Weekly Santa Wednesday

REMINDER
Be sure to catch The Muppets on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon TONIGHT at 12:35am/11:35pm on NBC!

SANTA CLAUS

Performed by...
Various

First (Muppet) appearance...
The Ed Sullivan Show (performed by Arthur Godfrey)

Most recent (Muppet) appearance...
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (performed by Richard Griffiths)

Best known role...
Father Christmas. Jolly fat man. Toy maker. Elf Union savior. Reindeer farmer. Red fabric purchaser. Mrs. Claus's husband. All-around nice fellow.

Famous quote...
"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Favorite food...
Milk and cookies.


WHO IS SANTA CLAUS?
...You really don't know who Santa Claus is? Santa has been around in Muppet productions since the early days on The Ed Sullivan Show and continues to be around to their most recent production, A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa. Claus is truly a friend of the Muppets (yes, even naughty ol' Oscar the Grouch). If you don't believe me, just look at all of these Muppet Santas and Santas from Muppet things!

See? Santa is everywhere in the Muppetverse! Sheesh, imagine the competition for milk and cookies with Cookie Monster... or the aggravation he must feel when having to stuff Big Bird or Sweetums' stockings!

SANTA CLAUS'S VARIOUS PERFORMERS
Santa has been performed by many a Muppet and friend of the Muppets in his days. These are just a few notable examples:

• Arthur Godfrey (The Ed Sullivan Show)
• Art Carney (The Great Santa Claus Switch)
• Charles Durning (Elmo Saves Christmas)
• Kevin James (Elmo's Christmas Countdown)
• Richard Griffiths (A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa)
• Bobo the Bear (It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie)
• Cookie Monster (Elmo Saves Christmas)
• The Two-Headed Monster (A Muppet Family Christmas)
• Doc (A Muppet Family Christmas)
• Oscar the Grouch (A Sesame Street Christmas Carol)
• Mr. Snuffleupagus (Christmas Eve on Sesame Street)
• Kermit the Frog (The Christmas Toy)

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED SANTA CLAUS?
Well... The Muppets need Santa because he represents the same things they do. He represents childhood and imagination and innocence and goodwill and happiness. And really, it's not too much to ask for Santa to be around with the Muppets--it's only once a year! (Right, Elmo?) Santa Claus may seem childish to some, but I think he and the Muppets are right in the same vein of making people happy.

Now... who took my milk and cookies?

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier.