Remember that 2002 Fox Network Pitch?

[Drtooth]

Apparently The script was posted for it

On the positive side, we get a lot of classic characters in the mix, especially Scooter. On the negative side... well... I can totally see why MWOz had that tie in to American Idol. The requirement was to constantly mention Fox's programming of the day in this case with parody (Sesame Street wouldn't be the only Muppet program to parody Joe Millionaire, let's put it that way). It seems pretty so so, but has its moments.

 

[charlietheowl]

Fun fact: Matthew Berry is such a bad screenwriter that he works for ESPN now as their lead fantasy football analyst.

That script/pitch was pretty rough, I couldn't get through the whole thing. It seemed like all the pop culture references and guests were just rammed in there at FOX's request. The idea of circa-2002 Eminem with the Muppets is mind-boggling.

 

[JimAndFrank]

*Shaking* I struggled through to the end- it was terrible, but I made it...*drops to the floor shivering*

The horror....the horror....

I'll need to buy another apartment because I doubt I could live with myself for allowing my eyes to burn like that!

In all seriousness, if I was one of the puppeteers and had read that, I would have point blank refused to take part. It insults nearly everything the Muppets stand for. Yes, the daring to be different was there, but seriously? Come on! I could write a better script in five minutes under heavy sedation from painkillers!

At that point in time, parodies of shows that were terrible to begin with may have been a viable way of getting back into the mainstream, but I think that people are expecting more of these characters. They would've lost the respect of the people who actually matter-the Muppeteers, the Henson family and us.

 

[D'Snowth]

It seemed like all the pop culture references and guests were just rammed in there at FOX's request.

FOX in particular has a history of forcing all kind of notes and changes onto scripts. Ken Levine once wrote on his blog that he and his partner David Isaacs pitched a pilot to FOX once, and the network sent it back to them like THREE times with all kinds of different notes about things they wanted changed before they finally said they didn't want it.

 

[Drtooth]

That script/pitch was pretty rough, I couldn't get through the whole thing. It seemed like all the pop culture references and guests were just rammed in there at FOX's request. The idea of circa-2002 Eminem with the Muppets is mind-boggling.

We all have to remember how pop culture heavy our humor was back in the last decade. It seems to fit in with the whole Family Guy/Robot Chicken/Scary Movie/Will and Grace type rapid fire pop culture gags we all got sick of by 2006. It would have worked then, but not very well. VMX did a better job overall, but it still feels dated to this day due to that humor.

There are some decent gags. The King Lear bit with the Coke Can seems to be the funniest thing on there, however... and the reference to jumping the shark. Still, I'm almost glad this series never happened. It would have worked with a much better script. But at least he had the good taste to put Scooter in there.

 

[charlietheowl]

So had this been picked up, when would it have aired? The fall of 2003?

 

[Muppet fan 123]

It's a good thing this thing was cancelled. Before the script was even posted and I heard that they pitched a "New Muppet Show" pilot and got rejected, I figured it's probably for the better.

First of all, obvious reboots NEVER work. The New Muppet Show, is asking for a "New Addams Family", "The New Odd Couple" or a reboot of V or Mission Impossible. (All complete failures.)

Plus, I think FOX would be a really bad home for the Muppets. They deserve better than that. Fox doesn't seem to handle their shows that well. I would settle for an NBC or ABC home.

Also, reading the script...thank goodness this didn't happen. There's a few good lines, but would completely fall apart as a TV show.

 

[dwayne1115]

It's like I have been saying, not everyone can write a good Muppet script. I can't even count how many good stories, scripts that members of this forum have written, and could make a wonderful movie or show.
To me after reading this script the two writers did not truly understand who the Muppets are. Which is a problem that I think a lot of people in Hollywood have.

 

[Drtooth]

First of all, obvious reboots NEVER work. The New Muppet Show, is asking for a "New Addams Family", "The New Odd Couple" or a reboot of V or Mission Impossible. (All complete failures.)

Part of me wants to see a new Muppet Show, but for the most part, I want to see the Muppets on television in a different venue. This was different from the Muppet Show, sure... but it's an even weaker version of the earliest portion of Muppets Tonight. Honestly, I think Bay of Pigs Watch is just as bad as the worst of this script. MT was a good show, but it didn't hit its stride until it was nearly cancelled. The parody element could work, but in this script, they're not doing it right. Though a parody of Idiotic MTV Stunt Show had potential for a series of Gonzo segments. To me, the heart is in the right place, but this script needed a rewrite with better writers to be anything remotely good.

Plus, I think FOX would be a really bad home for the Muppets. They deserve better than that. Fox doesn't seem to handle their shows that well. I would settle for an NBC or ABC home.

Given the fickleness of 2002 era Fox that cancelled a show a week (including something that became their cash cow when they brought it back), I'd completely agree. Except NBC and ABC weren't exactly hospitable to The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. They're not really good either. If ABC were to come up with a new Muppet series, it would have some security being a Disney owned property, but I doubt it would last long. The Muppets never thrived under a traditional network, except for Muppet Babies (but that really shouldn't count as it's a Saturday morning Cartoon). TMS had 5 glorious seasons that ended because Jim wanted to all due to syndication's kindness. Sesame Street has never been in danger because of PBS. And Fraggle Rock wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the high cost premium cable network that picked it up.

 

[dwayne1115]

I don't know, NBC even though they did mistreat the Jim Henson Hour. Has done fairly well with the Muppets in the last few years. They had two TV movies that did pretty good with the ratings. Plus when ever the Muppets, Sesame or TMS have made an appearance they have been decent. So maybe NBC could be an ok home for a Muppet show.