The Museum of Television and Radio: A Trip Report - Day One, Part I

[radionate]

Thanks for the reports Jeffery, I got a kick out of them since there were a couple of shows in there that I haven't seen! Glad you had a good time!

 

[Jackie]

Wow man! What a report! Too bad you couldn't steal the special and dub them for the many muppet fans out here! LOL! j/k

 

[starr]

I've jumped into the middle of this, what is this museum and where is it? It sounds fabulous if it's what I think it is.

 

[Jeffrey Gray]

Beverly Hills, CA and New York City (Manhattan, to be precise), NY.

 

[Chilly Down]

Jeffrey,

Fantastic review! I loved reading it. I've seen most of those specials, and I agree with you on your opinion on most of them. For the few I haven't seen, it was fascinating to read about.

I agree that the John Denver Christmas special is overrated; if you'll notice, it's billed as being HIS special with the Muppets as his guests, and I think that's the key problem here. Too much of John doing boring marches and songs without the Muppets. Even a lot of the Muppet segments are somehow oddly boring. The highlights are the opening "12 Days of Christmas" and the closing number/Nativity scene. I finally ended up fast-forwarding through much of the middle.

Fantastic Miss Piggy Special: Haven't seen anything other than a few short clips, and photos in The Works, but it sounds intruiging. Does anyone else wonder if the pig nose and boa worn by John Ritter in this special is the same ones worn by Brooke Shields at Muppet Fest?

I'm surprised to hear the John Denver camping special was so good after seeing the Christmas speical. Wonder if Jerry Juhl wrote the former but not the latter? Now I'll have to see if anyone has a copy of this...

SS: 20 Years is by far the best retrospective on the Street ever to air. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for taping over it.

The one time we disagree: I thought Henson's Place was fabulous. Keep in mind that this is the first behind-the-scenes special I saw on the Muppets, with lots of rare clips, and I saw it about the same time I read Of Muppets & Men. So I got most of my "Muppets education" from those two sources. I love the interviews with Kermit and Piggy -- it's the only place Kermit actually flatly denies that the wedding in TMTM was real! (His denial seems to be part of permanent Muppet canon.)

Quite a difference between the Electric Company Spider-Man and the new movie version, eh? ;-)

"Silent Strawberries" is my FAVORITE part of The Muppets Go to the Movies! The other films were obvious choices, but to spoof high-art foreign films? Genius! Perfect casting with Beaker and the Chef, and the line "Ah ha! Well, if not death, then...how about a rubber chicken?" gets quoted quite frequently by me.

It's been too long since I've seen The Storyteller, and I've never seen A Story Short, even though it's on video. But darn it, I've got a bunch of other Muppety purchases I'm still trying to catch up on! (Like the rest of the Time-Life collection.)

I found Muppets Go Hollywood to be rather hard to watch. Seems like they just kind of slapped it together at the last minute to promote the movie. The guests don't have anything interesting to say. Rather embarrasing when only the Muppet Monsters come out to dance, because they don't want to show the performer underneath...and that's about it for production numbers. (Maybe there's more. I got bored again and started fast-forwarding.) Also distracting when Kermit walked away from the podium and it mysteriously slid along with him (to hide Jim). The later philosophy, where Jim would just come out with Kermit on the talk shows and not worry about it (saith Kermit, "The frog is a great deal more interesting to look at, and who really notices what the bearded man is doing?"). Same approach was also well-used at MuppetFest: "Don't pay attention to Steve...he's just a hired hand."

Well, I just got disconnected, and it's late anyway, so let me post the rest of my reply tomorrow.

Take care,

 

[Philo and Gunge]

A lot of the skits were too long, too boring, or were repeated.

I know! I went to the MTR in NYC today, I ended up fast forwarding through the whole "milk comes from cows" ****! WE KNOW MILK COMES FROM COWS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRAG IT ON AND ON! I only watched the muppet bits.

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Jeffrey, I've also greatly enjoyed readin' your trip reports here---thanks so much for postin' 'em!

Really!

Thanks so!

 

[Ryan]

-Henson's Place: The Man Behind the Muppets

Boring. That's all I can say about it. Boring. Lots of interviews with Jim, Jane, Frank, and Lew Grade. Apart from a couple good variety-show appearance clips, this was boring, and a waste of time.

Are you kidding? That's ojne of the best specials out there!!

 

[suggsy]

I worked at the Manhattan Museum for a year. The best part about it was staying late after closing and watching whatever I wanted (and a good percentage of that was Muppets!)