Tales from Muppetland DVD Collection

GelflingWaldo

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I am a huge Muppet Fan, I really enjoy the older work from the '60s and '70s. The sad thing is a lot of it is hard to find. I was thinking today about my some of favorite classic Muppet specials, the tales from MuppetLand. These three hour-long specials were great, under-rated, magical peices of work. I would love to see them back, and avalible to the public. I was thinking that Disney (I think they are the ones with the rights to these) could release a DVD set "Tales from MuppetLand - The Compleat Collection DVD". Just for fun I put togeather a fake list of features I would like to see in this DVD set. I am thinking of writting to Disney and Henson about this. I would love to see this actually happen. Please post your comments on a MuppetLand DVD collection, and/or your memories of these great works of art.

Tales from MuppetLand - The Compleat Collection​

Featuring Kermit the Frog

Disk 1

Hey Cinderella - 52 min.
Picture Cinderella riding to the royal ball in a beautiful pinkin coach pulled not by mice, but by a large purple beast naed Splurge and driven by Kermit the Frog. That's only part of the fun of "Hey Cinderella", a musical Muppet version of the classic fairly tale made in 1970. Kermit the Frog is features throughout the program, along with a cast of Muppets, live actors, and a slightly off-center version of the tale.

The Frog Prince - 51 min.
In this Muppet special from 1971, Kermit narrates the tale of Robin the Brave and Princess Melora. Robin is brave, talented, gallant, and courageous, but he also happens to be a frog. He wasn't always a frog, however - he was a handsome prince until an evil witch named Taminella turned him into a frog with a spell that can only be broken by the kiss of a beautiful princess.


Disk 2

The Muppet Musicians of Bremen - 50 min.
Kermit the Frog is our host and narrator for this 1972 reworking of an old German folk tale set in Bayou country of Louisiana. Leroy the donkey, T.R. the rooster, Rover Joe the hound dog, and Catgut the pussycat form a traveling band and roam the countryside looking for food and a family to love.

Tales of the Tinkerdee - 25 min.
Originally shot in 1962 as a pilot for a half-hour series, Tales of the Tinkerdee features Kermit as a lute-playing narrator in the fairy tale kingdom of Tinkerdee. Filled with rhymes and puns, the show featured the Muppet Taminella Grinderfall, who was later seen in "The Frog Prince".

Original Sketches, designs, and doodles
Browse a photo gallary to see some of Jim Henson's (and other's) original sketches and designs for the characters that appear in these early stories from "Muppetland".
 

GelflingWaldo

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Thanks for the info Philip, I was not familar with the other Tinkerdee episode. But I agree that encluding it would be great.

I was planning on writting to Disney Home Entertainment about this, but I have been unable to track down an address on the internet. Does anyone know where to send a letter to at Disney about DVD/Video releases, or the Muppets. I'm not sure what department they fall into. Where can I contact them. All I could find was "Disney Channel Fan Mail", and "Product Technical Support/Help". Thanks in advance!
 

GelflingWaldo

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:confused: Does anyone know how to contact the "Muppet Holding Company" (A.K.A. Disney) :confused:

I wrote a letter but don't know where to send it please help! I posted the letter below. Enjoy!

I am a huge fan of Jim Henson’s Muppets. I have been ever since I was a young child. In the late 1960’s and earlier 70’s, Jim Henson created several classic Muppet special featuring an early Kermit the Frog. These three specials, known as “The Tales from Muppet Land”, included “Hey Cinderella”, “The Frog Prince”, and “The Muppet Musicians Bremen”. I know that I am not the only one who fell in love with these specials and would love to see them again released to the public on the DVD format. I'm sure all the parties involved would want the show properly released to the public, and recognize the great marketplace for it.

A complete “box set” of these specials in one product is the preferred choice of Muppet fans. Releasing the three specials (each around 50 minutes each) in a complete collection is the best treatment one could give to such beloved classics. Individual releases of the three specials would also be fine, but the large fan-base of Muppet fans would much rather have all 3 specials in a complete collection full of extras. The fan base has been waiting for years for a decent release of these shows.

What makes any DVD release even better is when the DVD experience is enhanced with special features and extra goodies. Jim Henson created 2 pilot episodes for a half-hour TV show similar to the three Muppet Land specials called “Tales from the Tinkerdee” and “Land of the Tinkerdee”. These two episodes (around 20 minutes each) were never shown to the public, and have only been seen in museum displays, and parts as archival footage in documentaries. They both provide a wonderful look at an extremely early version of Kermit the Frog (and the Muppets), and introduce several characters seen in the later “Tales from Muppet Land” specials. Those who have seen the two episodes praise the work. The specials, “Tales from the Tinkerdee” and “Land of the Tinkerdee”, would be excellent extras on a DVD collection of the Tales from Muppet Land.

A two-disk DVD set (Each disk around 2 hours - disk one featuring “Hey Cinderella” and “The Frog Prince”, and disk two featuring “The Muppet Musicians Bremen”, “Tales from the Tinkerdee”, and “Land of the Tinkerdee”) would be an excellent product that thousands of Muppet fans would be thrilled to own, at any price. I hope Disney considers creating and releasing a complete set of these famous specials and related earlier works.

The “Tales from Muppet Land” specials have touched the lives of so many people; millions of people grew-up with them, and an honorable re-release of them would bring joy to so many people’s hearts. It’s been over 30 years since these specials first aired on television, and today fans are still excited by them. This product would be a great way for Disney to start their management of the newly acquired Muppet franchise. A release like this would show the hard-core Muppet fans that love these old specials that Disney values the older Muppet work aswell as the new, that they will treat the franchise with the up most respect, and that Disney understands the entertainment and historical value of the early works of Jim Henson. I hope that Disney can create a great DVD collection for the fans of the classic Muppets. My VHS tapes from the 80’s are wearing out, and I would love to be able to watch “Hey Cinderella”, “The Frog Prince”, and “The Muppet Musicians Bremen” well into the future, and share them with my family and friends. Thank you for your time and consideration. Please keep the magic of Jim Henson alive, and bring the world the best Muppet DVDs possible.

Sincerely,
 

GelflingWaldo

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I found an E-mail address in one of the press releases about the Henson/Disney deal and sent my letter to it, I still can't find any mailing address for the Muppet Holding Company. I got a reply back and thought I would share it with you all.

Thank you for your recent e-mail. We are thrilled to hear from you and thank you for your suggestions. We are currently working on our home video/DVD release plan and will most certainly consider your excellent recommendation.​


The Muppet fans are very important to us, and we understand how important it is to maintain the integrity of these beloved characters.​

The new Muppet website will be launching in the fall and we will have updated information on new products, entertainment, appearances, etc.​

Thank you again for your interest.​


Best,​
Debbie McClellan​
Director, Creative Affairs​
Muppets Holding Company​
 

GelflingWaldo

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anathema said:
So were the 'Tinkerdee' shows made in colour, then?
I believe so, I'm not 100% sure, being I've never actually seen them. But all pictures from them I have seen have been in color.
 

BoyRaisin2

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>>Best,
Debbie McClellan
Director, Creative Affairs
Muppets Holding Company<<

I knew she was working at Disney now. I tried e-mailing at her Henson address a while back, got a reply saying for Muppet inquiries, e-mail her at Disney.

Anyway, getting those three Muppet specials on DVD (and VHS again, even) would be good, and it's even more beneficial that they're all under Disney's ownership and not split between them and Henson (a la the other classic specials and JHH).

"Tinkerdee" was always a mystery to me. I know "Tales of the Tinkerdee" it was the first Muppet special, and all I've seen of it was the short B&W clip at Henson.com. Was it even on TV? "Land of the Tinkerdee" I was not even aware of. Either way, I don't believe these pilots were part of the Disney deal though.

But here's hoping that many of these classic Muppet specials come to DVD soon.
 
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