Elmo's Christmas Countdown

Introduction

It's Christmastime, there's no need to be afraid. Oh yes there is, because the magical Christmas Counter-Downer has lost it's numbered boxes. Without them, Elmo cannot perform the Christmas countdown and Christmas will be cancelled forever!!!

In this latest release from possibly one of the longest running kids shows ever, Elmo the much loved newer generation resident of the most famous street ever is asked by even newer resident Stiller the Elf (Ben Stiller) to perform this year's Christmas Countdown, an annual event that dictates when Christmas officially starts. Except this year Stiller loses all the boxes after making the mistake of asking first Oscar The Grouch and then the Cookie Monster to do the Countdown instead of lovable Elmo. And they reckon that only girls are attracted to the bad boys…



Elmo and his friend Abby Cadabby must help Stiller recover all the boxes in order to complete the Christmas Countdown and ensure that not only this Christmas but all future festive celebrations are saved from cancellation.

This is a double set that also features Christmas Eve On Sesame Street, but I didn't receive that disc for review.

Overall

I used to love Sesame Street when I was a child, it was one of those formative children's programmes that could encourage you to learn, sing and laugh. It's influence is felt further down the years and although I was all growed up by the time The Count appeared, I have found memories of Oscar The Grouch, Cookie Monster, Ernie & Bert and Manamana (doo-doobie-doobie). I never really got Big Bird though…



A lot of shows do Christmas Specials and here's another one. Elmo is a character that I can imagine is really popular with young children and after watching this I can understand the choice of this character as lead, when my initial reaction was that you can't do a Sesame Street Countdown without The Count. As is usual with festive specials, the story is interspersed with musical interludes and these have been designed to not only keep the kids entertained but make life much better for the adults forced to sit through this with their children. It's clearly aimed at an American audience rather than global though, so you have the likes of Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Brad Paisley, Sheryl Crow, and Anne Hathaway doing their bit.

Thankfully for those of not interested in the schmaltz (although why else would you be watching this?), there are a couple of good comedy turns from both Ty Pennington who helps out The Count (hurrah!) and Tony Sirico and Steve Schirripa who attempt a live action version of Ernie & Bert with the dynamic duo attempting to teach the two actors their mannerisms. Nobody does it better though, as goodfellas Sirico and Schirripa discover.



I quite enjoyed this, although the Christmas Countdown is essentially a plot device that doesn't even logically follow your expectations. You expect that each countdown of a number will take you to another segment but it just doesn't always do that. Odd, but enjoyable nonetheless.