20 Best Muppet Christmas Carol Moments

(Image via Walt Disney Pictures/Jim Henson Productions)

10. Sam the Eagle in a British Story

We all know Sam the Eagle. He’s a great, big, blue eagle that loves America. I mean, he really loves America. He’s also pompous and generally kind of stuffy, like many old patriots. In his early appearances on The Muppet Show, he often railed against the “low brow” entertainment offered by the other Muppets. It was Sam’s self-imposed duty to bring a little class to what was otherwise a supposedly trashy show.

He’s a pretty transparent critique of conservatism as well. On one occasion on The Muppet Show, he gave a rather long-winded speech about how conservation was a failed effort. He rattled off a list of endangered animals, only to sheepishly withdraw his argument when he realized that eagles were on that list.

So, where do we find this embodiment of the United States of America? In a British schoolroom, of course. Sam plays a bit part as the Head Schoolmaster. He’s one of young Scrooge’s only friends (as much as a schoolmaster could be a Victorian boy’s friend, anyway). At one point, he tells Scrooge that he will enjoy business because it is “the American way”. It’s only after Gonzo corrects him that he corrects it to “the British way”.