A Muppet Family Christmas is a Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on December 16, 1987, on the ABC television network in the United States. Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, its teleplay was conceived by longtime Muppet writer Jerry Juhl, and directed by Peter Harris and Eric Till (the latter of whom was uncredited). The special features various Muppets from "The Muppet Show", "Sesame Street", "Fraggle Rock", and "Muppet Babies". It also stars Gerard Parkes as Doc from the North American wraparound segments of "Fraggle Rock", and Henson as himself in a cameo appearance. In the plot, the Muppets surprise Fozzie Bear's mother with a Christmas visit to her farmhouse, unaware of her planned getaway to Malibu.