Tis the season: The great Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas television special celebrates its 41st anniversary this year and it remains one of Jim Henson's finest achievements.
Based on a children's book by Russell Hoban, the special tells the heartwarming (and remarkably grounded and adult) story of a Depression-era set of mother-and-son otters who compete in a talent show for a cash prize. Their reasons for competing are altruistic in nature: they want to obtain the necessary funds to buy the other a special, thoughtful present for Christmas. Complications arise and, in a cruel twist, both Emmet and his Ma lose the talent show, going home empty-handed. Brutal!
One scene in particular, in which Emmet and Ma walk past a music shop and spot what will become Emmet's instrumental obsession, stands out, if not for its place in the narrative than for the complications that arose attempting to film it. Check out the video below to see what we mean.