The ask Jim Lewis thread is now open

[minor muppetz]

3. Are there any guest stars that were scheduled to be on Muppets Tonight before it was canceled? Who were some guest stars you desperately want(ed) to write for, but didn't get a chance to?

Memory fails, but I can’t think of anyone we had scheduled but didn’t get a chance to shoot. As for guest stars we wanted, but couldn’t get: I’m also happy to say we were fortunate in getting so many stars, especially ones like Prince and Garth Brooks and Tony Bennett who don’t normally do this sort of thing. That said, my favorite shooting day remains the one where we had Star Trek’s George Takei, Don Rickles (in a frog suit) and the one and only Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan on set at the same time. This is magic. Weird magic, but magic nonetheless.





4. I've read that you recieved storywriting credit on The Cosby Show episode Cliff's Nightmare, which featured the Muppets. Can you tell me what the process was like when writing that episode? I would like to know if it was meant to promote The Jim Henson Hour (which, like The Cosby Show, was broadcast on NBC, though it aired after The Jim Henson Hour was cancled), or if it was done as a favor in exchange for Bill Cosby hosting Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting (or vice versa), why Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson didn't perform in the episode (which sort of limited the amount of well-known characters who could have been in the episode, though I find it a bit odd that Scooter, Bunsen, and Beaker weren't in it), and if there were any ideas you had that weren't used in the finished version of the episode.

Long time ago. The “story by” was credited to distinguished Muppet writer emeritus Bill Prady and myself. We didn’t actually write the episode, which was penned by the writing staff of the show (They actually turn up in the episode around the dining room table. Doing what, I don’t remember.) I can’t recall how it came about, but I think it’s safe to say Mr. Cosby was a fan of the Muppets and thought they’d add a unique flavor to an episode of his show. (For this, I am forever grateful.) As for why certain performers and characters weren’t involved, I suspect this was all a matter of availability, but again, it was a long time ago, so let’s let it remain a mystery.

I have read somewhere that Rosie O'Donnell was supposed to make a guest appearance at one point, but her appearance was cancled for some reason.

As for the appearance of the writers for that Cosby Show episode, I would guess that you are referring to the scene where the youngest daughter goes back int ime to talk to people. One of them was Matt Robinson, who originally played Gordon on Sesame Street (though I'm not sure if he was a writer for that series, but I know that he worked behind the scenes on that show).

And now for my next question to Jim Lewis:

One of the main differences between The Muppet Show and Muppets Tonight (and there were a lot of big differences) is the fact that while each episode of The Muppet Show always had only one human guest star (occassionally two, or a group), Muppets Tonight frequently had cameo appearances by other celebrities who weren't billed as guest stars, some of whom even had their own subplot (the only time multiple celebrities were biled as the guests was in the episode with Coolio and Don Rickles, and I am surprised that Don Rickles was billed as a second guest star. His screen time didn't seem to differ much from George Takei's screen time in the Andie McDowell epsiode, or Gilbert Godfrieds screen time in the Dennis Quade episode, and those actors didn't get billed as guests, and the Coolio/ Don Rickles episode also featured appearances by other celebrities), and sometiems there were just other human extras (non-celebrities). The Muppet Show never featured any cameos by any humans who weren't billed as guest stars. Do you know why the decision was made for Muppets Tonight to feature more celebrities than just who Kermit announced as the guest star? Of course, the MupeTelevision segments from The Jim Henson Hour did also feature other humans besides the guest stars, usually Christopher Langham, but also the actors in the Fashion Doll Channel sketches, and of course Jim Henson in the introductions.

 

[Beauregard]

Hey Jim, thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions! I realize that a lot of the actual room designs/props etc in a room in the Muppet Movies is out of your jurisdiction as a writer, but you were on set and you might remember some stuff.

In VMC Miss Piggy has a 'Farm Fresh' Bacon poster on her fridge. It was a devistating, yet clever touch. Was this something you wanted/picked up on and wrote into the script? Or was it just set-dressing.

Also a question that you may not know the answer for, since I'm depending on practically a photographic memory ("Write it down!" Ahem...). There is a fridge-magnet on Miss Piggy's Fridge in VMC that is slightly out of focus, but it looks almost exactly like a Miss Mousey shaped magnet. Is it? Do you happen to remember?

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don’t think there’s a definitive answer as to why Gonzo seemed “toned down” a bit over the years. Here’s my best guess. I think some of it has to do with Gonzo taking on more of a hosting role (“Muppet Christmas Carol,” “Muppet Classic Theater,” etc), especially after Jim’s death and before Steve was fully up to speed on Kermit.

That's actually what I always felt too. He took on the straight man role when there was need for one. Thanks again, Jim!

 

[dwayne1115]

Hey Jim, thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions! I realize that a lot of the actual room designs/props etc in a room in the Muppet Movies is out of your jurisdiction as a writer, but you were on set and you might remember some stuff.

In VMC Miss Piggy has a 'Farm Fresh' Bacon poster on her fridge. It was a devistating, yet clever touch. Was this something you wanted/picked up on and wrote into the script? Or was it just set-dressing.

Also a question that you may not know the answer for, since I'm depending on practically a photographic memory ("Write it down!" Ahem...). There is a fridge-magnet on Miss Piggy's Fridge in VMC that is slightly out of focus, but it looks almost exactly like a Miss Mousey shaped magnet. Is it? Do you happen to remember?

Hey Beau Jim has said a few times that he was not on the set when VMMX was filmed so i kind of think that he wont know the answer to these qustion. Im sorry buddy.

 

[Beauregard]

Oh! I didn't realize that. Sorry Dwayne/Jim!

I do have another VMC question, though, that you may or may not know the answer to.

My question is about Beauregard. He dissappeared, I've heard, because he was difficult to write for, (understandable), then reappeared with a few lines in Muppet's Tonight, was at breakfast in MFS and appeared in almost every theatre scene in VMC. Obviously, everything is collaberative and specific character lines/etc are lost, but I wondered if you knew whether Beau had a reason for reappearing? Was it just chance that pulled him out of a puppet box for VMC, or was he originally given lines? Is he a character you can see returning in a world where movies tend to focus on very few main characters?

 

[dwayne1115]

Thats an awesome question i think, i really like that and that is kind of like bean bunny why is he not so used as much.
Here is my questons


You seem to be trying in your writing to bring the Muppets back to being the way they really where during The Muppet Show, Do you think that will inculde bringing back some of the regulars that have sliped away into the backgorund?


Great question lets keep them coming.

 

[minor muppetz]

Yeah, fans speculate that the reason why Bean Bunny doens't appear as much anymore is because Steve Whitmire took over as Kermit and Beaker, and Rizzo became a much more major character, leaving Steve with little time to perform others, but I don't think that's true. Almost every major Muppet production from the late 1970s and 1980s featured nearly all of Jim Henson's Muppet Show characters (usually with one character missing). The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show and Rocky Mountain Holiday had a lot more of his characters missing, but in The Muppets go to the Movies I think that only The Newsman and Dr. Teeth were missing, Link Hogthrob is the only one of Jim's Muppet Show characters to have never spoken in any of the Muppet movies (even The Newsman got lines in GMC and MTM), all of Jim's characters were present in the 30th anniversary special and A Muppet Family Christmas, but Link was the only one who didn't speak in MFC, and I don't think The Newsman spoke in the 30th anniversary special (not counting clips with the character), and in The Mupets at Walt Disney World, The Newsman was the only one of Jim's characters to be absent. Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, The Newsman, and Link Hogthrob were also absent in Mupet Vision 3D, and Dr. Teeth is the only one to Jim's characters who never spoke on The Jim Henson Hour.

And in most Muppet productions, each main performer usually performs at least four characters. If you look at the credits for The Mupet Movie, Dave Goelz was the only performer to have three characters credited instead of four, in The Great Muppet Caper, Steve Whitmire was the only performer to have two characters credited, in The Mupets Take Manhattan, the only main performer to have less than three characters credited (and there were other performers with only one or two characters credited) was Steve Whitmire (most of the other perfoemrs had three credited characters, though Jim Henson had five characetrs credited, and Dave Goelz had four credited).

So I don't think that Steve Whitmire being busy with Kermit, Rizzo, and others is the only reason for Bean to not be used much.

 

[BearWithMe]

Bean

I'll concur with that. Bean is a fun character. Who can forget "Bean-bo"? But the "I'm cute so they don't have to be" didn't have a lot of legs for the creative team. Hard to place that very specific POV into every production...though sometimes it is deliciously perfect.

 

[minor muppetz]

Bean Bunny could have been one of the flying monkeys in The Mupets Wizard of Oz, and used his cuteness for evil. He also could have been a pirate in Muppet Treasure Island, and used his cuteness as a weapon there (I know you didn't write that movie, though).

 

[BearWithMe]

When you're right, you're right...

Excellent ideas. And I'll accept the cop out that I didn't write those. But I vow to work Bean in the next time the opportunity arises! thanks.