Video: “Muppets Now” Official Trailer

Grumpo

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Prof Bunsen

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*Long sigh* Okay, so I just saw the trailer to the new "Muppets Now", and boy was I glad about being reluctant. Don't get me wrong, I've been wanting some new Muppet content for years now; they need to get back in the groove somehow. But somehow, I think they're trying too hard to get "with it." I mean, the Swedish Chef with Gordon Ramsay? Doing Bohemian Rhapsody a couple years back? I guess it was interesting, but now we have RuPaul?! Seriously? Lol I feel like Joe the Legal Weasel should just literally take an axe to this show once it ultimately wraps up.

So anyway, disregarding my marangue there, I do find a couple other problems with it. I think it was somewhat bad timing for the show to premiere during COVID quarantining. It needs an audience. Get the laugh track in there. You know as Kermit said, "it's up to the laugh track!" And also on the subject of Kermit, I'm still a little reserved about Kermit's voice. I guess I'm still just kinda put back by the new lower pitch. I guess I couldn't really fault Matt Vogel for trying, but it just doesn't seem as soulful as Jim or Steve's portrayal. I know some people might bash me for feeling a little sentimental, but don't just ask me, ask Twitter. Kermit's voice left a lot of people confused. I wouldn't really blame them that much. A lot of people my generation grew up with Steve Whitmire playing him. Even if he wasn't Jim, at least he tried to stay true to Kermit's personality the way Jim breathed life into him. A lot of people are not well-adapted yet to Matt's portrayal, which may get better over time, I don't know. But what I do know is I'm a little worried about how the show's going to go, especially with the way conditions are now.
 
Oscarfan

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Prof Bunsen said:
*Long sigh* Okay, so I just saw the trailer to the new "Muppets Now", and boy was I glad about being reluctant. Don't get me wrong, I've been wanting some new Muppet content for years now; they need to get back in the groove somehow. But somehow, I think they're trying too hard to get "with it." I mean, the Swedish Chef with Gordon Ramsay? Doing Bohemian Rhapsody a couple years back? I guess it was interesting, but now we have RuPaul?! Seriously? Lol I feel like Joe the Legal Weasel should just literally take an axe to this show once it ultimately wraps up.
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Yeah, they should be more like the old days. The Muppet Show never had contemporary stars like Elton John or Loretta Switt. And it certainly never did contemporary music like the Village People.

Prof Bunsen said:
So anyway, disregarding my marangue there, I do find a couple other problems with it. I think it was somewhat bad timing for the show to premiere during COVID quarantining. It needs an audience. Get the laugh track in there.
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I don't understand your point. We don't know if there's a laugh track or not. And how is the premiere bad timing? People are pretty indoors and need things to do/watch. Eyes are pretty much guaranteed to be on this.
 
Prof Bunsen

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I don't understand your point. We don't know if there's a laugh track or not. And how is the premiere bad timing? People are pretty indoors and need things to do/watch. Eyes are pretty much guaranteed to be on this.
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Just the nature and tone of it. It feels like everything's being stretched into one small room. The original Muppet Show formatted in a more Vaudevillian style of comedy, much like what variety shows at the time were doing. That was the whole point of that show; to have Kermit try to run a variety show while trying to keep a theater in operation. Here, right now it just seems like...a Zoom call.

Also, I wasn't actually referring to the audience at home. This will probably attract an audience. But the problem here: ratings. Will the show be a hit. or will people be off-put by the tone? Will people think it's going to be another mockumentary-style show like they attempted back in 2015? Will people get used to a deeper-pitched Kermit? All these questions will have to come into focus once the show premieres.
 
Prof Bunsen

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Yeah, they should be more like the old days. The Muppet Show never had contemporary stars like Elton John or Loretta Switt. And it certainly never did contemporary music like the Village People.
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I never said they shouldn't allow contemporary guest stars. They've always done that. What I'm STATING however is they're kinda trying too hard to change their image. The Muppets had always been a little unconventional to the mainstream crowd. But now it seems like they're trying to appease too much to a mainstream crowd, which can go overboard and kinda raise eyebrows.
 
Oscarfan

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Prof Bunsen said:
Just the nature and tone of it. It feels like everything's being stretched into one small room. The original Muppet Show formatted in a more Vaudevillian style of comedy, much like what variety shows at the time were doing. That was the whole point of that show; to have Kermit try to run a variety show while trying to keep a theater in operation. Here, right now it just seems like...a Zoom call.

Also, I wasn't actually referring to the audience at home. This will probably attract an audience. But the problem here: ratings. Will the show be a hit. or will people be off-put by the tone? Will people think it's going to be another mockumentary-style show like they attempted back in 2015? Will people get used to a deeper-pitched Kermit? All these questions will have to come into focus once the show premieres.
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Oh, okay. I think I see the misunderstanding. This isn't going to be like the newest video they put out; it's not all Zoom-call things. They shot this stuff around a year ago, long before the threat of the virus.

Bill Barretta said this new thing has no baring on whether future Muppet stuff happens or not. So if people like it, good. If it doesn't get a huge response, there's other things in the pipeline.
 
Prof Bunsen

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Oh, okay. I think I see the misunderstanding. This isn't going to be like the newest video they put out; it's not all Zoom-call things. They shot this stuff around a year ago, long before the threat of the virus.

Bill Barretta said this new thing has no baring on whether future Muppet stuff happens or not. So if people like it, good. If it doesn't get a huge response, there's other things in the pipeline.
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Oh, I didn't know that. Well I guess Bunsen doesn't have to know everything. It would make more sense then. I just hope the Muppets return to form in some way, try not to rely too much on pop culture cliches. Don't get me wrong, I hope the show goes well. I'm just right now understandably cautious, not to mention trying to keep a straight face with deeper-pitched Kermit.
 
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