Jim Henson's Muppet Babies

Show name	Jim Henson's Muppet Babies
Caption	Jim Henson's Muppet Babies title screen
Show name 2	Muppet Babies
Genre	Animated series
Creator	Jim Henson
Voices	Greg BergDave Coulier (1986–1991)Katie LeighHowie Mandel (1984–1986)Laurie O'BrienRussi TaylorFrank WelkerBarbara Billingsley
Theme music composer	Hank Saroyan
Composer	Robert IrvingHank SaroyanRobert J. Walsh
Country	United States
Language
Num episodes	107
List episodes	List of Muppet Babies episodes
Executive producer	Michael K. FrithLee GuntherJim HensonMargaret LoeschJoe Taritero
Runtime	22–24 minutes
Company	The Jim Henson CompanyMarvel Productions
Distributor	Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Channel	CBS
First aired
Last aired
Status	Ended
Preceded by	The Muppets Take Manhattan

Jim Henson's Muppet Babies (also known as simply Muppet Babies) is an American animated television series that aired from September 15, 1984 to November 2, 1991 on CBS. It was spun off from a dream sequence in The Muppets Take Manhattan, released two months earlier, where Miss Piggy imagined what it would be like if she and Kermit the Frog grew up together. The show portrayed childhood versions of the Muppets living together in a large nursery in the care of a human woman called Nanny (the whereabouts of their parents are never addressed). Nanny appears in almost every episode, but viewers never see her face, only the babies' view of her pink skirt as well as her distinctive green and white striped socks.

Muppet Babies was produced by The Jim Henson Company and Marvel Productions. The rights are now held by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Although the episodes were 30 minutes (including commercials), it was typically shown in 60 and even 90 minute blocks during the peak of its popularity. Outside of the United States, the show was distributed by Walt Disney Television Animation.

Overview

The Muppet Babies live in a large nursery watched over by Nanny, the only human character in the show that appears on a regular basis. The babies have active imaginations, and often embark on adventures into imaginary worlds and perilous situations from which they are eventually returned to reality by some external event, such as Nanny coming to see what the noise was. They are constantly finding creative ways to entertain themselves and learn to work together to solve problems and survive their wild-imagined adventures.

Each episode included a single storyline. Usually the babies were confronted with a child-like problem, such as fear of the dentist, or a question, such as 'where do muffins come from?' Other times, they were simply finding ways to amuse themselves with old toys or video tape equipment. The babies would then enter into their imaginations, transforming their toys into everything from time machines to pirate ships. Nearly every episode contained one song, and occasionally more than one. After the credits, the episodes would end with Animal shouting out his catchphrase 'Go bye-bye!' usually while Gonzo blasted off into the sky due to some accident he or Animal had caused.

Although the program was a cartoon, live-action film sequences were added in unusual moments. When the babies opened a door, box or book, they were often confronted with anything from a speeding train to a space ship. Foreign landscapes in their imagination were usually photos or bits of stock footage which the babies would walk across, interacting indirectly with the film’s actors. Though much of the live-action came from stock footage and old black-and-white horror/monster films, more recent films such as Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and Indiana Jones were also played and parodied.

The show was drawn from the babies’ point of view, meaning the babies were always looking up to view the world. Objects like couches and doors were far larger than normal and more momentous obstacles for the babies. As a result of the upward view, the faces of adult characters were never shown. Nanny was only ever seen from the shoulders down as were the adults in the babies’ fantasies. Exceptions were made for Uncle Statler and Uncle Waldorf and a few ‘Muppet style’ adults in the fantasy worlds.

Characters

The series stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Scooter, Skeeter, Rowlf the Dog, and Gonzo as the main muppets. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker made regular appearances as did Camilla in the form of Gonzo's stuffed baby chick. In the final two seasons, Bean Bunny and Statler and Waldorf began making regular appearances.

Several Muppets made guest appearances including Janice, and Kermit’s nephew, Robin, a young tadpole.

The Muppet Baby character Skeeter, Scooter's twin sister, only appeared in this series, and was never a live-action Muppet. This was done because the producers wanted another female character added to the cast. Despite this, Skeeter was always voiced by a male actor, who already voiced a different character.

Voice cast

Greg Berg: Baby Fozzie, Baby Scooter

Dave Coulier (1986–1991): Baby Animal, Baby Bunsen, Baby Bean Bunny, Baby Janice, Uncle Statler and Waldorf, and Camilla (occasionally)

Katie Leigh: Baby Rowlf, Mrs. Mitchell

Howie Mandel (1984–1985): Baby Skeeter, Baby Animal, Baby Bunsen

Laurie O'Brien: Baby Piggy

Russi Taylor: Gonzo the Great, Robin and Camilla (occasionally) and Aunt Fanny

Frank Welker: Baby Kermit, Baby Skeeter (1986–1990), Baby Beaker, Camilla and The Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard

Barbara Billingsley: Nanny

Other appearances

Baby Kermit, Piggy, and Gonzo made small appearances in the drug prevention TV special (later released on home video) Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.

A live action version of all the characters except Skeeter also appeared in A Muppet Family Christmas in the form of a home movie which the adult Muppets watched during the Christmas Party. The segment was cut out of the home video releases because the rights to "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" could not be obtained.

Production history

In 1984, The Muppets Take Manhattan, the third full length Muppet film, debuted. The movie included a fantasy sequence in which Miss Piggy imagined what growing up with Kermit would have been like. While Piggy sang, baby versions of Rowlf, Fozzie, Scooter, and Gonzo acted as backup singers. The sequence was so successful that The Jim Henson Company turned the idea into a half-hour cartoon program. In order for 107 episodes to be produced, Henson and Marvel hired two companies: the Japanese-based Toei Animation for Seasons 1-3 and five episodes of Season 4, and the Korean-based AKOM Productions for Episode six of Season 4 through Season 8, both of which also animated G.I. Joe and The Transformers for Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions.

Muppet Babies proved highly popular and ran from 1984 to 1991, a total of eight seasons. At the height of its popularity it ran in two or three episode blocks.

For a brief run in the second season, the program became Muppets, Babies & Monsters, too!, and a second half-hour was dedicated to a new show called Little Muppet Monsters. This show featured live action puppets and cartoons starring the adult Muppet characters. The program lasted three weeks before Jim Henson pulled the plug, despite 18 episodes having been made. The show then reverted to an hour of Muppet Babies; however, a portion of the Little Muppet Monsters theme could still be heard in the show's end credits for the remainder of its run. Muppet Babies later expanded to 90 minutes after The Garbage Pail Kids was canceled before it aired.

Muppet Babies is noted for starting a trend of relaunching popular character franchises as younger versions of themselves. This trend can be seen in numerous series such as A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, Baby Looney Tunes, The Flintstone Kids, The New Archies & "Jungle Cubs" (based on characters from Walt Disney's animated film "The Jungle Book") as well as merchandise items such as Baby Snoopy, Baby (Betty) Boop, Disney Babies, Baby Popeye & Friends & Garfield Baby.

Muppet Babies was a critical success during its time on the air: the show won four consecutive Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program, 1985-88, and won a Humanitas Prize for Children's Animation in 1985.

Muppet Babies was voted "Top Cartoon of the Childhood Days" by the Irvin Hall newspaper's weekly review of the Pennylvania State University in 2007.

Syndication

Muppet Babies entered local syndication in 1989, through Claster Television. The series ran on local stations until 1992, often on affiliates of the new Fox Network. Syndication rights were sold to Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. (1992-1999) and Odyssey Network (1999-2000) in the United States with only 94 episodes in regular rotation. In the United Kingdom, it aired in reruns on Playhouse Disney UK, Disney Channel UK, and Disney Cinemagic with all 107 episodes in regular rotation. In the UK, it is best known from its first run on UK TV on BBC 1 on Saturday mornings during Going Live! at 8:15am. Muppet Babies has been off the air since 2000. In reruns on Nickelodeon and Odyssey Network, the intro was truncated and the 1984 closing was replaced with the 1985 closing.

Music

Approximately 100 of the songs were co-written by Alan O'Day and Janis Liebhart, with the exception of the theme song written and performed by Hank Saroyan and Rob Walsh. The song that would play as the ending credits were shown was entitled "Hank in the Box".

Episodes

Merchandise

In the mid 1980s PVC Muppet Babies Toys were available as prizes in McDonald's' Happy Meals. Each non-articulated character came with a wheeled vehicle. Some time later, special Christmas stuffed versions of the Muppet Babies were available in Happy Meals, too.

In 1992, after the last aired Muppet Babies episode in 1991, an episode book collection of Muppet Babies was produced from the book company Grolier. It was called The Muppet Babies Press Books. The book talked mostly about character traits and learning for young children. It was produced and ended in 1992.

Comics

From 1985 until 1989, Marvel Comics produced a monthly comic book of the Muppet Babies with their Star Comics imprint. The series lasted for 26 issues. In 1992, Harvey Comics acquired the rights to produce Muppet Babies comics and produced a further 3 issues (restarting at issue #1).

The Muppet Babies also appeared in Star Comics Digest (also known as Star Comics Magazine). This comic was printed in digest size format, and features a number of short stories in each issue. The series itself lasted for 13 issues from 1986 until 1988. It should be noted that the Muppet Babies appeared in some, but not all the issues. Other short stories contained in Star Comics Digest included Madballs, Heathcliff, the Care Bears, and Top Dog.

Video and DVD releases

Although not every Muppet Babies episode was released on VHS, a number of them were released between 1993–1995. One series released on VHS called "Yes I Can" included three videos, which featured two Muppet Babies episodes inside. The series focused on Robin the Frog, who asks his uncle Kermit for assistance in different chores he was struggling with such as cleaning his room or doing homework. Kermit would lead off into a Muppet Babies episode which told of a similar situation. Sometimes, he would give examples about achieving Robin's trouble. For example, in one Yes I Can video, Robin is worried about making new friends, and Kermit tells him that sharing is an example of having a good friendship, which leads directly to a Muppet Babies episode.

Although the show was (and still is) quite popular, there have been no plans announced of any DVD releases of Muppet Babies. One possible reason is that clips from other TV shows and movies (such as , and Raiders of the Lost Ark) were used extensively in imagination sequences, closet opening scenes, and scenes on the TV in the nursery and thus could pose difficulties in terms of resolving possible copyright issues. Recently, a few episodes were made available, in uncut form, as bonus DVDs with Muppet Babies plush toys.

Distribution:

UK:

''Palace Video

Buena Vista Home Video

''Columbia Tristar Home Video

Australia/New Zealand:

Communications and Entertainment Limited

Reception

In January 2009, IGN named Jim Henson's Muppet Babies as the 31st best in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows.

Awards and nominations

; Daytime Emmy Awards: :Won award for Outstanding Animated Program (presented to Margaret Loesch ,Lee Gunther, Jim Henson,Bob Richardson,Hank Saroyan,John Gibbs,Jeffrey Scott) :Won award for Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing (presented to Richard C. Allen,Robert T. Gillis,Richard Bruce Elliott,Michael L. DePatie, Michael Tomack, Ron Fedele)(1985) :Won award for Outstanding Animated Program (presented to Margaret Loesch ,Lee Gunther, Jim Henson,Bob Richardson,Hank Saroyan,John Gibbs,Jeffrey Scott) :Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition (Robert J. Walsh) :Nominated for Outstanding Film Sound Editing (Robert T. Gillis, Allison Cobb,Michael Tomack, Michael L. DePatie,Ron Fedele, Richard Bruce Elliott, Richard C. Allen :Won award for Outstanding Animated Program (presented to Jim Henson, Margaret Loesch, Lee Gunther,Bob Richardson, John Gibbs,Jeffrey Scott) (1986) :Nominated for Outstanding Film Sound Mixing (Bill Thiederman, Bob Minkler, Lee Minkler) (1986) :Won award for Outstanding Animated Program (presented to Jim Henson, Margaret Loesch, Lee Gunther, Bob Richardson, Robert Shellhorn,Jeffrey Scott (1987) :Won award for Outstanding Animated Program (presented to Margaret Loesch, Lee Gunther, Jim Henson, Bob Richardson, John Ahern, Robert Shellhorn) (1988) :Won award for Outstanding Film Sound Editing (presented to Al Breitenbach, Ron Fedele,Richard C. Allen, Steven D. Williams, Kenneth R. Burton :Won award for Outstanding Film Sound Mixing (presented to Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell) :Nominated for Outstanding Animated Program (presented to Margaret Loesch Jim Henson, Bob Richardson, John Ahern, Karen Peterson, Rudy Cataldi, Al Kouzel, Chuck Downs, Hank Saroyan, Sindy McKay, Larry Swerdlove :Nominated for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series (Barbara Billingsley) (1989) :Nominated for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series (Barbara Billingsley) (1990)

See also

List of animated spinoffs from prime time shows

References

External links

Muppet Babies (comic book)

Category:1984 television series debuts Category:1990 television series endings Category:1980s American animated television series Category:1990s American animated television series Category:Child versions of cartoon characters Category:CBS network shows Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:English-language television series Category:Marvel Comics animation Category:Muppet series Category:Star Comics titles Category:Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters Category:Television series by Buena Vista Television Category:Television series by The Jim Henson Company Category:Television spin-offs