Your Thoughts: Muppets Haunted Mansion on Disney+

[Grumpo]

IT WAS GOOD. Coming late to the discussion, everything i had in mind had been said already--

I don't understand why people are so hard on this, and apparently Muppets Now. I mean sure it's not the Muppet Show or Jim Henson made, but we're never going to get that again.

Yep. Just as MN was easily on a par with Muppets YouTube channel (er... lately), MHM could well have been an MT Halloween special.
I wish Clifford could make an appearance, to seal the impression.

In all, it was not a bad special. The addition of Rizzo would have made it far better in my opinion

As a ‘90s fan, I was definitely missing the Rizzo and Gonzo pair. I know there’s nothing that can really be done about it outside of recasting Rizzo, but even then it won’t be the same.

Pepe’s great though so I didn’t mind him being in that role at all.

I liked that Rizzo just had a two-second cameo because they didn't recast him. It was a good way to incorporate him.

Yeppp. Both Pepe and Gonzo are great as usual, getting along quite well, each being funny and touching in their own way. It's just that with Gonzo and Pepe each has his own fun lines, Gonzo and Rizzo would bounce off each other, striking sparks of laughter out of thin air.
It was good fun, but it could have been hilarious.

I'm glad they were also able to work in Uncle Deadly, since he's just so Halloweeny. And it was nice to see Johnny Fiama and Sal Manilla appear in a new Muppet production after many years of being M.I.A.

YEAHH! Matt's Uncle Deadly is flowing! I sure wish there was more of him around. And Brian is the best and only Sal ever -- i think if Sal was recast, everybody would feel it immediately, like... i mean, that may be why they did not recast Rizzo.

On the positive side I have to say I was delighted with all the references to the original attraction and overall just the scope of Muppet characters throughout

people on Facebook who were directly involved in this and when you read how passionate they are about this and the Muppet fan base and the franchise it's very assuring that they want to do things right.

YES. It is a good way for the franchise to keep on keeping on, IMHO.

 

[rexcrk]

I saw a couple days ago that evidently Wandavision got a DVD release so I guess anything's possible.

Not trying to be a downer (again lol) but that was probably a bootleg unfortunately. I really don’t see any Disney+-exclusive material getting a physical release (Disney wants that sweet perpetual streaming money rather than a single flat payment for discs).

 

[antsamthompson9]

Fair warning to everyone who saw this: The Barretta Brothers are doing a whole show about this at 7 PM eastern time. So feel free to ask them questions about it.

 

[dwayne1115]

Fair warning to everyone who saw this: The Barretta Brothers are doing a whole show about this at 7 PM eastern time. So feel free to ask them questions about it.

Yep, and I've been looking forward to this all day! Hope to see yall there.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

That wasn’t Rizzo, it was a generic Muppet rat performed by Bruce Lanoil. Overall, it was good. I mean it’s not going to be on the level of other specials but it was good nonetheless.

Well, that's good to know. I thought it was Rizzo as well, but it seems like Rizzo went the way of Murray, they just don't want to recast him.

It was nice to see Brian performing Sal again though.

John Stamos suddenly turning into a Muppet monster startled me a bit at first, yet at the same time I thought it was really cool!

Yeah, could you imagine Uncle Jesse doing that?

The bit with Sweetums pretending to be a train reminded me of the old Scooby-Doo episode "Mine Your Own Business" and the 1995 "Casper" film, or to keep with the Muppet motif, the Muppet Babies episode "Water Babies." (Maybe Gonzo should've said "Sweetums! You're not a train!")
LOL at the reference to the ride breaking down!

I had the "Casper" movie in mind when watching this as well and I had "Scooby-Doo" in mind too, though I didn't know they were referencing MYOB. I was just thinking of the generic Scooby-Doo episodes.

It was sorely missing Rizzo in the sidekick role

I do wonder about that on why Pepe is now Gonzo's BFF rather than Rizzo, but it does seem like Rizzo has suffered Chuck Cunningham/Judy Winslow/Lyman etc. syndrome.

Did they just bring back At The Dance from the old Muppet Show?

Well, of course they did. Don't be ridiculous!

Yeah but with Steve gone who could voice Rizzo maybe Brian or Bill

I was thinking they could have used Peter for Rizzo. He's been pretty spot on with a lot of Steve's character's. He probably should have done Kermit too, but it's a tad late for that.

Edit: In Dr. Peter Venkman voice: I just got ziffled!

I'm sorry, but you'll have to be a bit more specific as to which Dr. Peter Venkman voice: Murray, Music or Coulier?

On another note, it's kinda interesting how this is the first time that Pat Sajak has appeared in a Muppets project. Considering that he's been relevant since well before Jim Henson died, you'd think he'd have slipped in a cameo in the 80s or 90s.

Yeah. It seems like the closest they came back then was having the Muppets on "The Merv Griffin Show."

This is exactly what I was referring to by this special having the weirdest, most random cameos.

"With Hollywood stars and more one-liner cameos."

 

[ShMuppetgal96]

Sadly I have not been able to watch it... I just moved cross country and my new accommodations have all the major streaming platforms EXCEPT Disney Plus!!!!!!!

 

[The Count]

Another thing that came to me as a weird thought, this special feels like it could be a Muppets Tonight 25th anniversary reunion.

No, listen to me okay. Ju has Pepe the King Prawn as my wonderful self.
*Normal voice:
You have Andy and Randy Pig as male versions of The Grady Twins from the film version of The Shining, according to toughpigs MHM Easter Eggs article seen in the Corridor of Doors when is racing to rescue Pepe.
Bobo the Bear as one of the unidentified Happy Haunts, the one who says "I do tricks" during the song Life Here After.
Dr. Phil van Neuter as Edward the Black Prince from the Changing Portraits.
Howard Tubman as another of the unidentified Happy Haunts, the one who announces the dishes made for the boo-fay at the ballroom.
Johnny Fiama as Frank Banks, Constance Hatchaway's second husband in the Attic.
Sal Minella as Frank Banks's groomsman, if that'd be the best label for his MHM persona.
Mulch, not sure when he appeared.
Nigel the Director, not sure when he appeared.

All we're missing are Clifford, Bill the Bubble Guy, Seymour the Elephant, and Spamela Hamderson.

 

[anytimepally]

Really a nice surprise to see Sal (and Johnny) and Phil back. Hopefully, that will continue. Sal is one of my favorites.

 

[Princeton]

Re: Rizzo's absence: if it doesn't seem obvious now it will be in about two and a half months when it comes time for us Muppet fans to have our annual MCC viewing.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Another thing that came to me as a weird thought, this special feels like it could be a Muppets Tonight 25th anniversary reunion.

No, listen to me okay. Ju has Pepe the King Prawn as my wonderful self.
*Normal voice:
You have Andy and Randy Pig as male versions of The Grady Twins from the film version of The Shining, according to toughpigs MHM Easter Eggs article seen in the Corridor of Doors when is racing to rescue Pepe.
Bobo the Bear as one of the unidentified Happy Haunts, the one who says "I do tricks" during the song Life Here After.
Dr. Phil van Neuter as Edward the Black Prince from the Changing Portraits.
Howard Tubman as another of the unidentified Happy Haunts, the one who announces the dishes made for the boo-fay at the ballroom.
Johnny Fiama as Frank Banks, Constance Hatchaway's second husband in the Attic.
Sal Minella as Frank Banks's groomsman, if that'd be the best label for his MHM persona.
Mulch, not sure when he appeared.
Nigel the Director, not sure when he appeared.

All we're missing are Clifford, Bill the Bubble Guy, Seymour the Elephant, and Spamela Hamderson.

Yeah, they'll have to make a sequel including them and now that Kevin is no longer with the Muppets, I could see someone performing Cliff without the shades. We'll see.