A Special Sesame Street Christmas (1978) has many things in common with Au temps de la guerre des étoiles (1978). Both holiday specials originally aired on CBS (and were broadcast exactly three weeks apart), were produced without the input of their original creators, were broadcast only one time each on television, were produced in a variety show-like format, and maintain a cult following.
This special was filmed at the same time as Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978), and originally aired just five days later. Unlike the latter Christmas special, A Special Sesame Street Christmas (1978) was originally broadcast on CBS, not PBS.
This special featured only three Sesame Street Muppets: Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Barkley the dog.
This remains one of the only 1, rue Sésame (1969) made-for-TV specials not to involve Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and many of the other major Muppeteers because they were busy working on Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978). Sonia Manzano (Maria), Will Lee (Mr. Hooper), Northern Calloway (David), Bob McGrath (Bob), and Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch) are the only 1, rue Sésame (1969) regulars to appear in both TV specials.
None of the guest stars had appeared on 1, rue Sésame (1969) before or since the airing of this special, but Leslie Uggams and Ethel Merman had each appeared as a guest on Le Muppet Show (1976) once prior to the airing of this special. Probably without coincidence, the episode featuring Uggams (Leslie Uggams (1979)) was originally broadcast just three days before this special, and on the same television network (CBS).