Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas

{{more plot|date=December 2016}}

On Christmas Eve, Elmo's father Louie tells his son about how Sesame Street was a dreary place in the 19th century as its inhabitants lack the Christmas spirit enough for Santa Claus to not make a stop there and is enforced by a constable that is Mr. Johnson's ancestor. Elmo's great-great-great-grandfather of the same name has moved there as he works to get everyone into the Christmas spirit with the help of some Sesame Street inhabitants that support his motives.

• Jim Gaffigan as Santa Claus
• Zosia Mamet as Bella
• Audra McDonald as Caroler
• Alan Muraoka as Alan
• Suki Lopez as Nina

{{cast list|

• Pam Arciero
• Billy Barkhurst as Ernie
• Jennifer Barnhart as Holly
• Tyler Bunch as Louie
• Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Abby Cadabby, Becky
• Frankie Cordero
• Stephanie D'Abruzzo
• Ryan Dillon as Elmo
• Jamie Donmoyer
• Liz Hara
• Chris Thomas Hayes
• Haley Jenkins
• Eric Jacobson as Bert, Grover, Two-Headed Monster (Left head); Oscar the Grouch (puppetry only)
• Kathleen Kim
• Tim Lagasse
• Spencer Lott
• Lara MacLean
• Joey Mazzarino
• Andrew Moriarty
• Carmen Osbahr as Rosita
• Martin P. Robinson as Hot Pink Muppet Elf
• David Rudman as Cookie Monster, Two-Headed Monster (Right head)
• Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch (voices only)
• Matt Vogel as Count von Count, Constable, Big Bird (puppetry only)

}}

In The New York Times, Neil Genzlinger called the special "pleasant and witty" and noted that the casting of Zosia Mamet, a series regular on HBO's Girls, reflected Sesame Street having moved from PBS to HBO earlier in 2016.{{cite news|last1=Genzlinger|first1=Neil|author1-link=Neil Genzlinger|title=Weathering a Blizzard of Christmas TV Programming|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/arts/television/christmas-tv-programming.html?unlocked_article_code=jPCfP9q8yR5MdYu282dV_DF_4eOUQg7w9SYH0TwIqC4HnxlfzjU7aRvIlzWbgCKjjvajAGJUYxG0ZoAHtFtjxt7nzNOcJh2jIY5YB-EQGlDAYT5ikFI2HbijDqp7WhPvrp1ePJvPtHHn5jv51guWVLcWWmLHNYGqXkxoQBEifZPdClCytv0zIVcrg5fJpEx2c9IKYPwLt-6pc1kR2DSqQH3BG314LzI9dSY8e83U69OvZbF3bRrFFAHW9OtJilG3cRZDppzx4wLcW17rB3UezqyP4SrpXRYdnJ-FY2Gst4McSbnxkBIgIXIaG9b4jo63XiBBjtwoaXdl4EDvqCwJFoflfG2cr9HVrfY&smid=url-share|access-date=9 March 2023|work=The New York Times|date=23 November 2016|ref=Times Review}}

Genzlinger wrote that while other holidays got brief attention, the focus was on Christmas. Zack Teibloom mentioned that he enjoyed Mamet offering "a Chanukkah lesson for balance."{{cite web |last1=Teibloom |first1=Zack |title=The Five Best Muppet Christmas Movies |url=https://bookandfilmglobe.com/film/the-five-best-muppet-christmas-movies/ |website=Book and Film Globe |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=13 December 2018}} In a 2017 interview, Caroll Spinney cited the special as an example of how Sesame Street sometimes engages with spiritual values.{{cite journal |last1=Butler |first1=Francelia |last2=Pickering |first2=Samuel Jr. |title=Big Bird of Sesame Street: An Interview |journal=The Antioch Review |date=2017 |volume=75 |issue=3 |pages=249–260 |doi=10.7723/antiochreview.75.3.0249 |jstor=10.7723/antiochreview.75.3.0249}}

In Mashable, Annie Colbert noted David Gallo's sets, which "took modern Sesame Street back to the 19th century with sepia tones, ivy-covered iron gates and laundry dangling by clothespins over the familiar cobblestone."{{cite web |last1=Colbert |first1=Annie |title=Delight in the old-timey wonder of Sesame Street's holiday special |url=https://mashable.com/article/sesame-street-christmas-special |website=Mashable |access-date=9 March 2023 |language=en |date=23 December 2016}}

The show won the 2017 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program.{{cite web |title=The Complete List of 2017 Emmy Winners |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/emmy-awards-2017-winners-list |website=Vogue |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=17 September 2017}} Writers Geri Cole and Ken Scarborough won a WGA Award for their script at the 69th Writers Guild of America Awards.{{cite web |last1=Milligan |first1=Mercedes |title='BoJack Horseman' Takes TV Animation WGA Award |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2017/02/bojack-horseman-takes-tv-animation-wga-award/ |website=Animation Magazine |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=20 February 2017}}

A tie-in book of the same title was also published in 2017. Written by Geri Cole and adapted by Robin Newman, it was illustrated by Tom Brannon.{{cite book |last1=Cole |first1=Geri |last2=Newman |first2=Robin |title=Once upon a Sesame Street Christmas |date=2017 |publisher=Running Press|location=Philadelphia |isbn=9780762461622}}{{cite news |last1=Lodge |first1=Sally |title=Fall 2017 Children's Announcements: Publishers N-R |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/childrens-announcements/article/74237-fall-2017-children-s-announcements-publishers-n-r.html |access-date=9 March 2023 |work=PublishersWeekly.com |language=en}} The special was released on DVD as part of Sesame Street: My Favorite Holidays.{{cite web |last1=Spring |first1=Mike |title=What's New on Home Video - November 8th, 2022 - Bullet Train, Casablanca, Euphoria, Aqua Teen, & More! |url=https://comic-watch.com/movies/whats-new-on-home-video-november-8th-2022-bullet-train-casablanca-euphoria-aqua-teen-more |website=Comic Watch |access-date=9 March 2023 |date=8 November 2022}}

• "Holiday Lights"
• "Let Santa Know We're Here"
• "Two is You and Me"
• "Deck the Halls"
• "Kindness"

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|6319942}}
• {{muppets}}

{{Sesame Street}}

{{Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program}}

Category:2016 television specials

Category:Sesame Street features

Category:Christmas television specials

Category:HBO network specials

Category:Musical theatre television specials

Category:American Christmas television specials