Classic Muppets filming NBC Christmas special

[Ilikemuppets]

Oh yes! So awesome that More guest stars are attracted to the Muppets!

 

[theprawncracker]

Wellp, looks like Disney's FINALLY keeping a promise, considering I heard there was an announcement for this special in the crawlers of the Emmy's last night.

*blink!* There was? I missed that! I thought I watched the whole show... Cool though!

 

[frogboy4]

I didn't hear nothing about no election special... but hey, once again, they say they're going to do something and they don't, but at least this time, they give us a legit reason.

We are still getting something in place of the other planned special. Something likely better with Muppety songs and that will have a higher likelihood of being repeated seasonally. That leaves an open spot for another special next year for Disney to take the opportunity to promote the Muppets again before the motion picture. It also still seems possible that the Muppets will in fact appear on Nightline concerning the election as the Times reported yesterday.

We should all consider taking the minimal effort of reading about this subject before immediately descending into this hyper-negativity mode. We have sure been let down by the Muppets under Disney and Henson Co in the past, but this is different. It is finally time to sit back and wait to see what comes to fruition. Much already has. Disney has hit the RESET button on the Muppets' promotion rather than the usual SNOOZE that we are used to seeing.

Off the top of my head…

Already Happening:
Muppets.com has re-launched and is being maintained with new content at least every month.
The Muppets have branched out into their own personal and popular YouTube sections.
One promotional Disney Channel special has aired and has stirred interest in the youth demographic.
Many interviews have come out including television, radio and on Amazon.com’s main page.
Kermit has been the spokesfrog for Supreme Skateboards as well as environmental crusader for Year of the Frog that has its own site under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. He has also personally addressed United States Congress on the issue of frogs!

In the Works:
An all-new hour-long Muppet Christmas special is being shot to air on NBC this December. It will have stars like Uma Thurman and Whoopi Goldberg and contain 4 original songs by Paul Williams!
Another Disney Channel special is due out in October.
Pepe’s got a new book.
Piggy’s got a new book.
A new Thanksgiving Muppet float for Macy’s parade this year.
A new Muppet film is being written by fanatic/actor/writer/director Jason Segel and aggressively publicized by Disney! It is still set for 2010 and the Mouse is carefully laying out the groundwork for its success with all these projects.

Tentatively Planned:
New products from FAO Schwartz’ Build-a-Muppet to clothing and other items at Urban Outfitters and Macy’s.
A new comic book is being set for launch next year.
Discussions have reopened about new Muppet additions to Disney theme parks.

 

[wwfpooh]

And this also means that MuppetVision won't need to be removed, as was rumored!

*in Kermit-flailing-his-arms-mode* Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

 

[frogboy4]

And this also means that MuppetVision won't need to be removed, as was rumored!

*in Kermit-flailing-his-arms-mode* Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

exactly. I always suspected the rumored removal to be an overreaction in the first place.

 

[wwfpooh]

exactly. I always suspected the rumored removal to be an overreaction in the first place.

But what caused the rumor to start? I mean, certainly Disney wouldn't've let The Muppets stay in storage forever...Would it?

 

[GelflingWaldo]

A fourth writer?

The teleplay for this special was written by 4 writers:
Hugh Fink, Scott Ganz, Andrew Samson.... and... Paul Williams.

That's right, in addition to writing four original songs, Paul Williams was also a key writer on the script (toiling over every line in the teleplay). I talked with two different folks at Muppet Studios today and they told me that Paul has been very involved in bringing that a good ol' fashioned Muppet spirit to this project.

Between this special and his work on the upcoming Emmet Otter stage show (for which he also wrote new songs!), Paul has really been getting back into the Muppet family... "The Muppet Movie", "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas" and "The Muppet Christmas Carol" have (in my opionion) the best Muppet music ever... and it's all thanks to Paul... I hope he sticks around and keeps colaborating with the Muppets for as long as he can (and I hope he gets a chance to sit down and talk with Stoller and Segel).

 

[Fozzie Bear]

He worked so much with Jim Henson that I would like his input in the future scripts, shows, and movies!

 

[theprawncracker]

The teleplay for this special was written by 4 writers:
Hugh Fink, Scott Ganz, Andrew Samson.... and... Paul Williams.

...No. Way. THAT IS SO AWESOME! The news about this special just keeps getting better and better and better and better and--

 

[wwfpooh]

...No. Way. THAT IS SO AWESOME! The news about this special just keeps getting better and better and better and better and--

Yeah. But with all this good news, I hope that the special lives up to the hype.