Your Thoughts: Studio DC Hosted by Dylan and Cole Sprouse

[Super Scooter]

By the way, when did the Electric Mayhem ever perform with Prince?

 

[Robin]

Honestly, I don't see why the classic Muppet style doesn't appeal to a younger audience. Maybe it's because I grew up with them, and maybe it's because I was exposed to a lot of older entertainment growing up (like Laurel and Hardy and the classic musicals). Those things just seem like they would never lose their popularity. I think the Muppets could stick to their original style, and they would be relevant and would attract the crowds. Perhaps?

One example I could think of is how fantasy/adventure movies sort of phased out a very long time ago (back in the fifties?) , but now they're starting to make a comeback. I don't think they ever lost their appeal, it's just that people were caught up in more realistic films. If they had just continued making them, I think there still would have been an audience for them. The Muppets will always have an audience just doing what they do best, I think.

Remember, too, the Muppets were sort of considered rebelious humor when they were first introduced. Kids today are obsessed with being rebelious, so that's even more reason why they should like the Muppets without the Muppets having to change for them!

I feel the same way! the love and quality we have come to expect is gone.... But DARN IT! we love are Muppets!

 

[Super Scooter]

I feel the same way! the love and quality we have come to expect is gone.... But DARN IT! we love are Muppets!

I think the quality is very much there on the Muppet website and in the YouTube videos. And I did like Studio DC, I just think it had some major problems. I liked enough of it, anyway.

It's been a little while since we've heard anything about the new Muppet movie, but I think from the sounds of things, that'll do much more for the Muppets than specials like this could. It seems that any reports about that movie have been favorable, and there are enough people excited about it. Heck, I've even convinced a fairly large group to go with me on opening night. I think that will show whether or not the Muppets can be successful in attracting new fans, as well as keeping the older fans happy. I hope Studio DC doesn't determine whether or not the movie gets made. If it is, I'm glad it was somewhat successful, but that's no way to determine something like that.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

By the way, when did the Electric Mayhem ever perform with Prince?

Nope, and they didn't perform with Garth Brooks either. Still, the fact that they actually acknowledge Muppets Tonight's existence made me happy.

 

[Super Scooter]

Nope, and they didn't perform with Garth Brooks either. Still, the fact that they actually acknowledge Muppets Tonight's existence made me happy.

Well, Floyd performed with Garth Brooks (Floyd fiddles... while Garth brooks!... anyway...). Maybe that counts.

 

[dwmckim]

Well, i followed up on my mental note to self and checked my dvd of the Pancake Hannah Montana episode to see how long it ran without commercials to see if they take out as much commercial time for a regular DC show as they did SD:AL...

Hannah ran two minutes longer - 22.5 minutes

I have no desire to be taping and checking the other DC shows but since HM is made for DC as are most of its other current roster of shows, i think it's a safe bet that 22 1/2 minutes is the standard norm for a DC show running time. Well SD:AL was also made exclusively for DC so cutting it two minutes short was just gratuitous. I guess the network generally felt "well this is in all reality a cleverly disguised commercial for the rest of the DC lineup so filling it with other commercials for DC should be no big deal"

Two minutes doesn't seem like much but the shorter a timeframe, the bigger the difference - if it was a 60 minute show, two minutes isn't as much of a difference, but when you get into cutting a half hour show down to 20 minutes, that means that 1/3 of that slot was commercials. That's just way too much.

To put it in perspective - Hannah Montana as well as the US airings of Muppets Tonight were 22.5 minutes - which people then complained was too short. Yet 20 years earlier, the US airings of The Muppet Show was a mere one minute longer at 23.5 minutes ... goes to show how much difference each minute makes during an already short timeframe.

...and just to round out the picture of the state of US commercial time these days, i don't know off hand how long a primetime series runs these days considering commercial time though i know in the past 47-48 minutes was pretty standard (comparable with 23-24 minutes for a half hour show), but to take something i know from years of taping One Life to Live (a daytime show on ABC - also owned by Disney), an hour long episode reduces to 37 minutes when you take out commercials - which while being disproportionate to a half-hour show (that would be like two 16.5 minute half hour shows), doesn't seem like it's too bad when you're watching it...and there's been no reduction in commercial time over the last five years, that was also how long they ran in early 90's as well.

 

[Robin]

The Muppets were are friends when we were kids, wether on sesame or the Muppet Show... Most of my friends change same... but in lots of ways are the same... I had a dear friend who was in a car wreck and after was a different person... a dumbed down version of his former self... i stick with him because I love him but, he is not the same guy I met, loved and became good friends with... the same with the Muppets... Then they were the real thing! Wow! how good was the magical chemistry of Jim and Frank, Richard and Jerry, Steve and David... That was magic... Now the there is now real muppet influence... it is dumb in every way... Disney the out of touch corprate cow is destroying the fabric of the Muppets... WHAT HAVE WE LOST!
Nothing, everything dies... If anyone shares my view sooth your soul by watching Old School Jim Henson supervised muppets and you are once again you are in Muppet Utopia!

 

[frogboy4]

I don't think Frank Oz is on a high horse, as mentioned, or that he owes fans anything after providing decades of Muppety goodness. The Muppets are in great hands and the DC special, while not ideal for fans like me will help enlighten some DC watchers to where the good stuff is!

Here's a Frank Oz appreciation thread just created. Feel free to post your Frank-isms. He was due for another tread.

 

[frogboy4]

The only negative reviews of the special I've seen is from people on this forum. And those people are not in the target audience from this special. I haven't done too much digging... but the comments on YouTube videos have been possitive. It seems we're blowing things out of proportion (surprise, surprise ) by saying the reviews have been negative. I think we need to realize that Disney wasn't trying to appeal to just us with this special...

Sure the special wasn't great as a whole--but all of the Muppets certainly were. I don't think we need a bigger sign than that telling us that things are going well.

I agree with this. This Studio DC show was designed to be tucked away so that mostly the target audience would see it. The special was quite bland juxtaposed to the usually witty and colorful Muppets. The DC fans seem to be eating it up on YouTube. Think of what they'll say when they really see the Muppets in action!

 

[Davina]

I agree, as well, while the special was definately NOT a favorite of mine.. and may not have lived up to my personal hopes for it... my 9 year old absolutely LOVED it and even my 14 yr old found it mostly tollerable (in the manner of most teens.. heh...)

for me right now.. it's just more obvious that it's not up to "old times" because we've been watching a LOT of old Muppet Show episodes and Dinosaurs the past few weeks with my oldest step daughter visiting (she's 21..) and wanting to "catch up" on them cuz she missed a lot of it growing up.. and now that she's got a baby of her own.... well, she's looking around for some decent stuff for her daughter to watch when she's older.. heh...

this special was good for what it was, us old folks just know that it could be better and so get disappointed when it doesn't live up to our hopes.... ah well... *sigh*