A thought on the use of the word "comeback"

[wembleyfraggle]

The thing I like about the video is it feels classic with a new twist! It feels like the old Muppets! I agree in that since the Muppet Christmas Carol things haven't been the best! But this looks like a fresh start for the Muppets! like they finally feel comfortable enough to know they can be great again!

 

[Drtooth]

What's all this "since Christmas Carol" stuff? I would include that in the "Downhill" motion myself. The problem is, and I've said this for years, when you have someone like Jim Henson, the leader, creator, and all around driving force for so long, and then you lose them, you'll scramble for leadership and just not get the same quality no matter what you do. look at how long it took Disney to get on its feet when they lost Walt.

And that really seems to have been the problem. The muppets bounced around from project to project, some good, some bad, some potentially good, but fail somewhere in the execution... The problem with the muppets of late WAS the projects as far as I'm concerned. Re-enacting pre-existing stories like Treasure Island and Christmas Carol... that was their better work? Especially since the muppets seemed like guest stars in their own movie for the latter. I think MCC is a fine movie, and it has a lot of good muppety moments... but it just didn't have that zing. That same zing that they sort of had in MTI and MFS (bleeding director) and had most of the way in VMX... Again, with Muppets Tonight, they didn't have a direction for the show until they found it in the last episode.

I feel we're gonna get that leadership... it shows we have that zing in all those internet videos, and I'm sure they can get their in a very good NON-HOLIDAY project.

I reiterate... Oz, if it hadn't been rushed, woefully miscast, and grabbing desperately for a demographic ("who should we get, tweens or jaded 20 somethings in college that aren't sick of pop culture references yet?") could have been decent... but with all the much better scripts that were floating around at the time, it hit too many sore nerves.

 

[dwmckim]

I also tend to dislike the word "comeback" because of its implication that they were gone. And i can understand Muppet fans being sick of the word because we've heard it so many times before.

But what's different this time is the follow-through. Time and time again we've seen attempts at relaunches that start with varying degrees of success...and then something happens that mucks it up and keeps them from fully realizing everything they initially planned. Then the momentum has to be rebuilt again. For most of the early 00's it was ownership changes. Henson had huge plans - and they got bought by EMTV. EMTV had huge plans - and they got bought back by Henson. Henson had huge plans - and they got bought by Disney. Disney had enormous plans and due to the politics involved with Michael Eisner's departure, the head of Muppets Studios got replaced (this was the most literal example of a relaunch sped to a grinding halt - remember the Kermit's 50th anniversary world tour that only got to about three stops before it all just had the brakes pulled?) Muppet Studio Head 2 (i would say i always forget his name but it's more a case of wanting to forget him) had very little plans and the brand just kinda floated for a while; he had no business in that position. Thankfully he was replaced and again Disney had HUMONGOUS plans - and then the writers strike happened.

You get the idea. We're all used to seeing an attempt at what is often called "The Muppet Renaissance" - and seeing it begin...sometimes making it to first base...sometimes even second...even at times almost stealing third but never ultimately going all the way. Such attempts have been tried since 1990 (when Henson/Disney had a mapped-out plan internally called "Year of the Pig") which was dramatically stalled due to Jim Henson's death.

This is the first time where we're seeing a serious relaunch attempt by the Muppets' current owners that is actually going through all the way - no one's going to be buying the Muppets from Disney - the Muppets within Disney now has the top levels of Disney fully behind them - like the US Postal Service they're currently teaming up with they're plowing on despite the weather or storms they may face.

Or to put it in simpler terms, we are seeing the Muppets return to the "A-list" of celebrities - something not seen since the peak of The Muppet Show and the couple of years afterwards. We've seen them get as high as B-list and seen them relegated to Hollywood Squares appearances and not much else; but now they're reclaiming their rightful place as top-tier.

...and this is all being carefully and meticulously planned by Disney. People Magazine may dub The Muppets as "Best Comeback of 2009" but in terms of the Muppet Rollercoaster that 2010 should be, 2009 has just been that calm beginning part of the ride that you sit back and enjoy before you start screaming and holding on!

 

[Frogster]

Not to get off-subject but when is The Muppet Show: Season 4 due out?

 

[theprawncracker]

Not to get off-subject but when is The Muppet Show: Season 4 due out?

There isn't a set date as of now. But sometime in 2010 is for sure. It was announced at D23 for release in 2010.

 

[beaker]

Been thinking about this for...well, a few years really and wanted to post a few thoughts on the "comeback" that the Muppets appear to be making. While I'm excited to see the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video do so well and even more excited to see the ENTIRE band (including Lips) appear at the lighting of the christmas tree last night. I have to question the use words like 'comeback' and 'resurgence'.

I'm guilty of that too, but having been on this forum for 11 years now, we never really saw a REAL comeback.

Yes, in late 1998 we were all excited as heck at the idea that 1999 may be the big "comeback" year(Muppets From Space, of course) The early 2000 EMTV buyout left us scratching our heads...and yeah Muppetfest was an amazing experience, one of the best things of my modern life, and a good way to end what was a really horrific year all around.

However I wouldn't say the 2002-2004 period you're referring to as a true comeback. It was a visibility and a big merchandise comback, yes. We had Sababa/Fun 4 All/Palisades/etc bringing us a tidal wave of merchandise during that time.

In fact, I remember going to Suncoast and some mall stores and seeing both Muppet stuff, as well as Fraggle plushes and pvcs, and of course Bear in the Big Blue House and Sesame Street. All the flagship Muppet/Henson brands were represented. Same at Barnes and Noble, and elsewhere.

The 2002 through end of 2003 period especially was a bonanza.

But not much really materialized after that, and it distinctively felt like more and more there was less and less to be excited about. Some would say "well, least we have a calendar, couple talk show appearances and the season set to look forward to"...
but I call this life support.

As I and others predicted a couple years ago from the way things were shaping up, 2010 from every angle looked to be the true defining moment that would facilitate a *true* Muppet comeback....something, which is of course being kicked off at this moment.

So I hear what you're saying...we've never NOT had a period without Muppet talk show appearances, merchandise, etc...but it was never a super nova established spotlight as it soon will be.

 

[Frogster]

For those of you so sure that this next year is gonna be year of the Muppets, I'm gonna copy and paste this stuff so next year we'll be able to look back on 2010 and see if it really is their year, or if this whole thing was just one lucky shot.

 

[Super Scooter]

Copy/Paste this while you're at it:

"I know I drive some people crazy with what seems to be ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked out for me."
- Jim Henson.​

Let people be optimistic, eh?

 

[theprawncracker]

Copy/Paste this while you're at it:

"I know I drive some people crazy with what seems to be ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked out for me."
- Jim Henson.​

Let people be optimistic, eh?

Amen. AMEN. I live my life by that quote and that mantra. Thank you, Super Scoot. That needed to be said.

 

[beaker]

For those of you so sure that this next year is gonna be year of the Muppets, I'm gonna copy and paste this stuff so next year we'll be able to look back on 2010 and see if it really is their year, or if this whole thing was just one lucky shot.

Fine by me. You can go back to my 2008 posting on how 2010 will be the comeback year we've been waiting for, and I stick by that.
(I remember I also on other forums predicted with certainty that Obama would become president even back in late 2006)

Many times at the end of a year I've shown pessimism, wondering aloud just what there was to look forward to...and how JHC/Disney was royally dropping the ball. This is the first time I've truly felt *the* return to the spotlight was real.