Your Thoughts: "The Muppets" Theatrical Film

I doubt a season 6 of the Muppet Show...it would definitely have to be something more than that...although it would be cool. I'm sure Jason is always on the lookout for new Muppet ideas...though some of his roles are kind of racy...wish he would be careful about doing those then doing the Muppets...just a personal thing for me. Nothing against him or his acting. Love he's one of us.

I could see a season 6 working in the same vein as the pevious 5, but longer (an hour minus adverts) and with meatier side plots. There'd be no shortage of guest stars. What The Muppets showed me is that actually I'd happily sit through a movie version of The Muppet show with multiple A-list guest stars and some backstage fun. For me the movie went to another level once the telethon started and the random Muppet acts were amongst the highlights of the film.

Given the current TV landscape, I think the TMS format would work better with some specials rather than a TV series, so long as they try something a little different.

I think the thing for me is to get the Muppets back doing what they do best which is putting on a show. People remember the Muppet Show as much as they remember the Muppets themselves. TV movies and specials like LTS are fine for what they are, but for me it's all about being in the theater and performing.

He really kept the raciness out of the movie. I think he understands the difference between what kids watch and what adults watch. Robin Williams is basically the same way. No kid's going to be clamoring to see Birdcage after seeing Aladdin, unless they become a huge Robin fan like I did. I'd love to see him as a guest on a new Muppet Show, just not in every episode... after all, he's still got that great sitcom on television.

I wonder how another series exactly like The Muppet Show would do, actually. Personally, I want something part TMS, part JHH, part the good parts of MT. Well done one shot pop culture parodies (come on... try and tell me Seinfeld Babies wasn't epic. You don't even have to like the Muppets to like that one), classic stand by special features like the Chef (a given), Muppet Labs (also a given) and Pigs in Space.

As far as a Muppet Show style movie... I've been pondering how a Muppet sketch movie would work. I mean, we all remember Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and to some extent Life of Brian... but only the die hards remember Meaning of Life... while the other two movies have a touch of sketch comedy styling to them, they're more like little vignettes that tie into the main plot. MOL is more of little vignettes that only are connected by a similar theme. Some barely, like the financial pirates. I don't really count "And Now for Something Completely Different" as that was more of an attempt to promote the comedy team internationally to sell the TV show.

Yeah i think citing Jason Segel's previous work as an issue when working with the Muppets is a completely silly complaint that doesn't bear in mind any sense of history.

The Muppets aren't Beaver Cleaver goody-goods. They're for everybody and have included performers like Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osborne, Prince, Richard Pryor, Tim Curry, John Cleese and others who've had a wealth of mature content (language, sexuality, controversy) on their resumes before working with the Muppets. Not to mention some of the Sesame Street contributors. Many of them have even appeared nude on film for various rolls.

When they mention a sequel, it doesn't have to be helmed by Segel. In fact, I hope they broaden their scope and begin working with even more people. I'm sure Segel would always make himself available for any appearances if asked. Maybe even if not asked. Hahaha! He is one of us after all.

I kind of like the idea of trying to bring in Frank Oz to direct the next project. Aside from his brief and ill-advised statement, the stage is really set for Muppet opportunities. There would be fewer struggles now.

I like the idea they had to create seasonal specials like they do with Charlie Brown. I think they should do Valentine's, Halloween, Thanksgiving etc. I'd welcome full specials, but 30 minutes to an hour would do the trick. Just enough to leave people wanting more, to release on DVD and itunes and to rerun every year on ABC. I'm surprised they haven't done that yet. It's a no-brainer that really wouldn't cost that much considering the annual revenue from seasonal ad sales.

yeah, i agree. they should do holiday specials, that's a great idea!

actually, they play those holiday specials from the 60's on tv every single year, and people always watch them- i think they would TOTALLY watch a muppets Halloween, Thanksgiving, Valentine's special, etc.

i don't know if anyone remembers, but letters to santa when it first premiered actually did pretty well in the ratings. i think now, with the muppets being back in the spotlight, any tv special they did, esp if it was holiday themed, would probably do really well. and then it could become a staple

i think the fact that people STILL watch those peanuts and rudolph ones every year tells you that there's a market for that kind of thing, if it's good

I don't necessarily see a whole Muppet Show movie being sketch based as there would be a backstage story thread running through and not all the performances would be seen (just like the show).

It really is a shame television has the outright refusal to do just whenever specials. Not Holiday minded ones, but rather those strange specials they used to air just whenever... like Garfield's 9 Lives, or those Dr. Seuss ones. I think that would work even better for the Muppets than having them do a Holiday specific one. I mean, Frog knows how many Christmas specials they've done. Even though Sex and Violence was a pilot, it was treated as a special. A TV show would be an iffy thing to get the logistics out of. I think they can do it in time, and if they stop treating The Disney Channel as the 12 year old screeching girls network, there's a nice place for that there... people are actually calling for it. But I'd hate to see them go to all that trouble and not find a good place on the schedule for it on network prime time television.

They brought us a lot of joy.I saw it at midnight last night! It was so much fun and I loved seeing the Muppets on the big screen again! They did such a good job with the movie, I was really impressed.

Something I thought about: When it's time for Kermit and Miss Piggy to rehearse, Kermit tells Piggy that the audience expects them to do a song together. Would all fans expect them to sing together whenever the Muppets do something? Because GMC and MTI are really the only ones where they sang duets together (wait, forgot about the closing song in MTM). I'd think the fans would just as likely expect Kermit and Fozzie to do an act together, or expect to see Pigs in Space and Vets Hospital (okay, so maybe those WERE in the telethon and they just didn't show them in the movie... Not counting the opening, we only saw six acts).

well, if you add up all the stuff in the show, movies, and specials, kermit and piggy did sing together quite a few times. they had a number of duets on the show, then GMC, MTM, Muppet Family Christmas, MCC, and MTI. and they performed the GMC duet at the oscars in 1982, which was SO cute.

so i think they were kind of associated with singing together/ being paired up on stage

Has anyone else noticed that Gonzo's tongue has come off and looks as it's trying to escape his mouth just before Fozzie presses the "Travel by Map" button?

Well, we can assume at least that there was a Pigs in Space in the telethon (though it didn't make it into the movie), because we see Link & Strangepork at rehearsal wearing their Swinetrek uniforms. Oh, how I wish there was a new Pigs in Space filmed.... *sigh*

I know this was answered a few months ago but I agree with everything you said here. And I don't know if you've seen any recent interviews with Kermit but he has infact admitted they're together. He still says their not married but doesn't deny their a couple. Which is probably and correct me if I'm wrong the most I've seen him acknowledge his relationship with Piggy.

i think so too. since the movie came out he's been freely admitting they are a couple and saying they've been together for 30 years, etc. i wonder if steve decided ahead of time that since they have such a clear reunion IN the movie that it's time to just have kermit come out and say it now

although, i guess he hasn't really denied it so much for the past few years really. it seems to me that ever since eric took over piggy and started taking her out on press tours (about 2005-06, maybe?) they've been building the kermit/piggy dynamic back up to the point where they're appearing together a lot again (much more than steve and frank did). and i think steve said himself that he felt eric really gelled as piggy in 2008, during the letters to santa tour.

so my guess is they feel they have a strong enough rapport now to have kermit and piggy be that full-fledged but bickering couple that they used to be in the years after MTM, but before jim died. because that's where kermit had evolved to at that point as well. even in jim's last appearance on arsenio hall, kermit is openly saying he and piggy are a couple. but then when steve took over, it was kind of like kermit hit a reset, and obviously steve and frank ever had quite the same kind of dynamic that jim and frank did

but now i think steve and eric are much, much better and that's why kermit and piggy are better. people always love prying them about the relationship, so this slightly newer attitude of kermit's will probably lead to more creative answers about it, finally

I agree with that as well. Plus I found in a lot of interviews Kermit would contradict what he'd say about their relationship. For example don't know if you saw when they were on The Morning Show back in 2008 promoting "Letters to Santa" and that was the first time Kermit admitted that him and Miss Piggy kissed once in public which was obviously acknowledging they're infact together but then when you saw him in other interviews after that he said "they were just friends, their relationship was professional, etc.' I believe even a few months before The Muppets (2011) came out he was still going back and fourth with it. But that also could've been to prevent spoilers in the movie. *shrugs* But NOW since AFTER the movie I've seen he's much more consistant. Saying "they're in fact together but not married." Which hey after 35 years I'll take it! LOL!

yeah, and actually that's a good example of where his new attitude can lead to more creativity in the answers, finally. it fits with steve's whole thing about them not getting stale and continuing to grow as characters, at least a little bit. plus, with them at the oscars and everybody talking about them as a "hollywood couple" in their publicity lately, that seems to be the approach that's taking hold now. and i love it! i think it's great, it's actually a bit different, but definitely what people want from them (aside from getting married of course, which i'm almost sure will never happen, lol)

and i think it has a lot to do with their reunion in the movie affecting how people view them in their "real life"

You never know!!! I think we've all known their a couple. We just wanna hear a definite answer from Kermit. Lol! Which in my honest opinion in the last few interviews we have definitely been getting that. Will see what happens when they do the sequel! Which I am so excited their doing! Although bringing The Muppet Show back on TV would be even better. XPPPP

i totally agree! that's why i wanted them to remain themselves in the sequel, rather than having them be playing parts where they don't know each other (like in muppet caper) or an adaptation

luckily, i read an interview with nick stoller where he said the exact same thing, that he personally prefers it when they are themselves. so i'm betting we can count on that to happen again