Are the Muppets as popular as they were 30 to 40 years ago?

[Muppet Master]

Muppets have created a spot for themselves in the pop-culture universe. Even if they never make another movie or TV Show or if they make absolutely awful productions, they will be remembered and cherished. Many will still watch MCC every year.

 

[BlakeConor14]

As a 15 year old.
No the muppets aren't as popular today as 30/40 years ago. And I believe that the 90s/00s decision making played a huge part in that.
The closest they've got to returning to that sate of popularity was with the muppets 2011 and the announcement of the 2015 ABC show
But I'm still a huge muppet fan and I will not wish I will be a puppeteer and hopefully work with the muppet performers

 

[DMHFan]

Fellas, here's what inspired me to create this thread. A post from David French.

*Sigh!*

It always amuses me whenever I read posts like this, as it confirms my suspicions that people just don't have a clue about what they are typing about.

Disney have never lied to anybody about anything - why would they? What would be the point?

Ladies and gents, I am going to tell you something that some of you may not like to hear but unfortunately the Muppets are just not as popular in 2007 as they were twenty to thirty years ago. Many members of the general public have fond memories of watching the Muppet Show either as kids or as adults. Unfortunately, many of those same people now tend to think of the show as a kids' programme. Of course, it doesn't help that networks tend to schedule the show in timeslots suitable for kids' programmes. For example, the last time the Muppet Show aired on free-to-air television in New Zealand was in the late 1990's. The timeslot - 7.30am weekday mornings.

It also doesn't help that the DVD of Season One was put in the Children's section of retail stores in New Zealand because it was a Disney release and Disney means 'children'.

Disney are doing their best to try and get the Muppets back in to primetime but they are facing an uphill battle. I suspect the reason why a lot of their proposed projects have flopped is because they overestimated how popular their projects would be with the general public.

As I have said before, Disney will release Season Two of the Muppet Show but we have to be patient and wait. The Muppet Show isn't the only DVD project that they will be concentrating on at the moment, as they do have a plethora of other material to release as well.

Does this help?

 

[ErinAardvark]

To be perfectly frank, I honestly don't believe the Muppets are as popular as they once were. If they were, we'd have Seasons 4 and 5 of TMS by now. Yes, I know there are issues with music rights, but I don't think it would take this long to have them solved. This is just an opinion, though.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

To be perfectly frank, I honestly don't believe the Muppets are as popular as they once were. If they were, we'd have Seasons 4 and 5 of TMS by now. Yes, I know there are issues with music rights, but I don't think it would take this long to have them solved. This is just an opinion, though.

Absolutely, if Disney had no problem with buying the majority of FOX, certainly they would've had no problem paying far less to clear the rights to some song covers if The Muppets were a bigger asset to them, but it's not. So they won't, anytime soon.

 

[D'Snowth]

Again, there are other factors that play into why other season sets of certain TV shows are delayed for a long period of time.

The first three seasons of Rocky and Bullwinkle were released within a year of each other, then there was a delay of several years for the remaining two seasons, and one of the main reasons was because so much of Sony Wonder's distribution library shifting.

Similarly, the first two Old School sets of SST sold really, really well, and were released within a year of each other, but likewise, there was a delay of several years before we got Vol. 3, and there were many factors at play, and like with Rocky and Bullwinkle, the shift from Sony Wonder was one of those factors.

The first two seasons of ED, EDD N EDDY were released with a generous amount of special features at the height of the show's popularity, and there's yet to be any further seasons released, but this shouldn't come as a surprise, considering these are distributed by Warner Bros. (since they own Cartoon Network), and we know how bad they are about their releases.

The first three seasons of GREEN ACRES were released by MGM over a decade ago, and finally over a decade later, Shout! is releasing the last three seasons.

It sucks, but this is just how it goes sometimes. I think we're lucky enough to get the first three seasons of TMS as it is, because TBH, I really can't think of many other Disney shows or Disney-owned/controled shows that have gotten proper DVD releases - despite Disney having its own brand of DVD. I mean, I would love it if RECESS got season sets, and I'm sure people like Drtooth, mr3urious, and others would kill to have even older Disney Afternoon shows on DVD, but I don't look for any of this to happen anytime soon.

 

[Erine81981]

Now not to be harsh on the "Muppets" but yeah just like anyone else is saying. Now they aren't as popular cause of there nothing being done with them to get them popular again. Yeah the show didn't do so good cause of alot of people hating the writing of the show but I enjoyed it. Sucks I didn't get to see the last two episodes of the show and there were lots of others who liked it too and even (what i've heard and read) really LOVED the last two episodes of the show cause of some older skits from TMS getting made into the newer show too.

But I'm just not as big of a fan as I used to be of the Muppets back 10 year
only cause of them not having any thing new except for the Muppet Thought of the Week on YouTube and it's cool getting to see them but I want something new to start showing on Disney Channel. Like why not revive "Little Muppet Monsters" for Disney Junior. I would love to see something like that be brought back but likey nothing. Yeah there is going to be a New Muppet Babies show but I'll have wait and see what I think about it.

Now for the other Muppet Franchise "SESAME STREET?" (Yeah I know Jonathan you only meant the "Muppets") But I'm A BIG FAN of Sesame Street cause I get new Episodes plus of all the older shows I have never gotten to see. I have so much SS stuff it could last me forever to get new stuff to watch of this franchise. So I'm more a big SS fan then a Muppet now a days.

Now don't get me wrong I'm still going to have my love for Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and the rest of The Muppet Shows characters but till then SS will be there for me till Newer stuff comes out of them.

 

[DMHFan]

Now not to be harsh on the "Muppets" but yeah just like anyone else is saying. Now they aren't as popular cause of there nothing being done with them to get them popular again. Yeah the show didn't do so good cause of alot of people hating the writing of the show but I enjoyed it. Sucks I didn't get to see the last two episodes of the show and there were lots of others who liked it too and even (what i've heard and read) really LOVED the last two episodes of the show cause of some older skits from TMS getting made into the newer show too.

But I'm just not as big of a fan as I used to be of the Muppets back 10 year
only cause of them not having any thing new except for the Muppet Thought of the Week on YouTube and it's cool getting to see them but I want something new to start showing on Disney Channel. Like why not revive "Little Muppet Monsters" for Disney Junior. I would love to see something like that be brought back but likey nothing. Yeah there is going to be a New Muppet Babies show but I'll have wait and see what I think about it.

Now for the other Muppet Franchise "SESAME STREET?" (Yeah I know Jonathan you only meant the "Muppets") But I'm A BIG FAN of Sesame Street cause I get new Episodes plus of all the older shows I have never gotten to see. I have so much SS stuff it could last me forever to get new stuff to watch of this franchise. So I'm more a big SS fan then a Muppet now a days.

Now don't get me wrong I'm still going to have my love for Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and the rest of The Muppet Shows characters but till then SS will be there for me till Newer stuff comes out of them.

I know what Sesame Street is, and I don't wanna talk about it because I don't like it and it's too childish.

 

[ConsummateVs]

Just a question - and I'm not trying to make you mad or anything, why don't you like Sesame Street?

 

[LittleJerry92]

To be perfectly frank, I honestly don't believe the Muppets are as popular as they once were. If they were, we'd have Seasons 4 and 5 of TMS by now. Yes, I know there are issues with music rights, but I don't think it would take this long to have them solved. This is just an opinion, though.

To be fair, Disney has a history of being inconsistent with releasing full season sets. We usually get volume packs from them, and sometimes we'll be lucky to even GET full seasons from them.