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117: “A Blue Furry Charles Dickens Who Hangs Out With A Rat?” – The Muppet Christmas Carol

Do you feel that chill in the air? This holiday season, When We Were Young’s listeners will be visited by three all-knowing spirits who serve as guides through the past, present, and future of all things Muppet.

Our last episode chronicled the humble beginnings of Kermit and company through their rise to global superstardom with The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie in the late 70s. In this episode Chris, Becky, and Seth discuss their youthful memories of more recent Muppets exploits like the original MUPPET BABIES cartoon of the 80s, the MUPPETS TONIGHT primetime series that aired on TGIF in the 90s, and a star-studded pop album called KERMIT UNPIGGED that at least one of our hosts cherished.

Next we revisit the Muppets’ musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story in 1992’s THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, which stars a pitch perfect Michael Caine as yuletide-loathing miser Ebenezer Scrooge, and a bunch of puppets as Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, the Marleys, and even the author himself. Then we are confronted by the present and future of Jim Henson’s beloved creations since the Muppets were officially taken over by Disney in the early 2000s.

Does The Muppet Christmas Carol still warm our hearts and send us out into the snowy streets to pass out savvy pop culture critiques to the needy? Or have the years turned us into cold, cruel Scrooges ready to say, “Bah, humbug!” to this Disneyfied departure from the Muppets’ scrappy roots? Celebrate the 30th anniversary of this furry, funny holiday classic with When We Were Young!

Follow When We Were Young on Twitter and Instagram at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at Facebook.com/WWWYShow and email episode suggestions to wwwyshow@gmail.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts (or wherever you get your podcasts) so more folks check out the show!

Help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include recording remotely, purchasing movies/shows/music to review, delivery food to eat our feelings, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles, California by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung

20: “You Remind Me of the Babe” – Labyrinth and Dark Crystal

Turn back, Sarah – we’re headed into the imaginative mind of Jim Henson on this week’s episode, and anything could happen! Though many think of The Muppets or Sesame Street when they think of Jim Henson, if you were coming of age in the mid-80s and into fairy tales, myths, and gender-bending pop, LABYRINTH (1986) was surely more your bag.

With the help of our guest “Labyrinth” superfan Krissy Fox we rewatch Henson’s darkly humorous, whimsical tale of an aggressively pansexual Goblin King who enjoys infant theft, mind games and synthy pop tunes – you know, good clean family entertainment! We also take a look at Labyrinth’s gloomier but just as impressively designed predecessor THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982).

Join us as we discuss Henson’s legacy, Bowie’s bulge, and… well, we talk about Bowie’s crotch a LOT, because c’mon, it’s RIGHT THERE.

When We Were Young is a podcast devoted to the most beloved pop culture of our formative years (roughly 1980-2000). Join us for a look back to the past with a critical eye on how these movies, songs, TV shows and more hold up now. You can follow us on Twitter at @WWWYshow, on Facebook at @WWWYShow, you can Email us at wwwyshow@gmail.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and review us on iTunes!

You can help us defray the costs of creating this show, which include purchasing movies/shows/music to review, ordering delivery food to eat our emotions, and producing & editing in-house at the MFP Studio in Los Angeles CA, by donating to our Patreon account at patreon.com/WhenWeWereYoung