The Brand New Ask Jim Lewis Thread

[BobThePizzaBoy]

I have seen a few interviews (one might have been with Jim Lewis but I can't remember) where it was said that they chose not to make Kermit the host because they didn't want one-on-one comparrisons between TMS and MT, though if it has "Muppets" in the title and is a follow-up to the Muppet Show I think Kermit should be the main focus regardless (I guess it's hard to please those who want something different than expected and those who want to know what to expect). And I think they chose to make Kermit a supporting character at first when Steve took over.

I'm not just talking about hosting duties. Even in many control scenes, he wasn't present at all.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Another question, a few years back Kermit hosted Turner Classic Movies one night choosing his favorite movies. Singin' in the Rain, The Bang Wagon, Cyrano de Bergerac and Lassie Come Home were the four movies the frog chose. Did Steve actually pick these movies or was this an effort by Muppet writers with the TCM crew?

 

[Duke Remington]

Another question for Jim Lewis:

I know you may not be able to answer this one, but do you think you can tell us why it has been taking so long for the Muppet Show Season 4 DVD set (which was officially announced at the 2009 D23 Expo) to be released?

 

[dwayne1115]

If Ryan would like to send these questions off he can, or if he is to busy I would be glad to.

 

[theprawncracker]

If Ryan would like to send these questions off he can, or if he is to busy I would be glad to.

You can go ahead and send it, Dwayne. I'll take the next batch if that's cool!

 

[dwayne1115]

You can go ahead and send it, Dwayne. I'll take the next batch if that's cool!

Sound good to me, I'll send them right away!

 

[dwayne1115]

Here are the Answers!



Questions For Jim Lewis





1. From BobthePizzaboy: I was thinking about Muppets Tonight today and really began to realize Kermit was downplayed quite a bit. Only showing up once or twice per episode. Steve had already performed the character quite a bit in two movies and a bunch of TV stuff and he was definitely around to do Rizzo so was the lack of the frog due to Whitmire not wanting to take on Kermit on a weekly TV show or the writers' choice to work on developing the new Muppets?



To be totally honest (and that would be refreshing, wouldn’t it?), I don’t actually know all the calculations that went into that decision. I do know Steve didn’t say “nah”. Steve had done a bunch of performances with Kermit, but it was still early on. Perhaps that played a role. I know the writers would have been happy with Kermit, and being writers played no role in actual decision making. But I do think part of it was an effort on everyone’s part to introduce some new—or newer—characters. (e.g. Clifford, Pepe, Seymour, Johnny Fiama, Sal and the great Mr. Poodlepants.) It was that “Star Trek: The Next Generation” vibe. We wanted to go where no Muppet had gone before. And, while it would have been nice to have seen more of Kermit, I think the journey was still pretty amazing. (Ah, if only we were in our 16th season now).





2. From Frogboy: I'm not certain you'd know the answer to this, but the Muppet puppets have greatly changed over the years in style and fabrics. Do the performers, writers or producers have any say or input into how the puppets are designed or styled? I guess many fans are still longing for the Miss Piggy of the very early 80's that Disney seems to be using a lot in print form, but the puppet seems to be the same. Any inside info on that?

Also, once the cameras are rolling - on average how much of a final script is improvised and how much is a direct read?



Puppet builders and designers are the unsung heroes of the Muppet world. Even writers get more respect than them. (Okay, that may be stretching the truth, but it’s close.) The materials are really their call – with input from performers. The artists who create these characters in physical form are taking into account flexibility, durability, performability and cost. The aim is always to create a character who, when performed, has that spark that is the character. It’s a delicate work they take very seriously. Sure, the characters looks have evolved over the years, but the heart remains the same. (And if you want to tell Miss Piggy she’s had too much work done, be my guest. Just let me put on protective gear.)

As for the script question: While the writers joke about being merely “sugg-jesters” of what the characters will say, I’d say that about 80% of a script is what’s written, but with much room for embellishment, ad lib, physicality and character course correction. The joy of the Muppet performers is that they are not merely performing, they are the characters. So it becomes a true collaboration, with both writers and performers taking credit for the funny stuff.


3. From Beauregard: Dear Jim,

Have you seen my left sock? It features Kermit sporting a Christmas hat and holding a Christmas gift and I've been looking for it everywhere...I still have both Animal as Santa ones, but my left Kermit one is most definately missing. Any ideas where to look?



Oh, so that’s YOUR sock! Actually, I have the same picture of Kermit on a necktie. If you want to wear my tie on your foot, it’s a deal.

PS: Check the lint trap. Even if the sock isn’t there, you’ll probably meet some entertaining lint.



4. From Minor Mupptz: On The Muppet Show, with a few exceptions each episode would only have one guest star, and no other non-Muppet human characters besides the featured guest star. But on Muppets Tonight many episodes featured cameos by other celebrities besides the featured guests, some of whom (Gilbert Godfried, one of the Star Trek actors, etc.) had their own subplots (usually outside of the KMUP Studio), and some scenes had human extras. Was there any reason for Muppets Tonight to have more humans in each show besides the guest star (and yes, I know that The Jim Henson Hour had other humans besides the guest stars as well, though not celebrities)?

And considering that, the only episode of Muppets Tonight to have two announced guest stars was the one with Coolio and Don Rickles, while it might as well have just been Coolio as the guest. Don Rickles didn't really do much (probably just as much as Gilbert Godfried or Jay Leno when they were on the show), the episode had other celebrities in cameos, and the promos for the episode only acknowledged Coolio. Was there any reason to have had Kermit announced both Coolio and Don Rickles as the guest stars?



We were using one guest star. But, since the Muppets Tonight was shot in Hollywood (and not England, like the Muppet Show) we had access to so many more stars. And there were times when the plot—such as it was—suggested the use of cameos. So we used them. Gilbert Gottfried was the perfect dinner companion for Kermit….Don Rickles (who signed hockey pucks for the writers) was brilliant as an ersatz Kermit….etc. My all time favorite day was when we had Don Rickles, Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) and George Takei in the studio at the same time. A Mt. Rushmore of entertainment. I was agape in awe, which happens less frequently than you might imagine.

As for Kermit announcing Coolio and Don Rickles as guest star: not sure if that was contractual or just more agape awesomeness.


5. From Duke Rimington: I know you may not be able to answer this one, but do you think you can tell us why it has been taking so long for the Muppet Show Season 4 DVD set (which was officially announced at the 2009 D23 Expo) to be released?



You are absolutely correct that I cannot answer this. I honestly don’t know. Those decisions are made on a different plane of reality, one on which I ride standby

 

[dwayne1115]

My question for Jim!

Did you have a hand (no pun intended) in the creating of Angelo on the new Cooking with Cat show? Better yet are you involved at all? If so have you learned how to cook?

 

[ZeppoAndFriends]

Um...err...is this thread still going?

'Cause I have a question that's been nagging me for a while now.

 

[dwayne1115]

Sure it is even if no one asks a question I'll send mine and yours to Jim to get an answer.