The Muppets and Lady Gaga in new Christmas special November 28 on ABC

[jvcarroll]

Really now...ok so what 2d features have been made? Other than Princess and the Frog a few years ago. Disney 2d is absolutely dead. And digital flash based tv series dont count

At this point I LONG for the days of vhs cheapquels

On one hand, Disney did shut down its 2D animation department. That's a matter of fact, not opinion and it's a travesty. Disney's not really planning any major 2D projects to justify keeping it. They can always farm-out any minor work to an overseas studio, but Disney was founded on traditional animation and I think they should keep their studio open, even if it is with a skeleton crew.

On the other hand, they are doing some great things with the Mickey flash-toons. Yes, this is Flash and it's not a matter of opinion. It is a fact. It's not the same as traditional animation, but Mickey Mouse has more personality and range than he's had in decades. There was a time when Disney decided to retire Mickey from animated projects and they eventually brought him back. I think the same thing will happen with 2D animation.

That being said, I don't believe 2D is dead by any means. It's just going to be rare. Eventually the right team of people will come along and bring 2D back for special projects. Henry Sellick and Tim Burton who brought stop-motion back to the theaters for Nightmare Before Christmas. Let us not forget that was under Disney and it led to James and the Giant Peach. Nick Park then brought Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit. Projects like the Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, Frankenweenie and ParaNorman followed. That's certainly not a lot, but all of these were quality projects and there will be more coming when Boxtrolls comes to theaters next year. I believe this signifies what will happen to the future of 2D animation too. I wish there were more. The truth is that computer animation offers studios more options to go back and change things. That's why Spielberg made the terrible decision to nix matte paintings in favor of computer effects for his last Indiana Jones picture. Eugh.

Back to Gaga. I'm surprised nobody is counting down the days as with projects past. There's less than two weeks until the special hits our televisions. Set your DVR's. Woohoo!

 

[muppetlover123]

Im excited still

 

[FrackleFan2012]

Me too!

 

[Slackbot]

Hey, I bought a cable that will link my digital antenna to the DVD recorder. This is the first thing that has motivated me to set up my setup to record a TV program.

 

[Drtooth]

Back to Gaga. I'm surprised nobody is counting down the days as with projects past. There's less than two weeks until the special hits our televisions. Set your DVR's. Woohoo!

That's because one 30 second scene automatically paints this as the worst thing known to mankind. I think it's just the stigma that Gaga's headlining it annoys people and they just want to think the worst of this project. I'm defending the heck out of it, but my expectations aren't the highest. I doubt it will be some great project that blows Muppet Family Christmas and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. My only expectation is that it will be a fun 90 minutes that has as many Muppets as possible, and not one of those specials where they get Kermit and Piggy in for 5 minutes. We've suffered through some real crap in the past for just Kermit and Piggy. We've got the Electric Mayhem here. Hopefully they'll get to sing something or get some sort of scene to themselves.

I'll agree to this. The real exciting thing is the movie. This is just a nice promotional stop along the way.

 

[jvcarroll]

That's because one 30 second scene automatically paints this as the worst thing known to mankind. I think it's just the stigma that Gaga's headlining it annoys people and they just want to think the worst of this project. I'm defending the heck out of it, but my expectations aren't the highest. I doubt it will be some great project that blows Muppet Family Christmas and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. My only expectation is that it will be a fun 90 minutes that has as many Muppets as possible, and not one of those specials where they get Kermit and Piggy in for 5 minutes. We've suffered through some real crap in the past for just Kermit and Piggy. We've got the Electric Mayhem here. Hopefully they'll get to sing something or get some sort of scene to themselves.

I'll agree to this. The real exciting thing is the movie. This is just a nice promotional stop along the way.

Anyone who saw Gaga in last night's SNL shouldn't doubt this pairing with the Muppets. She was funny and self deprecating. She made it through her sketches better than the average guest star. Her live musical performances were impressive. She can play the piano and sing and good as Sir Elton John and then go on to dancing around and being spun upside down without missing a note. Say what you will, but she's a professional. I was expecting some edgier antics from her, but she mostly kept things in the PG range. Gaga showed up to play. Again, I'm not her greatest fan. I just think the Muppets are just as lucky to have her as she is to have them.

Gaga and the Muppets are solid. Now it's up to the writers, producers and director to shape this special into something...er...special.

 

[Drtooth]

Anyone who saw Gaga in last night's SNL shouldn't doubt this pairing with the Muppets. She was funny and self deprecating. She made it through her sketches better than the average guest star. Her live musical performances were impressive.

I enjoyed her on SNL, but they put her in these weird sketches that just weren't funny. I liked the last sketch, but it was almost more depressing than funny... and oddly almost exactly like a skit Robin Williams did back in the 80's (which I should know about, having the Robin Williams SNL VHS. Shame that was never released to DVD). She powered through those weird skits like a professional, and frankly was better than some of the main cast. No doubt it will be better with Muppets.

Would I rather see a Cee-Lo Green/Daft Punk/Weird Al and the Muppets special? Yes. But none of them are having a special themselves, so...

Seriously. Next year Cee-Lo and the Muppets. Someone should get on that.

 

[Walter]

I'm excited to see this special! Should be a lot of fun!

 

[Bridget]

I'm excited to see this special! Should be a lot of fun!

Indeed, I am on the edge of my seat! Walter dearest where in heavens name have you been hiding? Missed ya!

 

[jvcarroll]

I enjoyed her on SNL, but they put her in these weird sketches that just weren't funny. I liked the last sketch, but it was almost more depressing than funny... and oddly almost exactly like a skit Robin Williams did back in the 80's (which I should know about, having the Robin Williams SNL VHS. Shame that was never released to DVD). She powered through those weird skits like a professional, and frankly was better than some of the main cast. No doubt it will be better with Muppets.

Would I rather see a Cee-Lo Green/Daft Punk/Weird Al and the Muppets special? Yes. But none of them are having a special themselves, so...

Seriously. Next year Cee-Lo and the Muppets. Someone should get on that.

Maybe next year they can have a David Bowie reunion. He's done Christmas songs before. We all have our tastes, but Cee-Lo and Weird Al just don't do much for me. I'd love for Cyndi Lauper to be included and she's Muppet-ready, but she doesn't bring in the large crowds either. Such fan assortments remind me of the Unpigged album. There really wasn't an artist I particularly liked and none of them were chart topping A-listers in 1994 like Prince, Elton John or Sheryl Crow. Just one such inclusion would have driven sales of that album. Instead we got Ozzy and Jimmy Buffet. I guess Vince Gill was big with the country people, but I can't name one of his songs.

That's why I'm thankful for Gaga. Pokerface, Bad Romance, Born This Way, Applause and Paparazzi might not be everyone's taste, but most people can name a Gaga song. And that's why this is quality exposure. Anything less at this point is like pairing them with Rob Schneider and Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

You're right about the sketches. SNL is in a transitional year, yet Gaga proved that she could be both the musical guest and host and do them all solidly. Most stars have trouble with doing just one.