Character changes?

wwfpooh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
5,424
Reaction score
64
And for a more recent example, in "The Muppets on The Muppets" on the Season 2 DVD Gonzo admits to having a crush on her... "It was the 70's, I don't want to talk about it..."
Good thing too. Miss Piggy only has eyes for a certain green frog...
 

Drtooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
31,717
Reaction score
6,706
Baby Bean almost seemed to be older than he really is for some reason. Steve Whitmire's voice was already high pitched, young, and cute when he performed Bean. I don't think Dave Coulier captured that naivety in his portrayal of Bean. I have yet to decide if that's just a character thing or a voice thing.
Seems to me, Baby Bean was unsure of himself and constantly depressed... and somewhat of a loaner. I am reading into it too far, since clearly the writers didn't know what they wanted to do with him. He asserts his cuteness a bunch of times, but somehow I think he doesn't know how to make people like him. In "Whose Tale is it Anyway" he actually sings a song about how he wants to make everyone happy at the cost of his own happiness. In fact, that was the only episode where they gave him a character instead of hand me down lines from another character.

It's possible. Take the characters on 'A Pup Named Scooby Doo' for example (young Velma being more quite and laid back, young Daphne being a spoiled brat, young Freddy being a moron). That's pretty common on TV shows with younger versions of characters. I guess it makes things more humorous.
Freddy wasn't just a moron... he was a VINDICTIVE moron, constantly framing everything on his nemesis Red Herring.

Of course, other than his leadership skills, his adult counterpart lacked personality most of the time. The movie version, seems like Freddie Prinz Jr. played him as the "Pup" version... where as the What's new Scooby Doo? episodes made him a little more personable, but like his older self.


Gonzo also indicated a slight comic crush on her in TMM, "I'll eat with you Miss Piggy!" And also in Season 2 or 3 he goes to her dressing room to inform her that he's over his crush on her.
Without a doubt, that's where the idea came from. I feel the Gonzo crush on Piggy in TMS was something that came out of the character BEFORE the chicken attraction (which really started out with Dave's adlib "You didn't get the Part. Nice legs, though.")

However, it seems the one difference Baby Bunsen has over his adult self is the know-it-all factoid spewing in certain episodes... what's the one where they pretend to go to outer space, but it isn't "From a Galaxy Far Far Away?"
 

wwfpooh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
5,424
Reaction score
64
Freddy wasn't just a moron... he was a VINDICTIVE moron, constantly framing everything on his nemesis Red Herring.
And only once was he right!
 

Baby Rowlf

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
196
Reaction score
6
Seems to me, Baby Bean was unsure of himself and constantly depressed... and somewhat of a loaner. I am reading into it too far, since clearly the writers didn't know what they wanted to do with him. He asserts his cuteness a bunch of times, but somehow I think he doesn't know how to make people like him. In "Whose Tale is it Anyway" he actually sings a song about how he wants to make everyone happy at the cost of his own happiness. In fact, that was the only episode where they gave him a character instead of hand me down lines from another character.
I hated Baby Bean. I thought he was unnecessary, and that his character was all wrong. In fact, I could never understand why in the case of Baby Bean and Baby Janice, their voices were deeper than their adult selves. As far as his personality went, I felt he was too much of a smart aleck, and never really fit in with the other Babies. And then later on, he seemed to be more of a replacement for Baby Rowlf, taking over the puppy's role as the straight man, and even in one instance playing the piano!

However, it seems the one difference Baby Bunsen has over his adult self is the know-it-all factoid spewing in certain episodes... what's the one where they pretend to go to outer space, but it isn't "From a Galaxy Far Far Away?"
That would be, Where No Muppet Has Gone Before". :smile:
 

wwfpooh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
5,424
Reaction score
64
he seemed to be more of a replacement for Baby Rowlf, taking over the puppy's role as the straight man, and even in one instance playing the piano
Perhaps sadly foreshadowing Rowlf's role in the franchise (as even adult Rowlf is sparingly used, nowadays)?
 

CensoredAlso

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
13,453
Reaction score
2,291
It's just hard introducing a new character into a group. And I don't know exactly why but in TV Land these forced-in new characters often just come across obnoxious. Maybe it is just a case of trying too hard.
 

Drtooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
31,717
Reaction score
6,706
I hated Baby Bean. I thought he was unnecessary, and that his character was all wrong. In fact, I could never understand why in the case of Baby Bean and Baby Janice, their voices were deeper than their adult selves. As far as his personality went, I felt he was too much of a smart aleck, and never really fit in with the other Babies. And then later on, he seemed to be more of a replacement for Baby Rowlf, taking over the puppy's role as the straight man, and even in one instance playing the piano!

I had a thread about him some time back.. it's probably still here... And I just don't understand WHY they needed to add a new character into the show (a Baby Rizzo palling around with Gonzo would have made more sense). I heard that the president of the network's daughter didn't like Bunsen and Beaker.... of course, Bunsen's knowledge was replaced by the old timey experience of Uncle Statler and Waldorf.

Replacing characters couldn't have been about the merchandising... I mean, the main merchandise was Baby Kermit, Piggy, Sometimes Fozzie, Rowlf, and Gonzo. Occassionally Animal... rarely Scooter and Skeeter... no one else was made into figures or plush or anything.
 
Top