TMS Season 2 Box Set - 2007 Release?

[Mistersuperstar]

Bear Man has hit the nail on the head! In the real world The Muppets might be popular but they are popular with the kind of people who laugh at them while they're on TV but wouldn't dream of spending money on any kind of Muppet merch. Of all the stuff the Jim Henson has done, how much of it has actually been released at all? Very little. How many times have complete seasons of a show been released? Only since the last few years. The Muppets have been around since 1955 and it's only now that anything major is being released.
Also, as I have said before and many people have agreed, Disney would not have bought The Muppets just to leave them in storage. If Disney think they can make money out of something, they will. They would not be the size they are without knowing how to make money. I think they also realise that, while releasing new Muppet programs would be easier, the fans don't actually want new Muppet stuff. That's why it seems that they are merely sitting on the Muppet franchise. What are they supposed to do? Release old material that takes time to aquire the copyright for and have the fans complain that they are taking too long, or release new TV or movies and have the fans complain that it's not as good as The Muppets used to be?
The top and bottom is, Disney's release of TMS DVD season one is the best single Muppet DVD release yet. Great sound, picture and special features. If the second season is as good, even with a few edits, we will be laughing!

 

[giovannii]

Bear Man has hit the nail on the head! In the real world The Muppets might be popular but they are popular with the kind of people who laugh at them while they're on TV but wouldn't dream of spending money on any kind of Muppet merch. Of all the stuff the Jim Henson has done, how much of it has actually been released at all? Very little. How many times have complete seasons of a show been released? Only since the last few years. The Muppets have been around since 1955 and it's only now that anything major is being released.
Also, as I have said before and many people have agreed, Disney would not have bought The Muppets just to leave them in storage. If Disney think they can make money out of something, they will. They would not be the size they are without knowing how to make money. I think they also realise that, while releasing new Muppet programs would be easier, the fans don't actually want new Muppet stuff. That's why it seems that they are merely sitting on the Muppet franchise. What are they supposed to do? Release old material that takes time to aquire the copyright for and have the fans complain that they are taking too long, or release new TV or movies and have the fans complain that it's not as good as The Muppets used to be?
The top and bottom is, Disney's release of TMS DVD season one is the best single Muppet DVD release yet. Great sound, picture and special features. If the second season is as good, even with a few edits, we will be laughing!

NEw Muppet material would be fantastic as well provided it is done right.

IF they re-created the show in its original format in the muppet theatre with kermit hosting and with Pigs In Space, Vets Hospital etc, I think it would do a lot better than "Muppets Tonight".

"Muppets Tonight" failed because it was so un-muppet show like.

 

[Beauregard]

Remember that Disney is running a very thin line, they know that the Muppets have a dedicated fan-base who will scream like crazy if they set a foot (flipper?) wrong in creating a new production...the way we all did after VMC and Mwoo...they also know that we will be complaining if they do not release a new production...

There's the fine line. They need a new production that will meet with full approval of the established Muppet Fandom, while appealing to a new audience...frankly the Muppets need a complete over-haul, without being changed at all. They need RE-introducing. We know who Kermit is and why, who Piggy is and why she chases the frog, how Robin is related and why there is an ancient bus with records stuck on the ceiling...but do others? Somewhere inside them, they do...but not really.

The X-men movies worked brilliantly because the producers came at them without the preconception that the audience new exactly who those X-men were...everything was re-explained, characters where re-introduced in an orderly and awesome fashion.

There was plenty of complaints that Gambit wasn't in the movies, or that such-and-such was wrong and so-and-so was absent...but on the other hand, it brought the franchise back to life. Do the Muppets need the same treatment?

 

[giovannii]

Remember that Disney is running a very thin line, they know that the Muppets have a dedicated fan-base who will scream like crazy if they set a foot (flipper?) wrong in creating a new production...the way we all did after VMC and Mwoo...they also know that we will be complaining if they do not release a new production...

There's the fine line. They need a new production that will meet with full approval of the established Muppet Fandom, while appealing to a new audience...frankly the Muppets need a complete over-haul, without being changed at all. They need RE-introducing. We know who Kermit is and why, who Piggy is and why she chases the frog, how Robin is related and why there is an ancient bus with records stuck on the ceiling...but do others? Somewhere inside them, they do...but not really.

The X-men movies worked brilliantly because the producers came at them without the preconception that the audience new exactly who those X-men were...everything was re-explained, characters where re-introduced in an orderly and awesome fashion.

There was plenty of complaints that Gambit wasn't in the movies, or that such-and-such was wrong and so-and-so was absent...but on the other hand, it brought the franchise back to life. Do the Muppets need the same treatment?

Yeah a Muppet movie which spends the first 15-20 mins introducing the original principle characters: Kermit, Piggy, Scooter, Fozzie, Gonzo & the electric mayhem. Some other faves Swedish Chef, BEaker & Bunsen. Maybe throw in a few newbies like Pepe & Johnny Fiama. Re-introducing it to the kids of today would be fantastic. Even if it was a CGI puppetry sorta thing.

John

 

[Beauregard]

Yeah a Muppet movie which spends the first 15-20 mins introducing the original principle characters: Kermit, Piggy, Scooter, Fozzie, Gonzo & the electric mayhem. Some other faves Swedish Chef, BEaker & Bunsen. Maybe throw in a few newbies like Pepe & Johnny Fiama. Re-introducing it to the kids of today would be fantastic. Even if it was a CGI puppetry sorta thing.

John

I'm not so sure about the CGI aspect, but I'd definatly agree that the first 15 minutes of the next movie should give the Muppets some...perspective. Show who they are without just having Piggy throw clothes around, have a green face, and slam the dor on Bean Bunny.

 

[Bear Man]

Remember that Disney is running a very thin line, they know that the Muppets have a dedicated fan-base who will scream like crazy if they set a foot (flipper?) wrong in creating a new production...the way we all did after VMC and Mwoo...they also know that we will be complaining if they do not release a new production...

There's the fine line. They need a new production that will meet with full approval of the established Muppet Fandom, while appealing to a new audience...frankly the Muppets need a complete over-haul, without being changed at all. They need RE-introducing. We know who Kermit is and why, who Piggy is and why she chases the frog, how Robin is related and why there is an ancient bus with records stuck on the ceiling...but do others? Somewhere inside them, they do...but not really.

The X-men movies worked brilliantly because the producers came at them without the preconception that the audience new exactly who those X-men were...everything was re-explained, characters where re-introduced in an orderly and awesome fashion.

There was plenty of complaints that Gambit wasn't in the movies, or that such-and-such was wrong and so-and-so was absent...but on the other hand, it brought the franchise back to life. Do the Muppets need the same treatment?

I totally agree with your assessment of the fan base and the fine line Disney has to tread - you've really nailed it there. And I also agree 100% with you that they need re-introducing...and here comes the big "but" (not Piggy walking backwards, no...)

BUT

You mentioned the X-Men movies - characters properly introduced, explained to the non-comic audience. It's a great analogy. Can I suggest though, two other reasons that the movies worked? Firstly, they are total special-effects blockbusters. Even people who hold no interest in the comics were interested to go and see them because of the visual stimulation and action that they promised. Can the Muppets provide that sort of thing? Is there some "hook" that could be used to bring in an audience? The only one that I can think of is an A-list star - or rather stars - in something other than a cheesey cameo, with a first-rate director behind the camera, along with a first-rate script, who approaches the film/tv series/special/whatever with a really strong concept. And to go along with that, you'd need a really strong marketing campaign. All of this adds up to a lot of money spent on something that has no guarantees. The studio's risk analysts would have coronaries.

The second reason that the X-men franchise works is because it's part of an already proven genre. The mammoth success of Spiderman proved to the studios that they could spend massive amounts of money on a film like X-men and still have a reasonable prospect of success. It proved to the studios that people who didn't necessarily buy the comics would still see the movie. And, more importantly, it proved to AUDIENCES that they could still enjoy a comic book movie, even if they didn't read the comics themselves - or indeed have that much of an interest in the comics. And that's where we get into trouble again. Audiences currently believe that Muppets are kids stuff. They won't change that perception until they are shown something to persuade them differently. And in a terrible catch-22, they won't go to see anything that might persuade them differently because of that very prejudice.

Mainstream tastes have changed - there's no doubt about that. Could the muppets be brought back into mainstream culture? Probably. But it would take a lot of money. And it would also involve changing some fundamental aspects of the way the characters interact with each other and the world around them...and I think that would cross the line for many of you.

 

[Marky]

Remember that Disney is running a very thin line, they know that the Muppets have a dedicated fan-base who will scream like crazy if they set a foot (flipper?) wrong in creating a new production...the way we all did after VMC and Mwoo...they also know that we will be complaining if they do not release a new production...

I really don't think Disney cares about a sqeaky-wheeld minority. THere's no cost-effectiveness there. And in their defense, I think that it's wiser for them not to care. They should just make up their minds on what they want the Muppets to be.

 

[JJandJanice]

Mainstream tastes have changed - there's no doubt about that. Could the muppets be brought back into mainstream culture? Probably. But it would take a lot of money. And it would also involve changing some fundamental aspects of the way the characters interact with each other and the world around them...and I think that would cross the line for many of you.

I think the Muppets never really have a problem being in mainstream culture, they pretty much always are. Sure the new material is as good, but they're still stars for the most part. I don't know, I guess once a celeb always a celeb or something.

 

[Super Scooter]

... um... was it mentioned that you can vote on the season two DVD cover on Muppets.com? That was kinda cool, huh?

But, seriously, what I wanted to post about was in response to these posts...

"THE MOST PATHETIC THING I'VE EVER READ ON MUPPET CENTRAL"
Thanks for the laugh!!! the cancellation of Kermit's 50th Anniversary was a sick crime!!! Disney STINKS for that!!! and who cares about money? That doesn't mean a great product... I want excellent Muppet quality delivered the way Jim Henson would, not Disney...

"forthcoming Kermit Photo Puppet Replica"
-yeah thats very cool, but anti Henson... I don't think he would have approved it! Muppets are not toys... they are tools of entertainment!
---
Class, Heart, and Top Quality! Thats what I want! Not Rubish! I don't care about the tour... I care more about a Muppet special to celebrate Henson and Kermit that NEVER happened... NOTHING HAPPENED!!! Thanks Disney!

Fact of the matter is, in case you didn't notice, Jim Henson is... well, dead.

The Kermit Photo Puppet Replica is not anti-Henson in the least bit. Jim was not only an artist, but a businessman who recognized what could be gained by releasing such products. After all, there were those Rowlf and Kermit puppets released way back in the sixties. Such products allowed Jim to be a little more free with his film projects, and not under the studio's thumb.

The Muppets, thanks to the internet, have more exposure now than ever before! Think about it, there are over thirty episodes of the WALT DISNEY PRODUCED Statler and Waldorf series on Movies.com. That's more than the last television show the Jim Henson Company tried to produce ever had, which I seem to recall never aired. Heck, that's more than Muppets Tonight had!

Personally, yes, I agree that the Muppets have lost alot of what they used to have, but I've felt that way since LONG before Disney owned them. They are still some of the finest entertainment in existance today. Nothing, in my book, can compare with what the Muppets are.

... Oh, and I liked The Muppets Wizard of Oz. It made me want to work for the Muppets again.

 

[JJandJanice]

Plus it's not "anti-Henson" in the fact that the "Kermit Replica" isn't a hand puppet.