The Muppets - Do you still love them?
 

I certainly do, but lately, I wonder

- Is there life left in the Muppets as an ongoing TV or movie franchise?

- MuppetVision doesn't seem draw much at DCA (it does better at Disney-MGM Studios) Would a Muppet dark ride or other elaborate (non-movie) attraction be viable, or is their theme park heyday over?

- Will the WDCompany ever really do anything with them? Will they grow and evolve, introducing new characters and keeping old ones fresh?


I have no answers, but I'm curious. How do others feel?

I still adore the muppets. We watched every second of the 1st season DVDs we got and I'm dying for the next season. The original show and the movies never fail to make me smile and laugh.

But nothing post-Henson has been right. Oh, there's been stuff that's been pretty good amongst many many mediocre-to-bad attempts, but even those just weren't...right. It's reached the point where being iconic is more "important to the brand" than real creativity.

And while I desperately wish there could be a spectacular Muppet attraction done right, I have zero faith that "right" could ever happen.

Of course what would be really great would be if someone could create something new that had the Muppets sensibilities without the iconic-status weighing it down.

The a duck catholic? Is a pope's butt water-tight?

No.

But I love the Muppets, and that's never going to change. Watching the first season reminded me all the more how it resonated with me, even when I was wee. I think that, with appropriate *writing* (and I know that's tough, but it's possible) it would be just as delightful today as way-back-when.

I definitely know that it's theoretically possible for those characters to be fantastic again. I'm just fairly certain that a) no one (or collection of someones, as that's more often than not what it takes) with the talent to do that has bee within 100 feet of the franchise in quite some time and b) a certain corporation that owns the rights will put in just enough energy to sell a bunch of plush and pajama sets rather than support the creative work necessary to revive them.

Personally, I think that the public's love for the Muppets was dissipating way before the Muppet vehicles started to fade. Case in point: Muppets Tonight. It wasn't The Muppet Show, but it sure was fantastic. And did America love it? Ummmm....

Perhaps Fozzie and Gonzo are a bit passé for kids today, but Kermit is forever and Pepe needs his own attraction. I would love to see a Pepe-themed dark ride.

...and here's a video of the ultra-hip Craig Ferguson (see Alex's post in the Britney thread) doing his best Bing Crosby in a Christmas duet with Pepe.

Oddly enough, I think the immediately post-Henson Muppet Christmas Carol is the best thing they've ever done.

The tv shows seem dated, though charming. The first movie is great stuff. The characters are what they were, and will ever remain so. That's the beauty of such "characters"* - - their timelessness ... their earlier, popularity-snaring work never quite diminshed by lesser later efforts.


I know my fondness for them will never die ... but it doesn't mean I'm going to run to see anything "new" that might be done with them. Heck, I'm not even going to see Dr. Bunson Honeydew and Beaker at DCA this weekend.





* Most timeless characters are animated. Since they are puppets, the Muppets have always amazed me for having the same effect as animated characters - - all completely without eye movement!





.

You know, I haven't see an episode since it first aired, but I remember being very unimpressed with Muppets Tonight. As I recall, I found it not horrifically bad but not particularly inspiring.

I don't find the old shows particularly dated. Sure the star-power of many of the hosts has faded, but their sense of humor is timeless, to my eye at least.

Yes, I still love the Muppets. I think there's still life in them.

I think some of the non-Muppet Henson stuff has been fantastic. Farscape was very cool. That puppet with the Houston ballet.

Kids still dig Muppets. Bear in the Big Blue House seems pretty popular.

I really liked Muppets Tonight, and was depressed that it wasn't well received. Also, I agree, iSm, that Muppet Christmas Carol was fantastic. Also, your footnote is right on. It always amazed me that felt and foam rubber puppets could evoke such empathy, and be as funny or as heart-breaking as any human or animated character. I guess that's why I want to see that particular art form continue in some way, with the classic characters or with new ones.