the monsters and season two

[minor muppetz]

I've been noticing some things about the Muppet monsters in season two.

Quite a few new monsters were built and introduced this season, while many of the older ones were used less (and after season two monsters would be used sparringly all-together). Boppity was used quite a bit this season, probably more than the other season one monsters, but then again, he was rebuilt by the end of the first season. I wonder if the other monster puppets had been wearing out. More monsters were built, and they pretty much have generic personalities, so it's not like the monsters couldn't be rebuilt.

Mean Mama made appearances in the first four episodes of the season, and then she started appearing less. Timmy Monster also appeared in the second episode of the season andappeared in four epsidoes in arow, and then was used less. I wonder if either of these two monsters were meant to be major, and then abandoned as major monsters.

I wonder how the writers decided on which monsters to use when. Given the generic personalities and the rare usages of their names, I wonder how often the scripts specified which monsters were meant to be in a scene, as opposed to just saying something like "Monster #1", "Monster #2", and so on.

Another interesting thing. Sweetums and Thog were both around before The Muppet Show, and are the only full-body monsters to have had consistent performers on the show (at least when they spoke; I often wonder if Jerry Nelson ever performed Thog in any of his non-speaking appearances). The Mutations were (as far as I know) created specifically for the show, but didn't talk, so they didn't really need consistent performers. Timmy's earleist-known appearance was in teh background of one first season number, and then he became a regular in teh secodn season. I wonder if the writers or whoever decided that newer monsters didn't need regular performers. Sweetums and Thog had tem, Doglion, Timmy, and Mean Mama didn't.

It's also interesting that before The Muppet Show, Thog made more appearances, but when The Muppet Show began, Sweetums made more appearances, while Thog only made a few appearances. It seems like Sweetums was the main full-body monster, but I often wonder how it was decided not to use Sweetums whenever he ddn't appear. More full-body monsters were built, but not really needed, except for in scenes with groups of big monsters (perhaps these solo scenes were to have them used in more than just crowd scenes).

I have also thought about the appearances of the full-body monsters. After the secodn season, teh monsters apeared less, and in the thrid season a few new frackles were built for no apparant reason (and they onyl made a handful of appearances each). The full-body monsters were used for a while more. But it seems to me like Timmy and the Mutations were the only monsters to appear in every season. I can't think of any season four appearances by Sweetums or Thog, I've read somewhere that Mean Mama didn't appear in the fourth season, and I don't think Doglion appeared after the third season, only to return later for The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, The Jim Henson Hour, and Muppets Tonight.

But The Mutaitons appeared in three epsidoes from the first season, two from the secodns eason,a t least three from the thrid season, at least two from the foruth season, and at least one from the fifth season. Timmy made one appearance in the first season, six in the second season, at least two in the third season, at least one in the fourth season, and at least two in the fifth season. Meanwhile Mean Mama appeared seven times in the secodn season, at least three in the third season, and once in the fifth season. Doglion made four appearances in the second season, and at least two in the third season. Sweetums made eight appearances in the first season, seven in the second season, at least three appearances in the thrid season, and at least two in the foruth season. Thog appeared three times in the first season, once in the secodns eason, at least twice in the third season, and once in the last season.

I think I may have missed my point and gone off my original topic by now. What do you think?

 

[CBPuppets]

That is Interesting. I'll need to do some research on that.

 

[Skekayuk]

I've been noticing some things about the Muppet monsters in season two.

Another interesting thing. Sweetums and Thog were both around before The Muppet Show, and are the only full-body monsters to have had consistent performers on the show (at least when they spoke; I often wonder if Jerry Nelson ever performed Thog in any of his non-speaking appearances). The Mutations were (as far as I know) created specifically for the show, but didn't talk, so they didn't really need consistent performers. Timmy's earleist-known appearance was in teh background of one first season number, and then he became a regular in teh secodn season. I wonder if the writers or whoever decided that newer monsters didn't need regular performers. Sweetums and Thog had tem, Doglion, Timmy, and Mean Mama didn't.

I think I may have missed my point and gone off my original topic by now. What do you think?

But Mean Mamma/Big Mamma did have a semi-regular performer. True she was performed by various puppeteers at one time or another, but didn't Louise do her more often than anyone else. And more memorably/

 

[minor muppetz]

How many known appearances are there where Mean Mama was performed by Louise Gold? It's been confirmed that she performed Mean Mama when she hugged Prince Charles, and it's clearly Louise Gold chuckling as Mean Mama backstage in the Leslie Uggams episode, but where else has Louise Gold performed Mean Mama?

And Richard Hunt has performed Mean Mama at least twice: in the John Cleese and Don Knotts episodes. I think he also performed Mean Mama in the Dom DeLuise and Carol Burnett episodes.

 

[CBPuppets]

He sounded like Chewbacca when he growls (Even in that Monster Sketch with Don Knots). LOL!