The Great Muppet Survey - James Loyd

1.   Who are your three favorite characters from The Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight, The Jim Henson Hour, the Muppet movies, etc. and why?
A. Gonzo was never embarrassed about being weird, and his weirdness wasn't conscious or affected. B. The Swedish Chef probably made me laugh the most. C. When I was little I wanted to be Scooter because he was cool in a Radar O'Reilly kind of way (that probably says way too much about me).

2.   Who are your three favorite characters from Sesame Street and why? 
A. Grover was as close to Gonzo as Sesame Street offered and The Monster at the End of This Book cemented my respect for him. LOVED that book. B. Mr. Snuffleupagus for the name, personality, and the lingering question whether he was real or Big Bird was insane. Proving him to be real diminished the character for me. C. Barkley, because I always wanted a dog just like him.

3.   Who are your three favorite characters from Fraggle Rock and why? 
Cable wasn't available where I lived (and we couldn't have afforded it anyway) so I didn't get to see Fraggle Rock until the cartoon premiered on network TV. I was just never as attached to it, maybe the cable-only origin gave it elitist or pretentious associations for me.

4.   What is your favorite television program starring any of Jim Henson's creations (e.g. The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Dinosaurs, etc.) and why? 
The Muppet Show. It had no premise other than comedy.

5.   What is your favorite Muppet movie and why? 
The Muppets Take Manhattan because it makes the characters feel the most real, and seeing the Sesame Street characters in the wedding scene makes me tear up nearly every time. Tied for favorite is Follow That Bird because it's hilarious and so completely surreal (just try summarizing the plot for someone who hasn't seen it).

6.   What is your favorite Muppet/Sesame/Fraggle song and why? 
"I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" or "I'm Going to Go Back There Some Day." Both are wistful, melancholy, and almost eerie.

7.   If you could have dinner with any living Muppet performer who would you choose and why? 
For me it would be Dave Goelz, because Gonzo was always so inspirational and insane. If my children were there, it would be Frank Oz because both children love Yoda and my fifth grader is obsessed with film-making.

8.   If you could tell Jim Henson one thing, what would it be?
"Thank you."

9.   If the President called you and asked to discuss Muppet projects, what would you tell him was the "Greatest Muppet Moment of All Time"?
A Muppet Family Christmas perfectly encapsulates what the Muppets are all about. If you need a specific moment, then Jim washing dishes at the end kind of says it all.

10.   What's the name of that song? 
I had to look that one up, so I feel unqualified to answer.

11.   If a judge ruled that Grover had to be your personal assistant for a month, what jobs would you have him do?
Nothing involving food preparation or handling. Really, I can't imagine anything I'd want him to do unsupervised.

12.   In your opinion, what is the worst Muppet production ever made? 
The Christmas Toy. It's nice enough and I haven't seen it in a while, but I remember the pacing as slow and the Foley/ADR/etc as being consistently quiet.

13.   Who is one celebrity you would love to see cameo in the next Muppet movie? 
Hugh Laurie.

14.   If you could take a picture with any Muppet, who would you choose and how would you pose?
Gonzo and upside down or sideways.

15.   What is your favorite piece of Muppet merchandise that you own? (Feel free to include a picture!) 
A Muppets Colorforms set.