The Muppets at D23 Expo 2011

[beaker]

Exactly Beau. People forget just *how* long the Muppets had been around. And for many people(including my Mom), Rowlf was the main Muppet character in the public eye for awhile. The 1969 "Sesame naming" special with Kermit and Rowlf tho was sadly the last time you really saw this focus on their dynamic. But from 1962 til 1969 Rowlf pretty much ruled the Muppets. So yeah, good to see Rowlf back finally

 

[Drtooth]

I never fully understood the Rowlf ban or whatever it was. I'm glad someone decided to bring him back in full force. Bill seems to be doing a great job with the character, and I bet he gets a LOT of play in the movie.

It was great to see them use Rowlf in this thing, since I feel he was just as important to Jim as Kermit was.

 

[outerelf]

I never fully understood the Rowlf ban or whatever it was. I'm glad someone decided to bring him back in full force.

I thought the reason why they didn't cast Rowlf right away was because he was so important to the Henson family they didn't want just anybody taking him up; they wanted the perfect voice, and a person who could get him truly in character wherever he may be.

Especially since Rowlf is considered by his daughter at the very least to be closest in personality to Jim himself.

 

[beaker]

Yeah, my guess too is that they just couldn't get the right voice for Scooter and Rowlf(Scooter btw sounds PERFECT, thank goodness) I guess they were waiting, but they both are back in a big way which is quite exciting(Wish they could have debuted Skeeter in puppet form, as the tween/teen market woulda loved it)

 

[dwmckim]

I don't know that "finding" the voices were a problem as they were right under their noses...Bill voiced Rowlf as early as 1996 and i had said for well over a decade that David should perform Scooter - long before that finally happened!

The talent was there all that time. They were just nervous and skittish. I think JHC at the time needed convincing from the fans that we felt it was a stronger tribute to the characters for them to live on. I think MuppetFest was really the first time the company got a collective aha as to how much the fans wanted the characters back full force and look at the effect that had on their next big project - IAVMMCM.

 

[beaker]

True, and we did see Rowlf speak in the 2002 Weezer making of(gosh, cant believe that was over 9 years ago!) BUT I have to say Scooter sounded wayyy off IMHO until the Bohemian Rhapsody video. Both Rowlf and Scooter sound perfect now, as well as all the Oz characters that got taken over. Im extremely happy with most the voices

 

[RockSTAR girl]

I would love to see some really intensive collectors edition blurays with in depth making of documentaries. Release those when this movie releases on bluray and I will throw wads of cash at disney lol. These movies really are worthy of Disneys Diamond treatment.

Btw, I don't know what clips are out there yet of fozzie in the movie, but if u've seen any, is it just me or is the voice really not so good? Something was off for me during the screening. Just a thought.

 

[ploobis]

The Henson Company's Youtube channel has uploaded the whole presentation of Jim's honor at D23 2011.

http://youtu.be/BGekuBlfxGA

 

[beaker]

Good to see, even if its strictly for a few scenes in Muppets 2011 or the D23 thing, JHC and Muppets back together in some capacity