The Muppets Episode 3 - Bear Left Then Bear Write

[LaRanaRene]

I agree with tooth. If this show were to get cancelled (it won't) and nobody picked it up, I don't think the Muppets would be around for a while.

 

[CensoredAlso]

If the show keeps going the way it is, the Muppets arguably won't be around anyway.

 

[Ladywarrior]

If the show keeps going the way it is, the Muppets arguably won't be around anyway.

sadly this is very true.

 

[CensoredAlso]

sadly this is very true.

Well on the other hand (and this is what gets me a lot of grief here, heh) but the way I look at it is this is a franchise that had four hugely successful TV series and at least six successful films. Struggling to find a reinvention doesn't mean the franchise is no longer around in the public consciousness.

 

[caper]

It's never about the voices. It's about the acting!

Man, I wish people would stop complaining about the voices and realize that the acting comes first (especially since these puppeteers we're talking about, not voice actors) and the voice comes second.

What??!!! Acting first??!!! On Puppets??!!! Sorry they ARE VOICE actors. Puppeteering and voice comes first then dialogue comes second.

That is like saying the best acting of Darth Vader is what counts. BUT if the voice is NOT James Earl Jones or sounds like him then that Best Acting means NOTHING. And that's a human example, while your talking about puppets.

Their voices and personalities are what give these characters life. Those voices are iconic. You can be the best actor puppeteer but if your voice sucks it won't be believable.

They can't produce the same magic that Jim Henson and Frank Oz did from the Muppet Show to the Muppets take Manhattan.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Caper is right. I get that the Muppet performers don't like being called voice actors, it's a different talent, I understand that. But I'm also thinking of an old clip of the Disney animators saying if you change a character's voice, it creates a different personality. And when we say voice, we mean the whole package - inflection, etc.

That and the connection the performers had to their characters. Jim and Frank were close friends and that gave an extra layer to Kermit and Piggy's relationship. Richard Hunt was that kid who was desperate to get into show biz and please everybody.

 

[Muppet Master]

No matter how much you can try and talk those sorts of nostalgic fans, they'll always have one problem or another with anything that wasn't directly made by Jim himself. They want the old show, fine. I'm sure they might have some of the rest of the episodes on fading VHS. But they want it to be made clear they don't like the show in the most certain terms possible. If you don't why the heck watch it? To pick out more things to complain about? It's like, they don't like any of the newer movies, they don't like any of the newer TV shows, everything constantly has to be compared to something from 30-40 years ago and ignoring the flaws in those projects, even defending them. I'm glad we're getting something new instead of a stale imitation of what they did before. We had that and they didn't like that either.

For the record a variety show format, ironic or not, wouldn't fly with viewers and I wouldn't doubt if they tried making the same exact show they did before it would fail on every level. That said, I really want to stress that this is their last chance, and if this show is successful, I'm sure it will launch something else old school fans would take issue with. If not, well... don't whine if there's not even a Kermit T-Shirt in the next 10 years.

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the ratings slip has something to do with The Flash coming back. That really seems that it would be splitting the potential audience. But the same old fogeys watching NCIS (which I take back, is indeed a terrible show) and tweenyboppers still falling for The Voice (can anyone even name one winner from that show?) will be watching the same old crap they love so much.

Actually, The Muppets easily beat the Flash in the ratings (1.7 vs 1.4), so I doubt it has to do with that. Every show has substantial drops in the weeks following its premiere, look at The Goldbergs, week 1: 3.1, week 2: 2.2, week 3: 1.9, following that the show stabilized, and got renewed. I mean I really hope this does not drop to horrible numbers, and gets cancelled, because that is it. They failed a movie, and if they fail a TV show then back to nothing but the occasional Youtube video. What I fear the most is this show being cancelled after the 13 episodes, and being remembered as "Oh remember that stupid adult muppet show from 2013 or 2016 or something, it was so lame." The irratating part is, everyone chants for a new muppet show or "Disney can you please REBOOT the muppet show." Then they get something, and they reject it. As much as I love TMS it was not the perfect show everyone pictures it as. This one day I read a comment on Youtube it said "The muppet show was okay, but the writing wasn't that good, and there was too little plot." As much as I really didn't agree with the writing not being good, I applaud that commenter for being probably the only person who didn't just say "muppet show is the best show ever". Seriously, this new show is fixing a lot of TMS flaws. Honestly, half the songs were uneccesary some of the time, why do we have to see random muppets singing 20's songs, that's not why I bought the season sets, I don't want to see a random whatnot singing row row row your boat, I want to see Kermit trying to keep the show together backstage, Fozzie trying out his act, Gonzo riding a motorcycle, maybe a muppet labs sketch or two, add in a pigs in space, and a guest star song, but we don't need random uneccesary muppets singing boring songs. Neverntheless, I still love TMS, but I really wish they would cut down on unecccesary songs like those, and have more scenes backstage, and some funny sketches, and the guest star songs are fine, but those random songs that add nothing to the show really didn't work, this is what this new show is trying to fix. Fozzie getting shot by a tranquillizer, Miss Piggy getting arrested, this is the muppet show I always wanted, plus now there is a big budget, we get different locations, and great stories, why are people hating this show, this is the dream muppet show.

 

[Muppet Master]

hey dr. tooth. who says it's their last chance? You? Since when did your opinion suddenly become Word Of God? If this show got canceled and someone decided to bring them back later I'd want to see that too. Also people still by muppet merchandise today so cancelling this show won' suddenly cause muppet fans to stop wanting anything o do with them. I mean I still see Kermit the frog plushies dressed as santa claus at christmas time. :/

also as the others said just because there are people who don't think the new show is perfect and OHSOTOTLYAWESOMEDURRR doesn't mean we're not fans. The Muppet Show had flaws it was not godly perfect either. You can enjoy something even with its flaws.

I can't see anyone wanting to make a new movie or TV show out of something that has failed, I'm sorry, but if this show does not succed, I doubt that Disney will put in time and effort into new muppet projects.

 

[CensoredAlso]

"The muppet show was okay, but the writing wasn't that good, and there was too little plot."

First season clumsiness aside, the writing was very good on Muppet Show. No, there wasn't an emphasis on plot, but there didn't have to be. The Muppets are endearing insanity. No one watched the Marx Brothers for the plots either.

why do we have to see random muppets singing 20's songs,

I'm glad that my tastes were opened a bit due to Muppet Show though. I wouldn't have heard those songs otherwise. It's not for everyone, but it did give Muppet Show a timeless feel. Again, like Star Wars hearkening back to Buck Rogers and John Williams using orchestrations instead of synth. If you go too modern and up to the minute, your show will quickly become dated.

And while you personally may not have liked those aspects of Muppet Show, I doubt Disney has it in their minds to fix anything. I doubt most of them have watched Muppet Show lately to even have problems with it. All they're thinking about right now is trying (some would say a bit too hard) to be current.

Fozzie getting shot by a tranquillizer, Miss Piggy getting arrested....this is the dream muppet show.

That's what Robot Chicken is for.

I can't see anyone wanting to make a new movie or TV show out of something that has failed

It's happened. You need a person with a vision and the right connections.

 

[Muppet Master]

First season clumsiness aside, the writing was very good on Muppet Show. No, there wasn't an emphasis on plot, but there didn't have to be. The Muppets are endearing insanity. No one watched the Marx Brothers for the plots either.



I'm glad that my tastes were opened a bit due to Muppet Show though. I wouldn't have heard those songs otherwise. It's not for everyone, but it did give Muppet Show a timeless feel. Again, like Star Wars hearkening back to Buck Rogers and John Williams using orchestrations instead of synth. If you go too modern and up to the minute, your show will quickly become dated.



It's called Robot Chicken, have fun.

I am not against TMS, it is one of my favrorite shows of all time, why else would I pay like 20 bucks for a season set, but I am just saying I would rather have more moments like this.

Then something like this.

I am not against the songs sung by recognizable muppets or the guest stars, but stuff like this is just pointless, and nothing I would want to watch, I want Kermit, Fozzie, and the other loveable characters.