Muppets to appear in Disney Channel TV special

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Muppet Loverr

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in case people didnt know..HQ Comercial for the 1st one id up! i dont have link...srry
 

Sgt Floyd

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I always find it funny on message boards that the people that make the biggest deal out of other peoples comments are the ones that are suposed to be sunshine up your skirt optomistic people yet they use the word hate more than some one who dislikes Hannah Monttana with all the bones in their body.
I wasnt making a big deal out of pople sayingt hat they will hate this special, I was just stating an opinion not directed at anyone inparticular.
 

Beauregard

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Wow...

All I can say so far...Someone needs to be responsible for uploading the entire special the second it is finished!
 

frogboy4

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Much has been said about recasts and performances of the Muppets so here's my look at characters and performances now and then and what I would like to see...

Steve Whitmire's Kermit (as mentioned previously) will never be Jim Henson's. Kermit comes from Jim's initial creation and his sensibility. Steve's nature is similar, but has some inherent marked differences. For Kermit to remain genuine he must get that certain part from the puppeteer. Those who don't favor this Kermit can look to other classic characters. :smile:

Dave Goelz' characters sure have evolved. Gonzo hasn't been shy or insecure for decades. Since MCC he has practically helmed the Muppets and matured along the way. He is still the crazy furry blue weirdo we all love, but settled (as much as Gonzo can be settled). Bunsen is much less straight-man to Beaker's physical comedy (inflicted by the good doctor, of course) and has become a strong, even playful and mischievous character in his own right.

Eric Jacobson (thank Muppetdom for him) has slid into Frank's characters so easily even many critics haven't noticed a difference. Frank Oz' sharp performance techniques can never be matched by anyone past or present, but Fozzie hasn't been this sharp since Jim's era and has not been this funny...ever! Miss Piggy (other than needing some better material) is nearly perfect. She has the right performer now and should never be dubbed again. That process dulled her (and many of Frank's characters) in Muppets Tonight and other projects.

Bill Barretta's Rowlf is good, but would like to actually see him doing more bits. Pepe is always in top form for my taste. And (even though he's not) I like to think of the prawn as a classic Muppet Show character that was locked out of the stage door for five years, did some soul searching (for bikini-clad women) for a decade or so before trying to break back into things in Muppets Tonight. He so easily fits in my eyes. :sympathy:

Richard Hunt's alter ego Scooter needs to come back! Rickey Boyd's performance in Oz was the closest to the character I've heard. I almost thought it was Brian Henson. Scooter is always going to be, like Kermit, a bit of the puppeteer. I'd like my old orange friend to slide back into a top spot and see what Boyd has to offer. I'd also like to see if he has any spark to give any new characters. I'd gladly trade Clifford (who I like okay) for a Scooter and some new guys. :wink:

Secondary characters have been great. We have Harry back. Dave's Waldorf has always been good and now he's joined by new Statler since Jerry's departure that sounds more like Richard's. The Mayhem is back in full force. I don't know who is doing Janice now, but that recent promo clip amazed me. Bill Barretta's Teeth is usually good. Sometimes his characters need to be reigned-in a little bit from the edge, but that's the directors' duty. Zoot's always been a quiet guy. Speaking of quiet guys - where is Lips? Animal has been sounding better by the project. Floyd appears to have multiple performers. One is clearly best, but it doesn't appear to be the recent effort on the Christmas album. The Swedish Chef, Lew, Sam, Beaker all seem fine to me most of the time.

I miss Jerry Nelson and wish he'd be well enough to reprise his characters, but that's not likely.

Times change and Disney can either designate the Muppets as artifacts of the past or make a future for them. They can't be some facsimile of what they once were. That's a pointless as chasing ghosts. They also can't be aggressively updated to fit what Madison Avenue thinks is hip for the moment. That's kind of gross and reminds me of the spirit of the popular (but ghastly) Brady Bunch send-up movies a decade back. Those haven't aged well. I don’t believe this special is doing that.

This DC project is getting Disney’s major demographics’ butts in the seats for future Muppet projects. I don’t see this as slumming. They are speaking the language they need to in order to make a connection while doing it with a sly wit (I hope) rather than a serious personality bling-bling-vocab-overhaul. It can all be dissected by fans, but I think the Muppets are on the right track more than ever. They’re reaching out while staying in appropriately character. At least – I hope. And there are Snowths!
 

CensoredAlso

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They are speaking the language they need to in order to make a connection while doing it with a sly wit (I hope) rather than a serious personality bling-bling-vocab-overhaul. It can all be dissected by fans, but I think the Muppets are on the right track more than ever. They’re reaching out while staying in appropriately character. At least – I hope.
Exactly, we're hoping it will be a send up of pop culture, rather than an embrace of it. There's really no way to know until it premieres. I've been very happy to be wrong before in life, lol, so we'll wait and see!
 

theprawncracker

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This DC project is getting Disney’s major demographics’ butts in the seats for future Muppet projects. I don’t see this as slumming. They are speaking the language they need to in order to make a connection while doing it with a sly wit (I hope) rather than a serious personality bling-bling-vocab-overhaul. It can all be dissected by fans, but I think the Muppets are on the right track more than ever. They’re reaching out while staying in appropriately character. At least – I hope. And there are Snowths!
*stands up and applauds* Right on Jamie. Right on. I agree with every word of your post, every character, I think, is in the right hands right now (yes, pun intended), and quite frankly I think this Studio DC special is the most exciting thing to happen in a long, long time. Studio DC is getting kids and tweens attracted to the Muppets again, while the viral videos on YouTube are reclaiming the fandom of teenagers and adults who grew up with the Muppets.

Segel and Stoller's movie is going to have a very diverse audience, and I hope Disney's ready for it.

I know I am! Bring on the Muppets! :crazy: :big_grin: :sing:
 

CensoredAlso

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And btw I love how it seems to be a requirement now for Janice to be voiced by a man, lolol. :flirt:

That...was a man right? Cause I would feel silly...yeah...
 

SgtGonzoPepper

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And btw I love how it seems to be a requirement now for Janice to be voiced by a man, lolol. :flirt:

That...was a man right? Cause I would feel silly...yeah...
It sounded like one. But who is performing her? Tyler Bunch again, perhaps?
 
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