Muppet Babies opening sequence question

[wiley207]

I have a question about a particular "Muppet Babies" opening title sequence:

I know the one commonly seen on Youtube (starts with Baby Rowlf on the piano, Fozzie on the rocking horse, etc.) was from the first and second seasons, but when did THIS opening first be put into use?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwaddpsKdKg

I am guessing it first began to be used in 1987, judging by the animation style. I know a shorter opening sequence debuted in the 1990 season that combined clips from both intros and started with Baby Kermit on a toy train. But which season did that second long opening start?

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I can't tell you, but I do know for a fact they they showed this opening during the seventh season, though.

 

[Beauregard]

I've never seen that opening...Sorry, can't really help.

 

[Drtooth]

I would say that is the most common one I remember. it still looks like it was animated In Japan (I may be wrong), so it could have been season 3 at least when this premired. This one, and the shortedned version used in the final seasons (and syndication and the Buena Vista released VHS) are the most common you'll find.

Personally, I like the Toei animated first opening. If anyone ever watched anime, you'll notice that the opening and closing themes (much like American cartoons) have a fuller style of animation than the shows themselves, leading to more complex camera angles and rotations.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o&mode=related&search= is the one you see on youtube the most, right? If you watch closely, especially the "I've got my computer!" "I flip through the air" segment, you see a very complex animated pull out and rotation. given to the fact that the robot Bunsen Honeydew also seems to move in a very Japanese animated way, this wasn't too subtle on being Japanese animation for American Television.

By contrast, watch the old TMNT opening from the first few seasons, also animated by Toei - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI0FbYe3lRE this also has the same style of rotations and quick scene sutting. And pay attention to the background for "Michelangelo is a party dude" segment. Those balloons and bubbles are quite similar to what they would later use for Sailor Moon's trasnformation sequence.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Hmmmm. I've thought a lot about that. I actually asked about the different openings before and no one answers. I'd say that particular opening started in the second season, since that was the year they made that episode with the footage from Ghostbusters. (Beaker blasting Slimer)

The one I most commonly remember was the shortened version of the first opening. I've usually seen that one in syndication.

I can't tell you, but I do know for a fact they they showed this opening during the seventh season, though.

Hmmmm. I've noticed in a lot of seventh season episodes, they used a different opening with the shorter version of the theme song and clips such as Gonzo in someone's ceral and Kermit on the train. At least that was the opening that was used for those eps that are on 'You Tube.'

 

[wiley207]

I know the second season had the old 1984 opening, so I'm betting the newer intro debuted in the third or fourth season, but most likely the fourth.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Wow! I never knew that. I thought I remembered seeing the later episodes with the shortened opening theme. I guess I'm thinking of seasons 5 and 6 and syndicated eps. Did they redub the voices for Animal, Bunsen and Skeeter in the new opening? That was around the time Dave Coulier and Frank Welker took over the voices for those characters.

I'm guessing it wasn't redubbed. After all, in the later "Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo" episodes when Don Messick took over from Lennie Weinrib as the voice of Scrappy, they still kept Lennie's Scrappy in the opening credits, even though Don voiced him on the show. I'm guessing they did the same thing with "Muppet Babies," since I haven't noticed too much of a difference in the characters voices in each opening theme. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Actually the sixth season started with Kermit on the Train. But on the season opener of the seventh "Muppet Babies The Next Generation" They used the second longer theme for that episode on CBS. The version of that on You Tube is mostly from a Nickelodeon airing.

 

[wiley207]

They didn't redub Animal and Bunsen and Skeeter's voices for the second opening, but for some reason they re-did Nanny's line (it still sounded like Barbara Billingsley voicing her). The copy of the old opening commonly seen on Youtube had the second version of the opening theme dubbed onto it. My uncut copies of "What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?" and "The Great Cookie Robbery" both have the original long intro and Nanny's line sounds a bit different there. Don't believe me? Compare these clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsWmMj5BjOQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Oh, yeah. I remember seeing "The Great Cookie Robbery" on Daily Motion with the original opening. I sort of thought that was a mistake, because I was thinking the new opening started in the second season, but I guess that was how it originally aired. I do find it a bit strange that they would re-dub Nanny's line when her voice hasn't changed on the show. But I guess I'll check that out.

Also, I've seen a different version of the second opening for the opening for "Muppet Babies and Little Monsters." I'm guessing the second "Muppet Babies" opening came out recently before "Little Muppet Monsters." Then when that show was added to the "Muppet Babies" time slot, they modified the opening to include both shows.

One thing I'm still not sure about was the seventh season opening. Someone has said they played that 'storybook' opening for that season. Most seventh season eps I've watched online, play a shorter version of the opening. Did they use both openings that season? That would be my guess on that.