Disney fired Kermit the Frog's puppeteer and voice Steve Whitmire

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>>93883682
>As I am sure you can imagine, I have experienced every possible emotion since October 2016, when I received a phone call from The Muppets Studio’s executives to say they were recasting. Through a new business representative, I have offered multiple remedies to their two stated issues which had never been mentioned to me prior to that phone call. I wish that we could have sat down, looked each other in the eye, and discussed what was on their minds before they took such a drastic action.

>I have remained silent the last nine months in hopes that the Disney company might reverse their course. Doing what is best for the Muppets is the lens through which all my interactions have been filtered. Given the opportunity I remain willing to do whatever is required to remedy their concerns because I feel my continued involvement with the characters is in the best interest of the Muppets.

>For decades, you have been an invaluable partner in co-creating the existence of the Muppets, and I am humbled by your devotion to them. There is so much more for us to talk about so I have created this site as a place to connect and share on all things Muppet, past, present and future.

>Please forgive any faux pas as I have not been active in social media previously and have a serious learning curve. I just want you all to know that I am sorry if I have disappointed any of you at any point throughout our journey, and to let everyone know that I am devastated to have failed in my duty to my hero.

>>93883682
Heartbreaking stuff, signed the petition. Why isn't /co/ getting more worked up about this?

>Rizzo is now without his voice and Beanbunny too

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>>93883682
I never really cared for muppets much.

>>93883687
>Through a new business representative, I have offered multiple remedies to their two stated issues which had never been mentioned to me prior to that phone call. I wish that we could have sat down, looked each other in the eye, and discussed what was on their minds before they took such a drastic action.
What could it be?

>>93884075
He was too critical of Disney's failures with the movies, show and very protective of the characters.

>>93883682
Man I had heard this mentioned and I figured the dude had done some stupid shit and got fired.
That's actually really sad, I'll sign the petition.

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>>93884110
And this is Disney's ""statement""

>In a response to Whitmire's exit, a spokesperson for The Muppet Studios would only say: "The Muppets Studio thanks Steve for his tremendous contributions to Kermit the Frog and The Muppets franchise. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40605783

This is like when a school or business gets rid of that super well-liked old guy on the staff and everybody loses it but knows things will probably go more smoothly with them gone.

And if someone is critical of the Muppets movies (as anon says >>93884092) their opinion deserves to be ignored.

>>93883682
if Disney fired him they must've had a very good reason

>>93883991
also this no one cares about muppets

>>93884134
Imagine Spongebob with no Tom Kenny. That's the vibe I feel the Muppets would have now

They caught him wanking over Miss Piggy and spunking up her snout.

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>>93883980

I've made my peace with the steady decline of relevance and quality in relation to the Muppets. I watched the reruns on Nickelodeon and grew up with the specials. The last thing that I came revere was Treasure Island. After that the magic was gone.

>>93884167
The Muppets (2011)
The Muppets Most Wanted
and ABC's Muppets were all very mediocre and played it too safe, every single one of those projects come from a place of not understanding the Muppet characters.

>>93883980
>Why isn't /co/ getting more worked up about this?
because Disney is great and knows what's best

this anon said it best >>93884167

>>93884184
They already have his replacement lined up (Matt Vogel) with a new video coming out next week with him as Kermit for the Muppet youtube channel.

Vogel is going to have a very difficult road ahead of him, this is so much different than being Carrol Spinney's understudy for Sesame and Jerry Nelson's Sesame and Muppet characters with his passing.

>>93884167
>>93884183
>>93884267
Don't you mouseketeers have some MCU threads to shitpost in instead?

>>93884370
Hi, Mr Whitmire. Is this where you've been hiding for the past half a year? Shouldn't you be looking for a new job? That heroine won't pay for itself.

>>93884134
Damn they future endeavoured him that ain't right

>>93884410
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Le4sGUeXTk

>>93884092
Source?

I want to be sure this isn't another Elmo situation.

>>93884370
soon when based Disney shows them off at the panel

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>>93884780
Steve Whitmire was always vocal and protective of the characters, Disney didn't appreciate that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or1FfleQ284

>Steve can get fairly passionate when Disney does something that is completely out of line. There was a minor incident involving Disney deciding to recruit 'alternate performers' right after they bought the Muppets, which Steve heavily protested and only backed off once the program was scrapped.

https://youtu.be/MlJ4ibTOCOU

>Steve was really nervous and apprehensive about how the 2011 movie turned out.

>The 2011 movie seemed to have a lot of mixed emotions surrounding it even before it came out: Frank Oz didn't feel the script was very respectful to the characters or their interactions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgv_VTynhEk

Kermit even bantered the show's cancellation "Oh THAT show"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6YYHjGc7c

>>93884167
How dare someone doesn't like "Jason Segal the Movie Featuring the Muppets Who Appear from Time to Time and When They Do Show Up They Don't Really Do Anything You'd Expect the Muppets to Do But Hey We Have Nostalgia." That was the greatest Jason Segal movie ever!

>>93884183
>if Disney fired him they must've had a very good reason
You sound like a disney cocksucker

>>93883682
...Why? Why does disney fire him from the muppets? It seems like a stupid fucking idea

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>>93884905
>he didn't worship the mouse so they fired him

Burn Burbank to the ground

>>93884905
>Getting butthurt about that
Literally the best way you can handle it.

>>93885643
He stayed quiet about it since Oct 2016 in hopes Disney would talk with him about it again, they didn't.

>>93884780
Not guilty and cleared of all charges?

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Disney kept pushing Skeeter but Steve wasn't having any of it.

>>93885833
I meant Kermit and Fozzie talking about the show.

>I'm just now learning that people didn't like The Muppets
The fuck? That movie is great.

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I'm just worried about what will happen to Rizzo and Steve's other characters.

>>93886375
Skeeter a shit. Yolanda is superior Muppet waifu.

>>93884905
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts6YYHjGc7c

Literally only a heartless soulless executive could ever get mad at an employee over this, this banter was hilarious.

>>93886733

Someone watched The Muppets?

>>93886266
More fake rape charges against innocents, as usual. They should really be sued for millions of dollars for costing this man his job. Anyone who accuses someone of sexual abuse and is proven to be lying should be faced with 3x the sentence and put on a "false accuser" list so that their next accusations (and you know there'll definitely be more) will be treated with more scrutiny. I really hate liars who ruin other people's lives.

>>93886675
Right? Everything else was mediocre, but that one was great.

>>93886904
It didn't cost him his job, Clash just stepped down from doing Sesame Street. He's still a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company.

>>93884410
Yea that's pretty much "don't think of making a name for yourself again."

>>93884334
Was he even trained for that part? I know he did Kermit's dopple. But taking on the Frog himself when the only other person was hand picked by the creator.

That's a hard row to hoe.

>>93884905
The show was shit. It wasn't styled around the muppets.

You know what show is styled around the Muppets. 30 Rock, because the Muppet Show was the OG 30 Rock. Idiots.

>>93883980
Look I was gonna be snarky and say something like "because it's the old geezer's time to get the block" but this actually seriously disturbs my heart, I have no doubt that when this post gets out to the wider internet that the autists of Reddit etcetera will champion the cause. It's just hard to get /co/ to give a shit about anything that isn't Gwenpool.

>>93888657
Muppets Tonight did it right

I found the voices of the new puppeteers. It looks like they're really taking the franchise in a very new direction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hENBqg9iyU

>>93888990
Sorta. I think using Clifford was a stumble.

>>93888562
He had at least half a year

>>93888393
>a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company
So literally nothing since they don't do anything anymore

>>93889305
They're making a Dark Crystal movie for Netflix

>>93886675
>The Muppets 2011
>Great

It was mediocre at best with ok to good songs in between with iconic characters grossly out of character (Kermit especially).

>>93886575
Oh right, leave it to the Disney suits to get butthurt over Muppet banter

>>93889731
>grossly out of character (Kermit especially).
What was so "out of character" about Kermit?

>>93884905
Pretty much everything Kermit said was neutral. If Disney really did get their knickers in a twist over that, they are a bunch of faggots. I will gladly boycott their shit in the wake of this.

>>93883980
>Why isn't /co/ getting more worked up about this?

he was fired for criticizing disney's business decisions. /co/ only gets worked up about free speech when somebody gets fired for saying racist and/or pedo shit.

>demands something because you have worked there a long time
>demanding something from a large corporation in 2017

you westerns are hilariously entitled. it's 2017, there are millions of people willing to do that shit for a cheap ass price and you still dare to demand shit from a corporation. disney no less.

retard got what he deserved

>>93884183
>>>/tv/ you shilling faggot

>>93884253
The 2011 one is 10/10. Brett and Jason Seagull gave it their all. Most wanted was bland because Ricky Gervais is british Jim Gaffigan

>>93885114
>You sound like a disney cocksucker

That's because he is a disney cocksucker.

>>93892216
>there are millions of people willing to do that shit for a cheap ass price

It cost more money to train people for years on puppeteering. It's cheaper to have steve on the job since he professional as his own job. no one cannot do his job like he does.

>>93891255
Good luck.

They own pretty much everything.

>>93884092
didn't he make a stink (lol) about the fart shoes gag?

>>93883682
Think there's a chance Sesame Street will take him back as Ernie? He left Ernie in 2014 solely so he could focus more on Muppets.

>>93884905
>only one still does his character
I truly wonder if Jim (and Richard and Jerry) would even do their characters still if they didn't die unexpectedly

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>>93892375
>10/10

Now if it were pic related? Then yes, but the 2011 movie? Fuck no.

>>93891020
>Instead of Kermit being the leader of the Muppets and the glue that keeps everyone together
>He abandons every single one of his friends to sit alone in a mansion and sulk
>He somehow offended Miss Piggy to the point where she left him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66c35bmlMOs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaKWAoqqD50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ4CNyjjt3Y

>>93884167
>This is like when a school or business gets rid of that super well-liked old guy on the staff and everybody loses it but knows things will probably go more smoothly with them gone.

Life is boring when it goes smoothly, anon.

>>93894022
That was kind of the point of the whole movie. The characters had been away from each other for so long they sort of all forgot who they used to be

>>93885114
>>93892596
What did he say I couldn't hear it over the sound of Mickey hips slapping against his pudgy buttcheeks?

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>>93883682
>read it in kermit's voice
>just makes it even sadder

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>>93894455
Kermit the Frog would not have allowed that to happen, them being neglected by Disney for years after getting bought would have been more difficult to make into a movie. The Muppets (2011) was a sweet little tribute and actually pretty okay because of that, but in no way whatsoever was it a 10/10.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipe14_yCL_g

Giving up is not in his vocab, he's the one to guide them through troubling times.

>That was kind of the point of the whole movie. The characters had been away from each other for so long they sort of all forgot who they used to be

Then it's not the Kermit Jim Henson intended, it's Disney's Kermit The Frog © now.

In 1979, Jerry Juhl described Henson's unique working style in an article about the making of The Muppets Go Hollywood special: "The [production assistants] are running around screaming, 'How are we ever going to do all this?' And Jim is wandering around in the middle of it all, perfectly calm, perfectly content. You go to him and ask, 'How's it going?' And he says, 'Oh, fine. There were hardly any airplanes overhead when we filmed Miss Piggy by the pool.' He's just like Kermit -- if The Muppet Show had a basketball team, the score would always be Frog 99, Chaos 98."

>>93894932
>Then it's not the Kermit Jim Henson intended
I doubt Jim Henson intended for The Muppets to be as near-forgotten as they were prior to that movie as well. It was deliberately trying to get people who knew the Muppets out of their comfort zones.

>>93883682
I didn't even know Muppets was still a thing. I thought they'd just been playing re-runs for the past 20 years.

Just let it die already; not even the kids care about puppet shows anymore.

>>93895023
You're shifting goalposts now, I'm talking about Kermit's characterization here and you suddenly shift to how things were post Jim Henson's death.

We got two great Muppet Movies directed by his son Brian Henson (The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island) , The Muppets Tonight though that's a little dated because of how rooted in the 90s it is things started to go wrong for the company around the time of Muppets from Space which was directed by Tim Hill (director of ,Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Hop, Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas ever) and it ended up pretty bad.

>They had a original script by original Henson collaborator Jerry Juhl and they binned it.

>According to Brian Henson, the film was planned by The Jim Henson Company to be released in the winter, around February 2000, However, Columbia wanted Muppets from Space to be one of their big summer movies, rushing production and causing there to be less advertising for the film. It also suffered competition from Walt Disney Pictures' Inspector Gadget.

>In a 2000 interview, Frank Oz described the film as not "up to what it should have been," and "not the movie that we wanted it to be."

What happened with the offcial youtube channel of the muppets, did they stopped suddenly?

>>93895406
They're still making them, Matt Vogel as Kermit is expected to make a appearance in next week's "Muppet Thought of the Week" video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HDF3dxhsys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq3B8pL7MzI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TFkacO1nII

I picked up the ABC series again recently from about the mid point, and it's actually enjoyable.

I admit I'm super forgiving of the Muppets anyway and it'd have to be pretty bad for me not to enjoy it, but there was an awkwardness in the first half that disappeared in the later episodes.

>>93883682
I really want to hear Disney's side of the story before I sign that petition yes I know it won't do much good because I find it difficult to imagine firing Steve without a good reason.
I nean for crying out loud! Jim chose him.

>>93883682
Considering how shitty Disney is, I wont be too shocked to hear if more puppeteers are fired and future Muppets movies/shows go full CGI.

>>93895656
Disney's side of the story >>93884134

>>93895656
>I picked up the ABC series again recently from about the mid point, and it's actually enjoyable.
I never watched it but the fact its not all in one torrent anywhere doesn't bode well for it

>>93895023
>It was deliberately trying to get people who knew the Muppets out of their comfort zones.
That's a lie right there. The movie tried it's hardest to keep people who knew the Muppets in their comfort zones. The only purpose the Muppets served in that movie was nostalgia. Disney wanted to play it as safe as possible in fear of alienating anyone familiar with the Muppets.

From best to worst:
>The Muppet Movie
>The Muppet Christmas Carol
>The Great Muppet Caper
>Muppets Take Manhattan
>Muppet Treasure Island
>Muppets Most Wanted
>The Muppets
>Muppets from Space

>>93889386
>movie
I thought it was a series?

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>>93895656
That's because the showrunner was sacked halfway into the season, their replacement tried to save things by re-introducing sketch elements to The Muppets.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/muppets-showrunner-exits-abc-revival-837049

These Muppets in Space sketches ended up not getting used in the later half of the season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmI77ZBeJrQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN0wK-wXqY0

ABC Muppets first half sufferend from several things, it relied too heavily on name dropping celebrities they couldn't have on Miss Piggy's talkshow or having cameos spreading episodes too thin the original Muppet Show and Muppets Tonight only had one guest per episode, wherwas the ABC Muppets had like 3 at times. It had its moments and would have maybe grown into its own thing had the new showrunner gotten the chance with a second season.

>>93895922
>A British TV ad for crumpets understood The Muppets better than ABC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp_WNfa7PGY

>>93896518
That Crumpet one was pretty good

>>93896507
Oh it is, didn't know that. I'm sure Steve Whitmire is involved with this as a puppeteer somehow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGzVYyV_Jsg

>>93895656
>because I find it difficult to imagine firing Steve without a good reason.
I mean, they likely have solid profit reasoning, but desu you hold companies that size to ethical standards beyond what makes them money.

Why couldn't we just have another traditional variety show Muppet Show?

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tfw you actually really liked Muppets Most Wanted

>>93897027
Everyone and their mom knows the Theme song to it by heart, the whole point of The Muppets 2011 movie was to get them back in the public eye.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlYEcF0Bl3Q

They could have easily made it a variety show again, if anything they could have just updated The Muppets Tonight to modern standards while keeping the sketches and backlot bits instead of making that the focus with a 30Rock/The Office/Parks&Rec type format that already felt done to death with the general public, even Gonzo mocked it in the pilot episode (at the 45 sec mark onwards.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BetgJuD1NA

>>93897082
it was OK, it didn't really need Ricky Gervais and the songs were nice at least

>>93897082

I've been waiting for another Christmas Carol/Treasure Island type movie but what could they make next?

They already messed up Wizard of Oz.

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>Disney also removed the sign for Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D and just renamed it to Muppet Vision 3D

Disney in charge of making sure people forget about Jim Henson's legacy.

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>>93897450
What it looks like now.

>>93897082
I really liked Ty Burrell and Sam Eagle as buddy-cops

>>93897427
Muppets in Wonderland?

>>93897450
>>93897482
>Jim Henson's last movie he directed before his passing
>Disney scrubs his name from the sign

That is absolutely appalling behaviour, I didn't mind them owning the Muppets but this is just disgusting.

>>93897450
>>93897482
>>93897677
This happened in June but it's still a scummy thing to do of them.

>>93897450
>>93897482
Now that's just fucking spiteful.

Business turns people into motherfuckers I swear to christ.

>>93897805
Maybe they are just upgrading the sign, right?

>>93883682
We know Brian Henson's still alive

What authority does he have when it comes to stuff like this?

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>>93897450
>>93897482

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>>93897867
I'm so sorry, they're no longer Jim Henson's Muppets they're Disney's Muppets©

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>>93897907

>>93897875
I'm absolutely sure they regret selling them to Disney.

>>93897450
>>93897482
>>93897677
>>93897805
>>93897857
>>93897875
>>93897907
>>93898002
You'd think they'd make sure Disney wouldn't do shit like this before they sold the Muppets.

>>93897875
None, sadly. His company still has the right to use the Muppet name, but that's about it.

>>93897857
As if firing Steve isn't enough for them, wouldn't be surprised if they did it as a corporate "fuck you we own them" to get back at Whitmire for being protective of Jim's characters and legacy. Very petty.

>>93895708
The new Muppet Babies show is going to be all cgi, but the original was animated as well.

>>93892216
t. chinaman

>>93892216
So if other people are willing to be bullied, you shouldn't stand up to the bully?

>>93898204
The details to that deal were once leaked onto the net, Disney bought everything Muppets, Bear in the Big Blue House but not Fraggle Rock or any other Jim Henson creation.

>>93899994
Wonder why they passed on Sesame Street

>>93886375
Sauce? I want to believe Disney would make Skeeter a real muppet, but this sounds like fan conjecture to me.

>>93889731
>grossly out of character Kermit
Yeah, but you got to admit that scene where he's in his mansion singing about the old days and he stops and looks up at a portrait of him and Jim Henson was pure magic.

>>93892375
If Jim Gaffigan had a stick up his ass about religion.

>>93900052
Sesame Street was already handed over to pbs and are independent before then I think.

>>93900828
yeah but didn't HBO buy them anyway a few years ago?

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>>93900952

I don't know that HBO bought them outright; just secured some weird distribution deal where new episodes are going to air on their channel first before PBS.

I'm guessing that with national funding being constantly slashed left and right and the general public having less of their own money to freely donate to public broadcasting, they desperately needed funding.

A world without Sesame Street isn't one I want to live in and I neither watch it myself or have children that do.

>>93897450
>>93897482
>>93897907
>That generic ass logo
>You can still see the outline of the old logo above it

That's appalling. Corporations are like fucking scorpions, they ruin everything because it's their nature.

>>93899994
>Disney bought everything Muppets, Bear in the Big Blue House but not Fraggle Rock or any other Jim Henson creation.

Probably for the best. Can you imagine a Disney reboot of Fraggle Rock? I know I don't want to.

>>93884134
"Thanks and good luck"
That's not an answer

>>93884233
See I can't even go that far. To me everything post Henson has been middling quality. Nobody seems to get the characters the way he did.

And nobody but Frank Oz could make Fozzie bear funny.

>>93886904
Honestly, Kevin Clash got a raw deal. Was riding high off his book and the documentary based off it, some greedy twinks he slept with decided this was the ideal time to slander and sue him with false rape accusations.

All proven that is was consentual and legal but it was too late. He was publicly outed and scandalized and forced to step down as Elmo.

>>93889731
Pure Nostalgia wank. Misue of core muppets in place of Seger, Adams and the newest blander muppet, Walter. Mediocre original songs, We Built This City and Rainbow connection.

>>93885236

"No-one fucks with The Mouse" - Harlan Ellison

>>93891255
Anyone else remember in The Muppet Show that Kermit could also be a persnickety asshole? Yelling at people for fucking with him, making sarcastic asides about the weird acts and telling Piggy to her face that he thought she was gross.

NuKermit is always pleasant and optimistic all the time.

>>93884134
What in the WWE hell?

>>93895656
I didn't think there was any change in the mid season replacement. The characters stopped acting so hosile toward each other but still a mediocre show.

Oh and they sang rainbow connection again. Howany times do they think that can save them?

>>93896299
Agreed with everything except I've never understood the affinity for Christmas Carol and Treasure Island outside of Nostalgia.

Christmas Carol is the better of the two but it shifts focus so far away from the core Muppets. F ozzie, Rowlf and Doctor Teeth who? Oh but they keep Animal in the spotlight because he sells t shirts.

Overall very dark and focuses more on the humans than the muppets.

They're not terrible and better than In Space or the Disney ones but not my cup of tea.

>>93897082
Much as I enjoy Great Muppet Caper I've never understood it conceptually. The Muppets have always been about showbusiness. The Muppet Show, behind the scenes of a variety show. The Muppet Movie, tring to make it in Hollywood. Muppets Take Manhattan, trying to fund a Broadway show.

Then you've got Caper where they're reporters foiling a diamond hiest? Sure why not.

>>93886880
we had talkback threads for every episode

>>93902847
That's corporate for you. They write the most milquetoast/vaguest letter possible to make sure they won't say anything that can be misconstrued or bite them in the ass later on.

It's like when one of my bosses was fired and the only thing management told us to say about his departure was "He's no longer with the Company". It's just another way corporate uses to wipe any dirt off their hands and absolve any blame.

>>93902996
if you recall, it was the muppets as actors preforming in an actual movie. they say so at the beginning.

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>>93883682
>>93883687
>Why are there so many songs about rainbows
>and what's on the other side?

y'all mind if we make a new show about beloved characters, fire the showrunner because he was terrible and then cancel the show anyway, even though it got very marginally better. if it got a second season i could have been decent.

>>93903322
Headcanon: Great Muppet Caper is the movie the Muppets make when they make a deal with Worldwide Pictures at the end of The Muppet Movie.

>>93903636
This. Network executives now and more than ever are impatient when it comes to their shows getting results. It's why it's crazy to even consider pitching a show anywhere before first going to Netflix with your idea. Netflix is the very image of patience and modest expectations.

>>93903636
The problem with that show was they wanted to rip off a quirky show but with Muppets. The problem is instead of ripping off the popular quirky show about putting on a variety show, they did The Office.

File: $_58.jpg (59KB, 640x562px) Image search: [Google]

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I've had this Rizzo plush next to my bed in my old room for years. I got it outside Muppet-vision in like... geez.. early 00s?

>>93903636
>y'all mind if we make a new show about beloved characters, fire the showrunner because he was terrible and then cancel the show anyway

We need a scapegoat too. Might as well be that Whitmere guy since he keeps bringing up problems he has with the material.

>>93903598
Let me help you out Anon, this version is Steve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adDgaBZFdTM
Such sentiment, expressed so honestly. I cry everytime

>>93902738

Kermit was pleasant and optimistic in the original muppets movie.

>>93902996

Honestly, it wouldn't be hard for me to wrap my mind around all different kinds of plots to see the Muppets in. It's been established so many times within the confines of their universe that they are actors- real beings that exist alongside humans like it's no big deal- so seeing one movie after another about their exploits within the film/tv industry would get stale after a while.

Reporters? Sure, why not. Ersatz versions of famous literary figures? Cool.

>>93889240
Unless he was training to learn mannerisms and who Kermit is that's a lost cause.

>>93897450
>>93897482

>When your company is full of gigantic assholes

>>93907911
Hell the parks department was headed by a homosexual that actually hated children for a long while.

Executive hierarchy bullshit is fucked up.

>>93892216
>there are millions of people willing to do that shit for a cheap ass price

Which is why most jobs in America don't actually provide enough income to live on.

Screw them, let them enjoy Monopoly Mouse! Mickey was just jealous because Rizzo wasn't ashamed to admit he was just a talking rat

>>93902650
Its true, if you make fun of Mickie Mouse, you will get fired. Its amazing that Disney let Alex Hirsch publish all those books, when he once remarked that Mickey was the worlds richest mouse and yet can't seem to afford a shirt

>>93902996
Muppet Treasure Island works despite not being not being about putting on a show. They Muppets are old school vaudeville showbusiness. They need big musical numbers and bad jokes. Its when they don't have that it fails. Like Muppet's from Space

>>93905755
Pleasant and optimistic are definitely part of his personality but a kermit who never get's angry or frustrated is unrelatable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb8qBJZba6I

>>93892216
>I make ten cents an hour and am a replaceable drone. Dumb Americans

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17KB, 517x377px

>>93883682
I just hope he'll be ok.

>>93908724
Should I feel bad for liking Muppets From Space? I mean, The Muppet Movie hinted at Gonzo being an alien, so it was cool to see that idea finally get explored.

>>93910888
>i was sad
oh my fuck this pic

>>93902996
Love the songs for Caper though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ip4rfxii3U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9825532HbI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiBgo2GvrFQ

>>93911373
I preferred it when he was just a thing. Why do we have to explain that he's an alien? How's he any weirder than Doctor Teeth or Animal?

Not to mention this was the peak of the 90s reorganization of the Muppets. For some reason Gonzo and Rizzo had become stars, Kermit and Piggy were backup. Animal was there because he sells t shirts. Fozzie, Rowlf, Scooter all MIA.

Also jukebox musical. Fuck, I hate jukebox musicals.

>>93912223
>Dr Teeth, Rowlf, Scooter all MIA

Nobody felt comfortable enough to do those characters yet with Henson and Richard Hunt's recent passing still in their mind, so they only had non-speaking parts in the backgrounds. Not sure what you're talking about with Fozzie though, he had plenty of lines in Treasure Island and making him Mr. Fezziwig for the Christmas Carol was pretty clever.

>>93884396
>heroine
Holy shit you Disneytards are stupid.

>>93912223
I'll concede that Animal is weird, but the Muppet films (as well as Muppet Babies) always made a point of classifying Gonzo as a weirdo, and he's the only character to openly wonder about his own origins. Doctor Teeth is just a person.

I wasn't comfortable with Kermit, Fozzie, and Miss Piggy taking the backseat either, but it sounds like that might have anyway had The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made! went into production.

>>93912305
Fozziwig was a pretty good pun.

I still think he was under utilized, though with that said, I don't think anyone other than Frank Oz has ever made Fozzie really funny. The current performer does a good job but Frank Oz's pitch black cynicism underneath his vulnerable characters always added up to comedy gold. I don't think the new writers know how to handle Fozzie as well.

>>93912484
I'll concede that it probably wasn't as much the premise as the execution.

Though the Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made still sounds like the stronger of the two.

>>93912817
No argument there.

>>93910888
He tried to stay true to the character Jim created and got shit for it by Disney. It's amazing he kept quiet about it for so long.

>>93913395
I can only sign this damn thing once I don't need any further convincing that Disney sacked him out of spite or some other petty bullshit reason.

>>93911373
He's an elephant. That's why he hangs out with Rizzo.

>>93902650
Ellison did joke about writing a Disney porno on his first day there.

>>93913959
I've heard that story. Didn't Roy overhear it and fire him the same day? Or maybe I'm thinking of someone else?

>goes on to make muppets porn

i cant be the only one that wants this right?

>>93914228
Only if Frank Oz provides the voices.

>>93883682
>Disney is shit
Is anyone actually surprised?

>>93894732
I love these kinds of jokes, hahaha

>>93914185
Roy got pushed out of the Disney company during the 2000s for criticizing Eisner's business decisions

>>93915265
Right, but this was back in the 90's I read this. When did Ellison work for Disney?

Two new blog posts from Steve

https://stevewhitmire-muppetpundit.com/2017/07/15/the-latenight-double-feature-post-show/

https://stevewhitmire-muppetpundit.com/2017/07/16/the-latenight-double-feature-post-show-2/

Things to note:
>He confirms he was fired because of disagreements he had with Disney regarding the direction they were taking the characters in and how he felt it was disrespectful to Jim's legacy
>After he got the phone call he offered just performing his characters with no creative input from himself.

>>93911373

People act like it's a crime upon the medium of film, but it's really not that bad. Weaker in comparison to some of the other Muppet movies, but certainly watchable.

The opening Brick House segment is pretty choice.

>>93915330
This deserves a new thread, on it now.

>>93915768
This doesn't need a new thread. We already have this one. If you want to talk, let's talk in the thread where most of us have been. Splitting up the conversation is foolish.

This thread isn't even in autosage.

>>93915911
I believe it does, this one keeps sinking off to page 10 with most anons being unaware of these new statements aside from the one in the OP.

New thread here >>93915825

>>93915330
I don't think he's answered what the fuck he's going to do now

>>93884253
The ABC show hardly played it that safe. They were actually a bit too adult for many people's tastes. They were fairly bad about just keeping things a bit silly and light hearted which is plain weird.

>>93884167
Soooo... we're not allowed to have any criticism of the Muppet films?
Huh, so the Muppets are like feminism... unless it's supportive, it's totally wrong.

>>93914629
They shouldn't be, but somehow are still very surprised at just how cutthroat these people are. They just don't give a shit about art anymore or the creative people behind them. They are doing their best to control every single aspect of content creators and make the most bland/lowest common denominator product to shovel on the masses for easy profit.

They've done it to Star Wars, they've done it to everything else too. And if they don't use it, then they shelve it in their vaults so no one else can make anything with it, like TRON and Jhonen Vasquez's unaired show he was working on with them.

They just don't care.

>>93883682
Typical management power play, it happens every day in business. They would sell his body for organ transplants if they could.