Should Jerry Juhl return to write?

[GelflingWaldo]

There has been a lot of talk recently about Jerry Juhl, the great Muppet writer. His last official work with the Muppets was on Muppets from Space. During the project he left due to "creative differences". Leading up to Juhl's stepping back from the Muppets other writers grew in the Muppet ranks. Many people hope that one day Juhl will return to the writers desk to pen the next Muppet project but many say this is unlikely and could actually be a set back to the Muppets. What do you think of Jerry Juhl returning?



Here is my perspective on the issue:

Jerry retired from writing for television back in 1987 (after the end of Fraggle Rock) this was mainly due to Jerry no longer wanting the schedule and location restraints that go with a TV show. But Jerry Juhl continued his Muppet work by helping co-write the Muppet films (The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island). During the ‘90s the Muppets and the writing for them evolved and changed (mainly due to new performers; loss of performers; change in media; and a new TV Show, Muppets Tonight). When it was time for Muppets from Space there was conflict between the old (Jerry Juhl) and the new (Kirk Thatcher) in the direction and character of the film. Due to creative differences Juhl pulled out of Muppets From Space, but he did not abandon the Muppets. He still wanted to be involved with the Muppets (and he has been to some extent).

Over the past decade several other writers grew and have become the regular Muppet writers (including Jim Lewis, Tom Martin, Joey Mazzarino, and Kirk Thatcher) and have somewhat taken the role Jerry once had (writing Muppets Tonight, Muppets From Space, Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Kermit Swamp Years, Muppets Wizard of Oz, along with countless other specials and appearances). Jerry still works with the Muppets and Henson and is not officially retired from writing all together, but due to the current conditions and environment of the Muppet I would not expect to see Jerry writing the next production (like in the '70s and '80s). Maybe he’ll give input, help out, be a consultant on, or oversee the writing of a future Muppet production; but at this time the Muppets and Jerry are at different places. As a old time Muppet fan I would love to see Jerry Juhl back at the writers’ desk for the Muppets, but I also recognize that the current writers have a handle on who the characters and the Muppets are now.

In my understanding Jerry is not at odds with the Muppets, upset with the Muppets, or disappointed in the current Muppet; nor are the Muppets upset or mad at Juhl. Jerry is enjoying semi-retirement and we are forever grateful for his life-time of work writing for the Muppets, but at this time it looks bleak if Jerry will write for the Muppets again -- just like Jerry Nelson retiring and Frank Oz “stepping back”, Jerry Juhl is removing himself from the Muppets to allow them to continue to move on and grow with out him.

Love it or hate it, a lot of the original Muppet people are moving on (due to death, age, or career). Change of old leaving and new coming in has been happening for several years; hopefully the Muppet's world is able to settle down at Disney and the Muppets will be able to find themselves and move on (but without forgetting the great people who came before).

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I don't think it has anything to do with recycling the talent. The static-ness of The Muppets has to do with writing and direction.

Personally, I wish they would send the scripts to Jerry Juhl to let him add his input to the scripts because who knows the Muppets better than the guy who gave them their personalities? I mean, the performers took what HE wrote and played off that. Without Jerry Juhl, it is my opinion, the Muppets would not be what they are.

It also goes back to what I've always said: The Muppets need to go back to their original work and see what make things click--what made them happen! Take those formulas which worked and build from those because right now, I don't think the writers truly know who, or what, the Muppets are, and so they cannot put them into a good story.

The closest they've come to Muppets of Ole was VMX.

 

[That Announcer]

What we need is a return to "Muppet Treasure Island", using exactly the Muppets in that production and nothing else. MTI represented the best possible combination of everything: Jerry and Kirk (the best writers) wrote the script; Brian directed; Steve, Dave, Jerry, Frank and Kevin were the principal puppeteers. This is the way that it should be- reduce Bill to a lesser extent, using him for recreations of classic characters (and not Pepe, who I love, but I feel we need more of certain other Muppets); get in the best writing talents and the best Muppet director ever; and let it run its course. Oz was not as good as it should have been because it relied too heavily on the 'new' characters. If we use the exact group of Muppets from MTI and let them play themselves, we'd have the perfect Muppet movie.

 

[Erine81981]

I would love to see Jerry Juhl should come back. I loved all the Fraggle Rock episode and the VMXMAS speical. I want him to come back and do more Muppet scripts. I hope they bring him back.

 

[GelflingWaldo]

I think the key is for the Muppets to get a new solid (and good key) writter/writtng team. Brian Henson said "...if it's there in the script you can make a great movie into a good movie, but you can't actually make a great movie into a bad movie if it was a great script. Likewise, if you have a bad script you might be able to make a good movie, but you'll never make a great movie." The Muppets need someone who can make a great script.

 

[Beauregard]

The Muppets need someone who can make a great script.

And so far from what I've seen...it would help if his name became with two JJ's...

But seriously, the others have proved, I think, by now that they will never write as good a script as the one who knows the Muppet best. What they need to do is get down there, and get to know those characters until they know them like the back of their hand (pun intended, but perhaps not noticed....)

They need to sit down with season one, and watch it....24/7 then series two, three, four, etc, until they know each episode off by heart like Jerry Juhl probably does. Then they need to start with the Mupet Movie....

 

[MWoO]

One thing Jerry Jhul could do in the movies was give each set of characters their proper time and lines. We didn't have a Pepe who would ALWAYS be there. While I do like MWoO I can see many of the flaws within it. Pepe did have too much screen time. The EM was seen for no real reason other than to be seen. Many characters weren't even used. The new writers just aren't using what they have.

Also, Statler and Waldorf need to be dropped from the cast of muppets until they can get it right. Dave and Steve can not do it right and the writers are not giving them good material. Those 2 characters need an overhaul. The performrs who did Statler and Waldorf for that short one time movie review on movies.com did a better job with the characters than the principal performers have done in a long time. They even sounded better. Let those two guys take on the role of Statler and Waldorf. These characters simply do not need to be performed by Dave and Steve who already have enough characters they could do.

I do agree that they recycle the same performers too much. While we do have new performers in the mix who are great, we don't have more perforemers. We lost Frank, we gained Eric. Jim Henson and Richard Hunt passed away and 6 years later we gained Bill and Brian (who basically does Sal and that's it). We're down perfoemrs still and there is certainly room for more perfoemrs to take over the huge cast of existing characters we have. Let the new guy who did Scooter keep the character and bring him into the fore ground more. Let some new guys take on the EM and do their thing. Let Statler and Waldorf go to younger fresher performers. Let the main performers do their main characters and let some new talent take on the not so important roles.

Eric can stay where he is though. He is the only total replacement we have seen thus far and I like it.

 

[Movies205]

I think it's time to fire Kirk Thatcher

 

[That Announcer]

I think it's time to fire Kirk Thatcher

As a director, I couldn't agree with you more. Brian needs to step in and bring his skills back. Not one truly great Muppet film has been made post-MTI, and that was Brian's last film. (In my opinion, as well, no truly great Muppet film- with the POSSIBLE exception of GMC- was made BEFORE Brian started directing either.)

As a writer, I couldn't DISAGREE with you more. Of the writers left, Kirk is the one who truly understands the Muppets best, as the only one who directly worked with Jerry. He should write the next film and Brian should direct.

And to the person who said that Steve and Dave can't do Statler and Waldorf perfectly: You're right. Steve does not sound like Jerry or Richard, and Dave does not sound like Jim. I think Bill did Statler in that web deal, but I don't know who did Waldorf. Bill would be a good choice to do Statler. A good choice for Waldorf might be John Henson, the man inside (and the voice of) Sweetums.

 

[MWoO]

I don't think Bill did it. I believe Pepe, Statler, and Waldorf were done by new performers for that movie review skit. Sadly we never saw it again.

Brian is a great director. Maybe if he was limited to just directing and performing Sal it would be good. Apprently Frank and the other performers didn't really like the way he ran things during MFS, but just directing might be a good thing.