Henson company chain of importance

[minor muppetz]

It seems like The Jim Henson Company has had a sort of "chain of importance" regarding it's properties. The order seems to be:

• The Muppet Show (and related productions)
• Sesame Street
• Fraggle Rock
• Other prodcutions (though I think Sam and Friends goes a little bit between Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock, but I'm not sure if it should be listed here)

Here are some reasons to think this.

First, I'll use The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years. In the audience are mostly characters from The Muppet Show, and then several Sesame Street characters (though not as many as TMS). While many Muppet Show characters who hadn't been used in years were present (such as Hilda, Wanda, Doglion, Behemoth, and George), and while a few Sama nd Friends characters were used for the first time since the 1960s, it seems like this special didn't have any retired Sesame Street characters (like Roosevelt Franklin, Herbert Birdsfoot, and Sam the Robot), just characters who were currently being used in new material. And only two Fraggle Rock characters, Traveling Matt and Sprocket, were there. Of course, continuity wise it makes since for them to be the only Fraggle Rock characters in attendance.

And let's review what clips are shown. Most of the clips are from The Muppet Show, the Muppet movies, and various specials. There is a section of Sesame Street clips, starting with a montage of clips played over the theme song, followed by more featured clips. A clip from the original version of Rubber Duckie is shown in another part of the special, and the opening montage features two clips from Sesame Street. Sam and Friends has two or three clips shown in it's own section, shared with some commercial clips. Such clips are also shown in other montages. But Fraggle Rock, Muppet Babies, and Little Muppet Monsters are pretty much just thrown togetehr into one montage. The Muppet Babies montage begins with a clip from the Muppet Babies sequence from The Muppets Take Manhattan, with clips from the show eventualy playing over the song "I'm Gonna Always Love You": (as opposed to the theme song). That's the only series where the theme song isn't heard anywhere in the special (though the Mupet Show theme is only heard as an instrumental). Then we get a clip from the first epsiode of Little Muppet Monsters, followed by the theme song while more clips from the show are shown (I'm assuming that all those clips weren't part of the theme). And then we get a featured clip from the first episode of Fraggle Rock, followed by the theme which plays over a montgae of clips from different episodes. Only two other montages in the special include Fraggle Rock clips, while the other two shows don't have any clips elsewhere.

And now let's take a look at Jim Henson: The Works. There's the obligatory chapter on Jim Henson's early works, including Sam and Friends. There's a big chapter on Sesame Street. The Muppet Show gets it's own chapter, and then there's a chapter on the movies. The creature shop gets it's own chapter, but then there's a chapter on Henson's childrens programs, featuring sections on Fragle Rock, Muppet Babies, and others, as opposed to FR or MB getting their own chapters.

And let's now think about another book, The Story of Jim Henson: Creator of the Muppets. Like Jim Henson: The Works, this book has seperate chapters on Henson's early works, Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, the movies (or perhaps more accurately, the popularity of the Muppets, but the movies are the main focus), the creature shop (lumping The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth togetehr), and childrens shows from Henson. Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies are both mentioend here, without their own chapters. The chapters on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show mention quite a few characters form thsoe shows, but there's no mention of any Fraggle Rock or Mupet Babies characters by name. The first few chapters do mention people who started working with Jim Henson in the early days, like Jane Henson, Jerry Juhl, and Frank Oz, and these people (and Henson's kids) are mentioned throughout the book. The chapter on Sesame Street mentions Carol Spinney, while the chapter on The Muppet Show is the only chapter to mention Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz (and also mentions who they performed), while other performers (Steve Whitmire, Kathy Mullen, Kevin Clash) aren't even mentioned in the book (though Whitmire and Clash are pictured in a photo from Henson's memorial service). But the Fraggle Rock performers and Muppet Babies voice actors aren't mentioned.

And let's shift over to The World of Jim Henson. Now, I'll admit that I've only taped half of this special, ending when fotage of The Storyteller is shown, and don't remember much of what's shown afterwards. But from what I'm sure of, The Muppet Show and movies dominate the documentary, with clips in the openign montage and a big section on that show, followed by a section on the movies. It once again begins with a section on Sam and Friends and other early works, and there's a big section on Sesame Street (and a handful of clips are in the opening montage). But the Fraggle Rock section is short, mostly focusing on Cantus, one of Jim Henson's few FR characters. I don't think this special even has any clips from Muppet Babies.

And finally, there's the CNN People's Profiles special (actualy there's more, but this is all that I know of). I've only seen this special once, and I can't even remember if there is anything about Fraggle Rock or Mupet Babies in this special, but there are a lot of clips from Sam and Friends, The Muppet Show, and Sesame Street.

Wait, there's two more things to mention. First, A Muppet Family Christmas. The majority of the special features characters from The Muppet Show. Doc and Sprocket from Fraggle Rock are also featured throughout the special, while the Fraggles only make a big cameo appearance, and show up briefly in the carol sing (while Traveling Matt is there for most of the sequence). And Muppet Babies is represented in a film projector. The Sesame Street characters seem to get half the screen time as The Muppet Show cast, as they appear halfway through the special, and stay for most of the rest.

And in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, a special that I hadn't seen but know a lot about, the finale features mostly Muppet Show characters, two Jim Henson Hour characters, a small number of Sesame Street characters, and only three of the five main fraggles.

Anybody notice all this?

 

[frogboy4]

The Muppet Show was the project that Jim really wanted to do and campaigned hard for so it only stands to reason that he'd treat it the way he did.

Sesame Street has pretty much taken care of itself. There have always been more SS product and marketing. As a Muppet Show fan I have noticed this in my 33 years.

Fraggle Rock was a program on HBO until it hit reruns so I get why the promotion wasn't larger for it. Karen Prell once told me that the Red and Gobo plush toys hit stores before the show aired. Kind of an error on the shelving strategy. They just sat there for months collecting dust until the show hit and then they sold well. But store owners remembered the initial dust collecting and were apprehensive about stocking Fraggle stuff.

The fantasy projects were a hard sell for toy companies as there was no huge specialty collectors market as there is today.

In general Jim Henson had a distaste for marketing and licensing even though he knew it was a big part of the business. That's part of what fueled his initial sale to Disney.

But I always felt that when it comes to store shelves that the Muppets always get hosed in favor of Sesame merchandise. It's much easier for Sesame stuff to sell. That's what I always got out of it. That's what made the Muppet Show action figures a nice and rare change of pace.

 

[minor muppetz]

That does make a bit of sense. Another thing to think about, involving the supposed importance of TMS, SS, and FR:

Sesame Street has had many compilation videos. The Muppet Show has also had many compilation videos, though not as many as SS. But Fraggle Rock has only had two compilation videos (though full episodes of the show have been available on video for years, long before full episodes of TMS or SS have). The Muppet Show and Sesame Street have both had many television specials, while Fraggle Rock doesn't seem to have any. There is Down at Fraggle Rock, and some people may consider The Bells of Fraggle Rock to be a seperate special (but I consider it to be a regular episode). I don't know if the wrap party video should count or not. And there have been many Muppet movies, only two Sesame Street movies, and so far no Fragle Rock movies (we can change this once the upcomming one is completed and released).

 

[frogboy4]

Elmo's unfortunate popularity couldn't save Elmo in Grouchland because kids the age the film is geared toward tend to stay home and watch videos. Also Sesame is on multiple times every day. Follow that Bird fared better as I remember.

Fraggles are finally getting their turn. It's difficult because the idea was never intended to be a cash cow. The project was supposed to inspire peace and understanding (in the volatile Reagan era). Merging that sentiment with a major motion picture release is a difficult task. I admire Henson Co for taking on the challenge. However, through the years there should have been more Fraggle compilations. We know it wasn't a music rights, writing or performer issue. I don't get it. Mismanagement. But all that has changed.