"The Muppets" is dead. What now for the Muppets?

[cardinal biggles]

IIRC, didn't Kermit guest host occasionally on Larry King Live?

While the thought of a real Muppet-hosted talk show might be fun, I'm not sure how it could compete against Fallon, Kimmel, Colbert, Conan, and The Daily Show/The Nightly Show.

 

[bigdaddy]

IIRC, didn't Kermit guest host occasionally on Larry King Live?

While the thought of a real Muppet-hosted talk show might be fun, I'm not sure how it could compete against Fallon, Kimmel, Colbert, Conan, and The Daily Show/The Nightly Show.

It doesn't need to, stick it on Netflix, they just signed a massive deal with Disney.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Myself, as a big fan of Muppet Treasure Island (less so Christmas Carol, because I'm pretty meh on the whole Yule thing), I'd like to see the gang adapt and perform in more established stories. A Muppets-powered Jason and the Argonauts or labors of Hercules tale, maybe? A Muppet Robin Hood or King Arthur? Muppet A Princess of Mars, starring Ms. Piggy as Mme Thoris? ... That last one might be a tough sell.

This is what I'd like to see as well. My favorite Muppet movies are still the very first ones that were made for TV: The Frog Prince, Hey, Cinderella, The Muppet Musicians of Bremen, and The Great Santa Switch. A Muppet version of Princess of Mars could be great.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

IIRC, didn't Kermit guest host occasionally on Larry King Live?

While the thought of a real Muppet-hosted talk show might be fun, I'm not sure how it could compete against Fallon, Kimmel, Colbert, Conan, and The Daily Show/The Nightly Show.

Like bigdaddy said, put it on Netflix.

On the other hand, even on regular TV (or cable) it wouldn't have to compete with actual late night talk shows. It could only air once a week, and not the whole year round like those other shows, and it couldn't be live, seeing as how a Muppet production needs more time and care to produce than a regular talk show. It's also The Muppets, while they should have some edge to them, they are supposed to be a family franchise, which should be reflected in the timeslot.

My suggestion, if they went with something like that and wanted to put it on ABC or ABC Family (or whatever it's called now), they should put it on Sunday, put it in the timeslot before or after "Once upon a Time". Well, that's my suggestion without really knowing ABC's sunday programming beyond "Once upon a Time" showing at prime time, so don't stone me if there's some "unmovable" show in those timeslots already.

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

Rather than look towards The Office and realism I think they should've looked at 30 Rock. The show ran for seven years and was about the team behind a sketch comedy show...Perfect template for them to ape.

 

[Mr Light]

Particularly since one of the characters was an immortal angel-like creature
God I loved that show.

 

[bigdaddy]

Well, that's my suggestion without really knowing ABC's sunday programming beyond "Once upon a Time" showing at prime time, so don't stone me if there's some "unmovable" show in those timeslots already.

They can't, they have America's Funniest Home Videos on. That thing makes them $$$$$$$$$. You send in your videos, and probably give up your rights to them, they send you a t-shirt. I mean that show has to cost $10 to make a year.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

They can't, they have America's Funniest Home Videos on. That thing makes them $$$$$$$$$. You send in your videos, and probably give up your rights to them, they send you a t-shirt. I mean that show has to cost $10 to make a year.

Is that before or after OuaT?

Another option would be airing the show during the summer, or during other shows' winter hiatus (ABC has quite long winter ... hiatuses? Hiati? Haiti? OMG, it's all connected!). That would leave this hypothetical Muppet show with a shortened season, but that might be for the best.

 

[mos6507]

Rather than look towards The Office and realism I think they should've looked at 30 Rock. The show ran for seven years and was about the team behind a sketch comedy show...Perfect template for them to ape.

I really think the Muppets succeed or fail based on their resurrection of the Busby Berkeley "let's put on a show" mentality. It was already old-fashioned in the 70s, and it didn't care. So it had a boldness and an authenticity by not trying to appear contemporary. That's why so many golden-age-of-hollywood song-and-dance performers showed up on The Muppet Show, like Gene Kelly. This is also why its was multi-generational. It wasn't trying to appeal to the core Gen(whatever) demographic. It tried to get everyone together around the TV rather than pandering to what they thought a certain focus-group likes.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

The Muppet Show was able to have its cake and eat it too. It was reverential while at the same time making fun of the absurdity of the showbiz lifestyle in general. The new show took a totally cynical tone in a way that made you wonder why anyone would ever want to be a part of showbiz in the first place--by virtue of how stressful and miserable it makes everyone.

The Muppets are really a roast-like love-letter to showbiz whereas the new show was more of a middle-finger.

 

[Christopher]

I really think the Muppets succeed or fail based on their resurrection of the Busby Berkeley "let's put on a show" mentality. It was already old-fashioned in the 70s, and it didn't care. So it had a boldness and an authenticity by not trying to appear contemporary. That's why so many golden-age-of-hollywood song-and-dance performers showed up on The Muppet Show, like Gene Kelly.

Well, yes and no. Yes, it did hearken back to the days of vaudeville, but it also aired in a period when comedy-variety-musical shows were still commonplace on TV, shows like The Carol Burnett Show and Sonny and Cher and the like. This was a time when Shields and Yarnell, a husband-and-wife mime duo -- yes, you heard me, mimes -- were actually able to headline a moderately successful variety show. So it was both retro and contemporary. It was an outgrowth of the sketch comedy the Muppets had been doing for years in venues like The Tonight Show. It could succeed because there was a niche for it, an audience receptive to it. It wasn't as much of an outlier as a similar show would be on today's dial.

The Muppets are really a roast-like love-letter to showbiz whereas the new show was more of a middle-finger.

Can't disagree there.

 

[Gaith]

So while it may be possible to imitate what he did in the past, it will never be possible to capture the spirit of Henson's work as long as one is looking backward and trying to emulate something that's already been done. The only real way to capture his spirit is to create something that nobody's ever seen before.

All the more reason for someone to bankroll Brian Henson's R-rated Muppet-free puppet movie. I'd take that over a second season of The Muppets any day.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Like bigdaddy said, put it on Netflix.

On the other hand, even on regular TV (or cable) it wouldn't have to compete with actual late night talk shows. It could only air once a week, and not the whole year round like those other shows, and it couldn't be live, seeing as how a Muppet production needs more time and care to produce than a regular talk show. It's also The Muppets, while they should have some edge to them, they are supposed to be a family franchise, which should be reflected in the timeslot.

Yeah, being what it is and how unique it would be, It wouldn't be direct competition to any of the major talk shows. Rather, I think it would be seen as a Muppet show that turns out to be a talk show, and I think it would be unique enough to stand on its own. Once a week would also be fine, and I was also thinking of Netflix. With the way the Chelsea show is put out 3 times a week, it's doable with a new episode added every week.

I've just been watching Farscape, and it's amazing how well it holds up even today. Some of the themes being explored are handled in pretty unique ways. Wouldn't mind seeing them revisit that universe at some point.

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

In regards to a muppet hosted talk show: Did anyone here see any of the seven episodes of "Alf's Hit Talk Show"? Maybe the Muppets would fare better since they have more of a cast with which to carry the weight.

 

[RJDiogenes]

All the more reason for someone to bankroll Brian Henson's R-rated Muppet-free puppet movie. I'd take that over a second season of The Muppets any day.

That looks like a great idea. Avenue Q, only more so.

 

[bigdaddy]

Is that before or after OuaT?

Another option would be airing the show during the summer, or during other shows' winter hiatus (ABC has quite long winter ... hiatuses? Hiati? Haiti? OMG, it's all connected!). That would leave this hypothetical Muppet show with a shortened season, but that might be for the best.

Right before Once, 7-8pm Eastern.

And ABC will no longer be having the long winter breaks for a lot of their shows. There is a new president at the network and she has to leave use her (stupid) ideas to make it seem like she knows what she's doing when the break was the best thing ABC has done in years.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

In regards to a muppet hosted talk show: Did anyone here see any of the seven episodes of "Alf's Hit Talk Show"? Maybe the Muppets would fare better since they have more of a cast with which to carry the weight.

I just checked out the 15-minute pilot on YouTube. I can see why it only got seven episodes, but the problem was more the writing than the concept.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but for five seasons (until it was recently canceled), there was a puppet late night talk show on German TV, "Die Wiwaldi Show". The puppet dog character Wiwaldi (a pun on Vivaldi and the popular German dog name Waldi) originated on another show and was popular enough to get his own show. Like you said about The Muppets, the Wiwaldi show introduced a larger cast of puppets, plus it had two celebrities per 30-minute episode.

Here's an example (in German, though, but it should be clear that the concept works):

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Right before Once, 7-8pm Eastern.

And ABC will no longer be having the long winter breaks for a lot of their shows. There is a new president at the network and she has to leave use her (stupid) ideas to make it seem like she knows what she's doing when the break was the best thing ABC has done in years.

Bummer. I liked the winter breaks, gave myself some breathing space as well as a chance to check out some other shows (like the ones ABC aired during the breaks).

Well, shortened season would be good, anyway, regardless of when it'd air.

 

[Tosk]

Bring back Greg the Bunny.

 

[bigdaddy]

Craig Ferguson used his puppets to film his 1,000th episode. It was awesome.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Marsden]

Re: The Muppets" is dead. What now for the Muppets?

Muppet Zombies, we make our dreams come true
Muppet Zombies, we'll do the say for you

I'm one of the 4 people on the planet who actually really enjoyed Muppets: Most Wanted. I thought it was great silly fun. I just don't feel like the Muppets show embraced their silly anarchic side.

Me, too!

Badguy, it's French.

I thought this new Muppets reminded me too much of just another standard workplace comedy, although I did like it and tried to watch it when it was on, once they moved it around I lost it and missed the last part. The one with Josh Groban was really funny though, and someone was hanging out with the band and they left her in the desert.

 

[Gaith]

Well, that didn't take long: Julie Andrews is teaming with the Jim Henson Company and Netflix for Julie's Greenroom, a show for teaching preschoolers about the wonders of the performing arts via a cast of original, non-Muppet puppet "children" whose dead eyes, horrific ever-raised eyebrows and soulless pep will impart the real education at hand, that God is dead, entropy foretells the eventual heat death of the nature, and everything they ever love will soon be a cold, silent speck of carbon waste, until the Elder Beings return to devour the galaxies.

Early 2017!

​