Soxy Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Linkage Beloved Kermit the Frog Approaching 50 By MICHAEL CIDONI, Associated Press Writer Thu Aug 11,12:44 PM ET LOS ANGELES - Kermit the Frog, that Muppet of all Muppets, has got to have other Hollywood stars green with envy. He's turning 50 years old next month but doesn't look a day over... well, he looks pretty much the same as in the mid-'50s, when he made some of his earliest appearances with puppeteer pal Jim Henson on the local Washington, D.C. TV show, "Sam and Friends." And Kermit doesn't seem to have aged a day since getting his star-making breaks in the late 1960s, in the telefilm "Hey Cinderella" and on the children's TV series "Sesame Street." "Well, you know, it's interesting being 50," Kermit said in a recent interview with AP Television News. "You start to reflect on your life. And you look back over the years at everything you've ever done. And, with age, middle age, comes wisdom. But I have to say that I'm not sure that 50 for me is the same as 50 in people years." In honor of Kermit's birthday, Buena Vista Home Entertainment has just released "The Muppet Show: Season One," a four-DVD box set that delivers all 24 episodes of the first season of the variety series, which originally aired from 1976-81. "(It) has never been released in its entirety before; this is the first time," Kermit noted. "And, on there, not only do we have all those amazing guest stars like Sandy Duncan and Candice Bergen and Ruth Buzzi, Florence Henderson — all those original folks who worked with us back in the '70s. But we also have the original tape that we did to try to sell 'The Muppet Show,' as an extra, which I don't think the public has seen before." Other DVD bonuses include the original "Muppet Show" pilot, in which Kermit barely appeared, as well as a first-season gag reel. Besides the Muppets themselves, "The Muppet Show: Season One's" star attractions are, indeed, the star attractions, including such legends as Lena Horne, Vincent Price and Ethel Merman. "I'd have to say one of the memorable ones was probably the first guest we had, which was Juliet Prowse: a beautiful lady and talented performer," Kermit said. "She probably took a big chance coming on with a lot of farm animals." The frog also appears in another new DVD release, the telefilm "The Muppets Wizard of Oz," which originally aired in May. "It stars Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, and Jeffrey Tambor, along with Ashanti as Dorothy," said Kermit. "And Gonzo plays The Tin Thing, because he's not really a man. Fozzie is The Cowardly Lion. I am The Scarecrow. So, it's sort of a Muppet adaptation." The DVD delivers an extended cut of the film, running 20 minutes longer than the broadcast version. And if that wasn't enough, we're likely to see a lot more of the green guy over the next year. "I will be celebrating my 50th year in show business starting this September, and that's going to be like a yearlong celebration," he said. "And it'll be a whole year filled with things having to do with being green and frogs and all that sort of stuff." As for Kermit's own private birthday bash? He's unsure what to expect, but he's prepared for anything from that wacky Muppet menagerie — even exotic dancers. "Listen, you can send a stripper to my party if you like," he said. "It won't affect me because, as you can see, I am appearing naked, which I always try to do because I'm kind of a natural guy." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleepyWhiteSox Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I LOVE the Muppets and Sesame Street. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 It's not often you see a guy that green have the blues that bad. --Rowlf the Dog Happy 50th, Mr. Frog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kogs35 Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 kermit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Happy birthday Kermit, I love your voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Gleason Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I loved the Muppets, and it's nice to see his 50th getting coverage. But seriously, the Muppets died with Henson. The voices aren't as good anymore, and the movies have been pretty poor. I have heard terrible things about this new one. For men, it is as painful listening to Kermit as it is listening to Bugs Bunny and gang with no Blanc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 07:41 AM) I loved the Muppets, and it's nice to see his 50th getting coverage. But seriously, the Muppets died with Henson. The voices aren't as good anymore, and the movies have been pretty poor. I have heard terrible things about this new one. For men, it is as painful listening to Kermit as it is listening to Bugs Bunny and gang with no Blanc. Ugh, Mel's kid did the voices horribly. warner had a better replacement in mind too, as you probably know, but the gig went to Blanc's kid. In total agreement that the Mupppet spark flickered out when Jim died (of friggin' pneumonia, of all things), but I think that has more to do with the corporate gobbling up of the franchise by the Mouse than by a lack of creativity on Henson's son's part. Dinosaurs, for example, was quite well done and that was all Brian. The Disney thing really chaps my arse because I'm a huge fan of the purist Disney stuff (the traditional animation) when the creative juices are flowing. Not just the old stuff either, I think that with a few notable exceptions (Atlantis, Treasure Planet) Disney's trad animation releases have been high quality since Great Mouse Detective and Little Mermaid, so that's a pretty good run after hitting a rough patch with drek like Black Calderon and Oliver and Company prior to that. But the Disney/ABC/ESPN corporate juggernaut franchise acquisition stuff just blows. Muppets is a hot comodity - buy it. Lyric Street Records is hot - buy it. Nickelodeon's "Doug" is hot - buy it. Mirimax, Baby Einstein company, Fox Family, Saban - buy 'em all. Meantime, the beancounters run everything and there's not enough creativity to drive all of that. Nor is there much concern for creativity so long as they're the only game in town. The result is homoginzation and dilution of all of it, and Disney ends up not paying attention to core capabilities and endes up shooting themselves in the foot by closing one of the two trad animation studios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 It isn't easy being green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 01:00 PM) Ugh, Mel's kid did the voices horribly. warner had a better replacement in mind too, as you probably know, but the gig went to Blanc's kid. In total agreement that the Mupppet spark flickered out when Jim died (of friggin' pneumonia, of all things), but I think that has more to do with the corporate gobbling up of the franchise by the Mouse than by a lack of creativity on Henson's son's part. Dinosaurs, for example, was quite well done and that was all Brian. The Disney thing really chaps my arse because I'm a huge fan of the purist Disney stuff (the traditional animation) when the creative juices are flowing. Not just the old stuff either, I think that with a few notable exceptions (Atlantis, Treasure Planet) Disney's trad animation releases have been high quality since Great Mouse Detective and Little Mermaid, so that's a pretty good run after hitting a rough patch with drek like Black Calderon and Oliver and Company prior to that. But the Disney/ABC/ESPN corporate juggernaut franchise acquisition stuff just blows. Muppets is a hot comodity - buy it. Lyric Street Records is hot - buy it. Nickelodeon's "Doug" is hot - buy it. Mirimax, Baby Einstein company, Fox Family, Saban - buy 'em all. Meantime, the beancounters run everything and there's not enough creativity to drive all of that. Nor is there much concern for creativity so long as they're the only game in town. The result is homoginzation and dilution of all of it, and Disney ends up not paying attention to core capabilities and endes up shooting themselves in the foot by closing one of the two trad animation studios. I'll do it for you... [/end rant] On a side note...Brian's voice has grown on me over the years, but he'll never have the same chemistry with Frank Oz. And I cried the day Jim Henson died. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted August 12, 2005 Author Share Posted August 12, 2005 (edited) QUOTE(TheDybber @ Aug 12, 2005 -> 10:59 AM) I'll do it for you... [/end rant] On a side note...Brian's voice has grown on me over the years, but he'll never have the same chemistry with Frank Oz. And I cried the day Jim Henson died. My parents gave me a book about death a Jim Henson biography to help me deal. I must have been about eight. So sad. Edited August 12, 2005 by ChiSoxyGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I still have "The Rainbow Connection" on my computer. That song always makes me feel good, no matter what the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 I love Kermit, but my true love is Pepe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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