Your Thoughts: Letters to Santa Writers' Interview

[uppitymuppity]

This show is already getting bad reviews:

http://www.freep.com/article/20081216/ENT03/812160365

 

[frogboy4]

This show is already getting bad reviews:

http://www.freep.com/article/20081216/ENT03/812160365

This is one bad review, not "reviews" as stated. EW gave it an A-. Not that I trust reviews anyway. As the guy said "the Muppets deserve better", but by way of a quality critic that knows his stuff. Every piece of entertainment is bound to have a few contrarians bent on being disagreeable for the sake of it. I still don’t get what this guy wanted in a 45 minute Muppet special. The clips I’ve seen already have more than enough to keep this fan happy.

I have never heard of this reviewer and they don't appear to know much about Muppet movies or specials. They liked the music, but not the numbers? The 5 minute sneak peek musical number tells otherwise. Also, star cameos should be brief. They're best that way and Jim's movies reflected that.

This guy also believes Kermit and the gang flying in first class is as Muppety as hanging on for dear life? Have they even seen Muppet Caper? This seems to be just another Joe-Viewer that doesn't know a Gonzo from a Grover.

 

[Vic Romano]

I've been really excited since we first heard the news about this because of the positive direction the Muppets have been heading lately, and this interview just reinforced that excitement. These guys seem to understand what makes the Muppets great and the fact that they also seem to regard the characters with such respect and love should really help make the magic happen.

What I'm most thrilled about was the writers willingness and enthusiasm for input from the veteran performers. They're not just paying us lip service; they really seem to want to make a classic Muppet special.

And I know he's probably very busy, but was there ever a conversation, one way or the other, to involve Jason Segel in any way on this to get his feet wet for the upcoming movie?

 

[theprawncracker]

This is one bad review, not "reviews" as stated. EW gave it an A-. Not that I trust reviews anyway. As the guy said "the Muppets deserve better", but by way of a quality critic that knows his stuff. Every piece of entertainment is bound to have a few contrarians bent on being disagreeable for the sake of it. I still don’t get what this guy wanted in a 45 minute Muppet special. The clips I’ve seen already have more than enough to keep this fan happy.

I have never heard of this reviewer and they don't appear to know much about Muppet movies or specials. They liked the music, but not the numbers? The 5 minute sneak peek musical number tells otherwise. Also, star cameos should be brief. They're best that way and Jim's movies reflected that.

This guy also believes Kermit and the gang flying in first class is as Muppety as hanging on for dear life? Have they even seen Muppet Caper? This seems to be just another Joe-Viewer that doesn't know a Gonzo from a Grover.

Agreed on all parts, Jamie. How they could possibly go the whole review without mentioning the HUGE cast of Muppets is beyond me... At this point, there's no way I can possibly be disappointed by LtS.

 

[uppitymuppity]

I guess we'll all know tomorrow!

I laughed really hard at the outtakes when Piggy said she was doing it for the money and then she fake laughed. That was the hilarious!

http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/12/previews-of-let.html

 

[frogboy4]

I guess we'll all know tomorrow!

I laughed really hard at the outtakes when Piggy said she was doing it for the money and then she fake laughed. That was the hilarious!

http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/12/previews-of-let.html

I liked that too.

Again, who is this new guy? Is he just a random blogger or a serious critic? Neither review listed was particularly bad. They both noted room for improvement. I don't know why a person who dislikes Christmas would review a Christmas special - and one with Santa right in the title. The Muppets and Christmas have a long, long tradition that this self-professed fan is somehow unaware of. Maybe he would have liked it better if the Muppets were searching for the Great Pumpkin.

Either way, we'll see tomorrow. I don't expect to be 100% happy. I am a fantastic after all. But I expect somewhere in the 90s.

 

[Frogster]

I read the article by Phil, then I read the review. So...

The three people who have written this show (I'm excluding Paul here) are just simply fans. They spent time either talking about Kermit, Fozzie, Piggy, Gonzo, Pepe and Rizzo, or how they loved certain moments from the past. And by past, I mean only stuff before Henson died. And how they summed up Piggy... wrong. Piggy isn't a character who's just ready to be vain or brutal at a moment's notice. She had moments like that on TMS, but she had heart too. Just because Frank didn't ever talk to Eric doesn't mean that he should not have tried harder at understanding two iconic characters like Piggy and Fozzie. Heck, I'm no Muppeteer and I know this (you do, too).

The writers- as well as the performers- need to be aware of this. There were times that Piggy was sweet towards others, and not just to get Kermit's attention. They are just remembering certain aspects about her, and that's not cool. Gonzo, Pepe and Rizzo seem to be the only ones who are authentic and it's only cuz that the guys playing these characters are the ones who originated them. Fozzie has become clueless and repetitive. And Kermit... seriously people. Back on TMS Kermit had no problem telling his best friends that their acts stunk. Kermit had no problem letting off steam every now and again. Kermit wasn't always polite, but that doesn't mean he was a mean person- not by a long shot. In essence, Kermit got crap done, because he was the leader. If someone's gonna perform Kermit, that person needs to know that you're taking a leadership role that millions will be seeing. Also, characters like Rowlf, Scooter, E.M., and Robin should have bigger scenes and come before Beaker and Bunsen, and Rizzo and Pepe. And where is Beauregard? Dave, you're still around. Put down Gonzo and Bunsen and get a fan favorite out. Beau was in way more scenes than & back in the old days, and Bunsen came two years prior. Only times I've seen him in YEARS is when he's in the back, cleaning up.

And now, the review... I don't have to watch this to know that, if I'm gonna watch this and I feel somewhat ashamed of watching modern-day Muppets around my family, I'm gonna watch it alone. And the guy who wrote the article helps me understand why. It's because Bill, Dave & Steve run the characters now. Pepe is hilarious, I'll give him that. He's fun to watch, and he adds zest the Muppets need. But there is such a thing as overexposure. Pepe and Rizzo should just take over Statler and Waldorf's job, cuz they're the real comic relief. Everyone else's scenes derive from just filling the stereotype that non-Muppet fans have of them.

If you guys wanna know why I always write posts like this, it's because I have family members and friends who see previews for this stuff and wonder why I still watch the Muppets. I understand fully that, in this exceptional case, you'll never be able to go 'home' again. By that I mean, you'll never be able to see the Henson team hit their stride again. Their time came and went, and they had a chance to keep it up. It's been almost 20 years since Jim's death, and nearly 10 years since a Muppet film's been in theaters.

Did you know that's the longest the Muppets have went without having a movie in the theaters since The Muppet Movie? If these guys are just so cool, so awesome, then why haven't they been in theaters? All I keep hearing is, "Disney's gonna plug 'em back into the mainstream!" Why? They shouldn't've left in the first place. But Muppet Treasure Island happened, then Muppets Tonight, then Frank leaves, then this special came on, then that special came on, a commercial here and there, then that ridiculous D.C. thing. Whether you just love everything that they're doing or not, one thing can be said, truthfully, about the last 15 years of the Muppets; the respect that people had for the Muppets is starting to fade, and it's been harder and harder for them to keep on top. They're trying too hard.

And the celebrities? I'm sorry, Nathan Lane's no Milton Berle; Jesse L. Martin's no Steve Martin. (While I'm on the subject, they need to find actors who don't treat the Muppets like puppets; they need more people like Michael Caine, who can talk to them like real actors) It's bad enough Sesame Street went into the tank. Why'd they have to ruin something for the older audience? I guarrantee you, if it wasn't for fans like us with a website like this, you'd all be seeing Johnny Fiamma, Sal, Van Neuter, Andy and Randy at Claire's door in that sneak peek, not the guys you see instead. And I'd almost bet that's the only time you'll see some of them talk tomorrow. Some of you feel angry about what I have to say. And you know what? I'm tired of feeling like saying this stuff. Some people think that, just cuz it's the Muppets, you can't call b******t. Sorry, but this rat smells a

 

[CensoredAlso]

and the gang flying in first class is as Muppety as hanging on for dear life? Have they even seen Muppet Caper?

Hmm...honestly I read it as he's just trying to draw an analogy. That the Muppets deserve first class treatment, not that they should be first class on the plane (as you pointed out, that would be wrong ).

I'm not thrilled about the mob stuff. It's unoriginal at this point when anyone does it, and offensive.

But anyway, I'll give my own thoughts when I actually see it. I'm sure there will be good moments that I'll freely admit to (hehe) and ones that need improvement.

 

[frogboy4]

If you guys wanna know why I always write posts like this, it's because I have family members and friends who see previews for this stuff and wonder why I still watch the Muppets. I understand fully that, in this exceptional case, you'll never be able to go 'home' again. By that I mean, you'll never be able to see the Henson team hit their stride again. Their time came and went, and they had a chance to keep it up. It's been almost 20 years since Jim's death, and nearly 10 years since a Muppet film's been in theaters.

Some of you feel angry about what I have to say. And you know what? I'm tired of feeling like saying this stuff. Some people think that, just cuz it's the Muppets, you can't call b******t. Sorry, but this rat smells a

It seems that there's more to your critique than just the Muppets. It appears you feel that the quality of projects reflects how others feel about you. While I can understand that, there's little that Disney, the writers or performers can do for it - especially considering that you seem to be planning to dislike the piece.

I still hope we're in store for something special.

 

[theprawncracker]

I still hope we're in store for something special.

Well... it's a special, so we're obviously in for something special in the special.