Le Muppet Show

[David French]

Has anyone else tried watching their TMS DVDs with the French Soundtrack on? It's rather unusal and quite entertaining, not least of all because most of the French actors can't sing very well.

In case you haven't listened to them - all of the episodes are dubbed in French but on occasion they will revert back to the English soundtrack - usually for the Guest Star's song(s) but on occasion for a Muppet song/sketch. Here's an incomplete list of the stuff not dubbed.

Julet Prowse - Mahna Mahna, Temptation (the conversation at the beginning is dubbed in French).
Connie Stevens - Swedish Chef, Teenager in Love, Close to You
Joel Grey - Wilkommen, Razzle Dazzle
Ruth Buzzi - Sonny (though Animal's lines have been dubbed...the French actor says the lines after Animal has said the line in English), Can't Take My Eyes Off You, You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd

 

[MartyMuppets]

Hello David. My name is Martin. I actually posted a thread of my own on this subject under Muppet Merchandise which nobody ever replied to.
I said there that I watched bits and pieces of the french version though one thing I didn't like about it was that the English subtitles persisted in popping up even during the times when the English soundtrack was being used anyway. And when you find yourself compulsively reading them when they're not needed it's a pain in the neck.
As for the bad french singing I think it may sound bad to us partly because they probably had to alter the melodies of the songs here and there in order to accomodate the french lyrics.
It's good to meet you David and to have the opportunity to talk with somebody about this topic

 

[Marky]

Of course the guest star's song's wouldn't be over-dubbed in French!!!

 

[Krazedmuppet]

you know what elce is interesting to watch in french? The Phantom of the Opera, try it if you have the DVD, even all the songs are in french.

 

[Marky]

you know what elce is interesting to watch in french? The Phantom of the Opera, try it if you have the DVD, even all the songs are in french.

Also, the Star Wars DVDs (Ep IV-VI). Listen to Vaders voice in French or Spanish. It's weird, you'd think it'd sound silly, but it's kind of cool!

 

[David French]

Of course the guest star's song's wouldn't be over-dubbed in French!!!

I think it's rather idiotic of you to make that comment, particulary when you consider that I DID expect them to overdub the guest stars singing so that it was also in French. If the show had been made in France and was being translated into English, wouldn't you expect everything to be translated into English, even the guest's song(s)? I know I would.

I omitted to mention that also in the Ruth Buzzi episode Wayne and Wanda's singing wasn't dubbed into French.

Watched the Rita Moreno episode in French and some interesting observations can be made here - in the panel sketch the line "Don't you understand my English?" was changed to "Don't you understand my French?", the Swedish Chef sketch was dubbed into French and even Rita's Spanish was translated into French during the "Fever" number.

Not in French were "Fever", the Muppahones' singing and "Goody-Goody".

 

[MartyMuppets]

I can understand you'd naturally expect it all dubbed into french at first David. I was a little surprised too at first.
But then I thought since english is such an important language to the whole world and considering how zealous everybody is to learn it then most people in France would naturally be able to understand the parts broadcast in english.

 

[David French]

I wonder if they re-dubbed Charles Aznavour's singing voice? ;-)

 

[MartyMuppets]

I will check it out sometime and see for myself

 

[David French]

They didn't dub Aznavour's singing voice but his speaking voice was dubbed. Have a guess as to who you think did it.