EM.TV to Sell Muppets to Jim Henson's Children for $89 Million

[Beauregard]

Now, I don't know much but wasn't the Muppet Show as much for adults as kids? Well nearly as much. So surely anything made would have some edge.

I admit that Swamp Years had no edge but then it had no anything and the script was... (Don't get me started.)

So I think that anything goes at present. Am I right? And if Fox is financing it then go for it.

 

[Raech]

I watched 2 minutes of Swamp years and deleted it off my tivo. And that is saying something cos I wone all the tv show DVDs.

 

[radionate]

Re: Re: luke

Originally posted by Luke
You got me wrong, i mean same show, different network. I don't want Kiddie-friendly, i want an entertaining mix of the classic Muppet show with todays style of shorter and sharper skits, witty writing and yes, some edge. I don't think they should completely alienate family audiences though, you can cater for them without being 'kiddie friendly'. Just look at ALF's style on NBC.

The whole idea of them being on Fox to me is a shaky one because Fox decided to try the puppet route a while back with Greg and i'm sure that thinking influenced the Muppet deal some. Greg didn't work for them, and they've had trouble really finding a new niche and so stuck with a lot of their older shows. If they are willing to give the Muppets a go, fine but i just feel the Muppets won't really be at home there and Fox will be first to realise that - to me someone like NBC is a better and more secure home, there's nothing to stop them trying a different appraoch there - especially after the Xmas movie, but as you say, we'll see.

Luke,

I know you are saavy in TV, but are you really familar with the States big 4 networks? I'm sure you are, but let me break down the networks as I see them from a stateside broadcasting bloak:

CBS - They have and always will go after the "mature" viewers. They will never go after the demos of 18 - 34 year olds with a few exceptions (mainly their late night programing, Letterman and Kilborn). They are going to stick to dramas appealing to an older audience. This is what has hindered Letterman in the ratings since day one.

ABC - They are lost. They don't know what their programming stragedy is right now. Is it reality based? Is it a Teen/Tween audience? An older crowd? They don't know, and it reflects in their ratings.

NBC - They are leaning more and more towards being a sheep, following the leads of other strong shows on other networks. Their new schedule for the fall will have a ton of reality programs, and dramas for the prime demographic audience. The days of them having a strong hold on situational comedies and the like (where a new Muppet show would be thrown in) are long over. They are lucky to hold onto their "Must See TV "Thursday night after Friends goes away. The nights of their strong comedy shows are gone and won't be seen again for awhile. Not what I consider a strong home to place a program with the Muppets.

Fox - While I don't agree with their strong arm of reality shows, they are going to be quick to leave them behind as the clammer and demand for these shows shrink, and they will be looking for the "next big thing". Therefore they will be marketing their new programs hard core. They also have a younger demo then the other 3 networks, something that would work for the benifit of a new Henson project. I can't see the show working on any other network right now, especially if it were placed on a Sunday night time slot with other hot properities (Simpsons and Malcom). Of course, the shine of Malcom is dimming fast, and the Simpsons (unfortunatly) won't last forever, so they need to get the show rolling fast. Who knows what other tricks they have up their sleeves. They might market a whole new night of programming that will be perfectly suited for the felt gang. You never know with Fox, and thats a positive in my book.

While Greg the Bunny might not have been the smash they were looking for, I don't think they will hold it against a new show, and will realize what assests they have to work with on this new show (name recognition, familarity, etc.) Of course, those are also drawbacks if not approached in the right light, as an audience will feel they've "been there/done that" with the show. I just don't see how any other network would be better suited for them.

 

[Beauregard]

Originaly posted by Luke in a different thread

the company doesn't officially get sold for another two months.

Does this mean that there could be a glitch and it gets bought by someone else?

 

[wombat woman]

Ta!

Originally posted by jeffy
wombat woman,

I love the signature!

Thanks, Jeffy! Just tryin' to do my part to keep the "fanatic" in "fan."
Borrow it anytime you like.


Dawn

 

[Luke]

Beauregard :- They signed a final agreement, nothing is likely to change unless something really bad happened (like EMTV going bankrupt or something). I think we have our winner - it just takes a little time to all go through.

Radionate :- Yeah i am familiar with the U.S networks but it's hard to keep updated being in the UK - we have strategy briefings and what other people are doing in the states comes into that, but we still end up with an English persons take and it's sometimes out of date - i didn't realise NBC's profile had changed quite that much, i knew it wasn't as strong as before but didn't know the extent. I still kinda envisaged them as the main network most people turn to first and the household names turn up at so i thought something like the Muppets would be good for them and also i felt the level of edge the Muppets went for in the NBC Xmas movie was enough, and the networks commitment both financially and in the ok level of promotion could maybe continue into TV. I guess i'm probably thinking more NBC like it was in the 80's though so i concede - i probably don't know them well enough.

With Fox, two of my previous mentors and employers have run Fox channels in the past, and another, one of the News International tabloids so i'm fairly in touch with Ruperts way of thinking but again, it's not like i actually watch that channel so my view of it may be wrong. To me, Fox is quite tabloidy and likes either very commercially orientated specials or long running mainstay shows which they can brand to their channel (which i guess nowdays for them is reality, event TV and things like Simpsons). They'll try things that aren't the norm but the Murdoch way of thinking is usually to ditch things quickly that don't work and have no guarantee of getting better - unless it's a dirt cheap show. Maybe the whole Muppet brand name and the amount of money Fox will have to put in at the start may well protect them from this but while i don't think they are going to hold the whole Greg thing against Kermit & Co, i also think to an extent if their thinking was to try puppetry a while back (which seemed to be them looking for some way they could take the spotlight off animation a little) then things change so fast in those companies that the strategy would probably be quite different today, but yeah it could work out and as you say, they might build something for the Muppets. I hope they do, i just feel a bit uneasy about them. Although the demographics sound right it just doesn't sound like the right place for them to me, too tabloidy, but you guys are in the states and feel they do - or at least feel there is no other place better - so yeah, maybe i'm wrong.

 

[frogboy4]

Fox is no more tabloid these days than NBC. All of the networks have reality shows and NBC arguably has the slimiest one - Fear Factor. Fox has been a branded network for years now. It has been home to several long-running series past and present. It still skates the edges of TV, but also has family programming (Malcolm, Bernie Mac, Oliver Bean etc). These shows still have more bite than the average ABC sitcom, but much less than any given Simpsons episode (they get away with everything LOL).

NBC doesn't have a good track record with Henson-type programming. I don't even think they are interested in a full-fledged Muppet series at the moment. ABC, on the other hand, would try anything at this point. My advice, chill out a little and wait to see what happens. I have a feeling that we will all be pleasantly surprised. I don't really think there's anything to debate at the moment. We know very little substance of the program.

 

[Luke]

Thanks Jamie, yeah i understand what the schedules are generally like and how reality has pretty much taken over everywhere. The whole idea of what i call 'tabloidy' sometimes goes beyond the on-screen identities though and also reflects the internal politics of the channel and how decisions are made - things are usually run a little different in a Murdoch company than in other media companies. Maybe that'll affect the Muppets, maybe it won't - i get what you say and yeah we'll debate it once we see more though i am encouraged that at least the Todd's are doing the show so at least if they do it more in Fox's style it will look more fresh than fake - not sure Brian would be right or sharp enough for this.

So you agreed with everything else eh ? So near yet so far - the day i score a full house there'll be champagne flowing here in the Penguin Palace !

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by frogboy4
I have a feeling that we will all be pleasantly surprised.

Same here...it always seems right when we are debating or worrying about something, right when we least expect it Henson makes a press statement that sends us all running to change our collective shorts ^_^;;

 

[Chilly Down]

Yeah. Fox's programming is mostly garbage 6 nights of the week, but Sunday night is a fabulous comedy night, and I think the Muppets would play well in between The Simpsons and Malcolm (which IMHO isn't fading at all). I can't think of anything like that where the Muppets would fit in on NBC's schedule. But we'll see.

I have no illusions about The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock getting back on TV. If Henson is pricing these shows too high, that's absurd, considering how low the Muppets' star is these days. Drop the price where it's considered a steal, and allow the Muppets to build back up their reputation on TV Land or something.

Unfortunately, we are back where we started 3 years ago in terms of management, with no strong corporation pushing to get the Muppets out there because they don't own them. But I still celebrate the news, because JHC wasn't dissolved, and the Hensons still own both the Muppet properties AND the Creature Shop. (They don't own the Sesame characters, but those are in good hands.) And apparently the Hensons still have some money left over from the sale, if they can drop $80 million like that. So let's see another NBC movie or finally get the Fox series off the ground. I think the Hensons have learned from past mistakes, and I hope future projects look less like Kermit's Swamp Years and more like TMS Live.