The Muppet Year in Review, 2010

Here we are, Muppet fans: the last day of 2010. It's been quite the roller coaster year for me--but darn it, if it hasn't been the best year of my life! Through it all, The Muppets Studio, Sesame Workshop, and The Jim Henson Company have been working their tails off to shower us with Muppet goodness. There has been so much to be thrilled about over the past 365 days, so I've compiled this list of the biggest highlights off last year--and would you believe that this is only the major developments? Let's start where any good year does... January!

January -

• The Muppets appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Jan. 3rd - Only the third day of the year and we've already got a terrific Muppet appearance! Animal drives the bus, Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Floyd, and Pepe sing "Just One Person" and Miss Piggy brings down the house (most literally).
• Disney launches "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day." campaign starring The Muppets - From TV spots, in-park promotions, parade appearances, and a whole website where The Muppets say your name, the "Give a Day" campaign almost made me go out and volunteer! Almost.
• The Muppets appear on America's Funniest Home Videos, Jan. 10 - Just over a week into 2010 and we have two major Muppet TV appearances. The Muppets volunteered to help Tom Bergeron host AFV to tie-in with the "Give a Day" campaign--yet the only real volunteer was Miss Piggy's girdle. (Don't tell her I said that.)
• Muppeteer Jerry Nelson releases solo album Truro Daydreams - And yea, verily, it was good--nay, GREAT. And my iPod was never the same.
• Cookie Monster appears on Cake Boss, Jan. 17 - "You Cake Boss? Me LOVE cake! Can me have fork?"
• The Muppet Show Comic Book goes On the Road and becomes a continuing series - On the road and off the shelves!
• Flight of the Conchords creator James Bobin named director of the new Muppet movie - And the Muppet world collectively shrugs and says, "Sure, why not?"

February -

• "Beaker's Ballad" debuts on The Muppets Studio's YouTube Channel - Beaker sings "Dust in the Wind" and we're all blown away! (Or we all at least feel a slight breeze.)
• Muppet King Arthur is released - And the jokes are really up to the usual Muppet excaliber. Ahh! Wocka! Wocka!

March -

•  The Muppet Madness Tournament - ToughPigs and The MuppetCast host the first ever Muppet Madness Tournament--Bert and Ernie totally screwed up my bracket.
• Various Sesame Street Characters get their own Facebook pages - Yes, you can now be "friends" with Oscar the Grouch!

April -

•  "Stand By Me" starring Big Mean Carol debuts on The Muppets Studio's YouTube Channel - "Hi! I'm Carl! I'm proof that obscure Muppet characters can still be a big hit with the general public--and I'm a bunny!"
• The Muppet Show Comic Book moves on to its Family Reunion arc and SKEETER finally returns - Where has she been all this time? In Amy Mebberson's mind, apparently.
• "Bohemian Rhapsody" nominated for two Webby Awards - Oh, I hope they win!
• Animal's Mamma is proud of his Webby Nominations - I was proud too, but he didn't call me!
• Kermit and The Muppets provide commentary on "Bohemian Rhapsody" - And you thought that "Bohemian Rhapsody" couldn't get any better!
• The Muppets appear on The Nerdist podcast - And make Chris Hardwick the luckiest nerd alive. (Except maybe Jason Segel.)
• The Fraggle Rock comic book begins - No, it wasn't completely illustrated by Mokey Fraggle.
• The Muppet Mindset was quoted on the back of Muppet Peter Pan's trade paperback - Still the proudest moment of my life! (What a life...)

May -

•  The Muppets win both of their Webby nominations - Hey! I was right!
• Bobo and Rizzo appear on LOST Slapdown - I didn't get slapped, did you?
• The Swedish Chef appears on LOST Slapdown - And he cooks up plenty of trouble! Hey-o!
• The Muppets audition for the role of the Smoke Monster on LOST Slapdown - I still say Big Mean Carl should have gotten the part.
• Kermit appears on LOST Slapdown - Tired of these yet?
• ToughPigs and The Muppet Mindset remember Jim Henson - Twenty years later, and we're still talking about that guy. And the world is a better place because of it.
• Jason Segel and The Muppets do a table read for their new movie - And the table has the best lines in the whole script!
• Muppet Snow White is released - And, unlike Snow White herself, it does not bite.
• "American Woman" starring Sam Eagle debuts on The Muppets Studio's YouTube Channel - It's one video you won't tell to "Stay away from me."

June -

• Floyd and Animal accept the Webby Award for "Bohemian Rhapsody" - "Another Webby Bites the Dust"
• Dog City: The Movie released on DVD - It's a howling good time.
• Sesame Street brings home 7 Daytime Emmy Awards - How much shelf space do they have?
• Animal has a staring contest with the drummer from OK Go - At least the drummer was smart enough to have it with a Muppet that can actually blink!
• The Muppets to receive star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame - Just don't tell Piggy that she's not getting one to herself.
• The Muppet pipes at NBC Studios are immortalized - Yes, the pipes shall never die! Or spring a leak.
• The new Muppet movie gets a release date: Christmas Day, 2011 - Except, ya know, it's not the same anymore.

July -

• "Pöpcørn" starring The Swedish Chef debuts on The Muppets Studio's YouTube Channel - And The Muppets prove that they can be funny even in closed captioning.
• Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting released on DVD - So the Big Three Companies can all work together! It's a Christmas in July miracle!
• Disney sends the new Muppet movie script through Pixar - Hey, if they can find Nemo, they can do anything!

August -

•  Henson's Place 1984 documentary released on DVD - It's real, and it's outstanding.
• The Muppet Mindset turns one - They grow up SO fast...
• Original Sam and Friends puppets donated to the Smithsonian - When asked how he felt about this, Sam replied, "..."

September - 

• The Muppet Show Comic Book wins a Harvey Award - Harvey? Who's he to be giving out awards?
• The Muppet Mindset debuts its YouTube account with a review of XBox Live Muppet Stuff - And a video where Ryan Dosier makes a lot of bad jokes.
• The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora debuts online - Angelo becomes the new Clifford!
• Muppet Sherlock Holmes begins - Muppet fans "Ooh" and "Aww" at the art and the writing, respectively.
• Katy Perry segment removed from Sesame Street Season 41 for too much cleavage - Guess the expression "boob tube" doesn't really work here, eh?
• Sesame Street Season 41 debuts - With or without Katy Perry's rack!

October - 

• The Muppets Store debuts on Amazon.com - A new way to max out your credit card on Muppet stuff!
• Dave Goelz and Gonzo host "Muppet History 101" in St. Louis, MO - aka "When Ryan Met Gonzo..."
• It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie released on Widescreen DVD - Accompanied by the weirdest CD of Christmas music you'll ever hear.
• Grover's "Smell Like a Monster" Old Spice Commercial Parody rocks YouTube - I am on a horse.
• The cast of The Muppet Show reunites in an Entertainment Weekly photo-shoot - I think they've all had work done.
• James V. Carroll shows us all How to Draw Pepe in 10 Easy Steps - Is wonderful, okay!
• Filming officially begins on the new Muppet movie - EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!

November -

• New Muppet, Walter, is revealed and the first official promotion picture for the new Muppet movie is debuted - Walter: No nose, but lots of heart.
• The first images from the set of the new Muppet movie are revealed - I want to go to there!
• Cookie Monster auditions for Saturday Night Live on YouTube - And you thought he was the Veggie Monster!

December -

• Roger Langridge announces he's leaving The Muppet Show Comic Book - We already miss him. 
• Official plot synopsis, new title, and new release date given for the new Muppet movie - Those would be the Muppets put on a show, The Muppets, and November 23, 2011, respectively.
• Peter Linz revealed as the voice and performer of Walter - I hope he gets along with Jason Segel!
• Flight of the Conchords actor/song write Brett MacKenzie writing the songs for The Muppets - If that isn't something worth singing about, I don't know what is!
• Cookie Monster gets his dream to appear on SNL thanks to Jeff Bridges, Dec. 18 - The Dude and The Monster. What more do you need?

Happy New Year, Muppet fans! I can't wait to share the excitement that 2011 will surely hold with all of you! We're entering the year of The Muppets, the year of Sesame Street's 42nd season, and the year of what is sure to be an avalanche of Muppety goodness.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier