one thing, the only countries whose New Year's customs I knew anything about before I saw this were Mexico and Israel. It really is fascinating to learn about New Year's celebrations in other parts of the world. I liked seeing the Muppets from other versions of Sesame Street, too. From the Oscar-like Moiske Oofnik and huge, sweet Kippi in Israel to pretty kitty Tita in Portugal, I love seeing how different cultures represent puppetry and kid-friendly characters. Elmo makes for an adorable and hilarious host (and generally doesn't hog the spotlight as much as he would later in the 90's and 2000's), and Prairie Dawn's on-the-spot reporting on Sesame Street is funny, too. Telly's story, on the other hand, is handled with marvelous sensitivity for younger kids who may not understand what New Year's is really about and might be nervous about the noise and the idea of the year ending. There's also the cute side plot with Big Bird spending the special trying to wake up Snuffy before midnight.

The Numbers: We open with Big Bird's announcement to the kids on the Street that "We're Going to Stay Up Late and Party." Rosita and Pepito join the children of Mexico to perform a "Mexican Folk Song" as they make their pinata. "Oshagatu" is the song for the children of Japan as they fly kites and enjoy their day of freedom. "Bashanah Habaah" is the joyous number celebrating the Jewish New Year and its unique customs. The children and Muppets of Germany go from house to house asking for treats in the "Rummel Pot Song." Max Mekker, Alfa, and Bjarne Betjent from the Norwegian Sesame Street join the children of Lillehammer, Norway in the kid amusement park Lilleputhammer for the lovely "It's New Year's Eve." Oscar finally connects with his family in a brief "New Year's Chorale for Six Grouches." Big Bird gently reminds everyone that it's the "Faces That I Love" that make New Year's special.

Trivia: Known on VHS and some older streaming copies as Sesame Street Celebrates Around the World. 

There's a couple of references to the Olympics in the Norway segment. Lillehammer, Norway would host the Winter Olympics in 1994.

This was one of the first appearances of Ernie since Jim Henson's death in 1989. He was voiced in his brief appearance here by Steve Whitmire. 

What I Don't Like: First of all, while Elmo doesn't take over this special to the degree that he would dominate the show later in the 90's, there's still a lot of him here. If you're not a fan of him, you may not be into this.  Second, this is an older Muppet special. Some younger kids may wonder where more recent characters like Julia or Abby Cadabba are. The "around the corner" set where most of this takes place was retired in 1998, along with the characters who inhabited it. Most kids watching Sesame Street nowadays may not even know they existed. 

The Big Finale: If your kids are fans of Elmo or Big Bird, or you remember this from when you were a kid, this remains a charming look at holiday customs in other parts of the world and here in the US.

Home Media: Streaming is your best bet for this one, usually under the "Celebrates Around the World" title. The DVD is currently hard to find and pricey.

DVD

Amazon Prime

Song Sung Blue

Focus Features/Universal, 2025

Starring Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Ella Anderson, and Jim Belushi

Directed by Craig Brewer

Music and Lyrics by Neil Diamond and others

We end our 2025 theatrical reviews the way we began them, with a biography of a unique rock act from the 90's. Although the Diamond tribute duo Lightning and Thunder never made it quite as big as Robbie Williams, they were legendary in their native Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Locals loved them for their showmanship, their devotion to Diamond's legacy, and for managing to overcome some huge hurdles on the way to winning the hearts of Wisconsin classic rock lovers. How does their story look almost 30 years later? We begin in 1994, as 20-years-sober musician Mike "Lightning" Sardinia (Jackman) performs "Song Sung Blue" for his Alcoholics Anonymous group, and find out...

The Story: Mike is sick of the low-level amusement park gigs his manager and dentist Tom D'Amato (Belushi) finds him. He wants to be himself, not imitate another performer. He does fall for the woman imitating Patsy Cline at the show, Claire (Hudson). She's bubbly, sweet, and just as devoted to Cline's music as he is to Neil Diamond's. It's her idea to start a Neil Diamond tribute act, singing his music as themselves with a band of their own. 

Mike's daughter Angelina (King Princess) and Claire's daughter Rachel (Anderson) and her son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) are skeptical at first. They've seen their parents attempt to succeed in show business and not get anywhere. Not only do the kids get along famously, with the girls becoming best friends, but their parents get pretty chummy, too. Though Lightning and Thunder's first gig is a disaster, Mike still proposes to Claire. 

After they get married, business picks up, to the point where they're called to open for Pearl Jam when they play Milwaukee. Things take a turn for the worst shortly after when Claire is run over by a car in front of their home and loses her left leg below the knee. Mike won't sing without her, and a frustrated Rachel reveals she's pregnant, too. Not to mention, Mike is battling his own heart problems. After a hallucination ends with her crawling on the front lawn, Claire finally gets help...and she's the one who convinces Mike, who is hosting karaoke at a Thai restaurant, to give the act one last chance. They're a success all over again, but this time, it's Mike who won't be able to see the results.

The Song and Dance: I know Hugh Jackman is a great singer and a consummate theatrical showman, but who knew Kate Hudson had this in her? I had no idea she had such a way with a Patsy Cline ballad or an upbeat Neil Diamond hit. She's especially good mid-way through, when Claire is having a hard time dealing with the car accident. No wonder Hudson got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. The kids are great too as the ones who often get stuck with the "adult" roles, especially Princess and Anderson as the teens who bond over their crazy parents. This isn't Brewer's first time in musical territory. He also did the remake of Footloose, and it shows in the amazing energy you get from even the simplest routines. Love the spangled costumes, including Jackman dressing as Diamond, and the location shooting in Northern New Jersey that gives the movie a slightly gritty working-class feel.

The Numbers: Mike performs the title song three times, always for the AA group to celebrate his sobriety. (Dayna films the latter two performances, as Mike and Claire are busy with gigs.) Michael Imperioli, as Buddy Holly impersonator Mark Shurilla, sings "Oh Boy!" with his own band at the amusement park. Claire's "Walkin' After Midnight" is such a good Patsy Cline imitation, Mike is impressed. Their first number together at Claire's ramshackle apartment is "Play Me." They do so well together  and have so much chemistry, they agree to form a band right there. Mark does "Everyday" at his last gig, claiming it's time to retire his Buddy Holly persona. Their version of "Cherry Cherry" with the band and Mark in Mike's garage is so delightful, even the grouchy old lady across the street ends up dancing along. 

The African-inspired "Soolimon" is heard twice. It's the opening number that causes so much trouble at their first gig at a biker bar...and a far better-received opening number at the big show in the finale. The bikers do finally get "Sweet Caroline" before Mike ends up brawling with them. "Crunchy Granola Suite" gives us our first success montage as we see Lightning and Thunder's gigs become bigger and more popular and Claire and Mike get married. "Holly Holy" is heard at the Pearl Jam concert, with Eddie Vedder (John Beckwith) joining in at one point.

"Sweet Dreams" is Claire's hallucination as she dreams of singing in a glittering, glamorous gown surrounded by haze and smoke...until Mike drags her back. Mike sings "Forever In Blue Jeans" with the owner of the Thai restaurant after the karaoke show. "I'm a Believer" covers their comeback at the Thai karaoke bar as Mike helps Claire with her therapy. "Soolimon" is joined by "Brother Love's Traveling Show" at their big sold-out concert. We end with Claire performing the lesser-known Diamond ballad "I've Been This Way Before" with the band at Mike's funeral. 

Trivia: This is not the first time Neil Diamond's songs were heard in a biographical musical. A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical debuted on Broadway in 2022, running two years. This is an actual biography of Diamond, using the framework of the older Diamond talking to a psychiatrist to give us songs and snippets from his long career.

Game show fans will want to look fast for cameos from the 1994 version of Family Feud with an older Richard Dawson during several scenes. 

Unlike Mike, Claire is still alive and singing in the Milwaukee area at press time. 

What I Don't Like: Oh boy, is this cheesy. It's sweet and sad, but it's also incredibly melodramatic. For one thing, although Sardinia did die of a head injury and heart trauma, it was in 2006, not 1996. He met Claire in 1987, not the mid-90's. And obviously, if you don't feel the same way about Diamond as Mike does and aren't a fan of Hudson or Jackman, there won't be much for you here. It also runs a tad on the long side. Honestly, some of that melodramatic middle sags and maybe could have been trimmed a bit.

The Big Finale: If you're a fan of Jackson, Hudson, or Neil Diamond's music, this is worth joining Brother Love's Traveling Show for.

Home Media: No Amazon listing for the movie yet, but the soundtrack will be on CD in March.

Soundtrack CD

Animation Celebration Saturday - The Twits

Netflix, 2025

Voices of Margo Martindale, Johnny Vegas, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Natalie Portman

Directed by Phil Johnston

Music and Lyrics by David Byrne and others

Our last animated review of 2025 takes us back to streaming for something that's been a long time coming. The Twits, the 1980 Roald Dahl children's book about a nasty couple who played pranks on each other and other people, had originally been optioned by Vanguard Animation back in 2003 as a live action/animated hybrid. It moved with Vanguard to Universal from Disney in 2006. There were mentions of it until around 2012, but it seemed to stall there until Netflix bought the Roald Dahl Story Company in 2022. How does this tale of a gruesome twosome who learn a lesson about meanness from a group of orphans look now? Let's begin as a mother firefly named Pippa (Emily Clarke) tells their story to her son Jeremy (Sami Amber) and find out...

The Story: Mrs. Credenza (Martindale) and Mr. James (Vegas) Twit are the proprietors of Twitlandia, an amusement park that is the only thing they love. After it's shut down on opening day for health violations, the Twits spitefully fill the water tower of the town Tripelot with liquid hot dog meat. This causes a massive explosion that floods the town and damages its reputation as the go-to place for fun.

Orphans Beesha (Ramakrishnan) and Busby (Ryan Lopez) have their own score to settle with the Twits. Busby was about to be adopted when the flood caused the couple who were interested to back out. Beesha takes Busby to Twitlandia, where the Twits gleefully admit to everything they did. Beesha also encounters a group of colorful monkeys called the Muggle-Wumps, who are being kept as the main attractions. The kids aren't able to rescue them right away, but Beesha does record the Twits' confession. The Twits are arrested, but are released by a family who desperately wants their help in making the town a center for fun again.

After they discover that the children have freed the Muggle-Wumps, the Twits chase them to the orphanage. Beesha won't let them in, claiming the orphanage belongs to the city. The Twits run for mayor, convincing everyone that they'll make them billionaires. When they trick Beesha into thinking her parents are coming for her, Mary Muggle-Wump (Portman) reminds her that family isn't always the one that's related to us. Sometimes, it's the one we create...and that there's a lot of people out there who are willing to help fight our battles. Beesha and all of the orphans learn their own lesson in empathy when they play the ultimate joke on the Twits to get them to admit they had no intention of helping the town...but it costs them their ability to understand the Muggle-Wumps.

The Animation: Though likely computer animated, it has the look of a jerky stop-motion animated film of the 80's and 90's like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Everything is all sharp angles, bushy, kinky hair, or squashed ovals. This adds to the unsettling story and the obscene and outrageous gross-out gags. The fact that most of the colors are fairly subdued makes the things that are more colorful - the Muggle-Wumps, Mrs. Twit's green hair - stand out all the more.

The Song and Dance: I give them credit just for getting this weird. Most animated musicals intended for kids don't go in for gross-out gags and strange scatological humor, which makes this almost oddly refreshing in that respect. Roald Dahl's trademark wacky-dry weirdness comes across loud and clear in Martindale and Vegas' appropriately loud and obnoxious performances. Ramakrishnan doesn't do too badly as the kid who wants to prove how "good" she can be so her parents will come back for her.

The Numbers: We begin with the Twits singing about how "We're Not Like Everyone Else" as they fill the water tower with liquid hot dog juice after their amusement park is condemned. Mary Mugga-Wump performs a "Lullaby" for the orphans to show how wonderful their dreams can be. The Twits claim that "The Problem Is You" as they campaign for mayor. We get an almost operatic "Twitlandia" over the destruction of their amusement park, then "Trick Me." The movie ends with "Open the Door" on being willing to grow and learn.

What I Don't Like: See the "gross-out gags" mentioned up there? What audience did Netflix intend this for again? It gets too weird and scary for younger kids, while older kids may be turned off by the cute kids and fantasy sequences with the Muggle-Wumps, and their parents my be too grossed-out to care. There's also that "inspired by" credit. Apparently, the book version of The Twits were a hateful couple who did make bird pie, use a special super-sticky glue to catch them, and own a group of colorful monkeys called Muggle-Wumps, but they intended to start a circus with the Muggle-Wumps, not an amusement park. There were four boys who scared the birds away, but they don't end up saving the Muggle-Wumps. The Muggle-Wumps were the ones who came up with the idea of gluing the Twits' furniture on the ceiling, not the kids. The whole subplot with the liquid meat and tricking the townspeople was invented for this movie.

The Big Finale: Definitely not for younger kids despite the PG rating, but older kids and pre-teens who like their humor rude and their action frantic and can tolerate a little sentimentality may find a lot more in this weird gross-out tale than I did. 

Home Media: It's currently a Netflix exclusive.

Netflix

Merry Christmas! - The Christmas Toy

ABC, 1986

Voices of Dave Golez, Steve Whitmire, Kathryn Mullen, and Brian Henson

Directed by Eric Till

Music and Lyrics by Jeff Moss

This year, we celebrate Christmas and New Year's with the Muppets in two very different lesser-known Muppet and Sesame Street specials. The Christmas Toy was Jim Henson's second shot at a holiday special after the more subdued Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas on cable. Christmas Toy goes in the opposite direction, with a more traditional holiday story in bright primaries revolving around toys and holiday friendship. How does this Muppet toy story look now, after other animated tales of playthings have come and gone? Let's begin with Kermit the Frog dressed as Santa goes down the chimney and introduces us to the Jones family and the residents of the playroom and find out...

The Story: Rugby Tiger (Golez) is little Jamie's (Marsha Moreau) favorite toy that she got for Christmas last year. When he hears it's Christmas Eve, he thinks he'll be opened and found by Jamie again. Trouble is, if toys are found out of place, they're frozen permanently. Rugby and Mew the Cat Toy (Whitmire) go downstairs to climb into a box so Jamie can open him, but it's not that easy. Jamie does have a new big toy this year, Meteora the Space Queen (Camille Bonora), who thinks they're aliens. Meanwhile, Apple the Rag Doll (Mullen) convinces Cruiser the Cab Driver (Henson), Belmont the nervous ride-on horse (Richard Hunt), and Bleep the Robot (Rob Mills) to help her rescue Rugby and keep him from getting them all frozen. Rugby ends up learning a lesson in real friendship when Mew not only helps him convince Meteora to get back in the box, but sacrifices himself to save the others, too.

The Song and Dance: This charming special is faster-paced and more high-energy than Emmett Otter, but just as much fun. Golez revels in playing the hilariously egotistical Rugby, who thinks that just because he's Jessie's favorite toy means he'll stay that way forever. Whitmire is adorable as Mew, who remains a loyal friend despite Rugby insulting him about being a cat toy. The songs are really catchy too, with "Try the Impossible" and the heartbreaking "Together at Christmas" the standouts. I love the bright color palate on the toys, the deep blacks and glittering silvers and golds of Meteora and the tree in the living room, and some of the gags, especially when they try to get Meteora back in the box!

The Numbers: We open with a big chorus routine for the toys, as we're introduced to their world in the play room and how "Toys Love to Play." "I Was the Greatest Christmas Toy" is Rugby's recollection of the year before and how it made him feel like a big star. Apple reprises it briefly in the living room when she remembers it, too...but she felt left out when Jamie said Rugby was now her favorite. Apple tells Belmont and the other toys to "Try the Impossible" as she rounds up a posse to rescue Rugby and Mew. Rugby coaxes Metora back into the box by singing "The Song of Meteora," telling her how much she'll be adored the next day. Mew already adores her and occasionally adds his besotted asides. "Together at Christmas" is Rugby's sad song to Mew downstairs after he's been frozen. Kermit the Frog joins the toys to reprise it for the finale in the play room.

Trivia: This would be spun off into a series in the 90's, The Secret Life of Toys. 

The copy currently on DVD deletes the opening and closing intros with Kermit the Frog. (Fortunately, most streaming copies are uncut and retain Kermit.) 

What I Don't Like: The story itself is nothing new, and is even less original after all of the Toy Story films have come and gone. In fact, this has a lot in common with the Toy Story movies, including a space-themed protagonist who doesn't believe they're a toy, a favorite toy who is jealous of the space toy, and the general idea of toys coming to life. The special mostly focuses on Rugby, Mew, and their relationship, with a little of Apple and Belmont in the rescue sequence. I'd love to learn more about the other toys, especially wise old teddy Balthazar (Jerry Nelson), super-cool Cruiser, and the fashion doll who, in a running gag, keeps missing all the action because she's constantly changing clothes to fit the mood. 

The Big Finale: A charming special with some great songs and delightful characters that's well worth checking out with your kids this holiday weekend, especially if any of them are big Toy Story or Muppet Show fans. 

Home Media: The DVD is currently expensive, and as mentioned, is missing the opening and closing segments with Kermit anyway. You're better off looking for this one on streaming. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - Journey to Bethlehem

Sony Pictures (Columbia), 2023

Starring Milo Manheim, Fiona Palomo, Antonio Banderes, and Omid Djalili

Directed by Adam Anders

Music and Lyrics by various

There aren't too many musicals covering the real reason for the Christmas season. Most of the few musicals I know of that discuss the birth of Christ are animated or low-budget. This was released theatrically in 2023, and although it didn't do well at the box office, it's become a bit more widely seen on streaming since then. How does a modern version of the story of Mary, Joseph, and the Three Wise Men look now? Let's begin with those three Wise Men as they realize that a new king is to be born and find out...

The Story: Mary (Palomo) wants to be a teacher, but her father (Antonio Cantos) has her betrothed to a man she's never met. She's furious, and he's not happier. He has his own dreams of becoming an inventor. No one believes Mary when she says the angel Gabriel (Lecrae) comes to her, claiming that she'll have a baby who will be the son of God. Even Joseph doesn't at first, until he finally realizes how much he loves and trusts her. 

Even as Joseph decides to trust his wife, egotistical King Harrod (Bandares) is worrying about a prophecy he heard from three rather goofy wise men. Seems there will be a "king of kings" who could potentially take his place among the people. He's not complaining when Caesar Augustus orders all of his people to travel to Bethehem for a census and be counted. Joseph worries that Mary can't make the trip, and when they do finally arrive, there's only room in a stable for them. That turns out to be more than enough for their new family. The Three Wise Men have been searching for them too, but all they have to do is talk to shepherds and follow a certain star to see a baby born in a manger who will become one of the most important religious beings on the planet.

The Song and Dance: This is...not what I was expecting. I figured we'd get something subdued, quiet. What we got amounted to a Disney Channel musical with a religious theme. That's not to say it doesn't have some virtues. Palomo is a lovely, feisty Mary, while Banderes is a wonderfully hissable and egotistical King Harrod, and even the Wise Men occasionally get a funny line or gag. There's also the dusty yellow backdrop, a golden, ancient Spain representing the Holy Lands.

The Numbers: We open with a young woman beginning "O Come All Ye Faithful" over the credits as the Wise Men travel to Jerusalem before it Segways into the title song and the oldest-known still performed Christmas song, "O Come O Come Emmanuel." "Mary's Getting Married" her sisters and the women of the town sing in delight during our first chorus number. Mary's not buying their claim it'll be "good for her." She only sees herself having to give up her dreams of teaching. Harrod claims to his followers that it's "Good To Be the King." Mary and Joseph are more concerned about their fracturing engagement as they wonder "Can We Make This Work?" 

After Gabriel arrives, Mary claims she's now "The Mother to a Savior and King." Joseph's worried that his wife's belief in her immaculate conception may be "The Ultimate Deception." The Three Wise Men claim they are those "Three Wise Guys." Joseph and Mary grow closer during their trip to Bethlehem, where "We Become We." Antipater (Joel Smallbone), the husband of Deborah (Moriah Smallbone), insists that the baby his older wife has created is "In My Blood." "The Nativity Song" is a medley of Christmas carols based around the birth of Christ, revealing the angel Gabriel and the true "king of kings" born in a humble manger. The movie ends with "Brand New Life" over the end credits.

What I Don't Like: Between the nice but largely unmemorable pop songs, the presence of bland but likable Manheim, and the side plot with the too-goofy (not very) Wise Men trying to figure out what's going on, this really feels more like a Disney Channel musical than one that was released on the big screen. They're not going for historical accuracy, either. (Admittedly, they do make this clear right before the end credits.) If you're looking for a darker, more "accurate" version of the Nativity story, this isn't it.

The Big Finale: Worth checking out at least once for families with older kids and tweens looking for a religious musical or a Nativity film.

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Animation Celebration Saturday - Santa and the Three Bears

Tony Benedict Productions, 1970

Voices of Hal Smith, Jean Vander Pyl, Christina Ferra-Gilmore, and Bobby Riha

Directed by Tony Benedict and Barry Mahon (live-action segments)

Music by Joyce Taylor; Lyrics by Doug Goodwin

This charming short film was originally pitched as an animated TV special. Apparently, networks at the time wouldn't buy a cartoon with no villains, so this ended up as a theatrical release instead. It later became a public domain staple, seen frequently during the holidays on independent stations throughout the US, and then on family cable networks. How does the charming tale of two bears who learn about Christmas from a well-meaning park ranger look today? Let's begin with two live-action children (Beth Goldfarb and Brian Hobbs) as their retired park ranger grandfather (Hal Smith) tells them the story of how three bears discovered Christmas and find out...

The Story: Mr. Ranger (Smith) tells the story of Christmas and of Santa to baby bears Nikomi (Ferra-Gilmore) and Chinook (Riha). They're so excited about Christmas and everything they'll get from Santa, they even get a tree for their cave. Their mother Nana (Vander Pyl) wishes they'd just go to sleep for the winter. She's not happy when she confronts Mr. Ranger and discovers Santa isn't real. Mr. Ranger decides to dress as Santa to make Christmas happy for the cubs. He's waylaid by a violent snowstorm, but someone else still gets through...

The Animation: You can tell this wasn't originally made for the big screen. The animation is no different from your average Hanna-Barbara TV show from this time period. In fact, I thought it was Hanna-Barbara until I checked Wikipedia. Admittedly, the bears look fairly realistic for a kids' cartoon - no exaggerated Yogi and Boo-Boo here - and they move pretty well. There's some pretty colors, too, especially during the cubs' dream sequence.

The Song and Dance: This ended up being much better than I thought it would be for a low-budget cartoon from the early 70's. Like This Christmas, it's charmingly low-key for a holiday that doesn't usually do quiet and sweet. The cubs are adorable, Smith is lovely telling them the story of Christmas and Santa, and Vander Pyl makes a nice concerned bear mother. It has a cozy, gentle air to it that's quite lovely and very welcome. 

The Numbers: The animated segment opens with "When Winter Comes" as the animals around Mr. Ranger prepare for colder weather. "Wintertime" provides the backdrop for the cubs' antics as they play and slide in the snow. The cubs learn about "The World of Toy People" as Mr. Ranger tells them the story of Santa and his elves and reindeer. The chorus lulls the cubs to sleep next to Nana with the "Sleepytime Song," with their pastel dreamscapes and hopes to see Santa. The credits end with "The Wonder of Christmas Time" after the cubs get their gifts, but before we see the live-action children again.

Trivia: Most TV versions (and some older streaming copies) delete the opening and closing live-action sequences.

Movie parody group Rifftrax spoofed it in 2023.

What I Don't Like: This might be a little too quiet for people expecting a noisier, better-animated show. It's just two cubs and their mother learning about Christmas from an elderly ranger with a slightly sentimental twist in the end. To be honest, though the gentle ballads are pretty, they do seem a bit out of place in the calm, laid-back story. It moves a bit on the slow side for something that runs for 45 minutes, too. 

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The Big Finale: Not the greatest thing ever, but it's worth your time this holiday season if you want to show your littlest ones something relatively calm and adorable. 

Home Media: In the public domain, so it's easily found anywhere.

DVD

Tubi

This Christmas

Sony (Columbia)/Screen Gems, 2007

Starring Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo, Idris Alba Jr., and Regina King

Directed by Preston A. Whitmore II

Music and Lyrics by various

Let's jump back thirteen years from a community-focused Christmas to a family-oriented one. Most Christmas musicals are big and bold. This one reminds us that there's music in smaller holidays, too. I also don't know of too many holiday musicals that focus on the African-American Christmas experience, like this one does. How well does the tangled tale of one family's troubled Christmas Eve and Day hold up over a decade and a half later? Let's begin as a singer performs a slinky "Santa Baby" and the Whitfield family begins to gather for Christmas and find out...

The Story: Shirley "Ma'Dere" Winfield (Divine) is looking forward to seeing her six children and their families and significant others. She's happy with her boyfriend Joe Black (Lindo) after her husband walked out, but her oldest son Quentin (Alba) doesn't like that he replaced their father. Her oldest daughter Lisa (King) is a housewife with two children whose unfaithful husband Malcolm (Laz Alonso) barely has time for her. Kelli (Sharon Leal) is a college grad living in New York, while youngest daughter Melanie (Lauren London) is a college student who brings her boyfriend Devan (Keith Robinson) home for the holidays. Youngest son Baby (Chris Brown) still lives at home. He loves photography, but he also loves to sing, which he hides from his mother. 

Musician Quentin is having his own problems with bookies Mo (David Banner) and Dude (Ronnie Warner), who want $25,000 yesterday. Kelli is happier with Gerald (Mekhi Phifer), the handsome guy she meets at a local nightclub. After middle brother Claude (Columbus Short) is arrested for pulling a gun at a nightclub, his very white wife Sandi (Jessica Stroup) turns up nervous and pregnant. There's also their mother's long-standing dry cleaner business that they all own shares in. Malcolm and Lisa want to pressure the others to sell, but it's their mother's business. Over the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, faith will be tested, new bonds will be created, and the Whitfield family will learn the importance of family, teamwork, connection, and sticking up for yourself and others.

The Song and Dance: I like how low-key this is. As I mentioned earlier, most Christmas musicals tend to be big, bold, and brassy. The focus on one family and their relationships makes this rare among holiday musicals, and almost refreshing just for that. It's sweet and thoughtful with just enough sass to keep it from diving into overly syrupy Hallmark movie territory. Brown's adorable as the youngest member of the family who worries that his talent may upset his mother, Divine is radiant as the family's anchor and matriarch, and Alba as the most tortured of the brothers. 

The Numbers: We open with Lina's sexy performance of "Santa Baby" at the bar where musician Quentin works. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" provides the backdrop for Baby taking photos while his mother and Kelli wonder where the others are. Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up Part 1" provides the backdrop for Quentin's arrival via Greyhound as the rest of the family dances. "Merry Christmas Baby" by Charles Brown underscores Malcolm and Lisa discussing Quentin and why their mother doesn't allow them to play music. Quentin plays "The Christmas Song" on a piano in the garage late at night. 

A rap group at the nightclub performs "Go Getter" as they arrive. Baby performs "Try a Little Tenderness," to the shock of his siblings who had no idea he could sing. TLC's version of "Sleigh Ride" underscores the scene where the men buy a Christmas tree. Aretha Franklin's "I Ain't Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You)" likewise provides the backdrop for an angry Lisa to drive her husband's beloved truck into the Los Angeles River. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" by Stevie Wonder has Quentin leaving clothes for Joe. The church choir raises the roof with a gorgeous "O Holy Night," after which Baby sings the title R&B standard for his mother. The movie ends with the entire cast reprise their group dance routine to "Got to Give It Up."

What I Don't Like: If you're expecting a bigger, bolder, or more action-packed show, this is not going to be for you. This is basically a holiday family soap opera with a couple of goons thrown in. It also goes on for way, way too long. Most of the melodrama in the middle could have been trimmed. Some members of the family are heard from more than others. London in particular as the youngest daughter has the least to do other than talk about her night spent with Gerard. And what's with the random dance-off at the middle and end of the movie? They're funny, but they also have nothing to do with anything. 

The Big Finale: If you're looking for a quieter Christmas movie to watch with your grown children by a roaring fire, you can do far worse than this look at one family's tumultuous holiday season.

Home Media: The discs are pricey, but it's easily found anywhere on streaming, including for free with commercials on Pluto TV.

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