Muppets Season 4... Good News and bad news

[minor muppetz]

Maybe there'll be a pattern in releases. There was a two-year gap between season 1 and 2, then season 3 was released the following year, and now it seems there will be another two-year gap. Hopefully season 5 will come out in 2011 or sooner.

 

[Colbynfriends]

At least we know its coming, we just have to mark days on our calender til then.

 

[Traveling Matt]

Maybe there'll be a pattern in releases. There was a two-year gap between season 1 and 2, then season 3 was released the following year, and now it seems there will be another two-year gap. Hopefully season 5 will come out in 2011 or sooner.

They most likely need the extra time to resolve music rights, as each release is different. I don't think these two-year gaps have been intentional.

Hopefully the last two seasons will clear completely.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

The only reason I can think of is that they need time to acquire the rights to each of the songs so they can show them uncut. That seems to be what worked for seasons two and three. Thank goodness we have the TimeLife set to watch in the meantime.

 

[Drtooth]

If this had been an issue, they should have started working on it as soon as Season 3 went into production. if they're strategically waiting when they release other muppet stuff plans, then i don't see why they can't do the same with season 5. It's so frustraiting that these old shows have to clear so much needless red tape (especially since I bet a good tenth of the musicians actually own their own music used), while new shows (including cable ones even people with cable never heard of) get season sets on the shelves the second the last episode airs... even if it was just taped.

I check out TVshowsondvd obsessively, and if I see one more Discovery Channel set, I;ll go crazy! Do we really need John and Kate Plus Eight season 4 volume 2 special edition?

 

[MartyMuppets]

The way I see it, there are only 5 seasons and we really do know that we'll get them eventually. I hope they don't screw us over like they did with the Fraggle seasons and put season 5 in a box set only. I can't wait for 2010!

But in the case of Fraggle Rock there really were only 4 seasons made. If I remember rightly from the discussion somewhere in the Fraggle section some television station, maybe Nickolodion, divided up the final season into two when they aired it. But that's not how the Henson team had made it.

The Muppet Show however most definitely has 5 distinct seasons. There should be nothing to worry about as long as Disney doesn't follow in Hit's footsteps and release a complete collection in place of the much anticipated final season set. Please don't do that Disney. Or at least bring out all the individual sets first.

Edit: Please excuse me. I think I may have misunderstood exactly what you were saying 80's drummer. I still hope we get all the 5 sets of course.

 

[Traveling Matt]

If this had been an issue, they should have started working on it as soon as Season 3 went into production. if they're strategically waiting when they release other muppet stuff plans, then i don't see why they can't do the same with season 5. It's so frustraiting that these old shows have to clear so much needless red tape (especially since I bet a good tenth of the musicians actually own their own music used), while new shows (including cable ones even people with cable never heard of) get season sets on the shelves the second the last episode airs... even if it was just taped.

Generally, studios won’t even consider production on a subsequent season until the current release starts to earn back its costs. However, since TMS is a pretty sure bet and because so much of the show’s music requires clearing, it seems likely Disney has been working on these issues all along.

Producers and studios have learned this lesson the hard way, which is why modern television music licensing includes a provision for home video use, making it easier (and quicker) to get them released.

 

[Drtooth]

Oh, right on... it's those older TV shows that are a problem. That's why we got the Super Mario All Stars version of the Super Show, and at times inappropriate music was redubbed over carefully thought out montages.

And it really bugs me, since most of said music is owned by either record companies, or private owners and corporations that buy them at auction from said record companies. Let's say that they used a certain song on The Muppet Show, let's say "Viva Las Vegas." Disney could approach them about it, but they'd get a solid no, or some frustraiting haggling session. But then you'd see the same music company that owned the song license it out for a commercial for Viagra, adult diapers, laxatives, or denture adhesive (something embarrassing that has no connection to the song, but it's cheaper and easier than writing an original jingle). Even if it disresepcts the original musicians or their families (in the case of Elvis's survivors, they REALLY didn't like the Viagra thing), there's nothing they can do about it (and really, Elvis's estate tried). That's what I love about the music industry. I say they deserve every penny they "lost" do to downloading.

 

[Vic Romano]

Well said Dr. Tooth. There's so much great television that is being strangled because of stupid tedious corporate red tape that may never see the light of day (don't even get me started on trying to figure out why we still don't even have a single disk "best of" DVD for "You Can't Do That On Television"). I hope these media big wigs get every ounce of bad karma they've earned.

 

[muppet baby]

The way I see it, there are only 5 seasons and we really do know that we'll get them eventually. I hope they don't screw us over like they did with the Fraggle seasons and put season 5 in a box set only. I can't wait for 2010!

You know that thought has crossed my mind a few times when i saw that they where going to release season 4 only in the 25th anerversy set .

I hope that they do not do that also with The Muppet Show, i have a feeling as some have also said that we will just see the gaps inbeween seasons .

I also can not wait for 2010 ! it is going to be sooooooooooooooo great . soooooooooooooooo worth the wait i bet they do a great Job as always as they have done with the other sets on one of 2 all time faverite shows .