Its teleplay was conceived by longtime Muppet writer Jerry Juhl, and directed by Peter Harris and Eric Till (the latter of whom was uncredited).

[1] It also stars Gerry Parkes as Doc from the North American wraparound segments of Fraggle Rock, and Henson as himself in a cameo appearance at the end.

In the plot, the Muppets surprise Fozzie Bear's mother with a Christmas visit to her farmhouse, unaware of her planned getaway to Malibu.

Due to licensing issues with songs featured in A Muppet Family Christmas, some scenes have been cut from subsequent home media releases.

Unbeknownst to Fozzie, Emily Bear is preparing to go to Malibu for the holiday and rent her farmhouse to Doc and Sprocket, who want to spend a nice quiet Christmas in the country.

A group of carolers then arrive consisting of Big Bird, Ernie and Bert, and the rest of the Sesame Street Muppets.

The Sesame Street Muppets perform a pageant of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas where the Two-Headed Monster portrays Santa Claus.

Finally, after Piggy makes her grand entrance, riding a dogsled with Doc, all the Muppets sing a medley of carols and swap presents (except Oscar who just sits in his trash can sighing very miserably due to his hatred of Christmas).

Additionally, the United Kingdom broadcast which aired on BBC One on 26 December 1989,[3][4] marked the first appearance of Doc on British television, as the UK version of Fraggle Rock featured new "Outer Space" segments, in which Sprocket's owner was a lighthouse keeper.