Eras in Muppet History: The Returning Era (2008-Present)

Eras in Muppet History: The Returning Era (2008-Present)

Beaker in the Webby Award winning "Ode to Joy" video

Here we are! I finally get to talk about what the Muppets are doing today. In recent years, the Muppets have busted their way back into the public eye. Aside from the occasional TV specials of the previous Era, the Muppets hadn’t done anything significant in a while, but that was about to change. The first thing the Muppets did was to meet the public where they were. In 2008, the best way to do that was to head to YouTube. It was the perfect pass time for people who want to procrastinate from whatever they should be doing, so the Muppets invaded our computers with their own viral videos over the next couple years. Most of these were short and simple, like Gonzo singing the Danub Waltz with some chickens or the Swedish Chef cooking popcorn while using everything in the kitchen as a musical instrument. There was also a full version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” performed by the Muppets. The videos quickly became very popular. The Muppets even won a Webby Award in 2009 for a video in which six Beakers attempt to play “Ode to Joy”.

Gonzo in Extreme Makeover: Muppet Edition

With the Muppets back in the public eye, they started to pop up in everything from CNN, to Late Night starring Jimmy Fallon, to Disney Channel sitcoms, to Good Morning America, or even Dancing with the Stars. The Muppets were used to promote the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day campaign, which encouraged people to volunteer in exchange for admission to a Disney Park. Then in 2010, there was Extreme Makeover: The Muppet Edition, which showcased the unique construction capabilities of the Muppets. They were everywhere, no matter what you tuned in to watch, there was a good chance that the Muppets would somehow make an appearance. It turns out that Jim Henson was on to something 50 years earlier when he started using the Muppets for commercials, who knew?!

The Muppets (2011)

If ever there was a time for the Muppets to start creating their own material, it was now. The casting issues of the past two decades were finally resolved and Muppets were in the front of peoples’ minds again. This opportunity was seized by Nick Stoller and Jason Segel who wrote a movie that became The Muppets (2011). There hadn’t been a theatrical Muppet Movie in 12 years, the longest gap since The Muppet Movie was released in 1979. The film stars Segel alongside Amy Adams and the newest Muppet, Walter, performed by Peter Linz. Segel, Adams, and Walter convince Kermit to reunite the Muppets to save the old studio from being destroyed by putting on a show. The premise of recruiting Muppets is one of the many callbacks to the original film, and it is filled to the brim with classic characters. All of the expected favorites returned with Kermit; Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, Scooter, the Electric Mayhem, the Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, among many others.

Uncle Deadly in The Muppets

For true Muppet fans like myself, we also noticed the return of lesser known characters who we never thought would resurface. Singing duet Wayne and Wanda, Lips the Trumpet Player, and Thog all returned, making us cheer in our seats. The most important return was Uncle Deadly, the ghostly monster from the early days of The Muppet Show (1976), who was featured prominently as one of the villain’s henchmen. It felt like an extended episode of The Muppet Show, complete with a performance of “The Muppet Show Theme Song”. It was clear to me as I watched this that Stoller and Segel were huge Muppet fans, they had to be! There were so many subtle nods and homages to earlier Muppet productions. I remember telling people that I thought this film was a big step in the right direction. We need to see these characters again, interacting with each other. Any time the Muppets hit the big screen, you can bet that I’ll be finding my way to a movie theater.

Ricky Gervais and Constantine in
Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

The Muppets was a great success, which meant that the obvious next move was another movie. In 2014, Muppets Most Wanted was released. Like the previous movie, this film introduces another new Muppet, Constantine, the world’s most dangerous frog. Constantine, with the exception of a mole is a near perfect doppelganger for Kermit. He manages to switch places by getting Kermit sent off to a Russian prison while Constantine takes his place with the Muppets. He convinces the Muppets to go on a world tour, using their shows as distractions for criminal heists with his partner, played by Ricky Gervais. Meanwhile, Kermit copes with prison life, dealing with a guard, played by Tina Fey. I may sound like a broken record at this point, but I think this movie is absolutely great. Constantine, performed by Matt Vogel, is a perfect Muppet villain, displaying the perfect balance of evil and goofy.


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Ty Burell and Sam the Eagle in Muppets Most Wanted

n addition to Constantine, there are several other moments in Muppets Most Wanted that are the perfect example of great Muppet humor. We get great gags like Gonzo performing an indoor running with the bulls alongside Salma Hayek and Scooter singing “Moves Like Jagger” with the Muppet penguins. My personal favorite is Sam the Eagle as a CIA agent, investigating the burglaries with an Interpol agent, played by Ty Burrell. Sam and Burrell have amazing comedic chemistry, and definitely steal the show in this great Muppet caper-film.

Kermit and Piggy break up in The Muppets (2015)

So far, it looks like history is repeating itself. In the 1990s, the Muppets came out with two successful films, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996), then quickly returned to TV with Muppets Tonight (1996). This pattern did indeed continue as fans began to hear about the new show The Muppets, which premiered in September 2015. As I’ve talked about before, the Muppets have always succeeded by doing their own spin on what was popular. In the 1970s, variety shows were the thing, which lead to The Muppet Show. Today, the trend is mockumentaries, which is exactly what The Muppets is. Miss Piggy is the host of a fictional talk show called “Up Late with Miss Piggy”. The Muppets shows us behind the scenes of how the show is made through the lives of the crew, consisting of Executive Producer Kermit the Frog, Co-host Fozzie Bear, Head Writer Gonzo the Great, Talent Coordinator Scooter, House band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and several other Muppets who work together to put Miss Piggy on the air every night. We also dive into the personal lives of the Muppets as Kermit and Miss Piggy have recently broken up and Kermit has found a new girlfriend Denise, who happens to be another pig.

The Muppets singing karaoke at a bar with Ed Helms

One thing that I have to mention about The Muppets is the supposed controversy about it. From the start, it was being labeled as a more “adult” Muppet show. That label had a lot of people up in arms, saying they can’t believe how inappropriate it is and how Muppets should be a children’s franchise. I was saying from the start that people were overreacting. I knew that it wasn’t going to be an X-rated show full of gratuitous profanity, but it seemed like people were expecting that, based on how they were freaking out. The show turned out to be exactly what I expected, a sitcom starring the Muppets. That’s all. I would even say that The Muppets is still milder that most sitcoms on TV today. What people don’t realize is that even though Jim Henson made incredible children’s television with Sesame Street (1969) and Fraggle Rock (1983), the core Muppet characters were never strictly a children’s franchise. If you look back at The Muppet Show (1976), there are many things that support this, such as Raquel Welch dancing provocatively in a skimpy outfit with a giant spider or Alice Cooper trying to convince the Muppets to sell their souls to the devil. The Muppets have never shied away from adult oriented humor. After ten episodes, the show has been put on a hiatus for retooling, so I guess we’ll have to see what that means. In the end, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I think The Muppets is a very entertaining and funny show. It definitely rings true to who the Muppets are and I am excited to see what comes next.

Kermit, Rowlf, and Fozzie in The Muppets

The Muppets is a franchise that never seems to go away. The Muppets have lived through six decades and counting, outliving most of the people who created them. There have been transitional times in Muppet history, but they always seem to bounce back from any set back. It has gotten to the point where multiple generations have grown up watching the work of Jim Henson’s Muppets. Even now, I’ll go back and watch old episodes of The Muppet Show and even if I don’t recognize a guest star or topical reference from 40 years ago, the characters themselves are timeless and continually entertaining. So far I’ve written about seven eras in Muppet history, but I would be surprised if it all ends here. What will happen next? Will the Muppets make another movie to bring us to three film trilogies? Will The Muppets continue on for years to come? I for one will definitely be tuning in to find out.

 

Eras in Muppet History: The Recasting Era (2000-2008)

Eras in Muppet History: The Recasting Era (2000-2008)

Jerry Nelson (1934-2012)

As the Muppets enter a new era and a new millennium, there is a noticeable decline in major Muppet productions. The short lived, Muppets Tonight has ended, and it would be another decade until the Muppets hit the big screen again. Despite the lack of movies and TV shows, this era served an important purpose in Muppet history, which was to bring classic characters back to the foreground, which was becoming more and more of a necessity. Some of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt’s characters were still being underused, as well as Frank Oz deciding in 2001 to retire from performing his characters. On top of that, Jerry Nelson, while still performing at this point, was beginning to have health problems, leading him to slowly step back as well. It was clear that new performers would be needed to keep this franchise afloat.

Paul Williams sings with the Muppets in
The Muppet Show Live (2001)

In 2001, a comic-con-like convention called MuppetFest was held in Santa Monica, California. There were panel discussions with performers and producers, as well as The Muppet Show Live, a throwback to the original in front of a life audience. This was a very fun take on The Muppet Show, and the way it was put together was very creative. At this point, there were still some major Muppets who had yet to be recast. To fill in these gaps, clips of classic sketches were shown in order to include characters, such as Fozzie Bear who were otherwise absent. There was also a performance by the Electric Mayhem band which was puppeteered live to the audio of their song “Can You Picture That?” from The Muppet Movie (1979). In addition to including characters through archive footage, the live show also marked the beginning of the recasting era. The early 2000s is when many fan favorites came out of the background and started to find their way back to the spotlight. This process can be traced back to this live show as it’s starting point with some major recasts being showcased. Right in the opening of the show, Kermit has a conversation with Rowlf the Dog, performed now by Bill Baretta. This wasn’t the first time Baretta performed Rowlf as he had some minor mumblings during an episode of Muppets Tonight, however this was definitely Rowlf’s first major Post-Henson appearance. Later in the show, we even get to see Rowlf singing classic Muppet songs with Paul Williams.

Miss Piggy's "live" appearance in The Muppet Show Live

The most notable recast in The Muppet Show Live is Miss Piggy. Brian Henson had already announced that Frank Oz was not able to be a part of the show, hence the absence of his characters. In the second half of the show, Miss Piggy makes an appearance via “live” video message, where Piggy explains that she was unable to attend the show. Most fans assumed that this was pre-recorded by Oz. In reality, it was the first performance of Miss Piggy by performer Eric Jacobson. This video performance was the perfect opportunity to test out Jacobson in front of fans. While there were some die-hard fans who caught on to the difference, a majority of the audience believed they were hearing Frank Oz, which is a tremendous credit to Jacobson. The Muppet Show Live captured the essence of The Muppet Show and is still a very fun show to watch.

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)

Before settling on The Recasting Era, I considered labeling this era, “The TV-Special Era”. Although there are no feature-films or prime-time shows at this time, the Muppets keep pumping out TV Specials. First, there’s It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), which is the Muppets’ version of It’s a Wonderful Life, where Kermit sees how the Muppets would have ended up without him. A few years later, there was The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005), the Muppets’ take on the classic story starring Ashanti as Dorothy. A few more years later came Letters to Santa (2008), in which Gonzo gets the Muppets to join him in his mission to deliver a little girl’s letter to Santa. There were also the promotional specials, Studio DC: Almost Live (2008) where the Muppets hung out with popular Disney Channel stars, since the Muppets had recently been purchased by Disney. I would consider these specials to be mediocre. They’re not terrible and I would say they each have their great moments, however they’re not the best that the Muppets have to offer. The interesting thing is that despite their mediocrity, these TV specials play an important role in the theme of this chapter: Recasting. In these specials, we get what we’ve been talking about for a while now, permanent recasts of classic characters.


L-R: Bill Baretta with Pepe, Dave Goelz with Gonzo, Steve Whitmire with Kermit

With Henson and Hunt gone, Frank Oz retired, and Jerry Nelson mostly retired, there are three prominent performers remaining into the 2000s. Steve Whitmire continues to perform Kermit the Frog, Rizzo the Rat, and Beaker, among others. Dave Goelz continues to perform many characters including Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf, and Zoot. Bill Baretta, who became a prominent performer with Muppets Tonight (1996) performs original characters Pepe the Prawn and Bobo the Bear as well as some of Jim Henson’s original characters, Rowlf the Dog, the Swedish Chef, and Dr. Teeth.

Eric Jacobson with Fozzie

Eric Jacobson continued to perform Miss Piggy after his debut in The Muppet Show Live. Jacobson then took on most of Frank Oz’s major characters, including Fozzie Bear, Animal, and Sam the Eagle. I think of this as the most important recast in this era as Piggy and Fozzie have been such prominent core characters ever since The Muppet Show (1976) and their recent absence had been very noticeable.

Matt Vogel with Floyd Pepper

Another gap that needed addressing was with Jerry Nelson’s characters. Nelson was still performing part time in this era, mainly through voice dubbing. His last uncredited voice work before his death in 2012 was the Announcer in The Muppets (2011). Even while he was alive, the recasting had started. Statler, a character Nelson took over from Richard Hunt, was passed again to Steve Whitmire, who still performs him today. The rest of Nelson’s major characters, including Floyd Pepper, Robin the Frog, Camilla the Chicken, Lew Zealand, and Crazy Harry were taken on by Matt Vogel.

David Rudman with Cookie Monster

The final characters that needed a performer were Richard Hunt’s characters, Scooter and Janice. Brian Henson performed both characters in It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002). However, Henson would not remain their permanent performer and would soon after stop performing with the Muppets. After a few other casting choices, Scooter and Janice would be taken over completely in 2008 by David Rudman.


As the Muppets move forward, we finally have all major characters present and accounted for with our new core group of performers. The team that entertained the world every week on The Muppet Show (1976) was made up of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Steve Whitmire, and Jerry Nelson. Today, the Muppet team consists of Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Bill Baretta, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, and David Rudman. A team that would go on to bring the Muppets back to the foreground of pop culture with two feature films and another prime time TV Show, but all of that will be covered in the final chapter, “The Returning Era”.

Letters to Santa (2008)

Continue on to The Returning Era (2008-Present)





Eras in Muppet History: The Post-Henson Era (1990-2000)

Eras in Muppet History: The Post-Henson Era (1990-2000)

Steve Whitmire with Kermit

The 1990s brought a significant shift in the Muppets due to the tragic loss of not only Jim Henson, but also Richard Hunt, who died of AIDS on January 7, 1992. This left major casting and creative holes to be filled. In addition to being the mastermind behind the Muppets, Jim Henson performed many characters, such as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Swedish Chef, Waldorf, and Link Hogthrob. Richard Hunt was the man behind Scooter, Janice, Beaker, Statler, Sweetums, among many others. This is a big chunk of characters that were suddenly missing their performers. Kermit was the first to be recast with muppeteer Steve Whitmire taking on the role, however other characters would have to wait a long time before they joined Kermit back in the spotlight. Some of these characters, including Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Janice, and Link Hogthrob would spend this era primarily in the background with silent cameos, while Scooter went completely MIA for close to a decade until he resurfaced in the background of Muppets From Space (1999). While these characters took a back seat, there were a few of Henson and Hunt’s characters that were quickly recast. Dave Goelz took on the role of Waldorf, performing with Jerry Nelson who took on the role of Statler. Beaker was another character taken on by Whitmire, while the Swedish Chef was ultimately passed on to Muppet performer Bill Baretta.

Michael Caine in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The first major Muppet production created without Henson and Hunt was The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), which was dedicated to the late performers. The film was directed by Brian Henson, son of Jim, and tells the classic Charles Dickens’ story, A Christmas Carol, starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge with the Muppets filling in the supporting roles. It has since become one of the most beloved Muppet productions in history. Even people who aren’t big Muppet fans tend to list this as a favorite classic Christmas movie from their childhood. A large part of the film’s success is due to the amazing soundtrack with original songs written by Paul Williams, who previously wrote songs for The Muppet Movie (1979). In my opinion, any time Williams and the Muppets get paired up, it’s going to be great, because Williams knows how to bring out the heartfelt moments. The film also establishes one of the great Muppet duos in Gonzo and Rizzo as they narrate the story. These characters play off each other so brilliantly and add the perfect amount of subtle humor to the story, which otherwise had a more serious tone. The Muppet Christmas Carol isn’t the Muppets at their silliest, but it does show their ability to be genuine. As mentioned earlier, the best character to bring out to really drive home the emotional moments is Robin, and of course Robin plays a very important role as Tiny Tim. His hopefulness and optimism throughout the story bring the audience into the moment, making it an instant classic that stands the test of time.

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Continuing from the storybook style success of The Muppet Christmas Carol, the next Muppet film took ok the story of Treasure Island with Muppet Treasure Island (1996), a tale of the search for treasure. I see this as the perfect follow up from the previous film. The Muppet Christmas Carol had a more serious tone, while Muppet Treasure Island recaptures the zany humor of the old days with the help of the amazingly hilarious Tim Curry, who does the impossible and even upstages the Muppets. This is a perfect example of Muppet humor, we have the most ridiculous and somewhat incompetent pirate crew along with great moments like Gonzo getting is limbs extended and the Swedish Chef blending in with a tribe of pigs by wearing a toy snout. Both of these films, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island are a terrific pairing and show the full range of what the Muppets have to offer.

Kermit and Clifford in Muppets Tonight (1996)

At this point, the Muppets returned to television with Muppets Tonight, which ran from 1996-1998. It was a show with a similar format to The Muppet Show, the Muppets are putting on a show and we get to see behind the scenes craziness. The difference is that the Muppets are putting on a late night television show instead of performing in a vaudeville theater. Another key difference is that Clifford from The Jim Henson Hour (1989) was made the host, instead of Kermit. While many people thought Kermit should have remained the host, I enjoyed watching Clifford. His presence made a noticeable difference from the original and I found him to be fun to watch.  Muppets Tonight was a very clear turning point for the Muppets. Formerly major characters, like Rowlf, Scooter, and the Electric Mayhem were still either in the background or not present at all. In addition, Frank Oz was beginning to take a step back from the Muppets and it was starting to become very noticeable with staple characters such as Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear appearing sparingly. This left only a handful of classic characters, such as Kermit, Gonzo, and Rizzo in major roles. To fill the gaps, a fresh batch of new Muppets were introduced, some of which have gone on to be major contributions to later Muppet productions.

Rick Moranis with Pepe and Seymour in Muppets Tonight

Among the many new characters joining the Muppet family, we have Johnny Fiama, a Frank Sinatra wanna-be and  his monkey sidekick Sal; Andy and Randy Pig, the dimwitted nephews of Miss Piggy; Bobo the Bear, the well-meaning yet slow minded security guard; and Pepe the King Prawn, the smooth talking ladies-man who would soon be skyrocketed to super-star status. Muppets Tonight is not without its flaws and has moments and sketches that miss the mark in my opinion, but overall I think the show is terrific. I think it was necessary to have these weekly episodes to ease the audience into the new era of Muppets. The character deck was completely reshuffled as we explored these new dynamics, showcasing new characters while still maintaining the personalities of our beloved classics. We didn’t have Scooter introducing the guest stars, but we had things like Bobo refusing to let Larry King in the building because his name wasn’t on the list. Instead of the Electric Mayhem rocking the stage with chaos, we had Johnny Fiama getting stage fright trying to sing with Tony Bennett. Muppets Tonight is a very fun, underrated show to watch, and the fact that it was pulled off in the midst of major casting changes is very impressive.

Gonzo in Muppets From Space (1999)

The final installment of the era is the weakest in my opinion. Muppets From Space (1999), while not without its merits, misses the mark as a whole in my opinion.  Ironically my least favorite Muppet movie is the one centered around my favorite character, Gonzo the Great. Throughout the film, Gonzo is bummed out about being alone and not knowing what he is or where he came from. Right from the start, I’m not a fan of this concept. Gonzo’s origins have always been a mystery, but that was the fun of it, and has even been a running gag. In The Muppet Movie, Kermit refers to Gonzo as “a little like a turkey, but not much.” In The Great Muppet Caper (1981), Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo are in the cargo hold of a plane in boxes labeled “Frog”, “Bear”, and “Whatever” respectively. We’ve never needed to know where Gonzo came from, so it seems odd that he suddenly has to know. This brings me to the biggest fault that I see in Muppets From Space, too much “Serious Gonzo”. This is not the first time that Gonzo has had moments being less zany and more somber and reflective, but those moments are best in small doses. The best example of this is in episode 411 of The Muppet Show. In this episode, Gonzo is planning on leaving the Muppets to do a solo act. He goes on stage and sings Sinatra’s “My Way” in a very emotional scene where he shares a tearful goodbye with Kermit. This was the perfect amount of “Serious Gonzo”, it showed where his emotions were without overdoing it, and a few minutes later, Gonzo was back to tap dancing in a tub of oatmeal. In contrast, Muppets From Space does the opposite. It has a gloomy, depressed Gonzo throughout the movie with a few zany moments along the way, which in my opinion is not the best use of the character.

Bobo and Jeffrey Tambor in Muppets From Space

Despite the overuse of Gonzo’s emotions, there are characters who are used perfectly and make the film watchable in my opinion with Rizzo, Pepe, and Bobo. This film is one of the last times we get a true pairing of Gonzo and Rizzo together, which is unfortunate because they are such a great pair. On the bright side, we get the first glimpse of Rizzo’s friendship with Pepe. These two have an amazing comedic chemistry, which will continue on in The Muppets (2015). Rizzo and Pepe are great, but I’ve saved the best for last. If you watch this film for one reason, watch for Bobo playing the part of Rentro, the dimwitted assistant to the villain of the story, K. Edgar Singer, played by Jeffrey Tambor. Singer is obsessed with using Gonzo as proof of aliens and Bobo is the perfect foil for him. I would definitely watch a movie that solely focused on these two. Bobo constantly misunderstands him and makes mistakes while keeping his calm, easy going demeanor. One of the most subtle, memorable moments is when Singer asks Rentro to hand him the remote. Rentro misunderstands and asks “the goat?” Bobo/Rentro’s delivery on that line is amazing, which is a credit to his performer, Bill Baretta. After watching Bobo in this film, it’s no surprise that he’s one of the few original characters from Muppets Tonight that have lasted and he is still being used to this day.

Rizzo and Pepe

I’ve used the term “transitional” a few times in this chapter, because that is the best term I can think of for this era of the Muppets. If you look at the Muppets as a whole, there is a big difference in the Muppets before and after the death of Jim Henson, and that transition can be seen here. Through the 90s, we see characters being taken on by new performers, the debut of long-running characters, as well as the restructuring of who the major Muppets are. There are some casual fans who say that the Muppets haven’t been good since Jim Henson died. I hate when people say that, because they obviously haven’t bothered to give this era a chance. Of course, the Muppets will never be the same without Henson, and his death was tragic, but out of this Post-Henson Era, we get so many great things. The emotional journey of Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol, the zany pirate crew in Muppet Treasure Island, and the triumphant return of the Muppets to television all came during this period in history. This is a huge credit to Brian Henson, Jerry Juhl, Frank Oz, Steve Whitmire, Bill Baretta, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, and everyone else who took part in keeping the Muppets alive.

Continue on to The Recasting Era (2000-2008)

Eras in Muppet History: The Post-Muppet Show Era (1982-1990)

Eras in Muppet History: The Post-Muppet Show Era (1982-1990)

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Following the success of The Muppet Show (1976), Jim Henson was able to expand and try new things. The 1980s really prove that Henson had creativity beyond his classic characters with projects like The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). Both of these show the groundbreaking puppetry techniques that Henson was known for. Henson’s creativity and creature shop led the field in television technology, and productions like these are fascinating to look back on. Along the lines of showcasing Jim Henson’s work, there was a short-lived series created for that sole purpose, The Jim Henson Hour (1989). There were only 12 episodes produced and only 9 that initially aired. There was a mixture of scenes with classic Muppets such as Kermit and Gonzo along with segments of other pieces of Henson’s work, such The Storyteller. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a quick snapshot of what Jim Henson was doing in the 1980s.
          

L-R: Boober, Red, Gobo, Wembley, and Mokey:
the main Fraggles.

Perhaps the biggest contribution to the Post-Muppet Show Era is Fraggle Rock, a children’s television program that ran from 1983 until 1987. Henson decided to use his notoriety in the television world to create a kids show that went beyond the typical teaching format. The show featured three distinct species living in an underground world known as Fraggle Rock. There are the fraggles, little furry creatures who love to dance and sing. There are the doozers, tiny builders who spend their time building elaborate edible structures. Lastly, there are the gorgs, three giant creatures who think that they rule the world. Throughout the show, these species are often interacting with each other in various ways, learning lessons about how the other species live. This gets the essential point across that others are different and it’s not a bad thing. Fraggle Rock was truly a forward thinking show, full of valuable lessons.

Doc and Sprocket finally meet Gobo

Another brilliant aspect of the show that in my mind was the way they planned ahead for international audiences. The entrance to Fraggle Rock is a hole in the wall of an inventor named Doc with his dog, Sprocket. Fraggle Rock didn’t just dub their show into multiple languages, they shot scenes specifically for different parts of the world. The Doc and Sprocket segments of the show are different depending on what country the show is being aired, each with their own unique “Doc”. Finally, there is Traveling Matt Fraggle, who spends his life exploring the human world and sending postcards back to Fraggle Rock. Traveling Matt encounters everything from Christmas trees to roller coasters from a fresh perspective as he travels the world. Fraggle Rock was specifically designed to promote themes of world peace, tolerance, and understanding of different cultures.
               

Kermit and Piggy's wedding in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

As we can see, the 1980s introduced a lot of new things into the Muppet world, but all of these new projects didn’t completely take over our beloved classic Muppets. Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, and the rest had become household names. They were television and film superstars. During this era, we can see the characters more confident in their star-status. I personally like to look at this era as a large promotional tour for our classic Muppets, beginning with New York City in the third theatrical Muppet film, The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Directed by Frank Oz, this film portrays the Muppets as recent college graduates who pursue their dream of performing their musical on Broadway. At the end of this action packed film is the scene that has been talked about and debated for years, the wedding of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. In the story, Miss Piggy switches out the fake minister for a real minister. This began decades of back and forth on the issue of, “are Kermit and Piggy really married?” In addition to the wedding finale, The Muppets Take Manhattan also had a dream sequence in which Miss Piggy imagined the Muppets as babies. This of course, paved the way for the Muppets to break into yet another successful TV show, and the animated Muppet Babies (1984) began.
 

The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986)

Continuing this promotional tour is the TV special, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986). This was a great visual to show how huge the Muppets had become. Characters from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and even Sam and Friends all gathered in a banquet hall to celebrate three decades of Muppets. Looking at the group shots with a sea of characters that have been created, you get the sense that the Muppets are this unstoppable train of great media with Jim Henson as the conductor blazing full speed ahead.

Snow White and Animal in
The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)

The final stop of this era’s promotional tour is the happiest place on Earth with The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990). Jim Henson was close to finalizing a deal to sell the rights to the Muppets to The Walt Disney Company, and this TV special was made as a cross-promotional publicity stunt. We see our characters running around Disney World enjoying the rides, the shows, and everything that the park has to offer. Sadly, this was the last time that Jim Henson would perform most of his characters, because just ten days after this special aired, Henson passed away on May 16, 1990 from a bacterial infection. This was a devastating blow not only to those who were close with Henson, but also to the Muppets in general.

Bean Bunny, Robin the Frog, and Scooter
in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)

Even after Jim Henson’s death, I would identify one final production as the conclusion of The Post-Muppet Show Era. The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990). What better way to pay tribute to the creator of the Muppets than to use the characters themselves. It starts out as the Muppets, unaware of his death, scrambling to put together a tribute for Jim in true Muppet fashion with talking whoopee cushions and singing accountants. As this was going on, there were heartfelt speeches shown from Carol Burnett, John Denver, Ray Charles, Steven Spielberg, Harry Belafonte, and Frank Oz. Then there is a moment where Fozzie Bear starts reading a fan letter. Everybody finds out that Jim is dead and the tone of the room changes. The Muppets start reading these sad, yet meaningful letters from fans expressing their condolences. The Muppets, shocked and devastated at the news, consider cancelling and giving up. Then they begin singing “Just One Person”, a song about believing in yourself that had previously been featured on The Muppet Show. I see this as a direct message from the performers and producers saying that they’re not going to give up, and they’re going to pick up the torch and keep running.

Kermit speaks for the first time after Henson's death

The production ends with Kermit appearing at the very end with his very first line of dialogue performed by Steve Whitmire, who had been chosen by the Henson family to take over as Kermit’s full-time performer. Kermit expresses his gratitude for their tribute to Jim Henson and closes out the special by saying “Well, that just about brings us down to the end of another one, but before we go, let me thank you for being with us for our tribute to Jim Henson, and we’ll be seeing you soon with more Muppet stuff, because that’s the way the boss would want it”. In my opinion, this was Kermit closing this chapter of Muppet history and inviting the viewers to stay tuned for the next chapter, because the Muppets were definitely not done.


Continue on to The Post-Henson Era (1990-2000)

Eras in Muppet History: The Prime-Time Era (1975-1981)

Eras in Muppet History: The Prime-Time Era (1975-1981)

It’s time to get things started! The prime-time era is the point in time most commonly referenced when people talk about the Muppets. The reason for this is simple: The Muppet Show, debuting in 1976. Despite the fact that the show ended its run over 30 years ago, it seems like everyone still loves the Muppet Show and is at least vaguely familiar with it. It is the beating heart of the Muppet franchise, because it set the tone for these characters. Characters were made into superstars during this era. Superstars who are still around today. I would label ­the start of this era with the second, and ultimately successful pilot for the show titled “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence”, which aired in 1975. The format is similar to a guest-less episode of The Muppet Show, hosted by Nigel, who would later go on to conduct the Muppet Orchestra. The only cohesive storyline is a series of Muppet-style manifestations of the seven deadly sins who check in for a pageant. In between segments of this story are a variety of sketches. Some of these sketches mark the debut of key characters and would go on to become staples of The Muppet Show, such as a musical number from the Electric Mayhem and a zany, culinary demonstration from the Swedish Chef. Overall, the pilot is a little too random and all over the place for me. It isn’t one I typically like to re-watch, but it did serve its purpose. It paved the way for the show that over 120 episodes would catapult the Muppet’s star status to new heights. In 1976, The Muppet Show debuted and the world was introduced to one of the catchiest television theme songs in history. The song itself is so iconic that in the future programs, Muppets Tonight (1996), and The Muppets (2015), the melody of the Muppet Show theme song can be heard in their intros if you listen carefully.

 

Backstage at The Muppet Show

Jim Henson modeled The Muppet Show off of what was popular at the time. Variety shows were at their peak popularity with shows like The Carol Burnett Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. The Muppets were given their own variety show, set in a vaudeville-style theater. In addition to the sketches and musical numbers of The Muppet Show, we were also shown the backstage world. We saw Kermit trying to hold this show together and manage all of the crazy characters who were running around, causing chaos. Kermit had already been around for 20 years at this point and it was during The Muppet Show that he was established as the star of the show. Among the wide variety of additional characters is the core group of Muppets. This includes Fozzie Bear, the insecure, struggling comedian, who you can’t help but root for; Scooter, the Go-Fer, nephew to the theater owner who was essentially Kermit’s assistant; The Great Gonzo, the resident weirdo, known for his daring, crazy stunts; Rowlf, the easy-going, piano-playing dog; and the Electric Mayhem consisting of Dr. Teeth and his band members, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Animal, and Zoot. This group of oddballs became a family of characters that the world couldn’t get enough of.

 

Of course, you can’t talk about stars of The Muppet Show without mentioning Miss Piggy, arguably the world’s biggest barnyard diva. The interesting thing about Miss Piggy is that she was never intended to be a star. Miss Piggy was initially created as a generic lady pig. She didn’t even have a stable performer at first. In early episodes, she was traded back and forth between Frank Oz and Richard Hunt. Miss Piggy started to have some moments that solidified her as a real character. One of these notable moments is The Muppet Glee Club sketch, where Piggy is given the solo and completely hams it up, taking over the number. By the end of the first season, Miss Piggy had nudged her way into the core group of Muppets and she was performed solely by Oz. The reality of how Piggy became a star is likely how this played out in-universe. Miss Piggy is not the type to be content to sing in the back of the chorus line, she would do anything she can to break into stardom and make sure she’s known as a star. She became so popular, that when guest stars were asked what character they wanted to act or sing with, Miss Piggy was the top request.

 

Kermit & Piggy with Dick Van Dyke in
The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)

On the subject of Guest Stars, The Muppet Show has an amazing resume in terms of the stars that came to guest star each week. Stars including Milton Berle, Steve Martin, Bob Hope, Johnny Cash, Elton John, Julie Andrews, Christopher Reeves, Vincent Price and many more. Everyone wanted to be a part of this Muppet phenomenon. The best example of the star quality of the Muppets in the late 70s is the promotional event The Muppets Go Hollywood, in 1979. A party was being held at the Coconut Grove to celebrate the upcoming release of The Muppet Movie (1979). The sheer amount of A-List celebrities in attendance was astounding. Johnny Mathis, Dick Van Dyke, Rita Moreno, Peter Falk, everyone was there! The Muppet Show had three seasons under its belt at this point, which meant that celebrities mixing with Muppets was nothing new. The difference was that on The Muppet Show, the guest stars would appear one at a time and were treated as special guests. The Muppets Go Hollywood attracted a wide variety of big names to congregate together and to concede the spotlight to Kermit. In the 1970s, Muppets were kings.

 

               

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Along with the tremendous success of The Muppet Show, this era in Muppet history is also when they branched out of the television world and made their way to the big screen. The Muppet Movie proved that Muppets could hold their own in a real world setting outside of a sound stage. The plot follows Kermit as he starts out in a swamp and ends up traveling to Hollywood to become a star, picking up all sorts of wacky companions along the way. This is essentially an interpretation of how the Muppets got started, coming from humble beginnings back in 1955 and making it all the way to having a world-famous feature film littered with celebrity cameos. They even made a subtle nod to this when Kermit tells Robin that this is approximately how the Muppets got started. The Muppet Movie is another great example of the mix between crazy and heartfelt. On the crazy side, there are things like the Electric Mayhem painting Fozzie’s car to disguise it, Gonzo flying through the air with a bunch of balloons, and the fact that Kermit is being chased by the owner of a frog’s legs restaurant. On the heartfelt side, we have Kermit singing one of the best Muppet songs in history, Rainbow Connection, as well as the close friendships that the Muppets have for each other by the end of this journey. This was a major pivotal point for the franchise, with the iconic songs written by Paul Williams as well as showing the world that the Muppets don’t have to be contained to TV.

Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas (1977)

In the midst of all the hype for The Muppet Show, there was one last production for Tales From MuppetLand, called Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas (1977). Emmet is a poor otter, living with his mother who forms a band with his friends. Emmet and his mother both secretly enter the talent show in order to buy each other a Christmas gift with the prize money. It’s a sweet story performed brilliantly by Henson and his team. This special also features music written by Paul Williams, who would continue to write music for The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). Williams’ most famous song from this special is “When the River Meets the Sea”, a tear-jerking song about moving on after the loss of a loved one. The song has since been performed several times, even at Jim Henson’s funeral.

               


Fozzie, Kermit, & Gonzo in The Great Muppet Caper

I would identify one last Muppet production that in my mind, concluded the Prime Time Era, The Great Muppet Caper (1981). The film was released shortly after The Muppet Show ended its run. In the movie, Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo are reporters investigating a jewel robbery in England. The three heroes check in to the Happiness Hotel where they are greeted by all our old friends from The Muppet Show. It quickly turns into a caper to bring the thieves to justice. At the same time, Kermit becomes romantically involved with Miss Piggy, who is claiming to be the world famous Lady Holiday. As the opening number suggests, “There’ll be heroes bold, There’ll be comedy. And a lot of fuss that ends for us real happily.” This movie brings it all, romance, action, comedy, suspense all in true Muppet style. It really feels like you’re watching an extended episode of The Muppet Show. To this day, it remains my all-time favorite Muppet movie.



The Great Muppet Caper (1981)



The Prime Time Era brought so many changes to the Muppets and launched them to a level that was unheard of. So far in this chapter, I’ve mostly been focusing on The Muppet Show and the first two Muppet movies, but that’s because so much happens in these productions. I could dive much deeper into these productions as well as all of these great characters but my recommendation would be to watch it for yourself. It’s great television you won’t regret watching. Jim Henson made these characters so compelling that people kept wondering, what are the Muppets going to do next?


Continue on to The Post-Muppet Show Era (1982-1990)

Eras in Muppet History: The Fairy Tale Era (1969-1974)

Eras in Muppet History: The Fairy Tale Era (1969-1974)

The Original Cast of Sesame Street

So, what was up next for Jim Henson and his booming career? Where were the Muppets going to pop up next? Jim Henson’s Muppets’ next big milestone was something that Henson never planned on doing, children’s television. Henson was recruited by Joan Ganz Cooney to use his Muppets for an educational children’s show with the Children’s Television Workshop. The result of this collaboration became Sesame Street, debuting in November of 1969. A whole new gang of characters hit the screen with Ernie and Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and one of the most famous birds in the world, Big Bird. Sesame Street is such a success story that 45 years later, the show is still creating new episodes and their characters have become superstars. Multiple generations have grown up being educated and entertained by Sesame Street. I could easily launch into an entire blog post about this show, and maybe I will some time, but for now I’ll go back to the story of how Kermit and the rest of the non-Sesame Street Muppets have progressed.

 

Princess Melora and Robin in The Frog Prince (1971)

Jim Henson and his team didn’t abandon their classic characters after the success of  Sesame Street. They decided to use the Muppets to tell their own version of classic fairy tales with a series of TV Specials called Tales From MuppetLand. The first of these specials was Hey Cinderella (1969), the classic tale we all know, as only the Muppets could tell. Instead of mice who get turned into horses, Cinderella gets escorted to the ball by Kermit and his large monster-friend, Splurge. She falls in love with the prince and lives happily ever after. Yes, it’s predictable, but it’s done with these characters and their charm, so I don’t mind being along for the ride. The next installment of Tales From MuppetLand was The Frog Prince (1971), which featured a Prince who has been turned into a small frog by the evil witch Taminella, who was previously featured in The Tales of Tinkerdee (1962). The frog prince, meets a real frog named Kermit, who helps him on his mission to break the spell. Like many fairy tales, there is a Princess, and the princess has also been cursed by Taminella to not be able to speak clearly. The princess and the frog bond over their need to break their spells. Once again, the ending is predictable, but very entertaining.

               

The Muppet Musicians of Bremen (1972)

The next installment of  Tales From MuppetLand is a stand-alone special, The Muppet Musicians of Bremen (1972) consisting of all original characters, with the exception of some narration from none other than Kermit the Frog. In this tale, we follow four animals, Leroy the Donkey, TR Rooster, Rover Joe, and Catgut as they escape from their evil owners and form a traveling Louisiana jazz band. This little known special also displays remarkable and impressive puppetry techniques from Jim Henson’s team. One final instalment of Tales From Muppetland will be produced, Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas (1977), but I'll get to that in the next chapter.

The Frackles (the puppet at the top
woul later be turned into Gonzo)

There was one special produced outside of the Tales From MuppetLand series, called The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970). The story is very similar to The Grinch who stole Christmas. Art Carney played Cosmo Scam, an evil magician who lives in the caves beneath the North Pole. He come up with a plan to replace Santa Claus and fly around the world, stealing from people using his disguise. Cosmo Scam's henchman include bird-like monsters called "Frackles" as well as a large blue full-bodied monster named Thog. Thog and the Frackles would later be used frequently on The Muppet Show (1976).

 

King Goshposh

These specials have significance from a character point of few as well. First, if you haven’t noticed, all of these specials include Kermit the Frog in a narrator or advisor role. Kermit was quickly becoming established as the stable face of the Muppets. He was the only character remaining from Sam and Friends (1955), and as we all know, Kermit’s lead role with the Muppets has yet to meet its end. These tales also mark the return of King Goshposh from The Tales of Tinkerdee, who played the role of the king in both Hey Cinderella and The Frog Prince. King Goshposh is in my opinion, a very underrated character. He’s so dumb, and pompous, and fun to watch. It’s a shame that aside from a few brief appearances in The Muppet Show (1976), the character remains in this Era.

 

Sweetums and Robin

Finally, The Frog Prince is the first appearance of two popular characters. The frog prince was played by Robin the Frog, who would later be established as Kermit’s cute little nephew. In the story, Robin has to escape from a dungeon being guarded by Taminella’s henchman Sweetums, the big hairy monster that would go on to be the most famous full bodied character on The Muppet Show. Ironically, despite their conflict, Sweetums and Robin have since become a best friend duo.





Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson performing
Janice and Floyd Pepper

Another major contribution to Muppets that happened in this era was the addition of key Muppet performers. Jerry Nelson had performed with the Muppets earlier, but quickly became a core performer, performing such characters as Count von Count in Sesame Street, Robin in The Frog Prince and Emmet Otter in Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas. Nelson had an amazing vocal range which has been utilized in hundreds upon hundreds of characters, including Floyd Pepper, Snuffleupagus, and Gobo Fraggle. Any Muppet production created from the early 1970s to the early 2000s most likely had the vocal talents of Jerry Nelson. Nelson was often paired up with Richard Hunt, who first worked with the Muppets on The Great Santa Claus Switch. Nelson and Hunt would perform such Muppet duos as Floyd and Janice, Pa and Junior Gorg, Biff and Sully, Sweetums and Robin, as well as each performing half of the Two Headed Monster on Sesame Street.

Dave Goelz and Gonzo

One more significant addition to the performing team was Dave Goelz, who first joined as a puppet builder. Goelz built the first versions of several Muppet Show characters, as well as becoming one of the main performers. To this day, Goelz remains a muppeteer, primarily as The Great Gonzo, among others. As the Muppets enter the next era, Nelson, Hunt, and Goelz, join Jim Henson and Frank Oz as the core group of Muppet performers. This is the group that would bring the Muppets to prime time television.

 

The final production that I would place in this era is The Muppet Valentine Show (1974). It was the first of two pilots for a new television show. While this special did not get picked up, it’s successor, The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975), did. The show centers around a character named Wally, who is trying to define the meaning of love. Wally is in a house full of Muppets, who try to help him in his search. Many prominent characters from both The Beginning Era and The Fairy Tale Era can be spotted, including Kermit the Frog, Rufus the Dog from Hey Cinderella, Thog from The Great Santa Claus Switch, Rowlf the Dog, and even Bert and Ernie make a cameo. It was like the Muppets’ version of an all-star get together. Instead of all these characters telling one long story, instead it is full of songs and sketches as the Muppets try to define love. It could be argued that this special belongs in the following era, but I think of it as transitional. It bridged the gap between this era and the next by mixing original characters with established fan favorites in the variety show format that would later lead to tremendous success on The Muppet Show.


Continue on to the Prime-Time Era (1975-1981)