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Contrarian_Eh t1_jdvw582 wrote

Why do they keep trying these different formats... a reboot of the original format could be great, i.e. guest stars and performance sketches.

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meowskywalker t1_jdvznjg wrote

This is my thing, the best parts of the mockumentary show were when they just gave up and made Miss Piggy’s show the Muppet Show by including all the same dumb skits. But to be fair, when they tried a straight up reboot/sequel type thing in the nineties it was also a failure. Maybe they’re still shy about it because of that.

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Kevbot1000 t1_jdwzdhu wrote

Muppets Tonight was amazing.

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Morgneto t1_jdy2cyd wrote

And it's like the only Muppets thing not on Disney plus! I really want to go back and rewatch it.

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jingobean t1_jdy47dx wrote

I actually found the full series on YouTube awhile ago!! Super not amazing quality,but def worth it & still watchable! I just double checked and the videos are still up,just search "Muppets Tonight 1x01" and enjoy :D

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jelatinman t1_jdweft2 wrote

I distinctly remember liking Kermit at the yoga retreat.

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occono t1_je0ogc2 wrote

I watched the 90s reboot as a kid on British tv, had no idea it flopped. Explains why I don't remember it going on very long.

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meowskywalker t1_je0q1mp wrote

I thought it was a Disney Channel show when I was a kid, but it had already been cancelled on ABC before I even knew it existed.

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OneGoodRib t1_jdx1l0i wrote

The original format relied on audiences being nostalgic for vaudeville. What they needed to do was make a reboot more like Mad or SNL - which ultimately the difference is really the style of the theater and Fozzie's jokes.

I think The Muppets (2015) would've worked way better if instead of "let's follow the private lives of the muppets who are writers for Miss Piggy's late night talk show", they did more of a 30 Rock thing - where some of the Muppets are writers for a new live Muppet variety show, and some of them are the stars of that variety show. So we'd get some backstage and production shenanigans and also get to see actual sketches, and there'd be plenty of organic room for celebrity guest stars.

Also while I'm here, it still bothers me that the only muppets in the audience for Miss Piggy's show were Statler and Waldorf. They couldn't have peppered the audience so it was half Muppet, half human?

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elderberrykiwi t1_jdx6hhn wrote

Why is Gonzo so clearly Tracy Morgan to me?

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talldrseuss t1_jdx8khv wrote

I mean miss piggy was pretty much Jenna and Kermit was Liz. Rizzo the rat and Pepe the prawn were the writing guys. I basically describe the 2015 show as the 30 Rock muppets. Which is why I loved it

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DisturbedNocturne t1_jdx86wv wrote

If I recall, they did eventually shift from Miss Piggy's show being a talkshow to a variety one, but most of the focus of the show was still on the behind-the-scenes stuff. Had they used that format and included sketches, it might've worked well. I think it was just too far away from what people expected of a Muppets television show.

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YakMan2 t1_je02o8r wrote

Muppets 2015 was really finding its footing by the end, it's a shame it didn't get one more season.

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---reddit_account--- t1_jdx402u wrote

The original format was a parody of variety shows like the Smothers Brothers and Laugh-In. I imagine they've been reluctant to go back to that format because they think modern audiences won't be familiar with that genre.

The 2015 Muppets show changed it to a late-night talk show, which I think made a lot of sense because that is a similar genre that also has celebrity guests, but one that modern viewers actually know.

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TL10 t1_jdvxw0x wrote

THANK YOU! I've felt like for the longest time this was the most obvious way to go. It's actually crazy they haven't explored doing that for so long now.

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LFC9_41 t1_je3ggmr wrote

All the reboots are great though. Not really their fault no one watches.

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elister t1_jdx1faq wrote

They kinda did that with Muppets Tonight (1996), so instead of a stage show, it was a TV Studio.

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DoctorThunder t1_jdwqg6m wrote

Heck, for that matter we need them to put Muppets Tonight onto streaming. It was the classic format and I still felt like that worked well.

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AcusTwinhammer t1_jdxg7x0 wrote

Rights issues, I believe. It took them a while to get all the stuff on the original Muppet Show cleared, I can only imagine what it costs to get the rights for something like Prince. Probably too much for a show that didn't do all that well to begin with.

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YakMan2 t1_je03b4j wrote

> get the rights for something like Prince.

One of the gags from his episode is the only thing I remember from that show.

>Rizzo: All right, all right. So you made a song from the breakfast menu, but I'll bet you five bucks you can't do it again.

>Prince: I'll take that bet.

>Rizzo: Hah!

>Prince: Yo, Seymour!

>Seymour: Yeah?

>Prince: What's for desert?

>Seymour: Raspberry sorbet.

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jingobean t1_jdy53le wrote

The full series is up on YouTube! Rough quality,looks like someone's old vhs recordings off the TV,but 100% worth it and still watchable lol. Just search,"Muppets Tonight 1x01" to find the uploader.

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CaptainBoobyKisser t1_jdza03l wrote

I liked the version that was like The Office. I'm just glad The Muppets are still getting work.

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