Ideas for Muppet books thread

[minor muppetz]

I can see DK doing a Muppet Show Visuall Guide but I dont know about Sesame Street...

Yeah, I think The Muppet Show, The darkk Crystal, Labrynth, and farscape all have better chances than sesame street or fraggle rock (or even bear In The Big Blue House), but a Sesame Street book would rock nonetheless.

And I keep getting this image in my head for the copyright page....

Sesame Street, characters, and likenesses are trademarks of Sesame Workshop.

Kermit The Frog and Muppets are trademarks of The Muppet Holding Company, LLC.

Pictures from Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird are copyright 1985 by Warner Brothers.

Pictures from The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland are copyright 1999 by Columbia Pictures and Jim Henson Pictures.

 

[Chilly Down]

Wow. A lot of impressive ideas, and very well thought-out, MinorMuppetz!

Here's what I would imagine for your idea on the day-to-day book for the Muppets:

1936-1954: Jim's Formative Years
1955-1968: Birth of the Muppets (covers Sam and Friends, Rowlf on Jimmy Dean, TV commercials, Timepiece, etc.)
1969-1975: Come and Play (covers Sesame Street, the SNL sketches, and the TMS pilots)
1976-1980: It's Time to Light the Lights (covers TMS and first two movies)
1981-1982: A Darker Realm (covers the making of the Dark Crystal)
1983-1984: Children of Tomorrow (covers Fraggle Rock, MTM, Muppet Babies)
1985-1989: Artistic Exploration (covers Labyrinth, The Storyteller and Greek Myths, short films like Monster Maker and Living with Dinosaurs, and the Jim Henson Hour)
1989-1997: A New Direction (covers the near-sale to Disney, Jim and Richard's deaths, MCC, Dinosaurs, MCT, MTI, and Muppets Tonight)
1998-2003: On their Own (covers JHC's later projects, like Bear in the Big Blue House, Farscape, MFS, EIG, the sale to EM.TV, MuppetFest, KSY, and VMMCM)
2004-: The Future (covers the sale to Disney, and recent and upcoming projects)

I could go into more detail, but you get the idea.

BTW, I'm surprised no one thinks we'll ever see a Sesame Street book. That's the only show that's actually still airing new episodes, and Sesame Workshop is really starting to pursue the nostalgia market (i.e. the recent release of The Electric Company on DVD). Although I adore Labyrinth and Farscape, I think a Sesame visual guide is far less likely than either of them!

 

[minor muppetz]

For my idea for an episode guide, in my list of characters to have profiles with each episode, I forgot to list somebody for the Carol Burnett episode. Big mama can have a profile there.

By the way, I do think that a Sesame Street visual guide would be very likely. I believe that only one person mentioned not being able to realistically see it happening.

 

[minor muppetz]

The Muppet Movies

I think Disney should release a book about the Muppet movies. It should at least include info on all theatrically released muppet movies, and also kermit's swamp years, the made-for-tv movies, and maybe also Muppet Vision 3D (if that counts as a movie). Each movie could have at least six pages about them, and there could be a list of all major credits (writers, directors, producers, company that released the movie), as well as year of release, how well the theatrical movies did at the box office, how well they have done on video, laserdisc, and DVD, a listing of performers, and a list of celebrities.

It could also include some of the most memorable quotes, info on changes from script to film, info on some deleted scenes, a basic plot summary, behind-the-scenes photos and information, storyboards, and info on some of the most memorable scenes. And also pictures of movie-releated merchandise.

Or, if there are no legal problems, maybe make a book on all henson movies, including the muppet movies, both sesame street movies, Time Piece, The dark crystal, Labrynth, The Witches, Buddy, Good Boy, and maybe a short list of all movies not owned by Henson that the creature shop was involved with.

 

[Skekayuk]

In the Carol Burnett ep bit then, I think you should also mention about The Muppets infamous appearance on the 1977 RVP (at the London Palladium).

 

[minor muppetz]

In the Carol Burnett ep bit then, I think you should also mention about The Muppets infamous appearance on the 1977 RVP (at the London Palladium).

What are you talking about?

 

[Skekayuk]

RVP = Royal Variety Performce. Which by tradition used to always take place every year in one of the big London theatres such as Theatre Royal Drury Lane or The London Palladium (these days it still happens but not in the really big theatres).

Anyway first time The Muppets appeared on the Royal Variety, was the 1977 one. And if you've read the book OM&M, you might recall that one of the Muppet monsters enlivend the proceedings by deciding to hug Prince Charles. OM&M doesn't actually name the monster, but i(as was once revealed on this msg board, in the old Delphi days) it was in fact Big Mamma. - possibly the only muppet monster who would think of doing such a thing!

 

[rumtar_10165]

My Idea for a book.

The Compleate Muppet Show episode Guide book.
Starting From.
The Muppet Show: Sex and violence to Muppets tonight.
and to make it more intresting.
Flippernotes: behind the secens of the Muppet Show.

The Episode Guide should give full detail on the episodes itself with the foot notes, I mean flippernotes, on how the episode was made and what was the hardest part of taping the show.

With the topper that will make the book the best.
A foward from the surviving members of the original show to state why the episode was their fave memories.

 

[minor muppetz]

The Compleate Muppet Show episode Guide book.
Starting From.
The Muppet Show: Sex and violence to Muppets tonight.
and to make it more intresting.
Flippernotes: behind the secens of the Muppet Show.

The Episode Guide should give full detail on the episodes itself with the foot notes, I mean flippernotes, on how the episode was made and what was the hardest part of taping the show.

With the topper that will make the book the best.
A foward from the surviving members of the original show to state why the episode was their fave memories.

This episode guide idea sounds a little different from my idea, but also sounds great. Would this include an episode guide for The Jim Henson Hour? Muppet babies? The movies? Would this include all muppet specials (like The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show and A Muppet Family Christmas) or just ones specifically related to The Muppet Show (like The Muppets Go To The Movies)?

 

[minor muppetz]

yet another idea

A few years ago, there was a book about Saturday Night Live that had quotes from so many people involved with the show. This would be a good idea for a Muppet Show or Sesame Street book. Quotes from performers, writers, and more., performers can talk about characters they wish they could have performed.

Now that I think about it, it seems like there have never been any informative Fraggle Rock books. Jim henson: The Works has some info on Fraggle Rock, but it's not a Fraggle Rock book, it's a Jim Henson book. Fraggle Rock didn't even get an entire chapter.

Fraggle Rock also usually gets a lot of information in biographies on Jim Henson. I've only read a few biographies. In The Story of Jim Henson: Creator of The Muppets, there is a little bit of information on Fraggle Rock, but not as much as there was for Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. This book doesn't even mention the names of any characters, nor does it give information on who performed who.