Muppet Classic Theatre: An early Muppets Tonight?

[BoyRaisin2]

Ahh, MCT. The first Muppet video I ever bought (during my "Does Disney own the Muppets?" period) which eventually led to the obsession I have with Henson today. Enjoyed it for a few years, so I'm sorta bored with it now. Still good memories now.

Though there's one thing I still don't get: WHY did Dave Goelz briefly perform Rizzo in that one scene?

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Chilly Down
And while I'm glad you enjoyed MCT, Cory, IMHO it's the worst post-Jim production.

Oh agreed...it comes in on that awkward post JH period where Disney was releasing all those JHC vhs. There were a lot of stinkers in that time period(remember the hip hop Bean and Bobo-like bears hip hop special) Anyways, the local library has all these SS/Muppet vhs, so I get em to play for my bird. I watched a little bit of MCT, and yeah...it was pretty much a very Sesame sketch feeling thing, but Piggy always seems to have an irreverent since of timing in there. MCT if ya look at the intros has definately gotta be the original template for Muppets Tonight....yet somehow JHH 7 years prior was vastly more groundbreaking, hmmm...

Originally posted by BoyRaisin2
Ahh, MCT. The first Muppet video I ever bought (during my "Does Disney own the Muppets?" period)

Heh, that was a bit of an ambigious time period for the JHC/Disney thing...Im not a fan of the early 90's era JHC by any stretch of the imagination(I think 1996 was when JHC finally started to get a little footing back)

 

[sarah_yzma]

Originally posted by BoyRaisin2


Though there's one thing I still don't get: WHY did Dave Goelz briefly perform Rizzo in that one scene?

which scene was that!?!?! i missed it! did he do the voice too??? i haven't listened to it much lately.....please please give me some info

Sarah

 

[BlueFrackle]

Cory,

Originally posted by beaker
There were a lot of stinkers in that time period(remember the hip hop Bean and Bobo-like bears hip hop special)...

That was Muppet Sing-Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs and i think it was good.

I think people like that one !

Bean Bunny wasnt in it, But Bobo was. He was in The Muppets Take Manhattan too.

Actually i think some people say that this was Richard Hunts last Muppet Project ?


see ya

 

[Chilly Down]

"There were a lot of stinkers in that time period(remember the hip hop Bean and Bobo-like bears hip hop special)"

Good call, Cory. I forgot about that stuff. I was thinking only of stuff starring the classic TMS characters. You may be right about the intros--I'll have to check the tape again sometime.

While some think of Gonzo as the new host here, I can't help but be amused by he and Rizzo being in the balcony. Doesn't that make them the new Statler and Waldorf?

"Though there's one thing I still don't get: WHY did Dave Goelz briefly perform Rizzo in that one scene?"

The scene BoyRaisin is talking about is when Rizzo leaves the balcony for a minute to go bring something to Kermit in the "Shoemaker" segment. Since Steve is playing Kermit, Dave played and voiced Rizzo for those brief couple of lines. Steve was supposed to dub Rizzo later, but they simply ran out of time.

 

[WiGgY]

Now I have to go find my tape and watch that scene. Dave may be taking over Rizzo!....ok maybe not.

It's weird how much Dave and Steve work together. Rizzo and Gonzo, Bunsen and Beaker, and even Kermit and Gonzo. Besides Jim and Frank I can't think of a duo that has so many charater teams.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Originally posted by WiGgY
Besides, he would have been next in line to host, except maybe Fozzie, but he was never much of a leader.

Well, excuuuuse ME! But "I did the driving!!"



FZ

 

[Chilly Down]

"It's weird how much Dave and Steve work together. Rizzo and Gonzo, Bunsen and Beaker, and even Kermit and Gonzo. Besides Jim and Frank I can't think of a duo that has so many charater teams."

Oh, yes! That's very deliberate. The writers like teaming up performers who work well together as much as possible. In addition to the characters you named, the writers often put Boober (Dave) and Wembley (Steve) together on Fraggle Rock, and the tiger (Dave) and the mouse (Steve) in The Christmas Toy was another deliberate pairing.

As you mentioned, Jim and Frank were another one of these teams, as were Jerry and Richard (Floyd and Janice, Robin and Sweetums, Sully and Telly, and the Two-Headed Monster!). The writers are trying to do that again with Bill Barretta and Brian Henson (Johnny Fiama and Sal Manila, Pepe and Seymour). The Muppeteers that have struggled the most to break out from the pack in the TMS universe, in fact, are those who don't have a "partner" (Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, David Rudman).

 

[Chilly Down]

Cory: ROTFL!!! I just saw your new avatar. Gotta love the buff Beaker!!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Great points, Chilly. I never thought of all that before now.

FOZ