What Could Have Been: TMS Canada?

[D'Snowth]

I got to thinking the other day: both prior to, and post-TMS, Jim traveled to Canada quite often for his productions, such as early Muppet specials, as well as FR, and even FTB was filmed in Canada.

With that in mind, since Jim already had a history with them, how is it nobody up in Canada was willing to okay TMS? Also, with that in mind, do you think there would have been any significance with the show had it been produced and taped up in Canada? I'm sure perhaps the likes of Terry Angus and Gord Robertson might have been a part of the TMS team, and it might have been a lot easier on the whole team having far less distance to travel.

 

[MrsPepper]

Clarifying FR for a second... I don't think Americans realise this but Fraggle Rock is (or at least, is perceived to be) a Canadian show. It was made in Toronto at CBC studios with their film staff etc and picked up by HBO for the United States; I don't believe HBO participated in creating the show. Canadians my age and older have a huge connection with Fraggle Rock since CBC is a network station (and partially government funded), not cable, and everyone was able to watch it for free; also, all CBC shows are deemed "Canadian content" (a certain percentage has to be canadian, whether its writing, performers, filming etc). So essentially Fraggle Rock is a Canadian export (yes I'm hogging this show for my country) because no one else was willing to film it.

As far as I understand this is exactly the same case for TMS. British people totally think it's a british show (especially with the english hall skits) because it was produced there and somewhat tailored to their audience. It was filmed there because of his connections with Lord whoever who funded GMC (man I'm rusty). So I would have to assume that TMS was not and/or couldn't have been filmed in Canada for a few reasons. 1, he didn't have connections yet and those were formed after his notoriety from TMS. 2, it might have been cheaper to film in britain for some 70's economical reason that I don't know anything about. 3, the CBC has like ZERO funding and they were really the only big nationwide channel at the time, so they either werent worth approaching or they wouldnt put their money down on something that's not a sure thing.

 

[MrsPepper]

Seriousness aside, CANADIAN MUPPET SHOW. We already know this would work thanks to Just for Laughs. This needs to happen naaaaao.

(Also, just don't read the timestamp on this post. Insomnia is a cruel mistress.)

 

[snichols1973]

It would be interesting to imagine what Kermit would sound like if he had a Canadian accent....

: Hey, It's the Muppet Show, with our special guest stars Bob and Doug McKenzie, yaaay!

 

[minor muppetz]

When I first saw the title of this thread, I thought it meant that a Muppet Show in Canada was planned but fell through (well, most of The Jim Henson Hour WAS made in Canada).

It would have probably had some Canadian performers. When Jerry Nelson was interviewed for Tough Pigs, he said that the Tales from Muppetland specials had outside voice actors for some of the characters because they were made in Canada and were required to have a certain amount of Canadian performers (hmm, was Marilyn Sokol Canadian? Because she's the only voice actress in Emmet Otter, and I'm sure none of the Muppet performers from that special were from Canada).

Then I saw this Red Book post, which states that voice actors were hired for The Muppet Musicians of Bremen because it was hard to hear what the performers in the latex masks were saying: http://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2013/01/21/1-1972/

But even then, the bad guys were puppets in cloe-ups. I thought that the majority of their speaking scenes were when they were puppets. The animals performers wouldn't have been wearing masks.