Top Ten "Lesser' Muppets

[rtgentry]

Remember in IVMMC that they said scooter inherited the theater from his uncle. Does that mean the uncle died?

 

[RedPiggy]

It doesn't have to mean he died. His uncle could have just given it to the Muppets to get rid of the financial worry.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

Link Hogthrob & Professor Strangepork_Whatever happened to these two characters?
Aside from being Miss Piggy's two"Pigs In Space"sidekicks,they both had their share of roles in many other sketches as well.Link was also Comissioner Hogthrob in Fozzie's"Patrol Bear"sketches.Since TMS ended it's run,Hogthrob and Strangepork seem long gone.

Link Hogthrob was used quite about as a main character in "The Jim Henson Hour" back in 1989. He was also part of the cast in "The Muppets Go To Walt Disney World". After Jim Henson died, Link then faded to the background.

Strangepork on the other hand did fade in the background after The Muppet Show ended.

 

[TripleG]

For those of you upset that Big Bird becoming a "Lesser Muppet" do you think it might be because the guy playing him is in his 70s?

I saw an interview with Caroll Spinney on Youtube. Neat dude, but they said he was in his 70s. Spending 40 years inside a costume where you have to walk around blind, have your arm sticking up constantly must be uncomfortable.

I know Elmo's popularity has a lot to do with it (yeah yeah, I don't get it either) but do you think maybe its because Mr. Spinney can't do as much as he used to and they don't have the heart to take the character away from him?

 

[RedPiggy]

For those of you upset that Big Bird becoming a "Lesser Muppet" do you think it might be because the guy playing him is in his 70s?

I saw an interview with Caroll Spinney on Youtube. Neat dude, but they said he was in his 70s. Spending 40 years inside a costume where you have to walk around blind, have your arm sticking up constantly must be uncomfortable.

Well, since I think I'm the only one who said it, I'll reply:

As I recall, they're training someone else who's been doing BB off and on. Age of the original performer isn't really an excuse if you've got the understudy already hired. Jim was eyeing Steve quite some time before he died.

I can accept that, storywise, there could be reasons for characters to get scarce. It's just that there is never a story to it, and each franchise (Muppets, SS) seems to take forever to come up with substitutes-- like the performers aging or retiring was going to be a surprise that completely caught them off guard.

I know Elmo's popularity has a lot to do with it (yeah yeah, I don't get it either) but do you think maybe its because Mr. Spinney can't do as much as he used to and they don't have the heart to take the character away from him?

They don't have to "take it away" from him. He can do it part time like Jerry and Frank do. By insisting that some performer be the ONLY performer, you take away the character from the people who pay their checks ... us.

 

[KerMatttheFrog]

Okay, this whole conversation sort of segways well into something I wanted to start a new thread with...

Now that Disney officially owns The Muppets, what DO we call the rest of the puppets made by the Henson Company?

Take for example the very Muppet-like puppets in Puppet Up Uncensored... Yeah, they look like Muppets and extras from TMS. Now that Disney owns "The Muppets" and likely that trademark, what are the future puppets from Henson called?

 

[dwmckim]

Orphans?

No? Okay, how about "Huppets"?

Much to Disney's dismay, i'm sure the fan community will still call them "Muppets" even if Henson Co avoids using the term (especially as long as some of the characters/puppets had their genesis in other Muppet productions - either now owned by Henson or Disney). Fans and Henson/Muppet staff will continue to use the distinction between "Muppet" and "Creature" but until Henson actually comes up for a name for puppets in their new post-Muppet-sale-to-Disney productions, fans will still call them "Muppets" and Henson will just be tight-lipped on referring to them as such.

 

[dwmckim]

Strangepork actually fared pretty well post-TMS given the limitations of his character...Link was a more-rounded puppet and archetype not really used elsewhere in the main Muppet cast that could work well backstage or in other sketches where Strangepork was harder to establish outside the Pigs In Space construct (especially when Bunson was already a major supporting character)...usually in the times we'd see him outside the PiS setting would be in situations/sketches that were either pig-centric or where a German-type character was preferred...

so given those dynamics, Strangepork did pretty well...not always popping up like he was some "checklist character" that had to be in every production regardless of if he really had a place in it, but instead appearing sporadically when he could really be used well (and when this approach is taken it makes each appearance more special and more of a surprise) - he played the scientist in the Frankenstein sketch in Muppets Go to The Movies ...was used pretty well in Muppets Magazine - especially when interviewing science-type celebrities like Issac Asimov, made a neat cameo in Muppet Christmas Carol, played the chief lifeguard in Bay of Pigswatch on Muppets Tonight...

...so basically enough to where some fans will still feel he's been underused and others will say he's been used more than others that should have had more airtime since - if you get arguements on both side of the debate, i'd tend to say you're in the "about right" range!

 

[Skekayuk]

Great idea for a thread, welcome.

Anyway, off the top of my head here's a list (admittedly my favourite puppeteer is probably going to feature alot, and then my second favourite seems to be in here a fair amount too)

1. Annie Sue Pig - I just HAVE to choose her. Great idea, and a wonderful way to try and make a rather new up and coming puppeteer (as she then was) an integral part of the team on TMS.

2. Female Fish Singer - The fish singer (she's on the Dizzy Gilespie epsiode of TMS) has such a wonderful voice.

3. Lou The Jugband Lady - another great singer

4. Pops The Doorman - He delivered some great lines.

5. Cowboy Jerry - another great singer. Perfectly paired with Lou.

6. Ethel Mermaid - I don't usually like parodies of Merman, but this one really works.

7. Anyone's Nose Singer - OK I just like that voice.

8. Julius Strangepork - a fun character, who delivers some good lines on TMS.

9. Big Mamma - well she was one of those really unpredicatable monsters. A bi of a character.

10. Louisey - just the best foil for Herry Monster's singing talents.

Well that's a quick answer.

 

[peyjenk]

Hmmm.... I wonder who your favorite Muppeteer could be...?