What I think happened...

[Vic Romano]

As far as Sesame Street goes I did learn from a Sesame Street source that a number of months back Sesame did have a special training class for the current Sesame Muppeteers hosted by Frank Oz.

Seems Frank was invited to train the current crop of Sesame Muppeteers to perform more 'Old School.' To try and bring back the magic that the Sesame muppets once had.

Hopefully we'll see if his knowledge and skills translates into a better Sesame Street next season.

Now that sounds cool. That's something they should film and put on DVD!

 

[rexcrk]

Here's how I feel about CGI.

Well, completely CGI movies are fine with me. Every Pixar film has been awesome (but I think Finding Nemo is my least favorite... believe it or not I REALLY liked Cars!). There are a few other company CGI movies that I like. Shrek and Shrek 2 are good, and I loved Robots as well. Other than those ones, CGI movies don't even really interest me anymore unless they're made by Pixar.

As for CGI in live action movies, I'm pretty much against it. I mean when it's used correctly (like WETA did with Lord of the Rings) it can be good, especially when motion capture is used like for Gollum. But sometimes it just looks so obviously fake. It's like watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit but with characters from Toy Story, Shrek, etc.


Ummm I think I just got off topic kind of lol. About the Muppets, I do wish Disney would do something proper with them. I can't belive that it's taken over a year to release The Muppet Show season 2 on DVD. And the fact tha Eisner loved the Muppets is the one thing that's keeping me from being all "GRRR I hate Eisner!!!! "

 

[Tim]

Getting "un-muffled" a bit...

The original deal with Henson was totaly different from the one that eventually happened for political reasons and realities.

Whatever Disney was said to have paid for the Company (150 million?) was to include the services of Jim Henson. Eisner got p.o.'ed when he learned that Sesame was NOT part of the deal, since they wanted to control the pre-school toy market.

Henson died, Eisner lost Pixar and had to clean up his image with the stockholders along with satisfting his ego and helping to shore up the bottom line with more product to home video instead of successful first-run films and hit t.v. shows.

The new deal is based on merchandising and the video library which explains why the products division controls The Muppets while the rest of the Disney Co. tries to utilize them until they get their investment back. That's why we only see tons of new products and sparce new productions. As it should be (for them) Disney is concentraiting on their own assets, especially with Lassiter practicly running everything.

Once enough money changes hands and the 10 year aggreement lapses, it's doubtful we'll be seeing much of Kermit and his pals while Henson tries to be Lucas/Pixar/Disney II.

 

[Vic Romano]

Are you saying that Eisner wasn't aware of who owned SS until after the deal was made? Wow, what a boob he must've felt like.

Tim, being so knowledgable and having worked with Henson, I'm curious on your opinion; based on your theory about the Muppets going scarce after their ten year agreement ends, what do you think the odds/possibilities are of Henson purchasing back the Muppets?

 

[Marky]

Are you saying that Eisner wasn't aware of who owned SS until after the deal was made? Wow, what a boob he must've felt like.

Tim, being so knowledgable and having worked with Henson, I'm curious on your opinion; based on your theory about the Muppets going scarce after their ten year agreement ends, what do you think the odds/possibilities are of Henson purchasing back the Muppets?

BY then they'll be as relevant as H R Pufnstuf.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Going back to the original post, I think the theory is off. If you look at what was going on behind the scenes at Disney there is very little connection between the Muppet deal and Pixar. Disney certainly wasn't buying the Muppets to make up for potentially losing Pixar. The Muppets aren't worth nearly as much and aren't nearly as important to Disney.

I think what really happened was the Muppet deal was an Eisner thing. Once he got booted out the Muppet brand was less of a priority for Disney's new CEO who was mostly focused on the Pixar deal, which is much more important to Disney's bottom line.

 

[beaker]

all I know, is if I had a hand in the Muppets(not literally!) or owned them...you;d be seeing a triumphantly glorious new Muppet film, prime time Muppet show that was smart, subversive but still appropriate for the family, and the magic would be back like nobodies business. People would see the Muppets as truly hip, yet every as zanily irreverent, and with a big heart. None of this classic retelling garbage, none of this reality tv spoofing stuff.

You'd have Muppets live from Time Square, interviewing people and having guests on. Youd have a truly edgy new Muppet show, with a great new roster of characters to compliment the old ones.

You'd see a new film that truly pushed the Muppet envelope, with bad guys straight out of Jim Henson creature shop, and the Muppet gang as a whole...just like in TMM and MTM having to take on this foe in the real world...perhaps in San Francisco, Tokyo or Manhattan again.

The Muppets would be as timely, fresh and innovative as ever...truly exciting.

Of course that's just me. Obviously the idiots at Disney have a much, DIFFERENT take on the matter.

 

[MWoO]

I knowi t's easy to say what you could do, but how exactly would you go about doing it. Anyone can say "I would bring back the 'magic'.", but how? If it was really that easy it would have been done.

 

[MuppetMarc]

It's like watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit

I loved Who Framed Roger Rabbit!

 

[beaker]

I knowi t's easy to say what you could do, but how exactly would you go about doing it. Anyone can say "I would bring back the 'magic'.", but how? If it was really that easy it would have been done.

Really? It would be done if it could be? No, higher ups kill even the smallest of ideas. I'm really curious to hear what the central Muppeteers, JHC employees, former Muppet builders, and even yes...Eisner, feel about the current state of the Muppets.

There are so many small things they could do, that they aren't doing.
Oh well, I guess the big news is the Muppets have a nice new 2007 calendar out