muppets

For some reason I was watching this adorable Sesame Street episode about a guy who complains to Grover, the waiter, about a fly in his soup and I thought, he sure looks like Dr. Phil. And what do you know? I have a way to share this ridiculousness with you guys.

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When the puppets of Avenue Q stopped by Scrubs a while back, the result was a fun and slightly off-color musical romp through Sacred Heart. Tonight, some more familiar Muppets — including Grover, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo — are swinging by the hospital, and while this episode seems a little sweeter, it looks like it will still have a lot of laughs.

I mean, just look at that picture! In this episode, Oscar briefly pretends to be the new chief of medicine, Grover goes around looking for a "high four," and Elmo tries to make the blunt Denise care. But I'm not sure how well that's going to turn out; the official episode description says "J.D. learns the hard way that not even Elmo can teach the gift of compassion to those who don't care to learn."

Oh, and the episode's title? "My ABC's." Of course! To check out a couple of clips, read more

I heard from a respected source that next to the xylophone-playing Cookie Monster was a pink bass-playing gorilla. (The eyes can only take in so much, right? Hence, the cropping.) The question is, what is Cookie Monster doing busking in the NYC subway system? I guess he's gotta pay for his cookies somehow. It's hard out there for a Muppet. . .

The Muppets seem to be having a bit of a resurgence lately, what with Jason Segel working on a new Muppet movie and maybe even an updated Muppet Show. But those projects are still a ways off, so while we're waiting, it might be worth checking out NBC tonight for a new Muppet holiday special, A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.

In the special, which airs tonight at 8 p.m. (EST/PST), the Muppets accidentally intercept three letters that should be headed to Santa's mailbox instead. It's already Christmas Eve, so they must hurry up and make it to the North Pole before Santa takes off on his gift-dropping trip around the globe — or else three wishes will go unfulfilled. Of course, there are obstacles (Miss Piggy was planning on a tropical vacation), but in the end, I'm guessing that Christmas ends up happy for all.

The special is full of guests, including Uma Thurman, Jane Krakowski, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg — but really, I'm just in it for Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and the rest. There's singing and dancing, of course, and you can check out one of the songs, plus a behind-the-scenes clip from the special, if you read more

• Dear Gossip Girl: Please get rid of Aaron Rose. XOXO. — Buddy TV
• Ben Lyons sucks some information from Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke. — E!'s Lyons Den
• Should Disney make the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 3-D? — Cinematical
• Check out James van der Beek on One Tree Hill. — Give Me My Remote
• Bryan Singer opens up about Valkyrie and we get a new photo from the film. — MTV Movies Blog
• It's a new Andrew Bird song! Happy day. — You Ain't No Picasso
• Hot dogs and ostrich eggs? Go talk Top Chef! — YumSugar
• Aw, check out these underappreciated Muppets. — Pop Candy
• See? We're not the only ones feeling desperately protective of Privileged! — Popwatch

Photo courtesy of The CW

Welcome back, folks, to my Buzz Gift Guide series for all the entertainment lovers in your life. Last week I tackled the adults in the family, and today I'm focusing on the budding pop culture nuts in your life.

I'll admit, I would have killed for these gifts as a kid, and I'd probably treasure them as an adult were I to receive them (what can I say? I'm a child at heart). Take, for example, this amazing service from FAO Schwarz to create your own Muppet! You can play around with the different combinations online or order a special gift kit. I bet any little puppet-loving child in your world would think it's a pretty spectacular gift.

Speaking of Muppets, I really think each generation should be exposed to Fraggle Rock, which is why this complete DVD series is so cool (um, I might buy it for myself). If that special little person in your life is a Pixar fanatic, then this DVD set is for them. Finally, for those musically inclined kiddos (and parents), check out the Rockabye Baby series in which you can find lullaby versions of songs by the Beatles, Coldplay, Metallica, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Cure, you name it. Now that's one hip baby.

Check out HolidaySugar for all of our holiday coverage and gift guides.