The Great Santa Claus Switch was a Jim Henson

Jim Henson

James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...

 television special featuring his Muppets

The Muppets

The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...

. It first aired on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 in December 1970. It was directed by John Moffitt

John Moffitt

John Moffitt is an American long jumper. His breakthrough came in 2004 when he became NCAA indoor and outdoor champion, improved his personal best by 45 centimeters and won the silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics behind countryfellow Dwight Phillips...

, written by Jerry Juhl

Jerry Juhl

Jerome Ravn "Jerry" Juhl was an American television and movie writer, best known for his work with Jim Henson's "Muppets".Juhl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; his family moved to Menlo Park, California, when he was 14...

, with music by Joe Raposo

Joe Raposo

Joseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...

 and puppets by Don Sahlin

Don Sahlin

Don Sahlin was a Muppet design and builder who worked for Jim Henson from 1962 to 1977. His first creation for Jim Henson was Rowlf the Dog, which he built in 1962 for a series of Purina Dog Chow commercials. Don would go on to design and build most of the Muppet characters, including Bert and...

.

Plot

Cosmo Scam plots to kidnap Santa Claus

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...

 and his elves with the help of his Frackle henchmen.

Muppet Performers

• Jim Henson
  Jim Henson
  James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
  
   - Fred the Elf, Lothar
• Fran Brill
  Fran Brill
  Frances Joan "Fran" Brill , is an American actress and puppeteer, best known for her roles on Sesame Street.Brill was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Linette and Joseph M. Brill. Her father was a physician...
  
   - Snerf
• Richard Hunt
  Richard Hunt (puppeteer)
  Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
  
   - Bing the Elf, Frackle with a Match
• John Lovelady
  John Lovelady
  John Lovelady is a right-handed puppeteer who worked with the Muppets, including on Sesame Street. He stopped working with the Muppets when The Muppet Show Season 1 ended but later joined the syndicated children's series The Great Space Coaster and also performed in a serialisation of Alice's...
  
   - Alarm Frackle, Bong the Elf,
• Jerry Nelson
  Jerry Nelson
  Jerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
  
   - Snivelly, Thog, Zippity the Elf, Scoff, Snake Frackle, Snerf
• Frank Oz
  Frank Oz
  Frank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
  
   - Boppity, Hoppity the Elf, Skippity the Elf, Snerf, Thig
• Danny Seagren - Gloat, Snarl, Snerf

Additional Muppets performed by Cary Antebi, Greg Antonacchi, John Byrum

John Byrum

John Byrum is an American film director and writer known for The Razor's Edge, Heart Beat, Duets and Inserts....

, Marilyn Sokol

Marilyn Sokol

Marilyn Sokol is an actress, comedienne, teacher, singer, writer/director. She has won an Emmy Award, an Obie Award, and a Bistro Award. She lives in New York City...

, and Byron Whiting

Trivia

• Thog would later make an appearance in The Muppet Show
  The Muppet Show
  The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
  
  as one of the Full-Bodied Monsters. The puppet for Snarl was redesigned for Gonzo the Great
  Gonzo the Great
  Gonzo the Great is a puppet character, one of Jim Henson's Muppets. He was developed and performed by Dave Goelz. The character made his first appearance in a 1970 Christmas special entitled "The Great Santa Claus Switch". Known as a "Whatever" , he is considered one of The Frackles...
  
   while the rest of Cosmo Scam's henchmen were reused as nameless Frackles
  The Frackles
  -Bio:They first appeared in a television special called The Great Santa Claus Switch. They would then appear in later franchises, such as The Muppet Show. Characteristics of a Frackle include fur and toothy beaks. They are normally small in stature, but there are exceptions. The Frackles became...
  
  .

External links

• Muppet Wiki: The Great Santa Claus Switch