Jim Hill: Mickey plays it smart in last-minute hopes for Henson

[Drtooth]

I agree. Lilo and Sttich was a box office SMASH!! It was a hit. It was great. Now they have Treasure Planet...I don't know what they were thinking...

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by Gooftser
Ok, so one of these people like Valentine or Saban could buy the muppets, but would probably sell the liscensing to another company such as Disney??

Yeah !

 

[pezbalubah]

"The Muppets will be everywhere"

That's what I'm afraid of if Disney bought the company. There's something that makes the scarcity of the Muppets special. Think about how excited you probably were when you found series 1 in the store for the first time, or just recently series 2. It's because Muppet merchandise isn't available in every store and on everything... there's no Kermit the Frog Orange Juice, Miss Piggy diapers, Gonzo thumb tacks... well you get the idea. The Muppets shouldn't be exploited. I don't want to see all direct to video releases... no Muppet Movie 2... no Robin the Frog's happy adventures... The Muppets have always had originality, and they need it more than ever when the company's sold.

 

[Luke]

I think all that stuff's gonna happen whoever buys Henson - they lost any control over how much the characters are used or exploited when the kids signed the contract. That's what the beauty of a family business is. With other unconnected people it's a case of paying your money and getting as much as you can out of it - period. It suprises me more people aren't angry at Henson's children and how they treated the Muppets when it came to taking a big fat paycheck, especially as they've tried to act like it didn't happen ever since. I'm not saying people SHOULD be angry because there were likely other financial factors involved and who themselves wouldn't have taken the cheque in the same position but it does suprise me there is no resentment.

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by pezbalubah
"The Muppets will be everywhere"

That's what I'm afraid of if Disney bought the company. There's something that makes the scarcity of the Muppets special. Think about how excited you probably were when you found series 1 in the store for the first time, or just recently series 2. It's because Muppet merchandise isn't available in every store and on everything... there's no Kermit the Frog Orange Juice, Miss Piggy diapers, Gonzo thumb tacks... well you get the idea.

Agreed. As odd as it seems, being a Muppet fans these days is still pretty rare and special and underground. Maybe thats the fun and frustration of being into all the stuff im into, be it the Muppets, or anime or my kind of music...all not so easy to find. The thrill of a good cd, figure, or dvd hunt.

Frustration, because you can look everywhere and not find anything...but that comes with the territory.

But there is a difference between being scarce/rare, and **** near impossible to find. The true muppet explosion hasnt even begun to unfold in stores.

Sadly, as Ive impressed on folks before...it took over a decade to bring out actual classic TMS stuff to stores. Why, for the longest time th eonly 'Muppet' stuff you could find was that crappy Sesame toddler poo(sorry, but companies had more respect for Sesame stuff in the 80's...now they are just crud merchandise wise)

And Luke...we can talk about shoulda woulda coulda in terms of business decisions. But the time is now...and the only thing to look towards is the looming buyout situation.

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Phillip Chapman
The next few weeks have the potential to dramatically change the future of the company like never before.

Couldnt have said it better. I know Ive said this before, but the coming month holds the distinct possibility of radical change in JHC/Muppetland. Ya think the forums were lit up with the VMC thoughts...well I have a feeling whatever goes down, it could end up being the best news ever or even worse than the initial EM.TV news(which I Was against from the very beginning)

As the United States braces for a possible war in the desert, it seems like a different kind of war is taking shape.

Out of all the senarios being talked about...the ones that worry me the most are the potential break off selling of JHC and JHC related media.

1)As to the Valentine possibility(eesh, what a horrbile Valentines present...Jim Hill writes: "using the Muppet stable of characters as fodder for a new line of direct-to-video projects." in relation to his intentions. Not good at all.

2) Classic Media LLC. A NYC-based: Richie Rich, Casper, Lambchop? Can this company be any more unworthy of even having tea with Charles Rivkin? They better stay planets away from JHC.

3) Billionaire Haim Saban: Well, probably the least objectionable to me of the named suitors...those again, this focus on 'kiddy'fying really is upsetting. Why dont these people try to aquire the Hoobs for US broadcasting rights or something if they want kid show Muppets? please.

4) Entertainment Rights PLC: I know there is this undercurrent
push for a UK company to buy JHC, but c'mon...just another purely kid oriented fixture.

5) A rivkin buyback. Patriotically(In a hardliner Muppet way) this is the best sounding thing yet, if only on paper. Jim writes Rivkin's vision to show the Muppets are still viable, and that he masterminded the Muppets comeback this year. Charles Rivkin, in my mind...not just from meeting him or seeing him speak, but just hearing what he has had to say...not only does he deserve to be the CEO of JHC, he deserves to be the CEO of the company that buys the JHC. In this crazy world, it seems only Rivkin truly has the unqiue vision for what the Muppets need now.

Of course, the ultimate worst case scenario would be the Muppets being lost and assimilated intot he existing cast of Diz croneys like what happened to Pixar. If I ever see another image of Kermit with his arm around the mouse Im gonna hurl. But in the end...it just might take the mighty mouse messiah to save JHC from the brink of utter destruction.

 

[Luke]

Actually Cory before assuming things about the worthiness of bidders it would help you a lot to find out more about them. Obviously you can't do this from the stuff that Jim Hill writes because it's all pure guesswork, he's just recycled the press releases so has no more information than that, and his head goes woozy at the mention of Disney - if so much as a Disney toilet cleaner listened to a Muppet CD on his discman Jim would think a Disney/Henson deal was all sewn up. Seriously, people would do better to go read 'Jack and the Beanstalk' than listen to Hill's fairy stories.

First of all, more or less every company interested in buying the company (aside from the management themselves) is one that has some connection with aquisitions and distribution, another is they all favor using the Muppets in a childrens or family market. I don't think you would escape this whoever bought them as the main areas of Henson that are of value is the Muppet brand itself and the past tape library. Also like it or not, the Muppets are seen as a kids property in the media, and even looking over that, you have to remember that this is a sale of the complete company, not just the Muppets and all the other stuff (Hoobs, Moppatop, Bear) is targetted at kids. The Fox deal and new movie ARE opportunites for the classic Muppets to show their stuff and be innovative and edgy but thats not the main reason why a media company would buy JHC, though it doesn't mean they'd automatically cast that aspect aside.

From what i'm aware two of the bidders Hill mentioned stand very low chances - Rivkin's managment buyout is pretty much a non-starter right now because if that was gonna happen it would have happened a long time ago. Saban also is apparently still in the running but getting more unlikely - he offered a fairly high amount and they still wouldn't take it and conclude negotiations with him. They could give it to him at the last minute and he does seem a strong bidder but you'd have to ask yourself why they didn't take his money a lot sooner when they need to make this payment before christmas.

Out of the others, we know very little. 'Valentine' are going to make 'direct to video' products for a family market. It doesn't actually say whether these would be new projects or DTV releases of old stuff. It's really too vague to turn your nose up at them yet - the Muppets are already doing TV movies and there isn't much chance of a theatrical movie deal so i'd say it makes a lot of sense to do some Direct to Video movies so long as the current TV production side continued and they didn't try to turn the Muppets into 'Swamp Years' type fodder.

Classic Media probably aren't all that great but they do seem to know how to handle brands which the Muppets need. Also they are a company less likley to interfere with the current course. Just because they've worked with 'Casper' and 'Lambchop' doesn't mean it'll be any worse for the Muppets - every project is handled differently and concentrates on the strength of the brand. A company like this isn't going to completely abandon a year of high profile anniversary publiclity and do something completely different or they'd lose a lot of money.

Entertainment Rights are people you'd do well to look further at - i actually feel they would be a good parent company if it really was a choice of the above people. You can't label them as just another kiddie orientated fixture because you simply don't know much about them. Their whole focus for the past year or so has been on aquiring nostalgic characters (including puppets) and relaunching them in an area they could be most succesful. Just because they have mainly dealt with kids markets doesn't mean they will treat the Muppets that way - with these companies it's all about shaping brands and making money from them, not about grouping them into a kids stable. If they could make more money from the Muppets in an edgy 'Simpsons' type area then believe me they would. I'm not saying they are perfect but they're best of the bunch right now and they don't just rush properties out onto the market either ..... they spent over a year getting 'Basil Brush' - another UK nostalgic puppet relaunched. I'm actually not sure they've got the money or resources to really make things explode though.

Disney would probably be the best choice overall but it's fairly unlikely they'll make an offer as the hints are that they're in support of the Saban bid and may license the Muppets from him. I guess they'd get all the benefits without the hassles that way and not have to commit too much.

I'd like to see Rivkin succeed but there's a big part of me that thinks however much the guys at Henson love the Muppets - they don't really have the power, resources and strategy to make the Muppets really work again, as opposed to the situation the companies been in for the last 15 years. This year has been great though and shown they can do a lot for themselves.

I guess there may still be some last minute bidders who have managed to keep things hush hush and we may even be seeing some red herrings in the list but i wouldn't expect anything dramatic. None of the companies bidding will provide any spectacular opportunities for Henson but i also wouldn't assume they are going to use the Muppets in the way you think either - things are going fairly well right now and if it aint broke ya don't fix it !.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Originally posted by Luke
It suprises me more people aren't angry at Henson's children and how they treated the Muppets when it came to taking a big fat paycheck

Hast thou forgotten my original complaint when the prospective news of EM.TV hit MC and my original threat?

"The demise of JHC" and "Smack Brian Henson in the head with my rubber chicken" should spark some remembrance.

I was right!
I was right!

Now, where's Brian and where's my rubber chicken?

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by Fozzie Bear
"The demise of JHC" and "Smack Brian Henson in the head with my rubber chicken" should spark some remembrance.

Oh geesh, yeah i remember - i just figured the chicken had gone all hippy on us and took a stand against violence. I dunno - there are definitely days when you have to question why the Henson kids would sell off their fathers legacy for money if it's so special to them. At the end of the day they just took a paycheck like anyone else. I like them though and i'm sure there must have been some severe factors involved for them to make that decision.

Oh yeah someone emailed me this - apparently from 'Toughpigs' being the underground site they are they apparently have got a sneak peak of Jim Hill's next groundbreaking article :-

"So how does the recent foray by the House Of Mouse into the motorized wheelchair business figure in the upcoming Henson buyout? Simple, folks -- it's just good business. Mickey & Co know that the Muppet performers are ageing, and inevitably will turn to aids like wheelchairs, canes and prosthetic limbs. All of which means, since Disney monopolized the market, the folk at Henson won't be able to get out of bed without seeing Disney's logo. The message? Disney can hold the Muppets up -- Disney understands Henson's needs, including creative freedom, financial security, and adult diapers.

"This is a clever move by Disney. All the other players who are just making enormous cash offers are missing the point -- the key, as only Disney understands, is to be subtle and roundabout to the point of cryptic. Not to say irrelevant."

Next week -- Jim Hill realizes that his dishwasher holds the ultimate key to Disney's secret Henson buyout plans.

 

[grail]

Originally posted by Drtooth
I am still pretty confused as to why Sony/ Columbia hasn't been thought of.

there's not much left that i can say on this discussion...because it's all been said already (i really should hang out here more), but i can answer this question.

the reason Sony isn't part of this is because last i heard, they were contemplating buying another media empire...Marvel Comics. there has been a lot of noise about this recently in the comics world, especially since one of their conditions is that they apparantly want the entire marvel universe "ultimized", and the regular "original universe" phased out of existance. personally, i think it's a horrible idea. but then, i also thought "Ultimate Spider-Man" was a horrible idea, so i've been wrong about comics before. it just doesn't happen often.