Muppet Question # 9 Answered
On Friday, December 09, 2005 4:26:52 PM , Riss said...
Ooh, Muppets question. BEVIS, what do you think of the quality of the on-screen Muppett information on The Muppet Show Season One DVDs?
Well, I really like the idea of the 'Muppet Morsels' throughout each episode. Some of them I knew already, but even I'm learning stuff I'd never have known otherwise. That's the kind of thing a nutty freaky fan like me is just DYING to know, so I can't say anything positive enough about that aspect. The glimpses they're giving us into the world of The Muppets and what it was like to film the episodes is priceless information we couldn't have gotten anywhere else.
And it was really good to finally see the original TV special, Sex & Violence, which spawned The Muppet Show (I'd heard a lot about it over the years but it had never been available in Australia before now -- you used to be able to get it on VHS in America).
I was also amused to see the original 'pitch reel' that Henson and crew had put together in order to 'sell' the concept of the show to the network - it was a shameless plea for them to take a chance and invest in the show, and they made no bones about their desperation in getting a job. I found that a telling insight into how it all got started (and an encouragement to eveyone else - like me, for example - that sometimes just getting down on your knees and begging can produce results if you're frank and honest ... and probably talented ... enough).
All of that said, however, I would have liked more 'behind the scenes' stuff (I know there was a fair bit filmed at the time, but maybe they're keeping that for seasons 2 - 5), and perhaps even some fun features filmed especially for the DVD, featuring some of the characters as themselves, in true Muppet style. However, that's probably just me being picky / greedy, and it's a hunger that would never be satiated, no matter how much they tried to satisfy it.
Seeing the first season episodes for the first time in years is deliriously fun anyway; and really, that's all they needed to provide on the DVD set for me to be happy. :)
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posted by BEVIS @ 11:50 am
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7 Comments:
featuring some of the characters as themselves, in true Muppet style.
I forgot they used to do that! I loved that! I loved how (warning, blashemy ahead) 'the guy who worked Kermit' would be sitting there, right next to Kermit when they were being interviewed by Parkinson or someone, and somehow Kermit was still real. Either that's really talented, or my imagination was still child-like, or... Kermi lives.
Yes, but what about the quality of the presentation?
I was disappointed.
Quirkie, gasp! - his name was Jim Henson, woman! Learn it! :)
(And I'd say it's a little from column A, a little from column B, and a LOT from column C!)
Riss, the quality was fine, wasn't it? I'm not sure what you're asking by "the quality of the presentation". Are you implying that the actual text on the screen was too grainy or something -- or that the facts and tidbits on offer were not exciting enough?
It's true; sometimes the tidbits were either already known to me, or not very related to The Muppet Show at all. But I still felt grateful to be able to have them in the first place.
(And I'm not exactly going to tell the woman who bought it for me as a gift that it was a let-down, am I? ... Anyway, it wasn't.)
I really REALLY am trying to understand.
No, really.
But . . the Muppets were never my thing. (Please don't hit me, Bevis, I luv you.)
I wish it would come back on television.
There were spelling errors, grammatical errors, timing errors... I would have thought that with a quality presentation they would have had someone proof-read (proof-view?) it all beforehand.
That's what disappointed me.
I was worried for your enjoyment of it when I noticed it all (as I had not seen a lot of my copy before I gave you yours).
If anyone doing the next series' reads this - I'm volunteering to do the proofing!
Otherwise, the information was good, I agree. Some of it was there for an American audience (like explaining that the Louvre museum is a famous museum located in Paris, France) and I liked the explanation of pop references also. In addition, I'm guessing that some of what was put there was to assist a viewing audience another 50 years down the track...
MeghansDiscontent, no worries - I appreciate the attempt and completely acknowledge that to someone who doesn't care about The Muppets, it could all sound quite silly. But that's me! I would never hit you; just as I hope you would never hit me for my freakishly-weird fascination with The Muppets.
Susanne, don't we all ... (Well, obviously not all of us, no - but you know what I mean.) I certainly wish this were the case. And apparently a couple of new Muppets shows are being 'trialled' in the US - so let's hope they take off!
Riss, I see what you mean now. Thanks for the clarification! Yeah, it was certainly annoying at times with such incidences as those to which you've referred, but I'm sorry to say that you'd have to line up behind me to get that gig!! Don't worry about my enjoyment - I was watching my beloved Muppets and I owned the entire first season! As if I'd be anything but delighted! The all-too-obvious explanations were also possibly there to educate any kiddies who might happen to give The Muppets a go ... and then it becomes an educational experience as well for them. They do the same with Sesame Street, so it makes sense. But never fear for my level of enjoyment - it was right up there the whole time, I assure you! Thanks again!
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