Muppet Classic Theater Revisited

[Princeton]

So, I just got done watching Muppet Classic Theater for the first time in about fifteen years; here were my thoughts as I was watching.

-This must be one of the first projects where Gonzo wore that horrid plaid blazer. Has he worn that beyond the 90's?

-Ah, Gonzo and Rizzo as a team! Easily the best aspect of the 90's-era Muppets.

-What kind of an accent is Jerry going for with the Wolf?

-Re: Show Me Some Respect: Funk music in a Muppet film? Wonder if we'll see that again.

-Maybe it's my lack of sleep talking, but chocolate kisses on a pizza sounds mighty good..

-Could King Midas be perhaps the first time Piggy has gone brunette?

-"The Midas Touch" has key changes that Stephen Sondheim wishes he was capable of.

-"Thank you, International Press!"

-"And we have it in stock!" "In avacado green?!"

-"You oughta do something; we pay our taxes!"

-Boy, Gonzo's sheep are real jerks!

-"I thought the story could use an increase in dramatic tension about now."

-I love Gonzo yelling "Wolf!" to the camera.

-"Who Do You Think You're Foolin'" has a Jerry Herman feel to the melody.

-I'm not sure who performs the Blue Female Villager, but man, does she steal the show!

-"A little predator humor."

-"Clear the echo!"

-The Loyal Royal Advisor is all levels of awesome.

-"Great Bales of Moola in the Morning!"

-"I can't stand to see a pig grovel."

-When I was little, I absolutely loved the little weasel in the front during "Gotta Get That Name".

-"Camp Weirdo, every July and August. Good at crafts, lousy at sports."

-"Now sir, have we ever met before?" "Well sure, you're dating my sister!"

-They sure loved to put wigs on Fozzie in the 90's!

-Only a Muppet song would include the word "naugahyde".

-Here's a rare appearence by Robin before his mysterious obsession with The Roots.

What do you guys think of this great video?

 

[minor muppetz]

I've been thinking about this special recently (though I haven't watched it in five years). The voice Jerry Nelson used for the wolf sounds like Herry Monster to me (and Mr. Johnson's voice currently seems to sound that way as well). Never thought of it as any kind of accent.

Noticed during The Emperors New Clothes, Rizzo had a rat pose as hair for a bald man who thought his baldness was cured. So the rat was really going to just sit on top of somebody's head just for one serving of cheese a day? I remember back when I first saw that and the man says "Hey! I'm BALD! Arrest that rat!", I thought he meant arrest the rat who pretended to be his new hair.

This special had a shortage of familiar characters. I asked Jim Lewis (in the Ask Jim Lewis thread) about the lack of known characters and he said that they wanted to just include a few known characters and give supporting roles to generic/new puppets, in part because of the deaths of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt but I think he also said it was because it was a made-for-video production (but is being direct-to-video really a good excuse to leave out familiar characters? Though it seems most made-for-video Muppet productions only have a few familiar characters).

There's quite a few instances where known characters could have been used. The regular Muppet orchestra should have been used instead of a penguin orchestra (I wonder if the Nigel puppet was still in usable condition at the time). The dog character in The Emperors New Clothes (what was his job, anyway? Cop? Assistant to the emperor?) could have been Sam the Eagle, being a bit over-protective. Notice how emperor Fozzie is never shown asking for Rizzo and his friends to be arrested. But I guess Sam didn't get that role because he had to work with another Frank Oz character.

There's so many ways classic characters could have been used. When I first heard of the project and what stories would be retold, I was expecting Link Hogthrob (unaware that they were pick-and-choosey about recasting Jim's characters at the time) and Dr. Strangepork to be the other two little pigs (Strangepork could have been Papa Pig). The bald guy in The Emperors New Clothes kinda resembles and talks like Lew Zealand; If not for the fact that he had to be bald Lew could have had that role (Bunsen could have had that role, though I don't think he'd be mad over being scammed like that, even though it would have been a role). Bunsen, Beaker, Beauregard. and Pops would have made good associates for the emperor. Lew Zealand could have asked King Midas to turn his fish into gold.

It's interesting that in The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Gonzo never actually lied, he just overreacted (which Kermit acknowledged as a problem). But the wolf later says that he's cried wolf too many times (and he was never shown crying wolf before), and the others ask him who he thinks he's fooling, as if he was trying to fool them (which he wasn't). It is funny when one of the sheep says that Gonzo learned his lesson, because the sheep are the ones responsible for Gonzo's overreacting.

 

[KermieBaby47]

I've always liked this video. I'm just sad that it's STILL not on DVD as of yet... it's been several years since I've owned a VCR, lol.

I always loved Andy and Randy's idiocy, I just wish that worked better for them, ha ha (as I know a lot of fans can't stand them). The cartooney sets they used for these stories were alright, but I remember missing the "Muppet Show" built-style sets, and thinking that was odd (while understanding the cost issue at the same time, but still!)

This dtv special was released when MCC first came to video, is that right? I remember being unaccepty of Steve's Kermit at the time (as everyone was pretty much), while at the same time appreciating that Kermit was still around, even though it was weird. I think that hindered the popularity this release could have garnered, and that Muppet Classic Theater would be much more well-received if re-released nowadays. Disney could make quite the tidy little sum if they added this to their release schedule SOON, along with a few of our favorite other Muppet specials too of course.

 

[minor muppetz]

I remember when I first heard of this production, it was in a small catelogue-like book that came with the Return to Jafar VHS, and a cover image wasn't included (it was promoted on the back cover, showing an image of Kermit and Piggy in royal clothing). I can't remember if it listed the stories that would be included or not, but when I first knew of this, I thought it would be an anthology series of VHS tapes, one story per tape. I wonder if that would have been satysfiable.

And for some reason, I expected the stories to be introduced Masterpiece Theater-style by the blue Big Bad Wolf from Sesame Street. I don't know why. That would have been more unusual than Gonzo and Rizzo hosting instead of Kermit.

With the exception of The Three Little Pigs, I don't think I knew of ANY of the stories included here before. I'd heard of the title "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", and I may have seen Fractured Fairy Tales spoofs of these and forgotten about them by the time I saw this, but still most of the stories were rather fresh to me (despite what Rizzo says at the beginning about "(buying) a new tape and getting stories you've already heard".

I agree, this does need to get released on DVD, though I don't think I'd want it to be a bonus feature on TMS Season 4 or 5.

 

[panmanthe2nd]

At least it was released as bonus features on The Very Best of the Muppet Show: Volume 2 and The Very Best of the Muppet Show: Volume 3 DVDs.

 

[Princeton]

The voice Jerry Nelson used for the wolf sounds like Herry Monster to me (and Mr. Johnson's voice currently seems to sound that way as well). Never thought of it as any kind of accent.

That's certainly true of his appearance in "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", but I was referring to the voice used in "The Three Little Pigs"; it's almost an amalgam of Lew Zealand and Featherstone.

And getting back to the 'anthology' issue, at the very end of the video Gonzo says "See you next time!". So that almost makes me think that there were other video releases similar to MCT in the works.

 

[Drtooth]

-Maybe it's my lack of sleep talking, but chocolate kisses on a pizza sounds mighty good..

Tried it before... it isn't quite as good as you'd think it is. Now, if you use a mole sauce (a savory sauce that includes chocolate as an ingredient), I'm sure the result could be quite tasty.

One time I tried malted Milkballs on a Pizza... that was an icky disappointment.

 

[blackaerin]

Ye gads, this (not counting Muppet Babies) was probably my first ever exposure to Muppets. This or Muppet Treasure Island.
I remember that almost all the songs were catchy as heck and almost all the stories were hilariously solid (with the exception of Emperor's New Clothes, which I can't seem to remember too well what happened.)
"Who Do You Think You're Fooling" probably wins best song with "Show Me Some Respect" and "Gotta Get That Name" at a tie for second catchiest.

 

[newsmanfan]

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Thank you for posting this! I didn't even know it existed...watching right now on YouBloob...

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[minor muppetz]

I'm watching the video right now, and one thing I noticed that seems odd: At the very beginning, when Gonzo introduces The Three Little Pigs, Rizzo seems to make a reaction, but shortly afterward when Gonzo starts narrarating, Rizzo says "Oh, you mean the three little pigs..." So did Rizzo quickly forget that The Three Little Pigs was the first story or did he maybe mishear it as bears or goats?

I know Kermit was just playing a role, but it seems odd that he, as King Midas, would have death be the punishment for sleeping on royal roses (though he does casually acknowledge that the punishment is harsh).

Between the two stories with the wolf, he doesn't sound too different to me. But still I wonder why Jerry Nelson used two different voices for the character in the same production.

All these years I've thought of it taking place at the Muppet Theater, but I wonder if that really is the theater. We don't see the backstage, just the technical area which I guess is in the wings (or backstage left). The auditorium looks a lot different from what was on the show, no red at all (not even red curtains, though there have been times when other colored curtains were shown). Maybe they repainted the place since the show ended.

In The Boy Who Cried Wolf, after it looks like the wolf will get to eat the sheep, it's funny how one of the sheep says "looks like the sheppard learned his lesson", since his overreacting is really the fault of the sheep.