Written by Jonathan Klotz | Published
The Muppets have had a tough decade after their show was cancelled the office-Inspired displays, the Dollsby ABC in 2015. There are no new Muppet movies on the horizon, and their last two spin-offs, Muppets now and Electrical chaoswas buried on Disney+ with an estimated marketing budget of two cans tied together with a string.
Making the current situation of the Muppets franchise even worse is that Disney is removing MuppetVision 3D from Hollywood Studios, which is noteworthy because it was the last project Jim Henson worked on before his death. This shouldn’t be too surprising, since Disney never released one Jim Henson watchleaving her stuck in the basement next to her Song of the South and Ernest goes to camp.
MuppeTelevision
Jim Henson watch It was hosted by Henson himself, introducing each episode before entering MuppeTelevisiona modern version of the classic variety show with the gang in charge of a television studio. Each episode had a different celebrity guest, such as Louie Anderson and Ted Danson, with sketches that ranged from Fozzie becoming a weatherman to a pseudo-nature documentary that devolves into a war between butterflies and caterpillars. As a lifelong Muppet fan, even I’ll admit that this portion of the show was uneven, and the new CGI puppet, Waldo, was never introduced, but this gave us Bean Bunny, and it was only half the episode.
Back half of each ring Jim Henson watch It was either an episode of Narratorwhich adapted classic folk tales, or a new tale for display. These stories were darker and more dangerous than… MuppeTelevision They tried to retain the feel and tone of the source material, resulting in a strange viewing experience for kids who wanted to see Kermit.
Narrator It first aired in 1987 and won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Programming for the episode “Hans the Hedgehog.” Today you can stream the series to watch for yourself.
Mini movies
Not every episode of Jim Henson watch Included Narratorwith one following Miss Piggy as she attempts to interview celebrities in a segment that was later revived for the Covid era Muppets nowAnd three hour-long films: City of dogs, Living with dinosaursand Monster maker. City of dogs It was a film noir narrated by Rolfe, involving puppets involved in mob and protection rackets, which later became a Saturday morning cartoon in the 1990s, while Living with dinosaurs It was a more straightforward story about a stuffed dinosaur coming to life to help a child navigate his fractured home life. While both are enjoyable in their own way, they are just as well Monster maker It left an impression on me when I first watched it that I could never shake.
In what I consider to be the second best episode of Jim Henson watchHarry Dean Stanton plays a special effects professor who is tasked with training a young man, but one of his latest projects, the Ultragorgon, which resembles a mechanical dragon, comes to life. He doesn’t go on a rampage. Instead, he becomes a mentor to the boy, offering life advice to help him get through school and deal with his father, but slowly, it takes a dark turn. The Ultragorgon, which Henson explained was brought to life by eight different puppeteers, was a massive piece of practical effect magic voiced by Dumbledore himself, Michael Gambon.
You can find both City of dogs and Monster maker On streaming as standalone films, without any Jim Henson watch Framing devices. However, the best episode of the series, which was released in 1992 as a standalone special, “Muppet Secrets,” is nowhere to be found.
Henson pulls back the curtain and explains to the children how the Creatures Shop made the puppets for the show, how they are operated on set, and the magic behind making them ride bicycles, then shows the puppeteers responsible for the various puppets, including Henson, as Kermit introduces the puppeteer Henson. It’s one of the funniest hours of television that explains the magic of Hollywood to kids without talking down to them, which Henson excels at.
Disney needs to respect Henson’s legacy
You can stream Narrator Free on peacock, Amazon Freeand popwhile City of dogs It’s on Toby, and Monster maker Running Toby. It’s great that short films are available to audiences today, however MuppeTelevision It remains a waste of time.
What I consider to be heart and soul has also been lost Jim Henson watchClips with Jim Henson himself. Those are not available anywhere. Henson was a creative genius, and although his work will live on forever, Disney, the holder of the rights to the Muppets, is preventing people from accessing the final series he worked on before his death.
That’s why Disney’s announcement of removing MuppetVision 3D from Hollywood Studios upset fans so much: This was Jim Henson’s final work with the Muppets. Since the company will not release him Jim Henson watchhis final series, there is little confidence that his latest creative work will be honored and remembered in any way by the company. It’s cool that the Muppets house band, Electric Mayhem, is taking over the Rock’n’Roller Coaster, but that has no direct connection to Henson.
If Disney maintains the Carousel of Progress, the last ride at the Magic Kingdom that Walt Disney worked on, Jim Henson deserves the same level of respect.