MovieChat Forums > The Muppet Show (1977) Discussion > After Jim Henson

After Jim Henson

posted 13 years ago by Camelot_2000
6 replies | jump to latest

I used to be a mega fan of the Muppets back when Jim Henson was around playing Kermit and directing things. Since he died in 1990, I haven't looked at those Muppets the same way again. They, especially, Kermit, are no longer the same without him.

I could watch those old classics "The Muppet Movie" and "The Great Muppet Caper" over and over again, but I won't give a glance to any Muppet film that came out after Jim Henson's death.

The more I study it, the greater the puzzle becomes.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad

[–] Humphrey_Fish 13 years ago

I've sort of been the same way. I saw the Muppet Christmas Carol...but with Jim Henson and Richard Hunt dead, so many characters "just weren't right".

The most glaring example for me was the "Marley and Marley" scene...it sounded more like Uncle Deadly and Boober(Nelson and Goelz), heh.

[–] action_on_deck 13 years ago

I think you should give "The Muppets" a shot. They did a really great job of trying to tie into the Muppet Show and the old movies. They brought out a few Muppet characters (Uncle Deadly, Wayne & Wanda, Link Hogthrob) that haven't been seen in quite a while. Scooter ends up back in his old role. Rizzo and Robin are the only two that really seem completely absent.

But you are right that some of the characters don't sound quite right. Kermit and Piggy are both a bit off. Statler and Waldorf also aren't right. Fozzie isn't too bad, and Goelz is still doing Gonzo, so he's pretty much ok.

But I think they got the characters right, they still act like the old characters we love. After a while I got to where I didn't notice the voices quite as much, although Kermit's solo "Pictures in my Head", while being a really great song, still pulls me out cause he doesn't sound quite right. But it's not Jim, so what can you do.

[–] action_on_deck 13 years ago

Interestingly, on Kermit's voice, I just watched Muppets from Space, which had Steve Whitmire, the same muppet performer from the new movie, doing Kermit's voice. I really didn't notice him sounding that off. Maybe Steve just lost the voice somewhere.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PeterBlues (790) 3 years ago

kermit the frog has made a lot of appearances on "family guy" and that voice sound just like him i find, wow, family guy has done a lot of muppet stuff when i come to think of it. another neat thing is kermit has done a duet with ray charles. i can't believe "the muppets" have been around since the 1950s, i would have guessed somewhere around the 80s, i agree with other comments on this board that the later movies aren't as funny, packed with modern stars and quite corny, but i remember there was a muppets talk show a few years ago i used to tune into, i don't know if it ran for more than one season, never saw it again.

📺

youre made up proper and nice,
like a british schoolteacher uptight,
but once in a while suddenly lets out a meow,
and scares me with dinosaur eyes,
then put your glasses on,
and switch back like before.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2412) 3 years ago

henson knew how to make the Muppets just edgy enough. They're bland and boring now.