Comparing the Muppet Show books

[DMHFan]

So, comparing two Muppet Show books, "The Muppet Show Book" (1978), and "It's The Muppet Show!" (1979), why do I get the feeling the latter is a bit more juvenile and made for kids more than kids and adults than the former? Maybe I think this could be because of Fisher-Price releasing the latter.

Anyways, I'll provide links to YouTube videos of both books below.

 

[Muppet Master]

I just revisited "The Muppet Show Book", it has some really great illustrations. I am curious to know, however, why they replaced Don Knotts with Sam the Eagle for the Lullaby of Birdland scene. If all the humans were replaced by muppet stand-ins, I could understand, but they have Candice Bergen, Rudolf Nureyev, and Vincent Price illustrated. Did Knotts not let them use his likeness?

 

[DMHFan]

I just revisited "The Muppet Show Book", it has some really great illustrations. I am curious to know, however, why they replaced Don Knotts with Sam the Eagle for the Lullaby of Birdland scene. If all the humans were replaced by muppet stand-ins, I could understand, but they have Candice Bergen, Rudolf Nureyev, and Vincent Price illustrated. Did Knotts not let them use his likeness?

Could be that, or they wanted to shake things up.