It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (lost deleted scene from musical fantasy comedy TV film; 2002)

A newspaper article featuring a photo of the scene.

Status: Lost

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is a 2002 musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. It was premiered on NBC on November 29th, 2002 and is the first television film featuring the Muppets. Though, during it's production, Snoop Dogg filmed a cameo scene for the movie before being removed from him filming pornographic films.

Information

During the production of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Snoop Dogg appeared on set to cameo in a scene for the television film. The scene was suppose to be about him interacting with Kermit and The Electric Mayhem backstage in The Muppet Theatre. Jim Lewis describes the scene in a Q&A, quote:

"Here's how I remember it. We come upon Kermit and Snoop backstage talking in that patented Snoop patois (e.g. 'Off the hizzle f'shizzle...etc.'). Surprisingly, Kermit is fluent in this lingo and has his own Frog Pound. We then see the Electric Mayhem band sitting nearby. Floyd Pepper asks a typically insightful question, something along the lines of: 'Didja ever think that maybe the whole world is a molecule on the big toe of some giant in the cosmos?' To which Snoop gives a long (and to me) totally confusing answer just brimming with 'hizzles' and 'f'shizzles'. Floyd, Animal, and the rest of the band nod sagely and then Zoot says a line that was ad-libbed on the spot: 'Man, that's the first thing around here I've understood in 30 years."

The scene was then removed from the final cut for unknown reasons at the time, and was also absent in the DVD release. A press release was published from the Jim Henson Company about the deleted scenes including the cut scene of Snoop Dogg, quote:

"As commonly occurs during this stage of production, we have had to cut several scenes originally planned for the movie which did not advance its storyline. Unfortunately, one of the scenes we have had to cut was a brief appearance by the talented artist Snoop Dogg. We are very proud of this TV movie and are confident that it will be a highlight of the holiday season."

Though, other media reports the motive for cutting the scene was not from time constraints. Instead, it was stated that producers cut the scene when protests started happening over mixing a hip-hop artist with classic children's characters.

However, Kermit appeared on the late late show on November 22, 2002. Craig Kilborn then questioned about the situation which Kermit responded on why it was really removed. Kermit states that Snoop's involvement in producing pornographic films (including Girls Gone Wild) was the reason the scene was removed, quote:

"Well, I think that kinda what happened was, that, uh, Snoop came along to do our movie at about the time that he was, like, quitting drugs...? Unfortunately, he was starting porn.... Yeah...it's really nothing personal, because, porn's fine, you know, but it's not what we do in a Muppet movie, and...and he's a really, he's a very nice guy, I mean, I really liked him, we had a lot in common—Frog, Dogg, you know... And it's no dis, homey. If you're watching. It's no dis."

Availability

Only one photo of the scene was found in a newpaper article, but no footage of this deleted scene has resurfaced.

Gallery

Internet Archive upload of the interview (starts at 20:25-21:08).

Snoop Dogg comments on getting his scene removed.

See Also

• Sam and Friends (partially found Jim Henson puppet TV series; 1955-1961)
• Wilkins and Wontkins (partially lost series of Jim Henson commercials; 1957-1969)
• The Muppets' early ads (partially lost series of commercials; 1962-1969)
• Sesame Street (partially lost children's educational TV series; 1969-present)
• The Dark Crystal (partially found high-quality version of workprint/director's cut of puppet fantasy film; early 1980s)
• The Power of The Dark Crystal (lost production materials from canceled sequel to "The Dark Crystal" fantasy film; 1982-2014)
• Fraggle Rock (partially found British co-production of puppet children's television series; 1984-1990)
• Muppets In Space (lost early drafts of "Muppets From Space" sci-fi family film; 1999)

External Link

• The Muppets Wiki article about the deleted scene.