Miss Piggy on UK TV

[Craig Crane]

I saw Piggy on the Bafta show.

Voice was way off

Puppeteering looked like it was suffering due to space restrictions under the set

Timing was very poor. A very bad opening to an equally poor show.

A shadow of the genius that was the original Parky / Piggy interview.

Sad to see.

 

[Mistersuperstar]

I saw Piggy on the Bafta show.

Voice was way off

Puppeteering looked like it was suffering due to space restrictions under the set

Timing was very poor. A very bad opening to an equally poor show.

A shadow of the genius that was the original Parky / Piggy interview.

Sad to see.

The thing was, when Piggy (and Kermit) did Parkinson, Frank and Jim were very much on display. It was a much more natural and comfortable performance. That was the good thing about when Jim did Kermit. He never really minded about being shot while performing Kermit on a talk show or whatever. Kermit once quipped "the truth of the matter is that the frog is a great deal more interesting to look at, and who notices what the bearded man is doing?". You rarely see the Muppet and the performer in the same shot nowadays.

 

[Harvey Towers]

Talking of photos of Sharon I have a third cousin who took the photograph for the front cover of her autobiography, but that's incidental...

Saw the Loose Women and BAFTA appearances, but much more interesting I think is a fifteen minute long "Muppet Show Exclusive" promoting the Muppet Show Series 2 shown on Film 24 earlier today (Sky Digital Channel 158) and repeated tonight at 9.30pm and possibly at other times over the coming days as well.

 

[Luke]

I saw Piggy on the Bafta show.

Voice was way off

Agreed Craig, i commented to someone at the time how off the voice was. Nice to see you back, i'm a big fan of your work.

Hope someone can get this Film24 special online!

 

[Luke]

Yet another UK appearance, over 2,000 views for this already, great considering its not from a TV appearance people would have tried to look up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtGYxlePWyE

and another one, some behind the scenes clips on this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rotFcrV4JXU

and if anyone hasn't seen it yet, here's L&K Today - (whoever directed this, way too many wide shots giving away the puppeteering)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HwVmQG6bgM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8L4xlAlrJU

Voice seems a bit better in the first one, character still a little off. Still great to see Piggy absolutely everywhere these past weeks in the UK. She went down really well!

 

[MuppetDanny]

Amazon.co.uk has post a video message from Piggy - check it out : http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/mpd/permalink/mNCB9F75PE7YU:m2YU5090O6MTDT

 

[Beauregard]

I was delighted to see Piggy on the Children in Need telethon last week, just in a small guest spot where she said "Give us lots of money!" (Orlando Bloom had a similar spot later on.)

 

[Craig Crane]

I think, looking at all those clips, that the biggest issue with whoever is performing the pig these days is "timing". There appears to be no flow in the performance... almost as if it were "piggy by numbers"...

Its a real shame... because even the presenters at the press junket looked bored.

Check out Kevin Clash on the Arsinio hall show in the early 90's with Clifford and you will see what a live Muppet performance should be like... Piggy just comes across like a poor drag act... where as with with Frank she had fire and balls.

I suppose its really all targeted at a new audience (blah blah blah) who don't really know or appreciate the original performances and Di$ney can just get away with diluting the brand until its water thin. In effect, they have turned the Muppet's into a product that holds the same amount of appeal as Lilo and Stitch 9. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Not sure who's running things over there these days but they should really take a step back and ask themselves "Is this as good as it could be? Are we doing all we can? What can we do to make it better?"

 

[Luke]

The Pigy looked horrible too with those cheap ears they stick on her head and her no chin; who is bulding this Pigy these days? Horrible construction, horrible performance

Puppet Heap are building them these days i think. I agree about Piggy, its not just the stiff performance, the puppet looks off, she was doing Piggy-ish soundbytes but didn't really have much character to her. Was this even Eric doing her? I can't spot the voices that well but i just wondered if someone else is doing her for some reason. Eric puts in way better performances than this, and has better timing. That Piggy puppet looked a bit like the one they made for the French Muppet Show that got cancelled, i wonder if they decided to re-use those puppets for any future European appearances.

 

[Craig Crane]

See, this is how long I have distanced myself from the Henson thing....... I didnt even know about Puppet Heap.

Looking at their gallery, they seem competant enough but all I have to say (albeit almost 2 years after the fact.......) ... ah, it looks like the forum actually doesnt allow me to use multiple bad words begining in F...

I know the Muppet workshop is now called the Puppet Workshop.... but this is just too weird. I have visions of Brian, Lisa, Jane et al sat at home, shaking their heads, rocking forward and back.... asking "What have we done? What have we done?"

I have already sold a load of Muppet stuff such as my crew jacket and Jerry Juhls seat back... I think the rest has to go now as well. Signed scripts, books and other stuff. I may keep the few pics I have from the Kevin Clash workshop in 93, but that's about all... the rest is all just worthless fluff now. If the Hensons can get away with selling of the heir-looms I guess I can too.

The Piggy Performance and EPK footage has really left a bitter taste... almost betrayal. Its the Di$ney machine at its worst... the passion has gone, and all that's left are flow charts, marketing strategies and quota's. They have access to the great body of work from back in the day, and appear to be pillaging it without actually looking forward.

Looks like the rainbow just got disconnected.