News Update: June 27, 2014

JUNE 27, 2014

This week, the annual Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony was held and, of course, Sesame Street won quite a few of them! In fact, Sesame was tied for the most trophies won this year! Below are the awards they won. Our huge congratulations to everyone at Sesame Street on their fantastic and much-deserved wins.

• Outstanding Preschool Series
• Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series
• Outstanding Directing in a Children's Series
• Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing
• Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing - Live Action 
• Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing - Live Action

D23, the official Disney fan club, posted a great article all about Rowlf the Dog last Thursday and somehow we missed it until this week. The article covers quite a few fun facts about Rowlf, and gives lots of credit to Jim Henson, The Jimmy Dean Show, and lots more. It's really a wonderful look at Muppet history, which is always exciting to see from Disney. It's also quite nice to see Rowlf get some more love.

Remember a few months ago when those awesome photos of Ricky Gervais, Constantine, and Matt Vogel started making the rounds? Well, Brad Trent, the hugely talented photographer who shot the photos, recently posted some behind the scenes shots from the awesome photo shoot. Check out the full article for all of them, but below are five our favorites from the post.

Earlier this week, Ryan Dosier (hey, that's me!) held an impromptu live-tweet of a few episodes of Season 1 of The Muppet Show on The Muppet Mindset's Twitter account (@MuppetMindset). It was a lot of fun and a lot of people seemed to enjoy it, so we're going to do it again--and invite you to join us! On Monday, June 30 at 7:30pm Central Time/5:30pm PST, I'll be watching The Muppet Show Episodes 201 and 202 (the first two episodes of Season 2) and live tweeting from @MuppetMindset. Join us in the watching, join us in the tweeting, join us in the fun! We hope to see you then, Muppet fans!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Rowlf the Dog - Calm Among Crazies

Christopher Woods - When someone thinks of The Muppet Show, the first word that could come to mind is "chaos." The bizarre happenings on the stage were often only topped by the troubles offstage. From the Swedish Chef being attacked by gun-toting lobsters, to Miss Piggy locking Kermit in a steamer trunk, to Gonzo being prematurely reported dead, there was never a dull moment throughout the show. However, there was one character who seemed to be immune to the frenzied pace of the Muppet Theater: Rowlf the Dog.

Perhaps it was from his early work as Jimmy Dean's right-hand dog on The Jimmy Dean Show that gave him his laid-back nature, spending 10 minutes a week singing and joking. Or maybe it was from his time playing the piano and sitting and watching at the hole-in-the wall he worked at in The Muppet Movie. Either way, he just seemed to be able to stay above the fray, or should I say, right next to the fray, always with a smile on his face and a little joke.

This attitude translated well into his solo numbers, which usually just involved him and a piano, or sometimes even just him singing behind an unseen band. While the piano numbers generally showed off Rowlf the best, one solo number in particular truly shows off that attitude the best.



This song is in the midst of an episode that features various beasts attacking Don Knotts, a bass exploding during a musical number, and someone affectionately known as the "Screaming Thing" singing about "The Windmills of Your Mind." And yet, when it's Rowlf's turn to take center stage, he's got a puppy with him! A sleepy little puppy! And he just sings, and nothing explodes or comes running through in front of him. It's just two beautiful minutes.

Sure, some might find this boring compared to the rest of the shenanigans of the rest of the Muppets, but it's good to have someone to bring down the frenzy for a few seconds. After all, it never hurts to get a chance to catch your breath.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: February 27, 2014

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

The Muppets have yet another extraordinary advertising partner in their promotions for Muppets Most Wanted. Lipton Tea has partnered with the Muppets as part of their new "Be More Tea" promotion. A brand new commercial has been released starring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and an entire metropolitan area full of Animal. Watch the truly incredible new commercial below, and be on the lookout for it to air on Sunday during the Academy Awards on ABC as well.



Plus, you can now watch a behind the scenes video about the making of the commercial! (Thanks ToughPigs!)



Speaking of the Oscars, Statler and Waldorf contributed their typically curmudgeonly reviews for the nominees for Best Picture to PAPERMAG. Read all about their choices, and try not to act surprised when they favor Nebraska, the film about an old man trying to collect a million dollars.

The internet collectively lost their minds this week over the Muppets' Instagram account, which has been active for months now. Everywhere from CNN, to Buzzfeed, to The A.V. Club went crazy for the Muppet selfies present on the account. Check out a few of the selfies below, and follow The Muppets on Instagram for more!

The other day a beautifully random video from Toyota came out of nowhere. The video features Rowlf the Dog and Rizzo the Rat in the Toyota Highlander getting ice cream. The video was directed by Muppet master Kirk Thatcher and was apparently filmed completely in "reality" style, so the human participants had no idea what was coming. Their reactions are WAY too tame. Anyway... watch the awesome, awesome video below.



The Muppets are getting a cover feature in the UK-based Starburst Magazine. The official details on what's inside are: It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to meet the Muppets... in the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational issue of STARBURST yet! That’s right, in honour of the iconic characters’ continued cinematic comeback with this month’s MUPPETS MOST WANTED, we turn the spotlight on Kermit and co. to explore their 40+ year career on screen. We also speak to key talent that contribute to the magic, including director JAMES BOBIN and The Jim Henson Company chairman, BRIAN HENSON. You can order the issue from the Starburst site, and it it is available at some Barnes & Noble stores in the U.S.

Walt Disney Records will be re-releasing The Muppet Movie Original Soundtrack on vinyl record this year for Record Store Day (April 19, 2014). The release features all-new liner notes from legendary songwriter Paul Williams, which is sure to be great. To search for stores in your area participating in Record Store Day, check out their official website.

The Disney Channel staple, The Movie Surfers, visited the set of of Muppets Most Wanted and chatted with Walter, wrangled some penguins, and unleashed Animal. The video is actually pretty entertaining. Watch it below...


Big Tour - Movie Surfers - Muppets Most Wanted BTS on Disney Video

Finally, in "Set your DVR" news, Gonzo will be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC on Monday, March 3rd at 11:35pm ET. This is sure to be a crazy experience (based only on the fact that Gonzo is there), and you can't deny it's really really cool that Gonzo is getting to appear solo on a late night show.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Hilarious New Muppet Toyota Videos

For some reason, Toyota has already released three videos that seem to directly tie into the debut of the Muppets' "No Room For Boring" Super Bowl commercial. The Toyota YouTube channel is home to these three absolutely hilarious new videos starring Scooter, Rowlf, Rizzo, Gonzo, Camilla, Swedish Chef, Floyd, Beaker, and Pepe. That grouping alone is enough to get excited about. The Muppets play off of each other extremely well here. Don't miss these!







Videos first found by our friends at MuppetsHenson.





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: January 31, 2014

JANUARY 31, 2014

Next Friday, February 7th, The Muppets Character Encyclopedia from DK Publishing will be released in bookstores. The folks at DK have released some really awesome pages from the book spotlighting some incredibly obscure characters. This already seems like a must-buy! Check out the pictures below...

This week saw the passing of a musical legend. Folk singer Pete Seeger died at age 94. A major talent and a major influence in the musical world, Seeger was also a big part of Sesame Street's early success. Seeger was one of the first celebrity guests to appear on the show in 1969. Our friends at ToughPigs.com have a fantastic collection of Seeger's Sesame Street moments and our friends at Sesame Workshop have a lovely write-up about Seeger as well.

Last week we showed off Toyota's Vine video starring Animal. This week, they released another 8-second video starring Rowlf the Dog. It's a perfectly continuously looped video, which is always pretty cool. Watch it below!



Huge news was released last night, as it was announced that The Muppets will be appearing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on February 7th. This is major news because February 7th is Jimmy Fallon's last time hosting Late Night before taking over The Tonight Show. This is sure to be a fun, momentous, and Muppety appearance. No word yet on exactly which Muppets will be appearing... but I'm betting it's gonna be a bunch.

Miss Piggy is appearing in a new commercial for Wonderful Pistachios which has just started airing now all over TV. (I've already seen it three times.) It's funny, cute, and the puppetry is stellar. Watch it below:



Ahead of their big TV debut at the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Muppets released their "No Room For Boring" commercial earlier this week. Well, apparently that wasn't enough--and thank goodness--because Toyota has released another video, featuring an extended rendition of the song. It's essentially a music video for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and it's awesome. Watch it now!









The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppets Go to the Super Bowl!

The folks at USA Today posted a teaser trailer for a commercial today. Why do we care about such a ridiculous thing, you ask? Because the teaser trailer for the commercial in question stars the Muppets! Yup, the Muppets will star in a Super Bowl commercial for the Toyota Highlander with actor Terry Crews! Watch the teaser below:
Rowlf? Electric Mayhem bus?! Terry Crews?! I'm sold. This looks to be a fantastic commercial with a lot of potential. How awesome is it that Disney is promoting Muppets Most Wanted in such huge venues? First the Golden Globes, now the Super Bowl, the most watched television program of any year. I would bet my hat that an Oscar ad is soon to follow.

As if all that weren't enough, Disney today released an official press release and eight hi-res images from the making-of the commercial. They're awesome and you can see them all right here:

Disney’s Muppets will hit the road with Terry Crews, star of the Golden Globe®-winning FOX series ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ in Toyota’s new commercial for the all-new 2014 Toyota Highlander. The 60-second spot, entitled ‘Joyride,’ will make its broadcast debut during Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 2.

‘Our game-day spot shows how Toyota Highlander puts the “fun” in function,’ said Jack Hollis, vice president of Toyota Division Marketing at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. ‘Toyota vehicles are built to last and can even endure the most boisterous Muppets, a former NFL player as well as a center console full of chickens.’

With their over-the-top personalities, the Muppets teach Crews’ character a thing or two about ‘unborifying’ his lifestyle as they ‘borrow’ his sweet ride, the Toyota Highlander. The spot features humorous hijinks, dancing and surprises — and no Muppet caper would be complete without an original song. Viewers will see that with seating for up to eight human passengers or more than a dozen Muppets, the all-new Toyota Highlander has plenty of room for everything–everything except boring.

‘We’re always game for a wild ride,’  said Kermit the Frog, who makes a special appearance in the campaign, ‘as long as Animal’s not driving. He doesn’t quite get the whole concept of brakes.’

In addition to the commercial, the Muppets gang will provide real-time updates as they travel to the big game in their Toyota Highlander on February 2. Fans and customers are invited to chat live with the Muppets on game day by tweeting @Toyota or using #NoRoomForBoring.

Super Bowl XLVIII is on Sunday, February 2nd on FOX

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: January 16, 2014

JANUARY 16, 2014

The Muppets Most Wanted merchandise train is finally leaving the station at the Disney Store. Yesterday, our friend Max Jessop alerted us to the fact that new Muppet plush are being released for the movie. The characters being made into plush are Constantine and, most excitingly, Rowlf the Dog! Check out pictures of the plush below. We also have been told that a lot more Muppets Most Wanted stuff is on the way as well.

CBS This Morning got the chance to send one of its correspondents, Mo Rocca, to the set of Sesame Street recently, where he got to learn how to be a Muppet performer from our friends Matt Vogel and Martin P. Robinson. The video is really, really cool and fun. Gotta love seeing the Muppet performers given the spotlight they so richly deserve.

Muppets Most Wanted is in the running in MTV's Movie Brawl, a March Madness-style tournament pitting the year's most anticipated movies up against each other. Muppets Most Wanted is up against something called Camp X-Ray that I've never heard of. So let's rock the vote, Muppet fans, and make sure the Muppets win the first round (and the whole thing, if we can help it)!

In big, hugely exciting news, the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Georgia announced this week their plans for a major expansion to be completed in 2015. The press release has everything you need to know about the amazing full expansion, but here is the relevant Muppet related info:

In 2007, Jim Henson’s family announced a momentous gift of puppets and props to the Center for Puppetry Arts. We are thrilled that approximately half of our expanded museum space will be dedicated to the Jim Henson Collection. 

This interactive exhibition will follow Henson’s prolific imagination chronologically, transporting visitors through environments that typified the master puppeteer’s world such as Jim’s Office and the Television Studio.

In addition to learning how Henson’s characters came to life and are stillperformed, visitors will be able to view iconic puppets such as Kermit 
the Frog and Miss Piggy.

We are so, so thrilled for our great friends at the Center. They are a huge part of keeping the art of puppetry alive and well and their museum is absolutely amazing. If you ever have the chance to visit them in Atlanta, I cannot recommend it enough. Already they have on display Big Bird, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Emmet Otter, Mokey and Red Fraggle, Link Hogthrob and Dr. Strangepork, and plenty, plenty more. Take the time to see it if you can!

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

News Update: December 19, 2013

NEWS UPDATE: December 19, 2013

Cookie Monster made a few appearances on Michael Buble's 3rd Annual Christmas Special (that's actually the title) last night on NBC. The moments featuring Cookie Monster are scattered throughout the 45 minute program, sandwiched in between the likes of Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige. In the special, Cookie Monster eats all of Michael Buble's cookies, impersonates Mariah Carey, and more. You can watch the special now on NBC.com, but unfortunately there is no good way to link to just the Cookie Monster segments.

A new DVD collection of The Jimmy Dean Show has been released online. This is of course relevant to Muppet fans because it features tons of material starring Rowlf the Dog. Rowlf was perhaps as big a star as Jimmy Dean was on the show, so the DVD collection is bound to feature a lot of Rowlf. The 3-DVD set is $30, so if you're a fan of Rowlf, Jimmy Dean, or good old fashioned country music you may want to give it a purchase!

Another Fraggle Rock tribute album has been released on iTunes to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the show. The album, called Shine On is $11 and features 19 songs from Fraggle Rock performed by 19 artists I've never, ever heard of. Also, the album was apparently released in October? I guess it's not very good, or else someone probably would've promoted it. Anyway, you can listen to samples of the album and buy it on iTunes.






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

The Muppet Madness Tournament 2013 - Final Four

Ryan Dosier - Today is the final day to vote in the Final Four round of The 2013 Muppet Madness Tournament! Sorry we missed coverage of the first two days, but better late than never, right? Thankfully, with only two match-ups today it won't take you long to choose your favorites.

ROWLF vs. WEMBLEY - This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make (when it pertained to an internet voting competition). Two of my very favorite characters coming up against each other. My vote goes to Wembley, but I think Rowlf is going to dominate here, in what is sure to become a dog-eat-Fraggle round. Rowlf has the benefit of being one of the oldest Muppets and still one of the most beloved. Wembley is certainly beloved, but he doesn't have nearly the fan-base of Rowlf. But don't fret, Wembley, you still had a great run.

COUNT VON COUNT vs. BEAR - It's kind of unfair that I'm making these predictions so far into the voting... but even before the voting got heated, I knew that The Count was bound to crush Bear in this round. Let us count the reasons why, shall we? The Count has been around for years longer than Bear. The Count has a major following, while Bear might not even be known by casual fans. The Count has the benefit of being performed by the great Jerry Nelson, giving him a surge of love. Plus... he's the Count. There, that's four, four reasons the Count is sure to win! Ah! Ah! Ah!

So if my predictions (and the current voting) holds up, we'll be looking at Rowlf vs. The Count in the final round next week! Who are you voting for, Muppet fans?





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Danny Beckwith's Muppet Monster Mash-Ups, Pt. 2

Our good friend and contributor Danny Beckwith has returned with even more stellar artwork in his Muppet Monster mash-up series! This week we're spotlighting spooky incarnations of Gonzo the Great, Fozzie Bear, and Rowlf the Dog as some of the most iconic monsters of all cinema! Be sure to check out Part 1 from last week to see monsterized versions of Kermit the Frog and Scooter!

Gonzo the Great as The Invisible Man

Fozzie Bear as The Phantom of the Opera

Rowlf the Dog as The Wolf Man

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com