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I haven't done any "vs" threads in quite awhile, so I thought it be fun to do this thread, asking which is better: The Muppets on Puppets or The Secrets of the Muppets?
Both are specials hosted by Jim Henson explaining how his characters work, with the Muppets being presented as real even when we see that they are puppets. Both show the characters not taking it well when they learn they are puppets.
I like The Secrets of the Muppets a lot better. By the time that was made, Jim had more works to add to his career, and the special was more about his career (while The Muppets on Puppets was more of a general puppetry special, with a lot of Muppet bits). While The Muppets on Puppets is an enjoyable special, there are parts I find a bit boring (mainly parts that show non-Muppet puppets, though some of those scenes are enjoyable). The Secrets of the Muppets is also a lot more magical, with the various settings from The Jim Henson Hour being used.
I wonder if it would have been better to do a "vs" thread on "The Secrets of the Muppets" vs. "The Jim Henson Hour Pitch Reel", or "The Muppets on Puppets" vs. ..... Uh, those specials/appearances on that public television show where Jim showed examples of puppetry (can't remember what that show was called).
And now that I think about it, I feel it might have been great if Jim Henson did a similar special in the late-197os or early-1980s. The Muppets on Puppets was made long before The Muppet Show, when only a few performers worked for the Muppets and there was no defined grouping of Muppets, while The Secrets of the Muppets was part of The Jim Henson Hour, made near the end of Jim's life and which prioritized new characters over old characters, in addition to not having much Frank Oz or Richard Hunt. A similar special made during the time of The Muppet Show, with all of the main classic performers and most of the main Muppet cast fans are familiar with (and maybe also the Sesame Street Muppets), would have been great (I know there's Of Muppets and Men, but as far as I know the Muppets aren't treated as "real" in that documentary).
Both are specials hosted by Jim Henson explaining how his characters work, with the Muppets being presented as real even when we see that they are puppets. Both show the characters not taking it well when they learn they are puppets.
I like The Secrets of the Muppets a lot better. By the time that was made, Jim had more works to add to his career, and the special was more about his career (while The Muppets on Puppets was more of a general puppetry special, with a lot of Muppet bits). While The Muppets on Puppets is an enjoyable special, there are parts I find a bit boring (mainly parts that show non-Muppet puppets, though some of those scenes are enjoyable). The Secrets of the Muppets is also a lot more magical, with the various settings from The Jim Henson Hour being used.
I wonder if it would have been better to do a "vs" thread on "The Secrets of the Muppets" vs. "The Jim Henson Hour Pitch Reel", or "The Muppets on Puppets" vs. ..... Uh, those specials/appearances on that public television show where Jim showed examples of puppetry (can't remember what that show was called).
And now that I think about it, I feel it might have been great if Jim Henson did a similar special in the late-197os or early-1980s. The Muppets on Puppets was made long before The Muppet Show, when only a few performers worked for the Muppets and there was no defined grouping of Muppets, while The Secrets of the Muppets was part of The Jim Henson Hour, made near the end of Jim's life and which prioritized new characters over old characters, in addition to not having much Frank Oz or Richard Hunt. A similar special made during the time of The Muppet Show, with all of the main classic performers and most of the main Muppet cast fans are familiar with (and maybe also the Sesame Street Muppets), would have been great (I know there's Of Muppets and Men, but as far as I know the Muppets aren't treated as "real" in that documentary).