Jim Henson's Red Book

[minor muppetz]

Here's one about the 1984 video compilations and the Play-Along Video series.

http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/10/01/101-21984/

It's too bad it doesn't say which compilation videos were shot that weekend, but at first I thought maybe it was Muppet Treasures, Muppet Weird Stuff, and Country Music. But then I noticed it said it was in 1984, and I've read that only the first four videos (as advertised in the promo) have a 1984 copyright (in the credits, not on the packaging), while all the others are copyrighted 1985 and all the videos were released in 1985.

Though I guess maybe The Muppet Revue was shot first, perhaps as a pilot, and then the next three (Kermit and Piggy Story, Children's Songs and Stories, Rock Music) later on at the same time. Somehow I would have thought the first four would have been shot the same time. if it was a weekend, mayeb it'd make sense: Jim and Frank performed in the first two, which could have been shot one day, and the next two featured Jim and Richard, which could have been done the next day. The Kermit and Piggy Story and Children's Songs and Stories also could have been shot one day, as they didn't use big sets (a plain-colored background for both and a small set piece), while Rock Music with the Muppets used a much bigger and much more filled set.

But now I'm willing to bet The Kermit and Miss Piggy Story was shot on one day, when Frank was available, and then the next two the next day, since Richard Hunt was available for both videos, performing Scooter and Beaker.

Or maybe it was the last three (though I doubt it). I know that Jim and Frank performed in the wrap-arounds for all of the last three videos, and Richard was available for at least Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook and Rowlf's Rhapsodies. Not sure if Dave Goelz performed in Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook or Muppet Moments (I haven't seen FMS). And FMS and MM both took place in the attic and were hosted by Kermit and Fozzie (or was the Fozzie one just hosted by Fozzie, with Kermit featured in the same way as in Children's Songs and Stories?), so with the attic already set up and the performers available, those could have been shot back-to-back.

Regardless of all that speculation, it was good to finally see some acknowledgement of those videos by The Jim Henson Company, even if it did focus more on the Play-Along Videos (none of the photos had to do with the compilations... No copies of scripts showing examples of how the clips were listed, no publicity photos, no photos of video covers). Though if it was going to talk about the various Muppet videos, I wish it would have also spoke of the InteractiVision videos and the Muppet Babies Video Storybooks (we'll probably get something eventually), if not also the post-Jim Henson Muppet Sing-Along videos.

 

[Speed Tracer]

I just love the Red Book. Would love for it to be actually released in book form sometime.

 

[minor muppetz]

Has anybody heard of Muppet commercials for a european soft drink called Mirinda? There's an article about it: http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/10/30/10301975/

One thing I was surprised to learn about: These commercials were made in 1975, and Louise Gold actually performed in them. I thought her first performance with the company was in 1977, and that that was also the first time she operated puppets. Unless I am confused on the info.

Looking at the early design sketches, where the monster is purple, he looked like a cross between Telly Monster and Grimace of McDonalds.

EDIT: Seems I was a little confused regarding Louise Gold. It says the commercials were produced between 1975 and 1978. She must have performed in them after she joined The Muppet Show.

 

[Oscarfan]

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLS6O3sHByU

I must say, that's one great and expressive puppet! I wanna see more of this guy!

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder who did the voice of the Mirinda Craver. The red book article mentions four different people who did the puppetry (I assume at different times), but doesn't say who did the voice. The voice sounds familiar to me, but I can't pinpoint it on anybody associated with the Muppets.

 

[Skekayuk]

Has anybody heard of Muppet commercials for a european soft drink called Mirinda? There's an article about it: http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/10/30/10301975/
<snip>

EDIT: Seems I was a little confused regarding Louise Gold. It says the commercials were produced between 1975 and 1978. She must have performed in them after she joined The Muppet Show.

Since it says that four people puppeteered Mirinda, I would take that as being at different times over the four years of those commericals.
Louise Gold can ONLY have puppeteered on them during the latter 2 years, 1977 and 78.
Louise Gold officially joined The Muppets on 12 July 1977 (as that is the first date when her name appears on the 'Call Sheet' for TMS (the Henson archives have the TMS Call Sheets). As it was a Monday, one presumes she would have been likely to have been at the previous day's script read-through.
We also know that her second (and final) audition for TMS took place between the 14 to 16 June 1977 (I got that date originally from Michael J Dixon's Kermitage site).
It has also been pretty well documented in several interviews, that she had no experience of working in puppetry prior to joining the gang on TMS. She learned her craft as a puppeteer on the job on TMS.

 

[minor muppetz]

Here's one regarding The Jimmy Dean Show: http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/11/18/11181965/

I was a little surprised. So Rowlf was originally intended to just be a guest star in the second episode (which featured another performance by Jim and Frank, outside of Rowlf). I read that the producer suggested Jimmy Dean have a character to interract with, and I thought Rowlf was hired as a regular because of that. I wonder how many episodes the show had without Rowlf (too bad full episodes are hard to come by).

 

[minor muppetz]

Here's an article about The Great Santa Claus Switch getting an article in TV Guide: http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/12/12/12121970/

Not much, but it includes a few design sketches. Interestingly, the designs list the Frackles by what they were intended to be called (Blue Frackle, Snake Frackle, etc.), along with the names of performers, and also they seem to have the on-screen names written (Boppity, Snickery) and then marked off, with some other name or word written by.

 

[minor muppetz]

Here's something that's kind of cool http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2012/03/25/3251988/ I actually wasn't expecting any entries on meetings to sell things for rebroadcast. And it says that The Jim Henson Company gained all of ITCs ownership of The Muppet Show in 1988. I would have thought Henson got the full rights by 1984, when the Playhouse Video releases were made. But I've also read that if ITC still owned the distribution rights Disney wouldn't have to renegotiate music rights for the DVD, so I guess that would explain how they got to include "You've Got a Friend" and "All of Me" in Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff.

 

[minor muppetz]

Here's an entry on Muppet Babies: http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2012/04/13/4131984/

It confirms something I had suspected for years: That the show was planned before The Muppets Take Manhattan came out, instead of comming out after the popularity of the Muppet Babies scene which I think I've read a number of times (unless the scene was just popular enough with the crew to warrant a show).