I think that's intentional. For the first time, the Muppets are telling a weekly narrative story and you can't get to where you want story-wise if you start from everyone being happy. I think the scene with Piggy and Kermit breaking up was the emotional centerpiece of this week's story, as was Kermit's apology to Piggy for forgetting.
On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 2:28 PM, Jon Delfin <[email protected]> wrote: > For me, the one thing that was missing from the episode was joy. I'll give > them another couple of chances. > > On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 2:20 PM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> The one thing missing from the new show seems to be (and maybe they find a >> way to include it in future episodes) the offbeat, psychadelic segments from >> the original series. "Mahna Mahna," for instance, wouldn't fit in the new >> show, nor would the mating of the creatures from the planet Kuzbain. >> >> >> On Thu, Sep 24, 2015 at 10:10 AM, M-D November <[email protected]> >> wrote: >>> >>> On Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 11:40:06 AM UTC-4, Joe Hass wrote: >>>> >>>> I literally spent the entire summer thinking to myself, "Okay, do not be >>>> disappointed in the first show, because your expectations are at >>>> Kilimanjaro-levels right now". I thoroughly enjoyed it (as a Garfunkel & >>>> Oates fan, having Riki Lindhome replacing whomever was Fozzie's girlfriend >>>> most definitely did not hurt), though as one reviewer noted, Denise is >>>> awfully plain, which doesn't really help. >>>> >>> My wife reacted unfavorably to Denise as well, but I suspect we're not >>> meant to like her - after all, the audience has a 40 year investment in >>> Kermit & Piggy, and to make all of the summer "break up" hype pay off, >>> they'll have to build to something with that storyline. Denise is obviously >>> meant to be a placeholder in the Kermit/Piggy relationship, much as (to >>> reference The Office [US]) Karen was a placeholder in the Jim/Pam >>> relationship - she's probably OK, but she's not the one you want to see the >>> character with long-term. >>> >>> >>>> >>>> The wardrobe person walking by with a lint roller was an excellent gag. >>> >>> >>> That was Uncle Deadly. I had thought he was a recent creation, but it >>> turns out (according to Muppet Wiki) he dates back to the Vincent Price >>> episode of the old Muppet Show. More recently he was featured as one of Tex >>> Richman's henchmuppets in 2011's "The Muppets" (along with Bobo the Bear, >>> who is the stage manager on "Up Late with Miss Piggy".) >>> >>> Personally, I liked the pilot. It's clear that it was meant as a >>> foundation, and they'll be building up and out from there, but as pilots go, >>> it was really strong - no doubt helped by the fact that we really didn't >>> need introductions to these characters beyond what their roles would be in >>> context to "Up Late". Most of the jokes landed, although maybe there >>> weren't as many laugh-out-loud jokes as you'd get in an average episode of >>> the variety show, and - to Kevin's point - I really like how they've >>> seamlessly integrated the Muppet characters into the human-sized world >>> around them. (I especially enjoyed Scooter's tour of the Disney lot, since >>> I've been there myself and actually recognize some of those alleys.) >>> >>> Frankly, I don't understand all the blowback regarding the new show. >>> Yes, Kermit isn't as hyper-optimistic as he usually is, but it's hardly the >>> first time we've seen Kermit push back against the craziness around him (or >>> operate in a pragmatic, rather than polyanna-esque optimistic, manner toward >>> the show he's running) - that was actually a major plot point in "Muppets >>> Most Wanted". I'd argue that Kermit's character is consistent with other >>> depictions of TV Executive Producers we've seen in the past couple of >>> decades (I'm thinking Pete from 30Rock, Artie from Larry Sanders, Isaac >>> and/or Dana from SportsNight). >>> >>> I do hope we get to see more of some of the traditional '2nd tier' >>> characters (more PEPE, please!), and I'm disappointed in the lack of Rowlf >>> in episode 1, but I know he'll show up eventually as the owner of the bar >>> across from the studio. And I hope the guest stars remain as game as >>> Elizabeth Banks and Tom Bergeron. Only time will tell. >>> >>> And for the people who claim that Disney/Henson should have just brought >>> back the old variety show format...well, honestly, how relevant are 70's >>> style variety shows in 2015? The networks keep trying to bring the format >>> back - Maya Rudolph, anode course, NPH's ironically named "Best Time Ever" - >>> but audiences aren't biting. (I'm not including America's Got Talent, since >>> a) that's a competition series first, and b) it's a summer show.) Henson >>> and the Muppets were always at their strongest comedically when the material >>> they're working with is relevant - a variety show format worked in the 70's >>> because the format littered the TV landscape. And it worked for the 2011 >>> movie because the movie was specifically playing off the nostalgia factor. >>> But for a weekly episodic series in 2015? I just don't see it working. >>> >>> Late night TV, however, has almost replaced the variety show in that >>> regard - viral clips of Super Sloppy Jimmy, Kimmel, Colbert, SNL and Ellen >>> (who, let's be honest, is doing a late night show that happens to air >>> dayside) are to this decade what variety show sketches were to the 70s. To >>> me, it makes perfect sense to place the Muppets in that environment for the >>> sake of relevance - and, as we've learned from 30 Rock and the like, there's >>> a lot of comedy to be mined in TV workplace comedies. >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "TV or Not TV" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected] >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "TVorNotTV" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Kevin M. (RPCV) >> >> -- >> -- >> TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "TV or Not TV" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "TVorNotTV" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- > -- > TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "TV or Not TV" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "TVorNotTV" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- +++++++++++++++ Joe Coughlin http://www.twitter.com/inturnaround -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
