The Muppets took Manhattan so long ago that they have become part of the city. Even the mayor knows them, as evidenced in NBC’s “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa” at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The plot may be simple — the Muppets need to deliver a letter to Santa on Christmas Eve — but the guest stars are so much fun and the puppets their usual goofy, hilarious selves, that this is destined to become a holiday classic.

Madison Pettis (“Cory in the House”) stars as Claire, who with her mom (Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”), live in a building with Muppet neighbors.

Both actresses rave about their experience of working with the Muppets. Even though she is on a hit show and won the Tony Award for her turn as the sexpot in “Nine,” Krakowski says this was the best professional experience of her life.

Pettis calls the experience “unbelievable.”

“After the director would say ‘cut,’ the puppeteers would still talk to me as Kermit. Kermit was very interested in my school, in learning about student council,” Pettis says.

In this special, Miss Piggy and Kermit book a romantic getaway to the Caribbean, and everyone else has plans, so mother and daughter expect a quiet holiday.

Just before Christmas, the gang waits in line to get into the post office. Miss Piggy becomes indignant, demanding to go to the front of the line.

When they get into the post office, they are so rowdy — even with singing and dancing postal worker Jesse L. Martin— that they are kicked out. They then realize they still have Claire’s letter to Santa but don’t know how to get it to him in time.

The vaguely lascivious and very funny Pepe approaches two wise guys in a restaurant. Tony Sirico and Steve Schirripa (“The Sopranos”), making their second Muppets Christmas special in as many years, know a guy who knows a guy who can get the letter to the big guy. But Pepe annoys Sirico, who says, “If you don’t get out of here, I’ll dip you in cocktail sauce and bite your tasty little head off.”

Gonzo talks Fozzie and Kermit into hand-delivering the letter to Santa. Miss Piggy decides she’s going on holiday, with or without the frog.

“If that’s where Miss Piggy wants to be, then I have to accept it,” Kermit says via an e-mail interview. “Sure, the holiday wouldn’t be as much fun without Piggy, but I’d sure feel a heck of a lot safer around mistletoe.”

Miss Piggy, however, doesn’t really go. She confides, also via e-mail, “Between vous and moi, I couldn’t go to the Caribbean without my Kermie. What would be the point? Why would I want to? And, who would I get to pay for the trip if I did? But I had to say I was going to make Kermit understand how I felt.”

The Muppets must get to the airport fast, so they hail a taxi, driven by Whoopi Goldberg. Luckily, the North Pole Airlines ticket agent, Joy (Uma Thurman), is free.

“Joy lives up to her name,” Kermit says. “And Uma Thurman is one of the most lovely and talented actresses I have ever almost met. Y’see, Uma and I worked together, but Miss Piggy insisted I keep my distance, so I did.”

They must deal with an officious Transportation Safety Authority officer (Nathan Lane). Just when all looks lost, they devise an unorthodox way to get to the North Pole. Happily, they encounter Santa (Richard Griffiths). Everyone understands the importance of getting a letter to Santa on time.

Pettis still leaves letters to Santa, she says, adding that this year, she would love a certain hand-held computer game. Even Miss Piggy, who seems to have it all, has written her share of Santa letters.

“I’ve written to Santa ever since I was a very young girl [just a few years ago, by the way],” Miss Piggy says. “Now, what with my busy schedule and the sheer volume of my needs, I have a staff of assistants who write the actual letters to Santa, but each one is personally signed and numbered by moi!”

And here's a look at holiday TV for the rest of the week:

Dec. 14

8 a.m. FAMILY: "Sons of Mistletoe"

10 a.m. FAMILY: "A Carol Christmas"

11 a.m. HALLMARK: "Ebbie"

11 a.m. LIFETIME: "A Dad for Christmas"

Noon, FAMILY: "Snowglobe"

1 p.m. LIFETIME: "All She Wants for Christmas"

1 p.m. WGN: "A Town Without Christmas"

2 p.m. FAMILY: "Santa Baby"

3 p.m. LIFETIME: "Borrowed Hearts"

3 p.m. USA: "Elf"

3 p.m. WGN: "Santa Claus: The Movie"

4 p.m. FAMILY: "Holiday in Handcuffs"

5 p.m. HALLMARK: "A Boyfriend for Christmas"

5 p.m. LIFETIME: "Holiday Switch"

6 p.m. FAMILY: "Snow"

7 p.m. CBLT: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (animated)

7 p.m. HALLMARK: "Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus"

8 p.m. ABC: "Santa Claus 2"

8 p.m. CBLT: "The Polar Express" (animated)

8, 10 p.m. FAMILY: "Snow 2: Brain Freeze" (premiere)

8 p.m. MTV: "Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights" (animated)

9 p.m. DISNEY: "The Santa Clause"

9 p.m. LIFETIME: "Together Again for the First Time"

Dec. 15

Noon, DISNEY: "The Santa Clause"

2 p.m. LIFETIME: "Together Again for the First Time"

8 p.m. ABC: "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!" (animated)

8 p.m. CBLT: "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" (animated)

8 p.m. AMC: "A Christmas Carol" (1984)

8, 10 p.m. FX: "Christmas With the Kranks"

8:30 p.m. CBLT: "Frosty the Snowman" (animated)

8:30 p.m. NICK: "SpongeBob Square Pants: Patchy the Pirate Presents the SpongeBob SquarePants

Christmas Special" (animated)

9 p.m. HALLMARK: "A Town Without Christmas"

9 p.m. LIFETIME: "Secret Santa"

10:15 p.m. AMC: "Prancer"

Dec. 16

7 p.m. FAMILY: "Mickey's Christmas Carol" (animated)

8 p.m. ABC: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (animated)

8 p.m. CBLT: "The Santa Clause 2"

8 p.m. MYTV: "Spirit of Christmas"

8 p.m. WGN: "A Town Without Christmas"

9 p.m. HALLMARK: "Finding John Christmas"

11 p.m. HALLMARK: "Ebbie"

Dec. 17

7 a.m. FAMILY: "The Christmas Secret"

9 a.m. FAMILY: "Stealing Christmas"

7 p.m. FAMILY: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

8 p.m. TOON: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (animated)

8 p.m. WGN: "Finding John Christmas"

8:30 p.m. NICK: "The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" (holiday special)

8:30 p.m. TOON: "A Scooby-Doo Christmas" (animated)

9 p.m. FAMILY: "Snow 2: Brain Freeze"

9 p.m. HALLMARK: "When Angels Come to Town"

9 p.m. HGTV: "The White House Christmas"

9 p.m. LIFETIME: "Home by Christmas"

9 p.m., midnight TNT: "A Christmas Carol" (1999)

11 p.m. HALLMARK: "The Christmas Gift"

Dec. 18

7 a.m. FAMILY: "A Carol Christmas"

9 a.m. FAMILY: "Christmas Caper"

2 p.m. LIFETIME: "If You Believe"

8, 10:30 p.m. FAMILY: "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)

8 p.m. WGN: "When Angles Come to Town"

9 p.m. HALLMARK: "The Christmas Choir"

9 p.m. LIFETIME: "Holiday Affair" (1996)

9 p.m. Channel 51/WPXJ: "The Christmas Clause"

11 p.m. HALLMARK: "Papa's Angels"

Dec. 19

7 a.m. FAMILY: "Once Upon a Christmas"

9 a.m. FAMILY: "Twice Upon a Christmas"

2 p.m. LIFETIME: "Mr. St. Nick"

7 p.m. Channel 51/WPXJ: "The Night They Saved Christmas"

7 p.m. FAMILY: "A Miser Brothers Christmas" (animated)

8 p.m. CBLT: "The Secret of the Nutcracker"

8, 10 p.m. FAMILY: "Santa Clause 2"

8 p.m. NBC: "Greatest Holiday Moments: TV & Film Countdown"

8 p.m. TCM: "The Bishop's Wife"

9 p.m. Channel 51/WPXJ: "Christmas Town"

9 p.m. HALLMARK: "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

9 p.m. LIFETIME: "White Christmas"

10 p.m. TCM: "Christmas in Connecticut"

11 p.m. HALLMARK: "Moonlight & Mistletoe"

Dec. 20

7 a.m. FAMILY: "All I Want for Christmas"

9 a.m. FAMILY: "A Very Brady Christmas"

11 a.m. FAMILY: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

11 a.m. LIFETIME: "The Christmas Wish"

1 p.m. FAMILY: "Snow 2 Brain Freeze"

1 p.m. HALLMARK: "Papa's Angels"

2 p.m. TNT: "A Christmas Carol" (1999)

2:30 p.m. TCM: "The Bells of St. Mary's"

3 p.m., midnight, FAMILY: "Jingle All the Way"

3 p.m. FOX: "Jack Frost" (1998)

3 p.m. HALLMARK: "Naughty or Nice"

3 p.m. LIFETIME: "The Christmas Shoes"

4:45 p.m. TCM: "A Christmas Carol" (1938)

5 p.m. FAMILY: "The Family Man"

5 p.m. FOX: "I'll Be Home for Christmas"

5 p.m. HALLMARK: "Moonlight and Mistletoe"

5 p.m. LIFETIME: "A Different Kind of Christmas"

6 p.m. TCM: "Scrooged"

7 p.m. ABC: "I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown" (animated)

7 p.m. Channel 51/WPXJ: "Silent Night"

7 p.m. HALLMARK: "Silver Bells"

7 p.m. LIFETIME: "A Christmas Wedding"

7 p.m. WE: "Christmas Spectacular"

8 p.m. CBS: "Elf"

8, 10 p.m. FAMILY: "Christmas in Wonderland" (premiere)

8 p.m. WGN: "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie"

9 p.m. Channel 51/WPXJ: "A Grandpa for Christmas"

9 p.m. HALLMARK: "Our First Christmas" (premiere)

9 p.m. LIFETIME: "A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride" (premiere)