ABC officially cancels "The Muppets"

[D'Snowth]

The glass is always half-empty with you, it seems to me.

I wondered what was taking so long for you to start your typical butthurting in this thread.

 

[Duke Remington]

Well D'Snowth isn't wrong, the show probably wouldn't be as popular on a streaming service as it would on network TV.

Streaming is their only option now, due to the current TV climate.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Well D'Snowth isn't wrong, the show probably wouldn't be as popular on a streaming service as it would on network TV.

I disagree with that. It seems like Fuller House is doing well so far.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

It's been discussed on the forum before, however, the problem with that is similar to one of the cons of moving SST to HBO - not everybody has Netflix, so if Disney/ABC/whoever was wanting the show to achieve a level of mainstream success, moving it to Netflix would only hurt it further.

Actually, I changed my mind. Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Fuller House and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, are all Netflix series and they are some of the most popular shows on today. The number of Netflix subscribers is amazing!

 

[D'Snowth]

HBO has a lot of popular shows as well, but people felt for SST to move to HBO (in spite of the fact that PBS will still get the new episodes for free, just on a nine-month delay) completely defeated the (original) purpose of the show to cater particularly to lower-income families with young kids. Like Netflix, not everybody has HBO either - strange as it may seem - apparently including some people on this very forum.

 

[MuppetsRule]

HBO has a lot of popular shows as well, but people felt for SST to move to HBO (in spite of the fact that PBS will still get the new episodes for free, just on a nine-month delay) completely defeated the (original) purpose of the show to cater particularly to lower-income families with young kids. Like Netflix, not everybody has HBO either - strange as it may seem - apparently including some people on this very forum.

Comparing SST on HBO to the possibility of the Muppets on Netflix is like comparing apples and oranges. Two different types of programs with two different types of purposes. SST was/is meant as an educational show, completely different than most programming on HBO. The Muppets is meant as entertainment, completely falling in-line with other Netflix shows. Netflix is much more mainstream then what you are giving it credit for.

 

[Colbynfriends]

Different strokes for different folks here guys. I'm sure there are those who don't even have TV or cable hookups and are all digital streaming, while some are sole TV watchers. I'm sure more often than not we're a mixed bag. I dunno if switching to streaming is a bad thing except the audience that would be able to see it may be a bit different.

 

[D'Snowth]

Netflix is much more mainstream then what you are giving it credit for.

I'd argue the same thing about HBO, considering how many decades its been around, but as pointed out across the internet - and even this forum - apparently there's still a lot of people out there who don't have HBO, let alone cable. That's where the comparison comes in: not everybody out there has Netflix, let alone internet access; this is why a lot of people have been making a big deal about SST's move to a cable TV subscription service when it was always meant to be an easily accessible show for kids (particularly lower income households) to tune into to watch (again, despite PBS will still get the new episodes nine months later); it's a similar thing with THE MUPPETS, if they were wanting it to achieve a level of mainstream success like a lot of other network shows, moving it to an internet subscription service seems like an odd route to go.

Like Colbynfriends said, there are those out there who have only TV, and those out there who only have internet/streaming services. Streaming may be the future, but it's not there yet, and the number of people or households out there who still have broadcast TV still outnumber those who have only streaming services. Streaming services may be catching up, but there's still a ways to go.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

But it's really the only option. A Muppet show on any platform is better than no Muppets at all.

 

[Drtooth]

I'd argue the same thing about HBO, considering how many decades its been around, but as pointed out across the internet - and even this forum - apparently there's still a lot of people out there who don't have HBO, let alone cable. That's where the comparison comes in: not everybody out there has Netflix, let alone internet access; this is why a lot of people have been making a big deal about SST's move to a cable TV subscription service when it was always meant to be an easily accessible show for kids (particularly lower income households) to tune into to watch (again, despite PBS will still get the new episodes nine months later); it's a similar thing with THE MUPPETS, if they were wanting it to achieve a level of mainstream success like a lot of other network shows, moving it to an internet subscription service seems like an odd route to go.

I agree there's an apple and durian comparison here. But there's a special level to that we forget. While the Muppets have survived project to project, Sesame Street has been consistently on television for several decades. Sesame is a far more important show and has far more important international presence. While The Muppets moving to streaming services saves the show, if it doesn't happen, we'll get something else Muppet related in the future. If HBO didn't come in and fiscally rescue Sesame Street, we could have been looking at an end of a very important series. While The Muppets is one of many shows that had an uncertain future due to alternative media streams and sources, Sesame Street is drowning in a sea of preschool programming, websites, and apps the likes it never had to compete with before. Even with all the purple dinosaurs and slow talking little girls answering their own questions.

In the end The Muppets is just a show. At best it could have been on 2, 3 seasons if ABC gave them the chance. Probably could get one or two more seasons if Netflix decides to pick it up. Sesame Street is a much more broad reaching project. And frankly when something with that level of name recognition that everyone has grown up with that's had such a big impact is in financial trouble, that's more alarming. HBO didn't save a show that was going to be cancelled due to low ratings, HBO outright saved Sesame Workshop on the whole.