Answers from Jim Lewis – January 17, 2010
From dwayne1115…
I have been watching The Muppet Show season one, and I noticed something about Kermit. Fozzie, Piggy and all the other Muppets really pushed Kermit's buttons. He would almost always end up yelling at someone. In recent things Kermit has been a lot mellower, and I was wondering if he and Piggy both took anger management? On a side note to that I have read on here on Muppet Central that people have said that Steve's performance of Kermit's anger was "too mean". Do you have any thoughts about any of this?
We all mellow with age, or so I’ve heard. I think that what’s great about these characters is that they have real relationships that develop with time. In the first season of The Muppet Show, the characters were getting used to each other (the performers were getting used to the characters and the writers were getting used to everything – much as we still are). Over time, Kermit learned to sidestep confrontation and conflict where possible, though it will inevitably rear up and surprise him. If Kermit still had the hair-trigger reaction of those early years, we’d find it hard to believe him. The pattern of behavior would get too formulaic. He’d be like the great 1930’s character actor, Edgar “Slow Burn” Kennedy, whose whole persona was based on the fact that the other characters would push his buttons and he’d have a slow burn leading to a major meltdown. I’m a great admirer of this shtick, but wouldn’t want to go there every time.
….As to the matter of “too mean”: I’m not familiar with all the chatter, but I absolve Steve of all sins and blame it on context and me. By context I mean: often these days when we see and hear Kermit it is in a short spot, guesting on some show, turning up in a soundbite or quote. As such, we get the abbreviated “highlight” that tends to emphasize the comedic conflict (the “mean), usually between him and Piggy. Given more time and a place to explore that relationship (and all his relationships), we’d have a far more nuanced portrait of Kermit. By me I mean: me. The usually mild-mannered Kermit reacting broadl (e.g.throwing-his-arms-in-the-air, etc) is a shorthand way to push the audiences’ buttons and get a laugh. I perhaps rely on it too often. Steve should not be blamed for my sins.
From 6ftInchworm…
Jim! Thanks for answering my question! And thanks for the compliment! I'll make sure you get question like the following from now on: Are you aware that you have the same first name of a famous puppeteer?
Really?
Okay, I kid. My next question (or rather, questions relating to the subject in hand) involves the following: Tom Martin. First off, since he was the "Script Doctor" on "IAVMMCM", can you tell which jokes/story points was his, and which jokes/story points were yours (I mean, I don't think those parodies and, ahem, "Scooter" moments in the special was in your original script)? Were you contacted, or at least, aware of the changes he did? What was he like (and his favorite flavor of cheese)? And above all else, are you satisfied with the final product? Us Muppet fans have a "love it or hate it"/"hate it first, love it later"/"love some things, hate other things" relationship with it, so it would be curious on what you think of it.
I’ll answer this first. Tom is a very talented and funny guy, extremely sensitive that he didn’t step on my ego (such as it is). We never actually wrote together. I did the original idea and script and then, before Tom was involved, decisions were made to “go in a different direction,” and that’s where I got off the bus and got under it. What is my line and what is his: I can’t really say. I think that if you know my work, you can tell what stuff was not mine, but again, I think Tom (and the always effervescent director Kirk Thatcher) did their jobs in a stellar fashion, regardless of whether you love or hate their favorite flavor of cheese
And you know, all this writing stuff leads to another question; since you knew Jerry Juhl pretty well, and since "The Muppet Show" had writers come and go, can you (or rather, did he) tell us (or you) which sketches were his and which sketches was someone else? For instance, Joseph A. Bailey. What did he work on?
I didn’t talk with Jerry a lot about who wrote what on “The Muppet Show”. I always assumed it was a group effort, with the various voices blending together to make the final product. As above, if you know Jerry’s work, you can pick out his sensibilities and nonsensibilities in the sketches. So, I can’t speak of what Joe Bailey or any of the other writers did. Heck, I can barely remember what I’m doing.
And another thing; what about the writers on "Muppets Tonight"? That had more writers than the actual Muppet Show, so whose stuff was who? I mean, Jennifer Barrow. I might need help finding her material.
Muppets Tonight was very very much a group effort, under the guidance and wisdom of the very funny Dick Blasucci and the equally hilarious Paul Flaherty. As in most writer’s rooms, we all through our spaghetti at the wall and when one of our strand stuck we were proud. But to recall which is whose is beyond my culinary I.Q.
Whew. Hope I didn't give you a brain knot from all that. Feel free to skip some of this if you want, let's not start the new year with a whimper than a bang! And with that, see you (or rather, read and "watch your work" you) in the new decade! We're in store for something, aren't we?
In store for something: I’m sure of it.
From BobthePizzaBoy…
It's often been said about Muppets Tonight that the writers had a bit of a hard time balancing the sitcom-like backstage plots with the variety show format of The Muppet Show. Looking back on the show now, what do you think worked better for Muppets Tonight?
I think we could have used more on-stage nonsense. But was a conscious decision to give more emphasis to the narrative story in Muppets Tonight. I think that’s something that the network wanted, but I also think it’s something that audiences want. Variety shows back in the day thrived on, well, variety. Today, we all use our remote and DVR to accomplish that variety. People need a tale to glom onto so they’ll keep coming back. I honestly believe we were starting to get the right balance, to develop the character relationships that would bring folks back on a regular basis….unfortunately, after 22 shows, we were gone.
From minor_muppetz…
I have a general writing question. Do you or any of the other writers write scripts on computers, or do you still write scripts on typewriters in this day and age?
I write on a computer. I know no one who writes on a typewriter, unless they perhaps have an assistance that retypes it into a computer. And for software, I use “Final Draft” script software.
Good question. I miss typewriters, but only the sound. I like being able to rewrite whole patches of material and never leave an x’d out trail of my false starts.
From theprawncracker…
Hey there, Jim! Couple of questions for you... First, Team Leno or Team Coco?
I like Leno. I live in Burbank. He works in Burbank. He’s a local boy. Besides, on the rare occasions when we did appearances on his show, he was nice to me backstage.
As for my REAL question... Did you have a hand in the upcoming Muppet Cooking Show with Cat Cora? Do you have any idea when we can expect to see that?
My involvement: none. What to expect: Hilarity and substances you can eat!
Thanks Jim! Give long and proper! ...Or something.
From TogetherAgain…
Hi Jim!
It's the start of a new semester here in college-land, and I was just wondering... Did you know that you're on a college course syllabus? It's true! Right there, on the same page as Hans Christian Andersen, Walt Disney, the Grimm Brothers, that Aesop guy... In fact, you're on the same day as the legendary Stinky Cheese Man! ...Did I mention I'm taking a class in young children's literature? So... Your NAME isn't on the syllabus, to be honest... but Muppet Classic Theater is! Naturally, I talked to the professor about it, and he apparently LOVES Shoemaker and the Elves (and who could blame him?). So... any extra insight I can bring to the class?
I don’t know who this professor is but he is obviously a wise man of great taste. That’s a marvelous thing to hear. All I can tell you is that once I made the rather obvious wordplay “The Shoemaker and the Elf” to “The Shoemaker and the Elvises,” it all made sense and virtually wrote itself. It just makes sense: even though “Blue Suede Shoes” was a Carl Perkins hit, it still worked for the King. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help you score an “A” in this class.
From frogboy4…
Hey Jim. You probably can't answer much of this, but I'll try anyway...
Has this year's Halloween special already been written? Were you involved? Will it have more Muppet monsters in it? Is there anyway you can encourage use of Uncle Deadly and Thog? Do you really think that 2010 will be the Year of the Muppets?
I'm sure there's something in there that's answerable...Thanks!
You answered your own questions: I can’t answer this. Most of it is still in the works, so it would be premature for me to say anything. (And, oh yeah, I don’t know the answers anyway, so I’d just be making it all up.)
Will 2010 be the Year of the Muppets?
Yes. Unequivocably….which I think means without equivoc, whatever that is.
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