Muppet Babies - 20+ years later

[minor muppetz]

Well, with SMW, I almost want to say not to bother. SMBSS and AOSMB3 are far better shows,... SMW barely gets out of the rut of plots about introducing new concepts to the cavemen and King Koopa exploiting it for his own purposed... something done MUCH better, BTW, on Kirby of the Stars. And there's only 2 or 3 good Captain N's paired with them... NEVER watch the one where they go to Hoopworld. That's one of the worst cartoons I've ever seen, and I LIKE Captain N. But SMW is kinda fun. I'd say get the single disks from N Circle, and save the money rather than getting the big box set. I got the box set, but only because I found it at a store that's now out of business... and it was 5 bucks before any clearance discounting.

I feel the Super Mario World cartoon feels the most like a kiddie cartoon, almost as if it were aimed at a younger audience that the two previous Mario cartoons. And the theme song is very annoying.

I had read that the series legally had to be released as "Captain N and the New Super Mario World", but I wonder if that's true, considering they were able to release single-disc DVDs with Mario segments from all three series. Also, the last few half-hours of the series were just Super Mario World, with no Captain N (the Captain N part of the opening and closing was even removed).

I have wondered why they paired the two cartoons in one half-hour. I know that Captain N. and the Mario 3 cartoon were paired together as an hour-long show, but still. I have a few theories of my own:

• They wanted to make a cartoon cashing in on the success of Super Mario World, and pairing it with another cartoon in a half hour was the best way to make it a quality series without feeling too rushed (they wouldn't need to make full half-hour stories, and wouldn't need as many half-stories).
• They wanted to continue Captain N and create a Mario World series, NBC didn't have room on the schedule for both, and so they chose to put them together to save schedule time.
• They produced all those Captain N episodes for the previous season, and needed to air them all, but didn't have enough for a full season.

I also wonder why Captain N got top billing. I would think Mario was a bigger selling point, and not only was Captain N the second cartoon in each episode, but Captain N's part of the theme song was the second part.

 

[Drtooth]

No real explanation is given, but suffice to say, this is when NBC was about to drop their cartoon line up, and they wanted to combine the show into one half hour to make more room on the schedule. Honestly, those are some of the worst Captain N episode, they only had 7 of them, and the animation was moved to a different outsourced company, leading certain characters to be streamlined (including a squashed, over simplified version of Mother Brain, who thankfully only appeared in one episode).

Really a shame, since there was so much more potential in Captain N episodes when they were a full half hour. Though A Tale of Two Dogs is good. But hey, they had another video game to advertise, so..

As for the DVD release, it IS considered a different show from the full half hour Captain N's... so that's why they were released on that collection.

 

[Yorick]

Well, the story is that part of the agreement between both Columbia and Filmation for the use of the name, Filmation was to do the series based off the movie. But things fell through and Columbia went to DIC, and Filmation decided to do it themselves based on their version.

I've said it a million times, but it was one of the most unfortunate co-incidences in entertainment

Yes, both must have been made at the same time since Filmation's hit tv six days before Columbia's. The only thing was, when the deal fell through, it was because Columbia told Filmation they weren't going to make a cartoon at all. So that's why Filmation said, "Well I guess we can make a cartoon based on our 75 show then!" not knowing Columbia was secretly making a cartoon. That's the way I heard it, anyway.

That said, the sequence in Ghostbusters 2 where the kids sing "Who ya gonna call? HE-MAN!" ... I still think that was a kind of jab at Filmation.

Which is strange since Filmation didn't do anything wrong - if anything, Filmation were the ones lied to, unless I'm missing something. But since I like the work of both series (the 2 Columbia movies, and the live action Filmation show, and the Filmation cartoon and 80's Columbia cartoon and "Slimer!" Cartoon), I'm not bad mouthing anyone here, just telling what I've heard. Either way, I like the He-Man scene in Ghosbusters 2, it's definitely funny Poor Winston and Ray - in the start of the 2nd movie that is - no respect!

Now, with the movie Ghostbusters, they were clearly unaware of the Saturday morning show

Are we sure Harold, Dan, and even John Belushi (originally planned to be in it) didn't watch it religiously? I know it was a totally different concept originally though, so I have to admit that.

Long story short... the little Lulu anime is from the 70's... I think it was distributed by Ziv international outside Japan. I only knew of its existence because there were all these odd anime (Americanized) theme songs in a line of promos at the end of a Gumby tape I used to have. I saw a couple episodes, and even though Lulu's dub voice doesn't fit, it's pretty good. But drastically different from the Lulu shorts.

Interesting, especially as you said it's the only US character besides "Baby Felix" where they made an anime on it.

Harmony Gold ... the fact that we ALMOST grew up with those series saddens me that they weren't picked up. However, they were INFAMOUS for taking an entire series, or two completely different shows and mushing and crushing and squashing them together to either make a DTV movie or a TV series. They took Captain Harlock and Queen Millenia, and made it into one series for example.

If only a company here would have combined Darkwing and Ducktales (after both shows ended, of course) but I know that'd make more sense for obvious reasons. though Launchpad would never have a day off.

As for the Bullets... they were a session band that recorded new music, mostly for Harmony Gold, but also for a couple others... let's just say anime fans of today would flip out and I can't blame them.

I'll have to listen to that I'll try the link

Now, when it comes to my favorite Felix bits, the original silent cartoons, the 60's series and Twisted Tales... I think those are all the tops. There was even a pretty good Felix comic published in the 90's... wish I didn't give up on it due to financial restraints when I did.

I too love the original silents, and though I'm not sure if I saw the 60's series, the characters you mentioned from it being in Baby Felix, I know from the movie and the NES game, so I look forward to their arrival on the show. So far I saw what seems to be the first episode of Baby Felix - it was all about baseball - and I was cracking up when Baby Felix was getting his older self in trouble by eating the cake. I'm sure this sounds crazy to anyone who hasn't seen it!

 

[Drtooth]

Yes, both must have been made at the same time since Filmation's hit tv six days before Columbia's. The only thing was, when the deal fell through, it was because Columbia told Filmation they weren't going to make a cartoon at all. So that's why Filmation said, "Well I guess we can make a cartoon based on our 75 show then!" not knowing Columbia was secretly making a cartoon. That's the way I heard it, anyway.

They had absolute knowledge that Columbia was going to do a cartoon. After all, part of the agreement lead to Columbia INITIALLY going to Filmation for that series. After they found out they had been dumped for another animation studio, they got annoyed and made their own cartoon. Think of it like that episode of Futurama where Bender keeps getting kicked out of places and says "FINE! I'll make my own theme park, with hookers and Blackjack! On second thought forget the theme park!" Only, of course... with the cartoon.

To my knowledge none of them knew about the existence of the 1970's live action series, and the concept was based off of that old movie I mentioned, Spook Busters. Something someone at Filmation probably saw. So, the odd truth is, both knew of the original movie and wanted to make some sort of homage to it.

Wanna know the most confusing part?

The original concept of Ghostsmashers (the working title Akroyd as working with) had the characters go back and forth through time and space battling ghosts and monsters. The concept of the Filmation animated series WAS the descendants of the live action series could go through time and space to battle monsters. So I'm guessing they were going to use the movie's original concept had Filmation did the cartoon version of the Columbia movie.

Oh, BTW... Columbia had to pay Filmation for the name. I think I forgot to mention that, but it is very important to the anecdote.

Of course, what really bugs me is that the cartoon version of Forrest Tucker (the Ghost Busters' fathers appeared sporadically through the series) is younger looking AND sounding than he was in the actual series. Plus... well, their kids would have had to have been at least 5-10 and not shown during the course of the live action series if they were teens-early 20's in the animated version. And Tracy the Gorilla didn't age a day!

 

[Yorick]

They had absolute knowledge that Columbia was going to do a cartoon. After all, part of the agreement lead to Columbia INITIALLY going to Filmation for that series. After they found out they had been dumped for another animation studio, they got annoyed and made their own cartoon.

The version of the story you heard (which might well be true!) and the version I heard, only have one difference: I heard after Columbia decided against Filmation making their show, they told Filmation they weren't making any show based on the Columbia film, so that's why Filmation went ahead with a show based on their 1975 show. The reason this makes sense to me, is because I'd figure Filmation would know the Columbia cartoon would probably get more viewers, because it's based on the smash hit movie. Even though you and I agree Filmation made a great cartoon show (I was happy to hear you liked that too, since so many call it a "rip off" of Columbia's show which we know is wrong.)

But the story you heard may be the true one. Because after all, I wasn't there.
But of course if Filmation themselves said they knew about it, then I'd definitely know they did. But since Columbia didn't let Filmation make the cartoon after saying they would, that makes me possibly skeptical of the Columbia folks (only in that respect, though) even though I do like their show, too

 

[Drtooth]

Wanna hear one last bit?

The DIC cartoon got in a shot at the Filmation series...

a phoney psychic is seen wearing Jake Kong's exact outfit

 

[Yorick]

Wanna hear one last bit?
The DIC cartoon got in a shot at the Filmation series...
a phoney psychic is seen wearing Jake Kong's exact outfit

Well, I'm glad it wasn't a "fake" ghostbuster dressed like him!

By the way, everyone, Muppet Babies ROCKS!

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Muppet Babies! We make our dreams come true! Muppet Babies! We'll do the same for you!
: When your would looks kinda weird and you wish that you weren't there (a position I find myself in quite frequently on The Muppet Show, but I try to grin and bear it)
Me: Just close your eyes and make believe and you can be anywhere- I like adventure!
: Hey! Those were my lines! I mean- I like romance.
Fozzie: I love great jokes!
Animal: Animal dance!
Scooter: I've got my computer!
Skeeter: I flip through the air!
Rowlf: I play the piano!
Gonzo: And I've got blue hair- Ha!
Bunsen: I invent things!
Beaker: Meep!Meep!Meep!
Nanny: Is everything all right in here?
All: Yes, Nanny!
And it's all right now- at the Muppet Revival thread- join us for some fun, laughter, make believe and the occasional pie in the face.
http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?p=864200#post864200

 

[Baby Rowlf]

Baby Animal may be cute, but you don't get any more adorable than fluffy musical puppies in diapers! (On a side note, why is it that Animal is the youngest....but that Rowlf's the only Baby that wears diapers?

As for my stance on the Muppet Babies, I love it obviously. but the funny thing is that I never really thought of them as canon younger versions of the Muppets. Baby Rowlf looks very different from his adult counterpart, and the characteristics of some of the characters (Scooter and Gonzo especially) are wildly different from how the grown ups act. Another thing that always did it for me was the fact that the Muppet Babies didn't take place in the past, it took place in modern times.

Honestly? I liked the Babies as a stand alone piece, but never completely associated them with the grown up Muppets. When I got older, I just figured they were child actors hired to play baby versions of the Muppets.

 

[dwmckim]

Baby Animal may be cute, but you don't get any more adorable than fluffy musical puppies in diapers! (On a side note, why is it that Animal is the youngest....but that Rowlf's the only Baby that wears diapers?

I think it's a dog/papertraining thing. (For that matter i always wondered if "mama dada poopoop chihuahua" was the other babies saying it was time for Rowlf's diaper change.

Actually Scooter, Skeeter, and especially Gonzo all look like they're packing diapers underneath their clothes.