Latest Newswire Update on Henson Co.

[Zack the Dog]

Kevin

Hiya Kevin!

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, a book I know well! i love this book when i was a kid! i still have a copy!


Zack)Rowlf the, funny how great books get around everywhere,Dog.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I have this book in paper back and hard back, and there was also a small Sylvester doll with a zipper back, you turn him inside out and zip it shut and he becomes the red stone.

Of course, a guy with a mule for a cartoon character would know about Sylvester. I have too much donkey and mule stuff.

FOZ

 

[Luke]

The thing with Muppetfest was that it was specifically aimed at the hardcore Muppet fan and a relatively small amount of people, so they would have been expecting the large adult interest as well as the kids. They've known for a long time they've got a fanbase of about 500-1000 adults who are openly 'out' about their Muppet love. It's outside of this fanbase that i think people mean - in the 'real world' the Henson company does seem to think there is a greater kid interest, as can be seen from them making things like 'Kermits Swamp Years' and 'Muppets From Space'. Since Jim died things have been kiddyfied quite a bit and i guess this down to Brian and Charlie.

 

[beaker]

>>>They've known for a long time they've got a fanbase of about 500-1000 adults who are openly 'out' about their Muppet love<<<

Yay, and Im one of those zealot individuals^_^ Yeah, Muppetfest was definately more for the hardcore 20 something+ fan...I hardly saw any kids there, so I guess the Bear sing a long was for those relaly big kids at heart. Its funny, virtually every modernized country in the world's citizen knows who the Muppets are, yet only a small substantial hardcore element remains. When you have a franchise thats been around for half a century, and whose shows have been shown the world over to billions of people...its amazing out of all that in a modern setting only a microcosm of fanatical fans are left. However, we all know this, 2002...leading up to 2003 is the proving ground...to bring the franchise out of the quagmire of 'nostalgia' and into the modern light where they belong. The sheer demand for the figures, and the fact everyone at least remembers non main 5 Muppet show characters(and of course having all grown up on 'the street') is testament to its hopefully wider appeal.
So yeah, last year was bascially the hardcore contingent at mfest...this year being in NYC and the fact so much Muppet merchandise and film projects/other stuff is in the works/coming out along with radio print tv etc ads and tv appearences...
the Muppet rebirth is upon us!

///beaker///

 

[danielromens]

I really think that Fox or Viacom could do some great things with them. Also for those Theme park crazy folks could have their Universal Studios to work with. You could guarantee we'd see Muppety rides if Viacom gets em.

 

[Tera]

muppets at Universal?

Ohh! A Muppet Ride at Universal?!? What a BEAUTIFUL idea!
I have season passes to WDW so I'm there probably once every 6 weeks. I enjoy it a great deal, but its not a place for the Muppets.
I'm not terribly excited about the possibility of Disney owning the Muppets because they don't seem to have a clue what to do with them. And even tho Muppets3d is at MGM I don't go to that park. (Yeah, call me a blashpemer if you want.)
The reason is that the only things there that don't absolutely SUCK are 1 simulator ride, Muppets3d and Fantasmic. 3 things aren't enough to get me in the park.
I'm worried that if the Mouse did a new Muppets ride it would be like the Pooh or Aladdin rides they put in recently; a lame rehashing of old ideas. The Pooh one is just like Mr Toad's Wild Ride which it replaced, and Aladdin is just another Dumbo. The only things they added to Aladdin were the spitting camels, like the spitting fish at Universal's Seuss Island.
Now Seuss island is ASTOUNDING! I'm a Seuss freak too, so I'm am biased, but they manged to create the feeling entering the World of Seuss, not just a single ride. It is absolutely magical there! It was so convincing that they sucked me completly into it, even though I'm an actor and one of my old boyfriends was doing the live show. (That was VERY surreal - trust me.)
Anyway, if we're talking themeparks, Universal would be far better . They don't kiddify everything, and the ability of the Muppets to speak to all age levels is what keeps them going. I can watch the old Muppet shows 1000 times with my kid, but if I have to see !@*#&)ing Atlantis one more time I'm going to throw out my DVD player. (To all Atlantis fans, I did like it the first 20 times.)
So, I'm not supportive of the Disney buy, but I'm not really thrilled about anybody else, either. I hope that if Fox gets it that they will do some exciting programming with it, though.
Maybe a Survivor-like show where humans and Muppets have to live together on tropical islands... I know we'd all audition for it! Maybe an island with The Electric Mayhem, Clifford and Bobo? They'd all just be too relaxed to vote anybody off...I can visualize Andy and Randy Pig being voted as dinner. Maybe Pepe would pose for the camera in a thong bikini?
ok, now I'm creeping myself out

 

[frogboy4]

Fox is already planning a Muppets series next Spring aside from any sale.

 

[Muppets1985]

Originally posted by frogboy4
Fox is already planning a Muppets series next Spring aside from any sale.

So IF Disney Gets the Muppets, Fox will still put the show on? And if so will it have the Walt Disney logo at the end? And say Muppets (or Jim Henson Co.) (c) Disney?

 

[frogboy4]

The show will likely still go on and I hope that it would have the full support of Disney. They do have media on channels other than their own It depends on the contract I think, but I assume the credits at the end would reflect both Henson and Disney. I know many people have the assumtion that Disney wants to erase the Henson name, but I can't see that being true. Henson is a great brand (though it has diminished some) and recognized worldwide. Along with the Muppets, they are buying the brand and they would be really poor businessmen to drop such a moneymaking name. It simply won't happen - at least not anytime soon.

 

[Jessie]

Tera

Just out of curiosity, why have you watched Atlantis more than 20 times?

I agree that the Pooh ride is very cheap and I was heartbroken that they took out Mr. Toad's, but I don't think that MGM "sucks." If I remember correctly, they have the new Rocking Rollercoaster which was a lot of fun (0-60 in 3 seconds or something), plus they have Indiana Jones, the Behind the Scenes ride, and the Tower of Terror. And plus MGM is the only place where Mulan can be found.

Personally, when I went to Islands of Adventure, I spent the least time in Suess World. I love Dr. Suess, but I just wasn't in to seeing it as a theme park. I guess for the same reason that I wouldn't go to Harry Potter world whenever they get it finished in England...