| "America's 
              Next Muppet" mini-series in development New 
              six-episode TV reality series slated for Spring-Summer 2006 By 
              Greg JamesSeptember 
              5, 2005
  They’ve 
              acted in countless movies and television specials; they ran their 
              own weekly vaudeville stage show on “The Muppet Show”; 
              they ran the MuppeTelevision control room in “The Jim Henson 
              Hour”; and they put tackled their own television station with 
              “Muppets Tonight”. Now the Muppets are working on their 
              latest gig, putting together their own “reality” television 
              contest called “America’s Next Muppet”.
 Ever 
              since Disney acquired the Muppets in 2004, fans have been wondering 
              when they would be making their TV comeback. Chris Curtin, vice 
              president and general manager of the Muppets, became a major backer 
              for the idea of a Muppet reality-TV spoof special. A “reality” 
              show pilot pitch was filmed in Los Angeles during the summer 
              of 2004, and shared around the Disney Company. The pilot, which 
              was produced by the Jim Henson Company and reportedly directed by 
              Muppeteer Bill Barretta, was a success with Disney executives.  After 
              making several changes from the pilot’s concept, a deal was 
              established to produce a Muppet mini-series that parodies current 
              reality-TV while showcasing the Muppet magic and characters the 
              world has come to love. According to Chris Curtin, ABC will bring 
              the Muppets back to TV for an all new 6-episode series titled "America's 
              Next Muppet”.
 The 
              short-run reality-TV spoof is sure to be a fun and entertaining 
              series that Muppet fans will enjoy. The reported premise is that 
              Kermit and the other classic Muppet characters are setting up a 
              talent contest to find the newest member of the legendary Muppet 
              troupe. All kinds of new wacky Muppet characters and wild new Muppet 
              acts will audition for the panel of judges (such as Kermit, Miss 
              Piggy and Gonzo) who will be the reviewing the performances. As 
              all Muppet shows, the series will also show the existing Muppet 
              gang in action as they try to hold the auditions and organize the 
              challenges on the show. Some reports even say that Disney is working 
              to make the show “interactive” by allowing viewers to 
              vote for their favorite characters in that week’s episode.  “America’s 
              Next Muppet” will be used as a small assessment by The Muppet 
              Holding Company and ABC to see if the Muppets can survive in today’s 
              television market. If “America’s Next Muppet” 
              attracts a crowd, the Muppets may be looking at another entirely 
              new, full-time TV-show in the near future.
 “America’s 
              Next Muppet” is tentatively set to air on ABC sometime next 
              year (probably the spring or summer of 2006) – however this 
              could change. There is no further information on the series’ 
              premiere or any further details available at this time. However, 
              "America's Next Muppet” is in development through The 
              Muppet sHolding Company; pre-production and planning for the six 
              episodes of the show is currently underway. 
  
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