Will Muppet Babies ever be reaired or released on DVD?

[dwayne1115]

I have one little question about Muppet Babies. The question is have we lost hope that it will ever be back on the air, or even relsesed to DVD?

What are your thoughts?

 

[dwayne1115]

Thanks for changing the title I was half asleep when i typed it, and was going to change it before i posted it, but hit the post button by mistake.

Anyways It seems to me that everyone has kind of lost hope that The Muppet Babies will no longer go anywhere. In fact I have made friends with Hank Saroyan writer/voice director for Muppet Babies, and he told me to get fans interested in the Muppet Babies. He told me that he has gone to Disney, but that they are going to sit on the Muppet Babies, and do nothing.
This is terrible The Muppet Babies deserve at least to be put out on DVD. So I'm going to be doing things to launch a bring the "Muppet Babies back" type mission. So please be on the look out, and show some support for our favorit saturday morning cartoon!

 

[frogboy4]

Bring Back the Babies...but only a little bit later please

It's well known here that I'm not a fan of the Muppet Babies. While I like that it encourages young people to use their imaginations, I kept imagining a show with a higher quality of animation and better production values. Low frame rate, strobing, character model inconsistencies plagued the program in a way I could never imagine my way past. The characters with high-pitched squeaky voices got to me also. Nonetheless I respect its place and popularity in the Muppetverse. It also always had great music! That's sorely missing in animation today. We need it back! The question is – when.

The Muppet Babies took over the Muppetverse for a very long time. I'm one of the fans that were sore about that. It wasn't the Babies fault. There wasn't much going with the live action classic cast. There's a generation of people out there I've met that *only* connect the word Muppet to the Muppet Babies. It’s a shame and it largely happened during the rather dormant period after Jim’s death when the Babies were the main thing carrying on the Muppet Legacy. I think Disney sees that and wants to create a distinction between the brands.

Airing the Muppet Babies show right now while the characters are reintroducing themselves is a wrong move in my opinion. It would be so easy for Disney to burn-off old episodes on the Disney Channel and get viewers. It's cost effective. But at this point it could easily reduce the entire Muppet brand to the kid-only chum that we feared would happen under Disney management. They are actually being strangely thoughtful!

I have no doubt that the Muppet Babies will make it back. I just don't think it's the time for them quite yet. That's easy to say since I'm not a big fan of the program, but with all the good that Disney has been giving us I won't second guess this decision. It’s an issue of timing.

I’d actually like to see what their animators would do with the Muppet Babies (if they still existed). Imaging a Muppet-based or Muppet Babies animated program with the quality of Ducktales! That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what the brand deserves.

 

[dwayne1115]

It's well known here that I'm not a fan of the Muppet Babies. While I like that it encourages young people to use their imaginations, I kept imagining a show with a higher quality of animation and better production values. Low frame rate, strobing, character model inconsistencies plagued the program in a way I could never imagine my way past. The characters with high-pitched squeaky voices got to me also. Nonetheless I respect its place and popularity in the Muppetverse. It also always had great music! That's sorely missing in animation today. We need it back! The question is – when.

The Muppet Babies took over the Muppetverse for a very long time. I'm one of the fans that were sore about that. It wasn't the Babies fault. There wasn't much going with the live action classic cast. There's a generation of people out there I've met that *only* connect the word Muppet to the Muppet Babies. It’s a shame and it largely happened during the rather dormant period after Jim’s death when the Babies were the main thing carrying on the Muppet Legacy. I think Disney sees that and wants to create a distinction between the brands.

Airing the Muppet Babies show right now while the characters are reintroducing themselves is a wrong move in my opinion. It would be so easy for Disney to burn-off old episodes on the Disney Channel and get viewers. It's cost effective. But at this point it could easily reduce the entire Muppet brand to the kid-only chum that we feared would happen under Disney management. They are actually being strangely thoughtful!

I have no doubt that the Muppet Babies will make it back. I just don't think it's the time for them quite yet. That's easy to say since I'm not a big fan of the program, but with all the good that Disney has been giving us I won't second guess this decision. It’s an issue of timing.

I’d actually like to see what their animators would do with the Muppet Babies (if they still existed). Imaging a Muppet-based or Muppet Babies animated program with the quality of Ducktales! That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what the brand deserves.

I do understand your point about this, and I kind of agree. At the same time however I think that it would not hurt the re launching to at least put the show on DVD.
Also I think the Anamatiors are still around, not sure. I know that Hank said he would love to stay with 2D, but would also love to take it to 3D as well. He also told me they have lots of ideas for a new show. Just getting it approved is the thing.

 

[Drtooth]

I’d actually like to see what their animators would do with the Muppet Babies (if they still existed). Imaging a Muppet-based or Muppet Babies animated program with the quality of Ducktales! That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what the brand deserves.

Muppet Babies would have been GOLD if it had been done by TMS, like Ducktales was. Really it would have. I like the Toei seasons myself (especially the last season they actually did the series)... I really think the last seasons done by the Korean place (especially the last season) really didn't have the same feel to them. And really, that last season where characters spoke out of turn, Kermit's eye balls kept inconstantly overlapping an incorrect way... and they used such UGLY colors that kept getting screwed up by the print (look at "The Next Generation". The scene with Scooter whining to Skeeter that he isn't playing Elroy Jetson and Bean's taking over the role. It looks like they shot it under some odd dull purple filter...ewww...)

As far as Toei goes, I think the reason Marvel entertainment went with that animation studios is that Marvel had a great relationship with Toei... in the 1970's there was the odd Japanese Spider-Man series where he was essentially a Power Ranger, and the even odder adaption of Marv Wolfman's Dracula and I think they might also have had a hand in Transformers and GI Joe (2 other American shows animated by Toei).

Personally, I like the fact Toei animated it, if only that it links my 3 favorite things, The Muppets, TMNT (they animated the first 5 episodes and a couple subsequent ones), and Kinnikuman.

As for branding... I have to agree sort of with Frogboy. As much as I would love to see these now, we really should wait a little longer for Disney to finish establishing the actual Muppets for them to totally bring them back. And even then, I want to see them re-establish the "babies" brand partially as Baby merchandise,... bibs, baby clothes... stuff like that... then DVD's or reruns or whatever. Personally, I want a nice PVC set.

The last thing we want is the Muppets to fall into the same problem that Mickey, Donald and Goofy fell into. Mainly being a baby-ish preschooler show and not too much more.

 

[dwmckim]

Frogboy pretty much took the words out of my mouth.

It's inevitable that sooner or later there will be a dvd release and reairings somewhere (given the international market they probably ARE airing somewhere out there) and Disney would be foolish to not know what they're sitting on in terms of a nice little in-the-can money maker. But despite would could have been a huge tempation to get it out there right away i really respect that Disney and Muppets Studio (under all three of its leaders) managed to take its careful time with it.

Waiting til the time is right is the way to go - both to the benefit of the actual Muppets and the Babies. With Team Muppet working so hard to really relaunch the brand right - getting them out there and popular, the Babies are best left in the nursery until the big relaunch has gone full steam ahead and reaped the benefits.

Then it becomes a win-win situation - the Muppets get their comeback (without interference from the Babies) and once they get back into wide public acclaim, then a revival of the Babies (and by revival i mean releasing the series on dvd or showing it on tv - not a new project) can happen and be presented as a neat little part of Muppet History that those infamous Disney Vaults are breaking out for their new fans and their returning fans can now (re)discover. Unlike the 80's when the Curse of the Muppet Babies caused the very thing Jim Henson never wanted to happen - allowing the public...indeed practically an entire generation...to perceive the Muppets as Kiddie Fare - this time around this would be taking place alongside of (instead of in place of) a wide range of for-the-adults Muppettey goodness and projects.

...and of course the dvd sets would have all these awesome extras that reinforce the idea of "this isn't just some cheap kiddie fare drivel that we're putting in stores for parents to put on the tube to keep the kids quiet but rather a tribute to a classic spinoff of this cool brand that people will want to relive and know all this great behind the scenes type stuff"

And yes, those extras should include all the Little Muppet Monsters episodes. They may not have worked too well as a show, but they sure make perfect dvd extras - especially since the majority were unaired, the "never before seen" aspect makes the marketing all the more golden!

 

[bazooka_beak]

I can understand Disney or whoever wanting to avoid "kiddifying" the Muppets right now, but I seriously wish SOMEBODY would just put it on DVD and ease my great want for it. For this show to be lost to time would be terrible.

 

[Drtooth]

I can understand Disney or whoever wanting to avoid "kiddifying" the Muppets right now, but I seriously wish SOMEBODY would just put it on DVD and ease my great want for it. For this show to be lost to time would be terrible.

As I've stated before... this is going to be handled by the same company that refused to finish ANY of the Disney Afternoon and The Tick Box sets... some with only 1 volume left to go. Even if we do get these some day, I doubt we'd get the complete series completely completed. And they'd probably have NO bonus features of any kind. Somehow... somehow, I wish they could sub license a Muppet Babies DVD set to Shout or someone who can actually handle classic 80's cartoons as a DVD release.

I think there's a double edged sword here... Frogboy and dwmckim pointed out one edge, while you pointed out the other... on the one hand, I completely agree... look at what happened to the Muppets after Muppet Babies... not only were they delegated to kiddy fare, it opened up the opportunity for Jim to actually make other Muppet Kiddy projects like the Muppet Play Along videos. That's something we DON'T need right now.

On the other edge... they need to get these out soon to sell to the nostalgic parents with kids of their own. People who grew up with the series and want to pass it on to their kids before they're too old to enjoy it. If not, there wouldn't be any real point to give it a massive DVD release, or even a reairing on Disney Playhouse or something.

I think the Muppets DO need to be fully established for the adult (and the family, if they have to) fan base before we can see any kind of MB resurgence. What... the Muppet resurgence of 2002 lead to the come back of Muppet babies products in 2004? that's about 2 years a wait.

Not to mention the numerous copyright hurdles they're gonna have to jump through. I'm sure Lucas can comply with Indiana Jones and Star Wars clips... after all, Lucas has had a great relationship with Henson and Disney in the past. And Jeffery Scott would pull for the Three Stooges clips, as he IS Moe's Grandson. There would have to be a tremendous co-operation between Sony and Disney for a lot of the other stuff... you recall when MB came out, Columbia and Henson had a well established relationship at the time.

 

[muppets2]

i dont think muppet babies will be released any time soon because they still have too release the muppet show seasons 4 and 5

 

[bazooka_beak]

You're very right, Drtooth, about Disney never finishing their animated TV releases :/ That does not bode well. And they SHOULD try to bank on the nostalgia before it's too late, even though it risks kiddifying the Muppets as they are now.