The Muppets

[wilson]

The new Muppet show (simply titled "The Muppets") premieres tonight. A few of you know that I'm a huge Muppets fan, so this is a day I've awaited for quite some time. Some have proclaimed the show format (show-within-a-show mockumentary) hackneyed, and in light of the 30 Rocks, Offices, etc. of recent years, they have a point. However, the mix between Miss Piggy's late night variety show-style program and the backstage goings on among the gang is actually quite faithful to the original format of the late '70s/early '80s "Muppet Show."
I'm posting this here because a) I'm wondering what, if any, interest & reaction the TV folks on this board might have and b) If there's gonna be a Muppets thread on this board, then by golly, it's gonna have my name on it.

[gurufrisbee]

I'm a huge Muppets fan. I'll be watching.

[brevity]

I'm very wary of this whole Muppets-dating-humans thing. The movies always danced around this issue: women could like Kermit in a very platonic way, and it was only a love triangle in the sense that it would make Miss Piggy jealous. Lifting that restriction (and presenting it so matter-of-factly) maybe loses the magic.

[Mal]

That makes me sad, but having seen an ad for it, as well as read a couple reviews, it seems like a trainwreck that sacrifices or undercuts everything that was worthwhile about the original show. Who wants to see beloved puppets from our youth bickering backstage, fighting traffic and being jealous of one another?

The Times critic was fairly restrained but not overly pleased: "If “The Muppet Show” was a kids’ show conceived by smart adults, “The Muppets” plays like a kid’s idea of adult TV. It doesn’t quite dynamite the franchise à la detonator-wielding Crazy Harry. It just, every so often, tosses a tiny stick of TNT into your fondest memories."

Another critic summed up the feel of the new show in a tweet saying the entirety of pitch to the network was probably: "except now they're a$%#*&@s!"

[bjornolf]

I loved The Muppet Show too. I'll be watching. I'll decide whether or not to let the kids watch after I view it.

[Turk]

Well, the not-so-young Turks are all teenagers now, so not much of a concern for me about suitability. However, I am *very* nervous because I remember the original Muppet Show quite fondly, especially the odd mix of human guests that they had. It's a very high bar.

[Edouble]

I'm very wary of this whole Muppets-dating-humans thing. The movies always danced around this issue: women could like Kermit in a very platonic way, and it was only a love triangle in the sense that it would make Miss Piggy jealous. Lifting that restriction (and presenting it so matter-of-factly) maybe loses the magic.

Yes, thank you.

That makes me sad, but having seen an ad for it, as well as read a couple reviews, it seems like a trainwreck that sacrifices or undercuts everything that was worthwhile about the original show. Who wants to see beloved puppets from our youth bickering backstage, fighting traffic and being jealous of one another?

The Times critic was fairly restrained but not overly pleased: "If “The Muppet Show” was a kids’ show conceived by smart adults, “The Muppets” plays like a kid’s idea of adult TV. It doesn’t quite dynamite the franchise à la detonator-wielding Crazy Harry. It just, every so often, tosses a tiny stick of TNT into your fondest memories."

Another critic summed up the feel of the new show in a tweet saying the entirety of pitch to the network was probably: "except now they're a$%#*&@s!"

Yes, I stand behind you as well.

Great idea, a new Muppet Show! GenXers will watch it with their kids, so we're sure to make some money off this thing. No need for an original idea at all! Will there be an opportunity for a superhero movie cross promotion?

[gurufrisbee]

I watched the first ep last night. If you went into expecting the old Muppet Show, you were sure to be disappointed. Simply put, it's not even close. It's not trying to be.

But for what it was, I liked it a lot. Sure it's basically the same behind the scenes format we've seen on the Office and 30 Rock and Modern Family and all those. But this time it's with characters we already know and love so we aren't spending weeks and months getting to know them. And it still has some of the crazy elements that really only work with the Muppets.

The Muppets have always had different chapters to them. There were the first couple movies that were great. Then there was a couple decades of crud movies or nothing. Then Jason Segel brought it back with a new movie, which was good, but also definitely not the same as the old Muppet Movie or Caper or even taking Manhatten. Now we have another new chapter to them. If you're open to that, it's not bad. If you just want the old show again, I suggest DVDs.

[wilson]

I watched the first ep last night. If you went into expecting the old Muppet Show, you were sure to be disappointed. Simply put, it's not even close. It's not trying to be.

But for what it was, I liked it a lot. Sure it's basically the same behind the scenes format we've seen on the Office and 30 Rock and Modern Family and all those. But this time it's with characters we already know and love so we aren't spending weeks and months getting to know them. And it still has some of the crazy elements that really only work with the Muppets.

The Muppets have always had different chapters to them. There were the first couple movies that were great. Then there was a couple decades of crud movies or nothing. Then Jason Segel brought it back with a new movie, which was good, but also definitely not the same as the old Muppet Movie or Caper or even taking Manhatten. Now we have another new chapter to them. If you're open to that, it's not bad. If you just want the old show again, I suggest DVDs.

Nice breakdown here, and I'd generally agree. One other thing I'd add: there was a great deal more melancholy than you'd find in the typical Muppets vehicle. Kermit in particular carried a certain sadness about him, resulting largely from ~40 years of Miss Piggy's overbearing nature, but also stemming from general world-weariness. A number of reviewers have commented on this as if it's a betrayal of Kermit's original character, suggesting that it's not ok for Kermit to be sad about anything ever. But to me, it reads more like an effort to connect him more fully to his audience. Those of us who "grew up with the Muppets" (a refrain I've heard countless times in recent days)--are we not a bit sadder, more melancholy, more burdened than we were as kids? To me, that presentation reads not like a betrayal of Kermit, but a general deepening of his personality. Just because he's a puppet, can he not be a fully-realized, dimensional character?
Overall, I think the concept still needs time to develop and "breathe," but generally speaking, I think it's got potential, both for the madcap antics we've always expected from the Muppets, and for a somewhat different, deeper interpretation of the characters.

[bjornolf]

At least Bunsen still tasered Beaker!

[Turk]

I found this review from Grantland to be thoughtful and thought-provoking. It echoes much of Wilson's comments.

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prosp...t-the-muppets/

[Edouble]

I found this review from Grantland to be thoughtful and thought-provoking. It echoes much of Wilson's comments.

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prosp...t-the-muppets/

Well, it certainly speaks to them. I wouldn't say echoes. To me that implies that they are in agreement. I'd say they come to two polar conclusions.

[swood1000]

I watched the show last night, having been alerted to it by this thread. I was a huge fan of the original Muppet Show, which had two levels: one for children and a level of sophisticated humor for adults. All I saw last night was simple-minded humor that reminded me of the standard mediocre sitcom that won't make it very far. Maybe the good parts just went over my head. I'll keep watching for at least a few episodes in the hope that I'll catch on but my expectations are not high.

Recently I watched an In Their Own Words episode about the life of Jim Henson. Apparently, the original Muppet Show was still going strong and drawing a good audience when Henson pulled the plug on it, in part because of the stress of having to come up with such a show every week. In addition they wanted to experiment with movies, but they were also concerned about the difficulty of maintaining the quality of the TV show and that it would degenerate into a mediocre show, which is what appears to have happened. Seems like the same reason they pulled the plug on Seinfeld.

[Edouble]

I watched the show last night, having been alerted to it by this thread. I was a huge fan of the original Muppet Show, which had two levels: one for children and a level of sophisticated humor for adults. All I saw last night was simple-minded humor that reminded me of the standard mediocre sitcom that won't make it very far. Maybe the good parts just went over my head. I'll keep watching for at least a few episodes in the hope that I'll catch on but my expectations are not high.

Recently I watched an In Their Own Words episode about the life of Jim Henson. Apparently, the original Muppet Show was still going strong and drawing a good audience when Henson pulled the plug on it, in part because of the stress of having to come up with such a show every week. In addition they wanted to experiment with movies, but they were also concerned about the difficulty of maintaining the quality of the TV show and that it would degenerate into a mediocre show, which is what appears to have happened. Seems like the same reason they pulled the plug on Seinfeld.

I'm pretty sure that's why Dave Chappelle pulled the plug on his show as well.

[fuse]

Suffered through the pilot and second episode tonight.

As noted above, if I want the Muppets, I'll buy the DVDs.

A travesty.

[gurufrisbee]

I've watched all three episodes now.

No, it's not really like the old Muppet Show.

No, it's not as good as the old Muppet Show.

But it is actually very funny and creative and great fun.

[Acymetric]

I'm pretty sure that's why Dave Chappelle pulled the plug on his show as well.

It went a little beyond that but not an unfair comparison.

[swood1000]

The Muppets apparently had a good audience for its premier but then fell drastically:

Only two new broadcast shows this fall, "Blindspot" and "Supergirl," had a higher premiere rating than its 2.9.

No other new show, however, has had as steep a decline: "The Muppets'" same-day 18-49 rating has dropped more than 50 percent since the premiere, with a line that looks like this: 2.9, 2.0, 1.7, 1.3, 1.4.

A combination of all those things -- the strong start, the less-than-great subsequent ratings, a desire to maintain the brand -- leads us to the news that ABC has ordered three more episodes of "The Muppets" for a total of 16 this season. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/201...ytheNumbers%29

[jimsumner]

I've watched it, it seems cute at times, labored at times.

A long way from must-watch TV for me and I can't see it having much traction.

The magic may be gone. Or maybe they should stick to longer-form options.

[94duke]

new leadership for the show...

Called too adult-themed, ‘tone-deaf’ disaster

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...er-new-leader/