Hey Marky, we'll have to get your question in the next set of questions sent to Jim. Anyway, here's the latest answers from Jim!
"I have a few trivial questions!
I was trying to whip up some Fly-shoe Pie the ther day (following the strict guidelines set out in BYL) but it didn't work out for me. I was wondering, if there a method to seperating the Pond Water from the pond scum?
Also, I couldn't help but wonder if you prefer Fresh Muffins or Fresh Bagels?"
Sounds like this question is for Kermit, not me. I’m just a ghost, transcribing what the amphibian tells me. If the recipe doesn’t work, you might try take-out. I hear the El Sleazo has a knock-yer-teeth-out-if-you-still-have-any-teeth Fly-Shoe Pie. It’s to die for, literally. As for me, Muffins. As for Kermit, I’d suspect Home Flies.
"I'm currently re-reading 'Before You Leap', and was wondering if there was every any dispute from Disney to include Kermit's Sesame past. Like, did they ever not want to put the picture of Big Bird in? Or not want to deal with the legalities of mentioning Sesame Workshop characters?
Also, when writing a scene where Gonzo and Rizzo order a pizza, what would they have on it?"
Kermit’s “Sesame” past is part of who he is and what he’s done, and that section of the book was autobiographical, so there were no problems and no lawyers were hurt in the making of the book. (Darn!) As for pizza: Rizzo takes whatever is available (or unguarded) and Gonzo likes everything—and I do mean everything—on it.
"Jim, I have a bit of an odd question... but then, it's the Muppets, so what ISN'T odd? ...I digress. My point, if I have one, is this: How do you, or how does any Muppet writer, write for the Swedish Chef? Do you just give a general idea of what Chef would be trying to convey, hand it the Muppeteers, and say, "Have fun!" Or do you write it all out, or... Just- HOW? And I suppose I could ask the same about Beaker and chickens and so forth, but I'm particularly curious about the Chef."
I write it out, figuring out what the Chef is trying to do and say, then putting together a gibberish-strewn Mock Swedish phonetic guide within which are tucked a few barely recognizable words in English. This material is then copied in triplicate, with one copy going into the trash, one copy going to the performer (who ignores it if they know what’s good for them) and the last copy kept by me as proof that I wasn’t sleeping all day. As for Beaker and the chickens, the process is similar, but involves a lot more marmalade.
"Jim, my friend, did you write the material (whatever material there actually was) for the America's Got Talent appearance by Kermit, Chef, Beaker, Animal, and Miss Piggy? Just curious how the writing process of an appearance like that goes down."
A good question. Yes, I did work on that. First, the producers of the show have an idea. We help figure out how the Muppets would best fit within that idea, then a script is put together. After everyone agrees that I should really find another line of work, a revised script is put together that meets everyone’s needs and that is shot, edited and aired. If it works well (and I’m happy to say Terry Fator did win!) I get a cookie.
"Where has Crazy Harry gone to? I always loved his explosions and stuff I really thought he was pretty funny."
A combination of things. First, Jerry Nelson performs Crazy Harry and his availability is one factor. Second, Crazy Harry is always punctuation, so the scene has to fit his personality and his unique talent for blowing things up. And third, unofficially, I find that in a post-9/11 world, blowing stuff up—even in foolish fun—isn’t as funny as it once was. But again, that’s my personal opinion.
"In the Muppets Tonight episode with Coolio and Don Rickles, Ernst Starvos Grouper had a bodyguard named Behemoth. This monster had previously been used in older Muppet productions (most notably singing the 'Under My Skin' number in the Muppet Show episode with Vincent Price). Was this actually the monsters official name back then, or did a writer just write the character into the script, and whoever was in charge of puppets chose to pick a random puppet (as opposed to designing a completely new character)?"
You know more than me. I’m sending you questions from now on. Seriously, I don’t know the answer to your question, but knowing the people at the Muppet Workshop, I strongly believe that this was not just some “random” choice, but that his name was is and remains “Behemoth”.
"I know that nearly 30 minutes worth of footage was cut from It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, but were there any major scenes, subplots, or running gags that were written in the script but not filmed?"
Now here’s a question I should know the answer to, but don’t. I wrote the first draft of the script, but not subsequent drafts. A good deal of what I wrote is there in the movie, but so much was changed that I really don’t know what, if any, major scenes, subplots, or running gags were filmed or not filmed. In any case, the director, Kirk Thatcher, did a fantastic job and I symbolically kiss the hem of his garment, in a purely platonic way, of course.
"Whatever happened to Skeeter? Why did she stay as a baby? I suppose there was never any call for her to be an adult, but she could have joined the new cast of Muppets Tonight or Jim Henson Hour, perhaps. Any thoughts on her?"
Ahh, Skeeter. I wasn’t there for the creation of the “Muppet Babies” animated series, but I suspect she was added to the show so there’d be another (dare I say, more balanced than Baby Piggy) female character on a show aimed at kids. We threw around various bizarre scenarios about what happened to Skeeter after “Muppet Babies,” but none of these were ever confirmed. Frankly, I suggest contacting the Federal Witness Protection Program for more info. Let us know what you find out.
"Hey Jim! I have another question, on the recent Muppet Show Season 2 DVD set it included a piece called "The Muppets On The Muppets" did you happen to write those?"
I wish I could say I did. Those are totally off-the-cuff in-character answers by the performers. I was, however, just off-camera. On an alternate audio track you can hear me mumbling “Oh no! If they keep this up, I’ll have to find a real job!”
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