Seven decades of Muppets
It’s the 70th anniversary of the Muppets this year!
I, and probably many people, associate the Muppets with the 1970s and ’80s — the era of “The Muppet Show” and films like “The Great Muppet Caper.” They really started in 1955, though, when University of Maryland students Jim Henson and Jane Nebel (later Henson) created a live puppet show, “Sam and Friends,” which aired live twice every weekday in Washington, D.C.
The show featured Henson’s novel puppet design — a combination of both hand-in-glove and marionette puppetry — and even a few familiar characters like Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog.
PBS’ “Sesame Street” took off in 1969, quickly making Muppets a household name in America … or at least in homes with children. Kermit also made appearances here, early on, along with new characters like Big Bird, Grover and Oscar the Grouch.
While “Sesame Street” was a massive success, Henson had originally envisioned the Muppets for an adult audience. He wanted to make that vision a reality, and self-funded three different pilots for a TV show, all of which were rejected. Eventually an English station, ITV, gave “The Muppet Show” a chance, and the rest is history.
It’s been more than a decade since the last Muppet film, the severely underrated “Muppets Most Wanted.” Despite this, they seem as present in pop culture as ever. If anything, I hear people mention them more now than I did a decade ago. If I were Disney, I’d be at least considering a new entry in the Muppet film catalog.
To celebrate 70 years of Muppets, here’s a few ideas:
1) “The Princess Bride” — This one isn’t my idea. It’s been making the rounds for years. And no mystery why — the humor syncs up almost perfectly. You can find “fancasts” online, with people matching Muppets to characters (it’s almost too easy to see Kermit dressed up as the Dread Pirate Roberts, or Dr. Bunsen Honeydew as Miracle Max). And, vitally, "The Princess Bride" is owned by 20th Century Fox, which means that Disney has the rights to both the story and the Muppets.
My biggest concern is that the humor syncs up a little bit too well. “The Princess Bride” is already a brilliant, funny movie. Do the Muppets bring enough of a twist to make the story feel new again? I don’t know, but I will say this: I’d be willing to find out!
2) "Robin Hood" — This one seems natural, and not just because Robin Hood is associated with the color green! The Merry Men lend themselves well to a cast of Muppets, and the idea of Miss Piggy as a belligerent Maid Marian is delightful.
3) “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” — A bit of a long shot, but I would love to see what Jim Henson’s Creature Shop would do with an underwater setting. The opportunities for creative puppetry are immense here. Jules Verne stories are a little bit out of style; his science fiction was always on the more “fiction” side of things, and modern audiences seem to prefer things more grounded, but the Muppets might be able to help some of the more cynical viewers get on board.
4) "The Muppets Do Shakespeare" — Instead of choosing one specific play to adapt, I think the winning move is more of a Shakespearean buffet. I would design it like so: The Muppets are putting on a play in the Globe Theater. We never hear exactly which play they’re planning — it seems to have elements of several — but the movie is more about the production itself, with plenty of backstage scenes like in “The Muppet Show.” The costumes alone would make this one worth watching!
5) “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” — OK, hear me out: I think the Muppets could make the most accurate-to-the-book adaptation of this story ever filmed. This book is famous for being dark — and it is, so there will need to be changes. But it’s also filled with a lot more humor than you might realize. For example: Did you know that Frollo has a little brother in the book? He’s hilarious, and I don’t think there is a better actor for the role than Gonzo.
