The Great Santa Claus Switch

The Great Santa Claus Switch
Directed by	John Moffitt
Produced by	Lori Forte
Written by	Jerry Juhl
Starring	Art Carney Muppet performers: Jim Henson Fran Brill Richard Hunt John Lovelady Jerry Nelson Frank Oz Danny Seagren
Narrated by	Ed Sullivan
Music by	Joe Raposo
Edited by	Ken Champin
Distributed by	CBS
Release dates	December 20, 1970
Language	English

The Great Santa Claus Switch was a musical Christmas special featuring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on CBS on December 20, 1970. It was directed by John Moffitt, written by Jerry Juhl, with music by Joe Raposo and puppets by Don Sahlin.

Plot

The special, narrated by Ed Sullivan, begins at the North Pole with Santa Claus and his Christmas Elves getting ready for another Christmas. However, Cosmo Scam has hatched a plan to kidnap Santa and take his place. As part of the plan, Cosmo plans to abduct Santa's Christmas Elves one by one and replace them with his evil henchmen.

Cast

Art Carney - Santa Claus, Cosmo Scam
Ed Sullivan - Himself

Muppet performers

Jim Henson - Fred the Christmas Elf, Lothar
Frank Oz - Thig, Boppity, Hoppity the Christmas Elf, Snerf
Jerry Nelson - Thog, Snivelly, Zippity the Christmas Elf
Richard Hunt - Bing the Christmas Elf, Matchbox Frackle, Guard Frackle
Fran Brill - Green Bird Frackle
John Lovelady - Alarm Frackle, Bong the Christmas Elf, Scoff, Snake Frackle, Snerf
Danny Seagren - Gloat, Snarl (early Gonzo), Skippity the Christmas Elf, Snerf

Additional Muppets performed by Cary Antebi, Greg Antonacchi, John Byrum, Marilyn Sokol, and Byron Whiting.

Songs

We're Happy Little Christmas Elves
I Want To Help
It's Christmas Time
Rock Music

External links

The Muppets

Characters

Muppet
performers

Television

Series	Sam and Friends (1955–61) Our Place (1967) The Muppet Show (1976–81; episodes) Muppet Babies (1984–91) Little Muppet Monsters (1985) The Jim Henson Hour (1989) Muppets Tonight (1996–98) Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2007) The Muppets (2015–present)

Segments	The Jimmy Dean Show ("Rowlf the Dog", 1963–65) The Mike Douglas Show (1966–79) The Ed Sullivan Show (including The Great Santa Claus Switch, 1966–71) Saturday Night Live (The Land of Gorch, 1975–76)

Specials	Hey, Cinderella! (1969) The Muppets on Puppets (1970) The Frog Prince (1971) The Muppet Musicians of Bremen (1972) The Muppets Valentine Show (1974) Out to Lunch (1974) The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975) Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977) John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979) The Muppets Go to the Movies (1981) The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (1982) Rocky Mountain Holiday (1983) The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986) The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (1986) A Muppet Family Christmas (1987) Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990) The Earth Day Special (1990) The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990) The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990) Studio DC: Almost Live (2008) A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) Lady Gaga and the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular (2013)

Films

Feature	The Muppet Movie (1979) The Great Muppet Caper (1981) The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) Muppet Treasure Island (1996) Muppets from Space (1999) The Muppets (2011) Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

TV	It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)

Direct-to- video	Muppet Sing-Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs (1993) Muppet Classic Theater (1994) Kermit's Swamp Years (2002)

Music

Albums	The Muppet Show (1977) The Muppet Show 2 (1978) The Muppet Movie (1979) John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) Ol' Brown Ears is Back (1993) Muppet Beach Party (1993) Kermit Unpigged (1994) The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More (2002) The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas (2006) Muppets: The Green Album (2011) The Muppets (2011) Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

Songs	"The Muppet Show Theme" "Rainbow Connection" "Bein' Green" "Mahna Mahna" "When the River Meets the Sea" "Never Before, Never Again" "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along" "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" "Bohemian Rhapsody" "Man or Muppet"

Web series

Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony (2005–06)
The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora (2010)

Video games

Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival (1989)
Muppets Inside (1996)
Muppet RaceMania (2000)
Muppet Monster Adventure (2000)
Spy Muppets: License to Croak (2003)
Muppets Party Cruise (2003)
Disney Universe (2011)

Other media

Muppet*Vision 3D (1991–present)
Muppet Mobile Lab (2007–present)
Comics series
Before You Leap

Muppets portal

The Jim Henson Company

Henson Family

Jim Henson
Brian Henson
Jane Henson
Lisa Henson
John Henson
Cheryl Henson
Heather Henson

Major works

The Muppets† Sesame Street‡

TV series	Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series (1987–1988) The Storyteller (1988–1991) The Jim Henson Hour (1989) The Ghost of Faffner Hall (1989) Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories (1990–1992) Dinosaurs (1991–1994) Dog City (1992–1993) CityKids (1993–1994) Secret Life of Toys (1994) Jim Henson's Animal Show (1994–1997) Aliens in the Family (1996) The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (1996–1998) Bear in the Big Blue House † (1997–2007) Brats of the Lost Nebula (1998) Farscape (1998–2002) Construction Site (1999) Family Rules (1999) Mopatop's Shop (1999–2000) The Fearing Mind (2000) The Hoobs (2000–2002) Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola (2001) Animal Jam (2002) Five Minutes More (2006) Jim Henson's Pajanimals (2008, 2011–2013) Sid the Science Kid (2008–2013) Dinosaur Train (2009–present) Me and My Monsters (2010–2011) That Puppet Game Show (2013–2014) The Doozers (2013–2014) Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge (2014) Hi Opie! (2014–present)

TV specials	The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970) Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977) The Christmas Toy (1986) Monster Maker (1989) The Song of the Cloud Forest (1989) Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (1995)

Theatrical films	The Dark Crystal (1982) Labyrinth (1986) The Witches (1990) Buddy (1997) Rat (2000) Good Boy! (2003) Five Children and It (2004) MirrorMask (2005) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)

Other projects	Time Piece (1965, short film) The Cube (1969, teleplay) Gulliver's Travels (1996, miniseries) Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001, miniseries) Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars (2004, miniseries) The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing! (2008, web series) Unstable Fables (2008, DTV film) Oscar's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures (2015, web series) Turkey Hollow (2015, TV film)

Henson Alternative	Puppet Up! (2006–present) Late Night Liars (2010) Simian Undercover Detective Squad (2011) Neil's Puppet Dreams (2012–2013) No, You Shut Up! (2013–present) Good Morning Today (2013–2014)

Divisions

† Sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2004, ‡ Muppet characters only; sold to Sesame Workshop in 2000

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