April Fools: New Muppet Show Online!

minor muppetz

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I just found at the Muppets YouTube channel the first in a brand-new Muppet show called "The Muppets Show Online", which is very similar to The Muppet Show with some exceptions, such as only being 13 minutes, not having a guest star, and not having a big opening (we just see the title card with a little of the classic theme song playing before fading to Kermit's first introduction). The description says that 11 more will premiere throughout the Spring and Summer and is meant to tide fans over between seasons of The Muppets (so does this officially mean the show has been renewed...?).

The first episode, entitled "The Muppets Show Online #1 - All About That Bass", has a minor plotline where Walter is so happy to get a new Muppet show that's exactly like The Muppet Show, saying that it's a nice break from the current show being different (he also says that he doesn't dislike the show, but that it would have been better if it were more like TMS... And also grumbles a little that it would be better if he was a part of it), but then throughout the show feels indifferent and worried when the show is more and more different from TMS. I guess this was meant to please the fans who want a Muppet show that's just like TMS, especially those complaining that the new show is so different, in addition to pleasing fans who wanted Walter to be on the show... While also mocking (for lack of better word) the fans who feel that way. Watler starts out happy, but then feels uneasy over the lack of a real opening, guest stars (he asks if it's just this episode that doesn't have a guest star and future episodes will have them, Kermit just remarks "we'll see"), the shorter length, and even fusses over the lack of a UK spot (since it's not broadcast, therefore a UK spot wouldn't really be relevant). At one point, Zoot says a line and he nearly panics over the fact that Zoot is talking, before remembering times before the current show when Zoot talked. At another point, he's relieved that this won't be so adult and won't have any cussing, but then accidentally swears (which gets bleeped out). But Walter cheers up when he sees Louis Kazagger, a character he wasn't expecting to see again (possibly addressing those fans who weren't expecting the puppet to be usable or rebuilt? That's how I saw it, since he hasn't been seen in years), but by the end he's back to how he was (when he asks if guest stars will eventually appear). The credits do show the orchestra playing the closing theme, but the credits don't scroll up like on the show (they show up a few at a time and are the font used on the current ABC show). And when he's shown, he realizes they are showing him when they should be showing Statler and Waldorf.

I must say, Walter's personality here is more like what I expected before seeing the 2015 film. I think he's very funny, but won't be surprised if fans complain about this personality trait being annoying.

This episode manages to work in a lot of short sketches. The opening number finds Miss Piggy singing "It's All About That Bass" (I guess episode titles will reflect opening numbers), which also features appearances by Janice, Camilla, Yolanda, Denise, Annie Sue, Spamela, Alynda, Zondra, Jill, and some female penguins. Fozzie and Gonzo do a sketch at the pet shop, with various Muppet animals (including Foo-Foo, Gaffer, and Gloria Estefan). Pepe does a psychic sketch with Chip as his customer. There's a Pigs in Space segment. There's a British music hall segment with unknown Whatnots (I guess this is meant to represent the UK spots) singing some funny song I've never heard of before, I think the song is called "Four Past Three". Wayne and Wanda mess up the song "Candles Over Water". There's a Muppet Sports segment involving a sport called "power jumping", where we see attempts by Gloria Estefan, Bean Bunny, an a generic pig, a Muppet elephant (who I haven't seen anywhere before), and finally an attempt by Thog, who ends up breaking through the floor of the stage. This leads to the closing number, where The Electric Mayhem is forced to perform in the hole in the floor, singing "The End of the World" by REM.

This is an interesting first episode. Many recent productions have typically featured appearances by all main characters (and most episodes of the 2015 series have as well), but this episode is missing a number of key characters. There's no appearances by Bunsen, Beaker, Robin, Sweetums, The Swedish Chef, or Rizzo. Miss Piggy only appears in two segments and briefly backstage (her relationship status with Kermit is never brought up). Fozzie and Gonzo also only appear in the pet store sketch, while Pepe only appears in the psychic sketch. But there is some funny backstage stuff with Rowlf, Floyd, and Uncle Deadly.

Wow, I posted about this after checking to make sure there wasn't already an article about this. And by now I've posted so much about it that I won't be surprised if another article or more have been posted during the time I was posting this. Oh, and one more thing...

APRIL FOOLS!

I've had a number of additional things on my mind about this as well that I didn't say, I'll post about those later.
 

minor muppetz

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Okay, here's some ideas I had that I didn't say in my first post.

I had considered saying that the first two episodes were already online, as opposed to just the first. I was going to say that the first episode's end credits sequence would take place backstage, with Walter complaining that the end credits sequence did not take place in the orchestra, and then that the second episode WOULD have it's closing done with the orchestra (and also, Statler and Waldorf would make post-credits comments in the second episode).

I had a few plot ideas in mind that take place outside of the theater. I thought about having one be a subplot for the first one, with Walter feeling uneasy about the show having scenes taking place outside of the theater (which was very rare on the original show). One idea was to have The Electric Mayhem stranded at a bus station on the way to the theater, and never able to make it by the end of the show, forcing them to do a closing number at the bus stop. I thought about making comments that it seems some of this was done earlier, saying that this would have been the production Dave Goelz mentioned in The Muppet Mindset interview from 2013 where Lips said "but we don't have any instruments!", stating that they didn't bring their instruments there (of course, since I said that the videos do mention the 2015 series, some of it would have been new).

Another plot idea was to have Fozzie unable to do the show, since he has to work his day job. It would have been revealed that Fozzie has a day job as a delivery bear, and his boss had always worked around his Muppet Show schedule, but then changed his mind after his boss finally saw Fozzie perform. I would have mentioned Fozzie coming to the homes of a number of really obscure characters, while back at the theater Kermit was auditioning acts to replace Fozzie's comedy spot (I can't remember if I thought of anything specific), but in the end Fozzie would come back and due his act, thanks to Walter deciding to order something so that Fozzie could be back at the theater.
 

SnakeLipsXD

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lol, that's awesome! XD
And maybe, when Statler and Waldorf do their post-show comment - they could (on some occasions) attempt to Tweet and FB their responses and moan/joke about their old age in the process! XD
 

minor muppetz

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I had debated over whether the show would be called "The Muppets Show Online" or "The Muppets Online Show".
 

SnakeLipsXD

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I had debated over whether the show would be called "The Muppets Show Online" or "The Muppets Online Show".
Not sure - both would sound good. :smile: "The Muppets Online" might be a nice one for you to use.
 

minor muppetz

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA :laugh:
That's why I love the MC April Fools jokes. How they shout "April Fools" at the end.
Isn't that proper etiquette/procedure when making an April Fools Joke?

Though I have seen my share of April Fools posts where they don't say April Fools at the end of the post. If it's said on April Fools Day, I usually suspect it's a prank, and often the pranks seem obvious enough (and yet the confessions occur in the comments???).

I generally always end my April Fools posts that way (instead of admitting it in a reply to the thread or post), and I believe I've seen other people do that as often as they don't. I've seen one clever way of going about it, can't remember if it was in this forum or the old Golden Age Cartoons forum, somebody posted a fake news announcement post, but during the report put certain letters in bold, if you put all the bold letters together you'd get April Fools.
 
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