The Disney Deal: One Year Later

[beaker]

Speaking of anniversaries, I would briefly like to mention that it was five years ago today that EM.TV bought The Jim Henson Company for $680 million.

How time flies when you're having a corporate meltdown.

In hindsight a lot of us, me included, complained about the EMTV(empty-v? mtv?) buyout because it led to the muppets being owned by foreign subsidiaries and Sesame Street being split from JHC. From $680 to a $60 million bargain on ebay, and now Kermit's wearing Mickey ears for better or worse. I wonder what people who have worked for JHC in one way or another feel about this, and if they will have a job with Disney(the workshop layoffs and othr downsizing Im sure wasnt fun either) So when is Disney gonna lay out their plans?

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

So what has Disney done in their first year (please correct me if I missed something)?

- Formed the Muppet Holding Co. and got situated and acquainted with the Muppets.

- They Re-launched Muppets.com

- They put the Muppets on a bunch of TV shows & ads (Saturday Night Live, Disney Christmas Parade, Good Morning America, Pizza Hut, Dr. Pepper, The Apprentice...)

- They released some new Muppet clothing on DisneyDirect.com and Zazzle.com

- They produced a "reality-parody" special (unsure if we'll ever see it though)

- They are apparently working on Muppet Show DVD box sets due sometime in the future (and possibly other DVDs, but are very hush-hush on their plans). They also did some work on Bear in the Big Blue House DVD's/VHS's.
- There are rumors of work on projects for the Walt Disney theme parks.

- The continued to support and produce The Muppets Wizard of Oz (which was in the works before the deal)

- The supported other already in progress Muppet works (US postage stamps, final series of Paladise toys...)



So far they've done nothing to make me mad, but so far I've seen nothing that overly excited me (compaired to other years) either; but all the TV apperiances were a lot of fun! In the first year a lot of things went into the works, and I think in the coming year(s) I will be very happy as a new movie (Wizard of Oz), DVDs (TMS season sets?), and more are released. For a first year owning a franchise like the Muppets they did a good job, and I think it was as bad as many make it out to be (let's see what happens when Henson's agreement to oversee Disney's work with the Muppet is over and Disney is on their own).

Nope, you got them all by the way I picked up my Disney Magazine lastnight at Wal-Mart and The MUppets are in there! They talk about the NEW Muppets.com and the Stamps too! ...and Yes I'm Happy with the hole Disney Muppet deal now also!

 

[Vic Romano]

Look at it this way, it could have been a whole lot worse, at least they didn't go to Warner Bros. who apparently has lost their minds.

 

[christyb]

That's just scary and wrong. Very wrong.

 

[dwayne1115]

Man how i miss the late 80's & early 90's there where great cartoons on back then. But now that we have spong bob. he has made it really hard on any other cartoon. Even Rugrats is suffering i think from it. I say if we bring back the "classic" saturday mornig cartoons everything would be great. Heck i would lay out of work just to watch them. i thought the cartoons from Disney afternnoon where wonderfull. and even tiny toons and tazmania was also my fav. I can only hope Disny dont do somthing like that with the muppets. I strongly dought it though when they did Micky donald and Goofy in a three muscaters they went back to the way they use to look not any thing fancy. so im hoping for the same with the muppets.