The Muppets

[Ben]

Sweet. I just emailed someone the Duelling Banjos Kermit did with Steve Martin, so it’s nice to see more of the same, and the guys largely nailed the vocals here, even if Matt's Mr The Frog is still a little stiff and less spontaneous than his predecessors. But he does seem to be loosening up into the role: just needs to be doing much more of this sort of thing to really have himself Muppetmeld with Kermit for them to become one. This is the best evidence yet that he might still be able to do it!

[Daniel]

Remember that "Rainbow Connection" comparison vid I posted? Someone ought to do the same for "Movin' Right Along" now. Matt is still playing Kermie very subdued and loses the character and voice, but you can feel the effort. Slowly getting there. Yes, essentially what you said.

[ShyViolet]

His movements/gestures are getting really good too.

[Daniel]

The official Twitter account posted this tease:

Calling all Muppet fans! Get ready for a major and important Muppet announcement coming soon. What is it? We have no idea.

Hopefully more vintage content for Disney+. Doubt a movie or TV show. New merch? Maybe something with the Hall of Presidents. Next week is the inauguration, which hopefully won't be a repeat of earlier this month...

[Ben]

What, when the muppets descended on the capital?





(small m intended. I wasn’t talking about the real Muppets. In fact I don’t usually like it when people call dumb people muppets. Because it’s an insult to Muppets!)

[Daniel]

Not to mention mops and puppets!

[Daniel]

Already reported elsewhere, all five seasons of "The Muppet Show" are arriving on Disney+! "Hopefully more vintage content for Disney+" Called it! A historic day one might say. Guess someone, somewhere at Disney still cares. The lovers, dreamers and me are all gonna be watching!

[Randall]

The more Muppets, the better!

[EricJ]

Music rights aside, they only abandoned the DVD's after the first 00's craze for DVD rerun boxsets didn't necessarily become the goldmine that all studios thought it would be after X-Files and All in the Family.

Nice to know that Disney's new "It's all about Baby Yoda!" focus on their streaming service didn't forget that they still OWN the Show reruns, even if they don't have to worry about mainstream DVD-shelf departments at TargetMart anymore.
Now, if they're cleared to reissue all the disc sets as DMC Exclusives...

[Randall]

I'll also pop in here to say that I've been watching The Muppets, the short-lived show from a few years ago. And.... I find it pretty funny. Like, laugh out loud at times. It's not exactly the Muppets we all know and love, but I have to admit I'm enjoying it.

But I am over the moon with happiness over knowing that I can finally see the rest of the Muppet Show episodes again after all these years. I'd love to, as Ben mentioned on the other thread, also see Muppets Tonight and all the specials. Oh, and The Jim Henson Hour from 1979.

[Daniel]

Music rights would have to be cleared and the musicians who are still alive would need to be paid. That's essentially why the DVDs stopped, otherwise we would have gotten that season 4 set they advertised!

[Daniel]

Five must-watch episodes. Good choices. I'm so tempted to start with episode 10, but I'll be good and watch in order.

[Ben]

Wonder if they’ll have the Chris Langham fifth season show in there? He was a writer on it at the time, but now an infamous comic actor who doesn’t get much work (...) and when they didn’t have a guest one week they just shoved him in the show!

[EricJ]

"And now, Autumn in Scotland!: (kilt-sporran falls)"
Chris was one of those UK guests we'd never heard of in the US (not getting Not the Nine O'Clock News), so is there any reason why they wouldn't? I doubt it's music rights.

And before the Internet, I don't know why I was obsessed enough to rank the episodes at one point when I was a kid, but I wouldn't put Diana Ross or Rita Moreno in the pantheon, and the Steve Martin episode was funny, but the "backstage" non-laughtrack is jarring and works against the cuddly fantasy of the series.
(If I wanted to hear cameramen break up, I'd watch the current pandemic-era late-nite hosts.)

I clicked on the link dreading they would "have" to include Jim Henson's personal preoccupation with the Harry Belafonte episode--
Which is good, yes, but not as fun as John Denver, Peter Sellers, Mark Hamill, George Burns or Arlo Guthrie...It's more on the "Artsy"-good list with Judy Collins and Crystal Gayle.

[Daniel]

"And now, sensation seekers, my impression of autumn in Scotland." That's more like it.

"Infamous" kinda says it all...