Your Thoughts: Kermit and Miss Piggy on America's Got Talent

[Drtooth]

I've said it a million times now, but the reason why Muppet projects post Jim weren't good was the lack of leadership and focus behind the Muppets at the time. Poor choices and in cases bad writing and off concepts are to blame here. Now, I like the guys who write for the muppets now... Kirk Thacther anyway...

But here's the rundown:

MCC and MTI were the last muppet films written by Jerry Juhl. The writing was sharp on both counts, but... well, making humans the stars and having the muppets play second wasn't the best concept they've ever had. Michael Cain was brilliant as Scrooge and ditto Tim Curry's Long John Silver. But the lack of Muppets, and the fact that they're playing themselves playing characters made the films lacking. MCC is a beautiful, well done film... but it bores me for most of the film.

Muppets Tonight... well, that one was about the concept and the writers... the pop culture bits don't work most of the time (Deep Dish 9 and Bay of Pigswatch specifically), and the lessened role of Kermit... as well as Frank Oz's lesser involvement.

Muppets From Space? other than the fact someone clearly wanted them to do a Space picture (remember, this was 1999... Phantom Menace summer) the director totally ruined a good script by Joey Mazzarino. This is the same genius that gave us that terrible Garfield movie, BTW.

VMX was good, but suffered more Pop Culture bits (I blame that on the ex-Simpsons writers) and NBC's forced commercails.

And Oz.... well, the less said the better. Liked Quentin Tarrantino's cameo, though...

 

[frogboy4]

Honestly, modern Muppet projects get caught up with gimmicks and heavy-handed themes. Why not just shoot a special called, "The Great Muppet Road Trip" where the characters pile on a bus to go through iconic spots of the country and perform with top stars? That's what they're good at.

It really wouldn't have to be that expensive.
Set 1 - Interior of a Muppet Bus
Set 2 - Soundstage that can be redressed
Set 3 - Various location scoutings

I'm going to give this it's own thread here.

 

[Luke]

A TV "movie" or special is the best they can do, since all networks want to run are clones of their own programming, clones of other network's programming... etc... most of which are reality shows. And there is no call for them giving so many chances to Rules of Engagement, According to Jim, and other shows that keep getting renewed, even with poor ratings, to air as summer replacements. Having a network etch out and hour or two for something that isn't a knockoff of something else is all we can hope for.

I think Disney would disagree with you most strongly there, come back to this thread in 12 months time and i'm sure opinions would be different on that. Remember Disney owns a TV network. What the Muppets are currently doing is part of a longterm plan - it isn't a case of them taking whatever they can get.

Saying that, if it is to have any chance of success they need to get themselves sorted a bit writing and performance wise. So far the Youtubes and the website vids are the best stuff i've seen them do in years and thats just the guys playing around in the studio ad libbing from a Jim Lewis script, done by a small production company ... but the Studio DC's and the TV movie were i agree fairly poor - yet thats the stuff that they spent more time and money on, outsourced to other writers who just didn't "get it". Anybody who says the Muppeteers are more the problem than the writing only has to look at the stuff where they have been allowed to have "fun" with it to see thats not strictly true at all.

 

[RyGuy]

the Muppets are just that, just enjoy what you have

The important thing is that we still have the Muppets, it shouldn't matter who played them. Just think of Kermit being there on AGT as "I had the chance to see my childhood idol last night. It was cool to see him again." That's my take on this. I thought it was a great performance. Go Kermit and Piggy.

 

[GuySmileyfan]

Is Steve Whitmire okay?

 

[MWoO]

The important thing is that we still have the Muppets, it shouldn't matter who played them. Just think of Kermit being there on AGT as "I had the chance to see my childhood idol last night. It was cool to see him again." That's my take on this. I thought it was a great performance. Go Kermit and Piggy.

Of course it matters who the performer is. With your thinking I should be content just looking at my Kermit replica and doing a bad Kermit voice.

 

[frogboy4]

Quality is the most important thing and that was missing. I think the chickens and Miss Piggy's performance really saved the piece.

Also, has anyone mentioned there was absolutely no chemistry between Kermit and Piggy? They seemed both spatially and emotionally distant. There's a camaraderie that performing duos have that can't really be substituted. I think that's really the great concern here.

Miss Piggy kept ad-libbing and looking at Kermit and he just didn't connect. Watch it again. He seemed out of it.

 

[SJohnson]

Did anyone here happen to see the show live? That would have been cool.

 

[Beauregard]

I'm with you on the Chemistry (although I failed all Science subjects...so...can't really comment). Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle have always been touchy-feely character, Sam would always put a wing around whoever he was speaking to, Fozzie would always grab at them, and Piggy would constantly touch Kermit and those around her.

Here...She certainly was on form, moving towards Kermit, but he seemed to cold shoulder her constantly. It was kinda like whoever was performing him, was only looking at him and not at those around him.

I'm gunna drag up Sister Act and say, "You have to LISTEN to each other!" Same goes for Muppets -- you have to watch each other. Connect, connect!

 

[Super Scooter]

There were a few comments on writing before...

I agree that what's lacking is good writing. The last two major Muppet projects for television were written by newcomers, and Oz definitely failed because of it.

Rather than thinking "We need new writers and fresh talent" and fail with those new writers and fresh talent, it would be nice to see them use the talent they have and let them shine at what they do best. Kirk Thatcher is one of the funniest Muppet writers ever, I think. Jim Lewis knows the characters really well, even if he uses a few more frog-and-pig jokes than I care for (but that can always be pulled back). And I don't see that Chris Langham wouldn't come back to work with the Muppets. He still likes them, and according to the title of the BBC documentary, he still "Loves" them. There. Three good writers who, if allowed to put their heads together, could create something great.

And on the subject of chemistry, here we find the genius that is Steve and Eric (we all know Steve and Dave have great chemistry, so no proof is required):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTvTFN6LPA4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX679bByras
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nbf6wFsRMU&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMbTBuRxE2Q