Like cheeses for us meeces, fans of The Muppet Christmas Carol are getting exactly what they want this holiday season now that an extended cut of the 1992 film is coming to Disney+.
Starring Michael Caine and directed by Brian Henson from a screenplay by the great The Muppets writer Jerry Juhl, The Muppet Christmas Carol remains one of the most beloved films in the Henson filmography. The extended edition has become something of a legend due to a quirk in the ways the film was released. As Gizmodo reports, it includes the so-called “lost” song, “When Love Is Gone,” which was cut from the original theatrical run, added to a VHS copy where it became a fan favorite, and then served an eviction notice once the The Muppet Christmas Carol hit DVD and streaming.
Paul Williams, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning songwriter behind “Rainbow Connection,” wrote the melancholy tune. It’s sung by Scrooge’s ex-fiancé Belle when he visits his memories with the Ghost of Christmas Past, and the moment that old Scrooge joins young Belle in a duet across the decades had Rizzo the Rat in tears — and he probably wasn’t the only one.
That song, and the rest of the extended cut, will only be available in the extras tab of the movie. If you just hit play on the title, you’ll be getting the old short-and-sweet version. Check out The Muppet Christmas Carol as it was meant to be seen on Disney+ starting December 9th, and listen to “When Love Is Gone” below.