Would LMM have done better if it was all live-action or animated?

[minor muppetz]

I've read a quote from one of the writers of Little Mupet Monsters where he pointed out that the combination of Muppet babies, adults, and live action monsters was too much, and states that the puppetry was too good, giving an unfair comparrison between the puppetry and animation.

So, does anybody think that Little Muppet Monsters would have been a better show if it was completely live action, with no animated segmnets? Does anybody think it would have been better if it was a completely animated show?

 

[frogboy4]

I liked the idea and thought it could work the way it was if given the room and time to grow. The animation was identical in quality to the Muppet Babies at the time so I don't see that as the reason. Sesame makes animation work with puppets so why not Monsters?

Animation is more costly, time consuming and still returns a mediocre result in this sort of context. I think that was a difficulty for the writers - the fact that they were bound to the animated sequences they'd written that were in production while trying to improv and keep things fresh with the puppets. It took away some of the spontaneity, but I think they could have written around that.

The puppets looked better - of course. But I think the animated sequences could have added a layer of stylization that played to its limitations. I know there are a lot of theories, but the fact is that Jim had a lot on his plate and didn't have a particular love for this idea. He could have made it work. Everybody could. But I suppose the question was - why? I wish they'd have kept it going. I liked it and miss it even though there were only a couple episodes that aired.

It was an idea without a parent to nurture it.

 

[minor muppetz]

For those who have seen it, or at least the credits, does anybody know if the show used the same writers for both live action and animation? If they were seperate than the live action writers could have developed the live action parts, and the animation writers could have developed the animation sequences better. I know that the Super Mario Bros. Super Show had seperate writers for the live action framing sequences, the animated Super Mario Bros. segments, and the Legends of Zelda segments.

 

[minor muppetz]

I don't know if I made it clear as to what I meant or not. I know that Jim Henson decided on his own that it wasn't as good as it could have been. I wonder if he would have approved of it more if it was either all live action or all animated.

By the way, has anybody ever seen any interviews with Jim Henson concerning this series? It would be great to see some sort of interview, with Henson commenting on the show before it was broadcast.

 

[Drtooth]

Animation is more costly, time consuming and still returns a mediocre result in this sort of context. I think that was a difficulty for the writers - the fact that they were bound to the animated sequences they'd written that were in production while trying to improv and keep things fresh with the puppets. It took away some of the spontaneity, but I think they could have written around that.

Yes and no. Animation does take a long time, and it is expensive, but considering how expensive it is to make a Muppet, for various animated sequences that require large crowds of oddly designed characters- not to mention building of props and sets, it somehow shifts to the animation category being cheaper... especially with the use of non-union overseas animation firms (Why, the Japanese animators finally got a union last year).

I really think certain things could have worked with live action, the Pigs in Space and Kermit PI bits especially... but then, why not just make a special saturday morning version of the Muppet show for younger audiences? Without guests?

The thing is, I do agree that the puppets and cartoon segments are an odd mix, and I feel they did much better with Dog City (with the exception of recent projects, I've always been a fan of the Canadian firm, Nelvana). But then of course, the point of the show was a puppet animator animates a cartoon version of (what is basically) himself.

I admit that Toei's animation for LMM wasn't great, but it's still much better than late season muppet babies done by a Korean (or was it Taiwanese?) firm that did a truely sloppy job.

I do like the animated Backgrounds, though. Very Muppet kid's book style.