Martin
Baker hired as consultant for The Muppets Holding Company
Baker
brings more than 25 years experience with The Muppets to Disney
Courtesy
of The Muppets Holding Company
May
5, 2005
The Muppets
Holding Company, LLC, (MHC) a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company,
announced today that Martin G. Baker has been hired as a consultant
for the organization's new entertainment endeavors. A close colleague
of the late Muppets creator Jim Henson, Baker has more than 25 years
of experience producing Muppets content in all media.
Baker's primary
responsibilities will be consulting on entertainment initiatives
as MHC enters its second year of stewardship of the Muppets brand.
The Muppets franchise was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in
April 2004 from The Jim Henson Company. Since that time, Baker has
utilized his expertise to help integrate the Muppets into The Walt
Disney Company family, including serving as producer on the new
ABC telefilm "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz," which will air
May 20th.
Baker's duties
will include searching for ways to expand the Muppets' unparalleled
talent base as demand for the brand grows. He will be leading a
search for more multi-talented performers in the world of puppeteering
who will serve as understudies to core Muppets performers and help
the company develop new characters and service the growing international
demands for the classic characters.
"After
decades of working with the Muppets, I know how very much they are
loved the world over," said Baker. "I am truly delighted
to be part of extending Jim Henson's vision for the future of these
characters at The Walt Disney Company."
"No one
could help us continue and grow these heartwarming and humorous
Muppet characters better than Martin Baker," remarked Chris
Curtin, general manager and vice president of MHC. "He played
an invaluable role in helping ensure that the brand's integrity
remained true during MHC's first large scale endeavor, 'The Muppets'
Wizard of Oz,' and we are thrilled to have him on board as we move
forward."
Baker
has worked with The Jim Henson Company on Muppets productions since
1979. As their executive vice president of production, Baker was
integral to the production of such television projects as "The
Muppet Show," "Fraggle Rock," "Jim Henson's
The Storyteller," "Jim Henson's Secret Life of Toys,"
"Muppets Tonight," and the NBC TV movie "It's A Very
Merry Muppet Christmas Movie." His feature film credits include
"The Muppet Movie," "The Great Muppet Caper,"
"Follow That Bird," "The Dark Crystal," "The
Muppet Christmas Carol," "Muppet Treasure Island,"
"The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland," and "Muppets
From Space." Prior to joining The Jim Henson Company, Baker
spent 14 years working for the ATV network in the U.K.
MORE
MUPPET NEWS
• Muppets
star in Toyota Super Bowl ad campaign
• Music
Video: "All I Need is Love" with CeeLo Green and The Muppets
• Muppets
on The Voice Tuesday November 27
• The
Muppets Take Disney Store Manhattan November 27
• The
Muppet Christmas Carol arrives on Blu-ray November 6
• Kermit
and Miss Piggy on "Best in TV" ABC special September 18
• "Kermit's Party" viral
videos from Bounty Paper Towels
• The
Electric Mayhem on Jimmy Kimmel March 21
• Miss Piggy
and Sharon Osbourne go head-to-head on The Talk
|