Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy

For years now, I have pleaded with Baby Jesus, Santa Claus, Walt Disney and anybody else who would listen to give us a release of Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy on DVD. This is one of the most beloved Christmas specials of my youth, and even though it’s been out of circulation for years, I’ve never forgotten it. This year, FINALLY, the Jim Henson Company and HIT Entertainment have given this classic special the DVD treatment.

This special, which premiered in 1986, is the story of a group of children’s toys who come to life whenever no humans are around (this a full ten years before Pixar released Toy Story, I’ll remind you). On Christmas Eve, the stuffed tiger named Rugby is excited at the prospect of being unwrapped beneath the tree just like last year, not understanding the concept that new toys arrive every Christmas. He sneaks out of the toyroom with the intention of sneaking back under the tree. There are just two problems with his plan:

1. Any toy caught out of its position by a human will be “frozen forever.” (The death metaphor is pretty chilling for a kid’s Christmas special.)

2. There’s a far less agreeable toy already waiting in the box Rugby believes belongs to him.

Even 22 years later, this special has all the charm it did when I was a kid. The characters are wonderful. Rugby is lovable, even while his general arrogance gets him into trouble. Mew, the cat toy, is a perfect foil for him as well. We’ve also got an old, much-loved teddy bear as the voice of wisdom, a pragmatic doll, a dimwitted clown, and a Barbie-esque fashion doll that help fill out a nice cast. The special includes several original songs, from the silly to the heart-melting finale. The story, frankly, is about friendship, love, and everything that Jim Henson believed in so deeply. It’s magnificent.

Let’s talk, though, about the DVD itself. Due to the fact that the Jim Henson Company no longer owns the Muppet characters, the special has been edited to remove the opening and closing host sequences that featured Kermit the Frog. While this doesn’t hurt the story, it does make the opening feel very abrupt, as if you started watching the show sometime after the first commercial break instead of from the beginning. Of bigger concern is the DVD transfer. The film looks like it has been shot from a VHS tape – -a well-preserved VHS tape, but a VHS tape nonetheless. It doesn’t appear that there’s been any effort to restore the film or clean it up. As for special features… fugheddaboutit. This is as bare-bones as a DVD gets. There’s not even a menu. Let me repeat: NOT EVEN A MENU. The video just cycles over and over again.

I’m still ecstatic that this special is finally available, and if you’re a fan of the show like I am, it’s a must-own. Parents who want something for their kids this Christmas that they haven’t already seen a thousand times will also find a wonderful show with all the wit and heart that make the Muppets what they are. But if you’re hoping for the Ultimate Edition DVD, this isn’t the place to look.