The audio podcast finally returns next week! I’m looking forward to getting behind the microphone once again.

Thanks for all of your feedback concerning this spectacular road trip! You can email me@muppetcast.com with your questions about the Muppets, The MuppetCast, or anything else! You can also call the show at 614-364-4270.

NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, this vidcast is currently shown in a somewhat incomplete form. The final third of the video is missing, but I am working to resolve the issue and get the full video online. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy it!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The Muppet Whatnot Workshop
Central Park (Jim Henson and Jon Stone benches)
Carmen Osbahr and Rosita (Not typically included in New York travel guides, but I found them)
The Henson Townhouse

I hope you’re enjoying watching these vidcasts as much as I enjoy presenting them! Drop me a line at me@muppetcast.com, or call the show at 614-364-4270. Join up on the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

In case you weren’t there, we proudly present OUR portions of the event (meaning, we can’t really show a lot from the actual videos we screened here in the vidcast). We hope you understand. Anyway, you can see most of this stuff on YouTube.

So enjoy the fan meet! Call me at 614-364-4270 and tell me what you thought of it, or email me@muppetcast.com with your comments.

Next week, even more cool Muppet stuff to do in NYC!

Have a great week.

-Steve

This week’s podcast was shot so early in the trip, we’re not even in New York yet! Thanks to friend of the show Gene Barretta, I enjoyed an all-too-brief stay in Philadelphia, PA. This video shows some of the fun we had walking around historic Philly.

Next week: The vidcast of the Muppet Vault meet, held at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn!

WHO: The MuppetCast, ToughPigs, and YOU!
WHAT: “The Muppet Vault” NYC Muppet fan meetup
WHEN: Sunday, July 25 at 2pm
WHERE: The Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Ave. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (easily accessible from the L and G trains)
WHY: Because we are long overdue to present this event

Come out and have fun with us! Confirm your attendance on our Facebook event page (optional but encouraged).

Tickets are only $5. You can buy them online from The Knitting Factory or at the door.

Muppet fans of all ages welcome. If you have any questions, email me@muppetcast.com or call me at 614-364-4270. See you there!

-Steve

The MuppetCast and ToughPigs.com will jointly present an afternoon of what will surely be Muppetational fun on Governor’s Island in NYC. For the latest announcements concerning this awesome Muppet fan gathering, visit ToughPigs.com, since they will be publishing all official plans, and any changes that affect those plans. Even plans set in stone can go wrong sometimes.

Vacation is going well. See you August 1st!

-Steve

Here is the complete track listing for the episode, complete with show or movie source!

America (TMM)
Rowlf in Delaware (TMTM)
Dr. Teeth in Pennsylvania (TMTM)
Pensylvania 6-5000 (TMS)
Mr. Enrico Tortellini (TMTM)
The Devil Went Down To Georgia (TMS)
Big Bird in Bridgeport (SST)
Boston T Party (SST)
The Muppets Take Over Today, Lee Turgid Snipet
Carolina in the Morning (TMS)
The Answer Lady Sketch (SST)
Virginia Virginia Intro (SST)
New York State Of Mind (TMS)
The Wright Brothers/Happiest Man In Town (TMS)
Movin’ Right Along (TMM)
Kentucky Bluegrass (MFS)
Rocky Top (TMS)
Another Ohio (Big Bird in Japan)
Scooter in Ohio (TMTM).
To Morrow (TMS)
Cotton Fields (TMS)
A Boy From Indiana (SST)
Mississippi Mud (TMS)
Oceanview (FTB)
South Potato (SST)
Fozzie in Maine (TMTM)
St. Louis Blues (TMS)
Real Grouches (SST)
Deep In The Heart Of Texas (TMS)
Texas Telly Intro (SST)
Kokomo (Muppet Beach Album)
Gonzo in Michigan (TMTM)
The Remembering Game (SST)
On Wisconsin! (TMS)
Hooray For Hollywood (The Muppets Go Hollywood)
Minnesota Mel Intro (SST)
The Letter of the Day Pageant (SST)
Kansas (MWoO)
My Wish (Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution)
You’re Fired (TMS)
Hola (SST)
Durango Mountain Caballero (Rocky Mountain Holiday)
Are You Smarter Than An Egglayer? (SST)
Wild Bird Chase (FTB)
Danger’s No Stranger (SST)
The Magical Conductor’s Kit Delivery (SST)
Kermit and Piggy’s Date (TMM)
Wyoming Walt Intro (SST).
A-E-I-Oklahoma (SST)
Oklahoma (TMS)
Pueblo Life (SST)
Ragtime Cowboy Joe (The Muppets Go to the Movies)
I Love Alaska (SST)
Ukulele Lady (TMS)
Sam & Friends Promo (S&F)
Puerto Rico (SST)

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Swanson PC and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

I had a great time at Dayton Disneyana this weekend. Many thanks to everyone at the “Plane Crazy” chapter for making room for me, and for all the work they did bringing the one & only Paige O’Hara to the convention. See you next year!

Here are a few YouTube videos featuring Bill’s characters:

Gene and Bill as “The Fiama Brothers”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGGyn3aVtAM

Johnny and Sal singing Bohemian Rhapsody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upqbcLuo6zw

Muppets Tonight – Johnny and Tony Benett
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mglwWxnyRy0

Bobo the Security Guard with Prince
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Os4Qs2GAq4

Pepe the King Prawn!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d19BawjJPhY

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Swanson PC and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

The Dayton Disneyana Convention is next weekend in Dayton, OH. Hope to see you there!

Here’s the original, classic footage of Gene Shalit and Jim Henson discussing the famous NBC painted pipes.

And here, in the same space decades later, are Frank Oz (who helped Jim paint the original project) and news anchor Brian Williams.

Finally, here’s the footage from the TODAY Show, featuring Jimmy Fallon and Frank Oz unveiling the pipes as the newest stop on the studio tour! It was Fallon’s idea to feature this as an official exhibit, and our hats go off to him for that.

The new Muppet film has an official release date! Most people wouldn’t get too excited about a movie that doesn’t come out until Christmas Day 2011, but we Muppet fans are truly a different breed.

Z from the GeekDad blog tells us about some cool new Sesame Street games coming to you local Nintendo DS or Wii.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World is now on display at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. Check out their official website for more details.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is brought to you by Swanson PC and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Here are all the link to the pieces we discussed on the show this week.

The King of 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GOqM18Bhhg

The Queen of 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHDgppc3Sig

Pinball Number Count
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhd8bcl7cdo

A loaf of bread, a container of milk, and a stick of butter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNghp9tPXjo

Bob reads Where The Wild Things Are (VERY RARE!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItOtNLZMvBE

Billy Joe Jive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb5a2cCxcb0

Teeny Little Superguy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdrBPJYfTC8

Madrigal Alphabet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDDFh7Un3Ps

The Alligator King
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVDUYJo3CjU

Ladybugs’ Picnic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX9J7WcYtxI

That’s About the Size of It
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qd9Bd4nX9Q

I think I remembered all of them. If not I’ll add to the collection already here on the page.

Oh! Here’s another favorite that I forgot to mention on the show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqPcQeMEnFc

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Part 2 of this video deals with Sammy Davis Jr., so if you want to watch it you’re welcome to, but I didn’t include any audio from it in the podcast.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Swanson PC and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

You can watch The Frog Prince, in five parts, here below. Enjoy!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

This was a project written by composers Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez years before they penned the Tony award-winning Avenue Q. The story is a take-off of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, and essentially sees Kermit separated from the rest of the gang on vacation, and his adventures in Denmark. Hope you enjoy it!

As always, thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Swanson PC and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

In the news, eFX Collectibles announced recently that it will be extending special discounts on their Disney replicas! This includes the soon-to-be-released Rizzo photo puppet! Take a look at Rizzo here.

Sesame and Disney have some Earth Day kinds of products on the market. Are you more apt to buy products like these?

Sesame Street anniversaries seem to be big in the news, so Sesame Workshop recently announced the upcoming release of a DVD version of their 20th anniversary special. I really enjoyed this special as a kid, and am definitely looking forward to watching it again!

Can you believe that Sesame Place (Sesame Street’s theme park in Pennsylvania) will turn 30 years old on May 1? ‘Tis true!

To no one’s surprise, the Jim Henson Company has a hit on their hands with “Stuffed and Unstrung”.

Thanks to a listener suggestion, Muppetology this week was all about Spain’s Sesame production, Barrio Sésamo.

Thanks to William from Yorktown, VA for the picture and the trip report from his recent excursion to Bush Gardens’ Sesame Street Forest of Fun!

Thanks to Bryan S. for this video link to the Sesame cast rehearsing “Sing” for a benefit concert somewhere in NY. I believe this was taped in February 2009.

Elenora Stilwell sent a link to a collectible pin for the Washington Capitals hockey team. Apparently, it’s a fully licensed pin of Miss Piggy with the Capitals logo! Anybody know anything about the Muppets appearing on sports teams’ logos?

Make sure to catch the traveling exhibit “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” while it’s in Lexington, Mass.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is brought to you by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Listener Jimmy sent in a track of his band Dead Ends & Girlfriends covering the classic “Rainbow Connection.” Great job, guys!

Joel T. in Hawaii has some Muppet Vinylmation fun. Thanks Joel!

Sara Allen lives a very short ways from the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA, and will hopefully have many opportunities to see Jim Henson’s Fantastic World. She also has an animation blog that you should check out.

Examiner.com reporter Laurel Brown has the skinny on the Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody receiving not one, but two nominations in the 2010 Webby Awards! You don’t get to vote on those, sadly, but you CAN and SHOULD vote for it in the People’s Voice Webby Awards right here!

Matt Blum posted a few rare behind-the-scenes and blooper videos from The Muppet Movie and Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas.

Sesame Workshop recently aired their newest primetime special “When Families Grieve“, and PBS Parents and a variety of other news sources have already covered it. Listen for more MuppetCast coverage soon.

Doug Fabrizio on KUER radio in Salt Lake City recently had Gary Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workhop, on his show to talk about something Mr. Knell speaks about often: the concept of Muppet Diplomacy.

Want to meet Red Fraggle in person on Free Comic Book Day? If you’re in the L.A. area, you just might!

Pick up Jim Henson’s Song of the Cloud Forest and The Animal Show with Stinky & Jake this week at Amazon.

The “Muppets, Music & Magic” film series is currently being shown at the Ragtag Cinema in Columbia, SC. Click here for tickets and schedule.

The New York Press has a little something to say about the Jim Henson Company’s current show Stuffed and Unstrung. Actually they just interview Patrick Bristow and he says most of it.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The Muppet Bohemian Rhapsody’s rapid growth in popularity is the very definition of the word “viral”. Without a doubt it has been one of the best productions to come out of Disney’s Muppets Studio, and as such it has been nominated for two Webby Awards. It stands as the favorite to win in the “Music” category, as well as the “Viral” category. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences chooses the Webby winners, and they will announce the results on May 4, 2010.

What was it about this one silly music video that grabbed the fans’ attention after all these years? What was the magic ingredient? Perhaps it was the fact that, for the first time in a very long time, we saw the Muppets not pretending to be pirates, or scarecrows and tin men, or even “hip” Disney channel stars, but just being the Muppets, singing and dancing, making us laugh and blowing things up. And darn it, that’s how it should be.

The MuppetCast and Sorcerer Radio are a natural fit. Sorcerer Radio is the #1 Internet radio station for Disney music from the most outrageous Disney fan personalities out there, so you can imagine Steve feels right at home. There’s also the SRSounds Forum, where you can interact with the entire Sorcerer Radio staff (and where Steve has been known to post a few Muppet videos found around the web), so log on and start chatting it up today!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

Have you seen the blog “Muppet Musings“? If not, check it out, it’s a good Muppet fansite!

Listener Rafi Levavy sent a link to NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” featuring Geroge Stephanopoulos, discussing Mr. Snuffleupagus. And yes, both of those are spelled correctly. I checked.

Alma Baratta found a wonderful clip of John Denver and Kermit the Frog performing at the US Embassy in Moscow from the 1980s. She also found and sent the video montage from this year’s Oscar awards featuring the Dom DeLuise clip from the Muppet Movie.

Disney’s Muppets Studio released a new video to the web on April 1. Big Mean Carl dressed as a bunny, eating other bunnies, and singing Stand By Me. Brilliant!

The all-new Stuffed and Unstrung from the Jim Henson Company is now officially playing at the Union Square Theatre in NYC.

Brian Henson spoke with NY Magazine about a variety of topics, including the Dark Crystal Sequal.

Oddly enough, so did artist Brian Froud.

Congratulations to SesameStreet.org on winning a Peabody Award!

The free traveling USO show based on Sesame Workshop’s award winning “Talk, Listen, Connect” initiative and produced in partnership with the Vee corporation, is back in the United States after an around-the-world tour. Tour dates for 2010 can be found here, on the official USO website.

The Sesame Street Safari of Fun is now open at Busch Gardens Tampa. If you can’t make it to Florida anytime soon you can still see two new videos by the local Tampa channel 10 news station.

Northern Ireland’s version of Sesame Street, called “Sesame Tree” is coming back for a second season, with a new character, Archie the squirrel.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Save $30 on Custom Muppet Whatnots Exclusively at FAO.com PLUS Free Shipping thru 4/10 only! (Discount applied in cart).

The MuppetCast is also sponsored by LanyardLab.com – where you can always get great custom lanyards – and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Make sure you vote daily (every 12 hours) in the Muppet Madness Tournament! Remember to vote in the Resurrection Round, to bring your favorite fallen Muppet back into the fray.

More listener notes coming shortly. Just wanted to get this up and online for you Sunday night.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Follow the Muppet Madness Tournament events on Twitter, and join in the insane fun and artwork on the Muppet Madness Facebook Page!

You can create high-quality custom lanyards at LanyardLab.com. The MuppetCast is also sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

An all-new single DVD release of Dog City is coming on June 8, 2010.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World is coming to the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA this April. The exhibit will remain there until June 27.

Not surprisingly, Jason Segel has signed on to be the first non-Muppet cast member of the new upcoming Muppet film…that he is currently writing. Interesting that his character in the movie is the one tasked with bringing the Muppets back together to perform again, which in real life is kind of what he’s doing.

The claymation Aventures of Bert & Ernie will be coming out on DVD on April 6, 2010. This is a collection of recently-created short pieces that show Bert & Ernie in a variety of adventurous settings, and are a lot of fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

My guests this week include Ryan Roe and Joe Hennes from ToughPigs.com and Tom Stewart of Puppeteers Unite! Ryan and Joe join me to comment on some very interesting Muppet news, and to review the Round 1 matches in the tournament. Tom stops by with some great information on how to build your own puppets at home!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

In the news, the Disney Company has reached their goal of 1 million volunteers in their “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” campaign. Unfortunately this means they will no longer be giving out free tickets to the parks to people who volunteer a day of service. However, you can still receive a free ticket on your birthday!

FAO Schwarz, the exclusive location to purchase an official Muppet Whatnot puppet, has now begun selling the Whatnot outifits individually online for $20. Click here for the link to browse the individual outfits.

The Jim Henson Company and Archaia Entertainment may be looking at publishing new Labyrinth and Dark Crystal comic books in the future.

The script for the unmade “The Muppet Man” film may have been picked up by the Henson Company and Disney, and the two companies might collaborate to make this long-rumored Jim Henson biopic.

Moving Picture Books and Sesame Workshop are teaming up to create new digital books!

All of the following puppet information was provided by Tom Stewart. This is an incredible collection of resources for anyone interested in getting into puppet building (or in developing their existing skills):

Playsoup – you can purchase the videos individually or as a set. The link is for the set.
Dave Privett is the “instructor” and has an amazing way of teaching.

Dr. Puppet
Shows how to build a puppet from his pattern. You can purchase chapters individually or all together.

The Henson Stitch is actually the double gathering hand stitch- shhhhh don’t tell anyone! Jay (aka. Dr.Puppet) has a tutorial for it, under “Building the Doctor Puppet”.

Puppeteers Unite Tutorial – Tom’s posting for the “Beginner Puppet Building Video”

Puppet Vision Blog

The Wedge pattern explained by Yetiman from Muppet Central Forum

StiqPuppets on Blogtv – Another great puppet building video series that’s free!

Project Puppet – Puppet Patterns, Materials, Contest, Pics. Incredible site.

Some great puppet builders I admire
Kanja Chen: http://www.chensationalpuppets.com/
Philip Hatter: http://www.thistledownpuppets.com/
Jarrod Boutcher: http://jbpuppets.blogspot.com/
Norman Schneider: http://www.figurenschneider.de/klappmaulfiguren.php
Furry Puppet Studio: http://www.furrypuppet.com/
Terry Angus: http://www.anguspuppets.com/
Swazzle.com: http://www.swazzle.com
David Hellyer: http://www.hellyers.com/hellyers/
Darryl Worbey Studios: http://www.darrylworbeystudios.com

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

You can purchase and download Truro Daydreams at Digstation or at CDBaby. We think the album will be available in iTunes shortly, but Jerry is checking on that.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

In honor of the new Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland, I’m also happy to present an extended Muppetology segment where we look at several Muppet treatments of the book over the years. We also dive into the fifth-season Muppet Show episode starring Brooke Shields, which was completely devoted to telling the Muppets’ version of the tale.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Jerry Nelson recently released a new album, “Truro Daydreams“. All original songs written by Jerry, with some musical help from a lot of Muppet friends. Download your copy right here.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Have you heard? Lulu’s back in town!

Were you a member of the original Muppet Show Fan Club? Even if you weren’t you can relive those days here on the Muppet Wiki.

Are you a Muppet fan in the UK? Is it possible for you to be in London on May 16? We’re looking at forming a Muppet fan meet in London on that date, and I want to see how many people might possibly be there. Please email me and let me know if you’re interested in attending.

Listener Corey Orsini has a daily vlog on YouTube right here. Enjoy!

Michele Greenmier has a link to an up-close and personal look at the new Muppet Vinylmation set, currently on sale at WDW! She also sent a link to a T-shirt from The Onion that every listener of this podcast should own. AND she has a link to Disney Shopping where you can pick up the new Muppet water bottle. Great stuff Michele!

Renee Angely has three YouTube links that, in her opinion, reflect some of Richard Hunt’s best and funniest work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN79N2Ng1Bc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GOg3nxBD3k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C5JuqRNLRI

Darrin Granter found the first two episodes of the Terry Angus project “Blizzard Island.” Terry has been on The MuppetCast in the past talking about performing Muppet characters in Fraggle Rock, and right alongside Jim Henson in several projects!

Episode 1
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPUlOru5IIY
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPGmhAPth6g
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmOxig5wckQ

Episode 2
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3zCEW_N3wQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsmSSQYT95E
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tShJmJPGb9Q

And speaking of Terry Angus, he’s got a brand new puppet for sale on eBay that YOU can own! Click here to check it out!

In the news, the Jim Henson Company recently announced the recipients of the fifth annual Jim Henson Honors:
The Jim Henson Celebration Honor: Steve Jobs, Apple CEO
The Jim Henson Community Honor: 826 National, a tutoring, writing, and publishing organization
The Jim Henson Creativity Honor: Neill Blomkamp, director of the film “District 9″
The Jim Henson Technology Honor: YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the world’s first collaborative orchestra

Composer-lyricist Paul Williams (”Rainbow Connection”, among many other hits) is being honored by the Goodspeed Opera House. He will receive the Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theater at a special gala June 12. Congratulations Paul!

Loretta Long, the actress who plays Gordon’s wife Susan on Sesame Street, was recently hit by a car near her New Jersey home. It looks like she will make a full recovery, thank goodness, and our best wishes are with Ms. Long as she rests up.

Sesame Workshop recently announced a new partnership with Hasbro, replacing their former partner Mattel. Among the myriad new offerings down the road from Hasbro are Sesame Street Play-Doh playsets!

Emilio Delgado, Sesame Street actor and friend of the show, recently appeared in “The Park”.

GeekDad blog writer Matt Blum has posted a nice collection of 10 Sesame Street news videos featuring reporter Kermit the Frog. Remember when we got our news from Kermit?

Sesame Workshop has also parntered with Aniboom, the world’s first virtual animation studio, for the Fourth Annual Aniboom Awards! Click here for more information and submission guidelines.

Have you picked up the new Muppet King Arthur #1 comic from BOOM Kids? ComicBookResources.com has the review.

And finally, John Tartaglia is opening a new original production this March called “Imaginocean.” Looks like a fun family show! Check out the show’s official website.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Mr. Whitmire mentioned several websites in our discussion that I wanted to link to. First is KenWilber.com, the official site of philosopher Ken Wilber. There’s also the Integral Institute and the Integral Naked Podcast. Steve even participated in that podcast with Ken Wilber himself, talking about Jim Henson and his own Integral approach to the Muppets!

There is a great discussion threat on the Muppet Central Forums from lots of folks who attended the event at the Center. Read and join in the discussion here.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Stay tuned next week for my exclusive in-person interview with Mr. Whitmire! We cover a lot of ground, but still wanted to get to much more. We decided to call this Part 1 of an ongoing conversation. And yes, we discuss America’s Got Talent.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks to everyone who appeared in this episode and gave their reactions to the Center and the weekend events. These folks include Steve and Liz Vitale, Jamie Hitchcock, Wes, Levi, Garrett Otto, and Keven Miller (who flew in from Seattle, WA just for this event!).

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Here’s to a happy and healthy 2010 for all of us.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast Street Gang Giveaway Contest is now underway! Send an email to streetgangcontest@muppetcast.com to enter. Winners will be announced on shows 144 and 145.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

You can watch the entire special “The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years” on YouTube by clicking below:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

In Muppetology we discuss the Polaroid camera company, and the Muppet commercials and magazine print ads from 1981. View it all here.

Muppet Trivia deals with Baby Sinclair.

KerMattTheFrog received a very special gift this Christmas: a personally signed piece of Big Bird artwork by Caroll Spinney. Spinney has performed Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since Sesame Street’s debut in 1969, and regularly features his artwork at the store Arts & Framing.

Don Barrie sent his New Year wishes to the MuppetCast audience via voicemail, and mentioned his ongoing project, his song blog.

Joe Vecciarelli continues to CubeCraft his own Muppet menagerie. Here are five new patterns he sent this week:

Oscar 1
Oscar 2
Cookie Monster
Elmo
Grover

Nic Kramer requested a special song from Alaina Reed Hall, the late actress who played Olivia on Sesame Street. Ms. Hall passed away just recently, and we continue to celebrate her life through Nic’s request.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Happy New Year! Have a great week!

-Steve

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The real topper to this week’s show is the debut of young Muppet fan Juliannah Wilson as she presents the first-ever Muppet Storytime segment. She provides our feature segment this week, gracing us with her reading of “Baby Kermit’s Christmas“.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

The special introduction to this week’s show will hopefully be heard all around the Disney podosphere this Christmas. It’s a combined reading done by some of us of the well-known editorial piece “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”. I’d like to thank EVERYONE who helped bring this idea to a reality in the span of a few short days. The voices heard on the recording are:

Juliannah Wilson as Virginia
Paul Barrie – A Window to the Magic
Bryan Ripper & Jonathan Dichter – All About the Mouse
Gary Chambers – The Mouse Lounge
Clinton Alvord – Comedy4Cast
Tom Corless – WDW News Today
James Songster – WDW Cast Member
Scott & Tracey Morris – Disney, Indiana
Tairy Rich – Disney Tidbits
Steve Swanson – The MuppetCast

Thanks to Michael Stork for his Kermit impression and the Hawaiian Christmas tune!

The MuppetCast remembers actress Alaina Reed Hall, who passed away a few days ago at age 63. Ms. Hall played the part of Olivia on Sesame Street from 1976 to 1988, and many of us grew up knowing her as a familiar face on the Street. We celebrate her life this week.

CBS News recently featured the Muppet Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz on The Early Show, Saturday Edition. The hosts made their own whatnots!

If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you owe it to yourself to get the new “The Muppets Animal Drummer” app from the iTunes Store. For just $1.99 you can match skill with Animal, and even create your own original beats that Animal plays back to you!

Make sure to pick up the iPhone and iPod Touch-ready Muppets Bohemian Rhapsody (iTunes link) video for only $1.49. Normally I don’t buy the YouTube-released vids in iTunes, but I think you’ll agree that this is highly worth it.

The Muppets will appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on January 3 on ABC. Set your DVRs to see the Muppets pitch in and help a St. Paul, MN family save their home.

Sesame Workshop is set to begin making digital books starting in 2010. Check out their official eBook website!

Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter will not return to Goodspeed Opera House next holiday season. Instead, it may go out on tour, or find a different home in the Northeast US. Plans are still being made.

Carl Huster got the unique opportunity to work with Jim Henson very early in Jim’s career. If you’ve heard of the Southern Colnel Muppet character, Carl was working with Jim on the Southern Bread ad campaign, for which the Colnel was invented. Some great video on this site with rare Henson ad footage!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

You can follow Michael Davis and see where he’s appearing around the US at his official website.

See and hear 14 Karat Soul – a group with a long history with Sesame Street and other children’s shows – at their official website!

James Wojtal wanted everyone to know about Puppetworks and their participation in the Macy’s Herald Square Annual Puppet Show, titled “Miracle on 34th St.” It’s based on the film of the same name. Find the official Puppetworks website here.

The Swedish Chef as Santa Claus! Bork, bork, bork…I mean Ho, Ho, Ho!

The Muppets Studio released a new YouTube video recently, featuring the singing trio of the Swedish Chef, Beaker, and Animal as they sing the Christmas classic, Carol of the Bells. Nice work!

The Jim Henson Company also posted several new YouTube videos, all taken from “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter”, now playing at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. Click here for tickets!

During this episode we played a game where the winner received an autographed first-edition hardcover copy of “Street Gang”, courtesy of Michael Davis. Listener Colbynfriends was the winner, so congratulations! Listen for even more ways to win signed books (and audiobooks) in the coming weeks!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Also making an appearance is Dave Hulteen, an extremely talented Muppet fan artist. Dave’s work can be seen here on MuppetCast.com, as well as a recent feature article on ToughPigs.com! Dave has two Deviant art accounts, one featuring his premium work, and the other his Muppet work. Make sure to keep an eye out for Dave’s awesome artwork!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

BJ mentioned that Muppet Babies writer Jeffrey Scott published a book in 2003 that he loves called “How to Write for Animation.” There’s your Amazon link!

The Muppets made a fine showing at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Every Muppet moment was captured and presented in the show.

Fox News political commentator Bill O’Reilly may have met his match in grouch form. Spill O’Reilly dropped by the Factor and assured Bill that the “Pox News” jibe wasn’t a slight against just one network. After all, Spill said, “…we don’t like anybody!”

The Muppets made a huge internet splash this past Tuesday November 24 with their new version of Queen’s hit song “Bohemian Rhapsody”. The video earned millions of views in only a few days, and fans everywhere are loving it! If you haven’t seen it, watch it here.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Emilio is also appearing with the group Pink Martini at Town Hall in NYC on December 10 to celebrate their new CD. See “Luis” sing the famous Sesame Street song “Sing”!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, The MuppetCast presents a special 3-episode tribute to the show, and everyone and everything associated with it.

Part 1 (Episode #135): A look back at the first 10 historic seasons of Sesame Street, featuring multiple audio pieces of special songs and moments. Many “firsts” can be found in this 2-hour audio production.

Part 2 (Episode #136): You might call this “A Story of Sesame Street”. In a 90-minute podcast it’s impossible to tell the entire story of this incredible show, but we focus in on a few choice moments and celebrate them.

Part 3 (Episode #137): A look back with one of the longtime Sesame Street cast members, Emilio Delgado. Mr. Delgado plays the character Luis on the show, and has done so since 1971.

Tune in next week for the third and final portion of the celebration, with special guest Emilio Delgado! It will be almost a full hour with the man who’s played Luis on Sesame Street for 38 seasons.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Theme song and first scenes from episode #1

Number Song – Six

James Earl Jones counts to 10

Kermit’s lecture on the word “in” (with a very early version of Grover)

Listen My Brother – Count to 20

Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?

Somebody Come and Play

Bill Cosby and Bill Cosby recite the alphabet

Oscar the Grouch – I Love Trash

Bert & Ernie – Banana in Ernie’s Ear

Little Jerry & the Monotones – Mad

The King of Eight

Rubber Duckie

Over, Under, Around, and Through

The first time Big Bird meets Mr. Snuffleupagus

Bert & Ernie – String on Ernie’s Finger

Doll House

Name That Animal!

The Count’s Debut

What’s the Name of that Song?

Jesse Jackson – I Am Somebody

A Loaf of Bread, a Container of Milk, and a Stick of Butter

Steve Wonder – 123 Sesame Street

Sesame Street News – Rapunzel

A-B-C-Cookie Monster!

A Very Simple Dance

Doin’ The Pigeon

Herry Monster and John-John count to 20

Beep!

Sesame Street Pageant: A Flower Grows

Mary Had a Bicycle

Richard Pryor recites the alphabet

The Martians find a telephone

C is for Cookie

Headline Howie has the story with Big Bird and Snuffy

Roosevelt Franklin: Loud and Soft

The National Association of W Lovers

Buffy Sainte-Marie sings Cripple Creek

Grover the Weather Machine Salesman

Paul Simon sings “Me & Julio”

Cookie Monster channels Isaac Hayes

The Pinball Song – Two

Gladys is Proud to be a Cow

Madeline Kahn and Grover sing an “echo song”

Guy Smiley hosts “This is Your Life”

Mr. Hooper goes surfing!

David thinks he hears Big Bird’s “imaginary friend” Mr. Snuffleupagus

The Count and Oscar bid us farewell

This is a close (but not precise) chronology of the songs and skits as they appeared in the show’s first ten years. Tune in or DVR the new episodes of the show’s landmark 40th season starting Tuesday, November 10! Twenty-six new episodes (one for each letter) hold lots of surprises for viewers of all ages.

These tribute episodes are meant to serve as a “thank you” to the people behind the show that so many of us grew up with. So many wonderful moments transcended the screen and have stayed with us, many of us will attest, even to today as we have children of our own. I hope you enjoy reliving many of those moments in this and future episodes of the podcast.

Thank You Sesame Street.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

In Muppetology we relive some fun moments with Beautiful Day Monster, one of the original monsters created by Jim Henson. It’s interesting to note, in the three sketches included in the segment (complete list here), Beautiful Day Monster is performed by three different Muppeteers (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Richard Hunt).

Thanks to Steve Barrett for sending me the new Walt Disney World and Disneyland Hidden Mickeys Guides! I found a few of my own this summer, and it’s always great to compare new sightings with other park enthusiasts.

Master puppet builder Terry Angus has a new puppet on eBay that YOU can own! It’s a beautiful new bat, take a look here. Terry was one of the main puppet builders for Fraggle Rock, so you can bet this is a well-built character.

David Blain sent a link to a clip from Jim Henson’s 1969 experimental TV program “The Cube”. It appears on the official Jim Henson company YouTube page.

The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA is now showing their new original production “Dinosaurs”. See a sneak preview here. Showing now through November 29, get your tickets here!

Sesame Street writer Annie Evans and her husband Muppeteer Marty Robinson have a blog! You can read all about their adventures as parents at Sesame Street’s Parents Blog.

Balcony Puppeteer Jamie Douglas made this incredible video from this year’s annual Puppets Up! festival in Almonte, ON. Hosted by “Creepy Baby”!

Listener Linda pointed out that you can pick up the Master Replicas Gonzo photo puppet for $99 right now on Amazon! Not only that, but you can buy the Gonzo and Animal photo puppets TOGETHER for $199! That’s an unheard-of deal.

Want to watch “The Muppets at Walt Disney World”? Me too! Here’s the YouTube link for Part 1 to get you started.

Elenora Stillwell – the winner of the Kermit the Frog backpack from the MuppetVision 3D meet a few weeks back – has graciously sent some pictures of this wonderful backpack for all to see.

Darrin Granter sent a link to QTV, in a special segment with Oscar the Grouch! It’s a really great 15-minute clip, but due to a kid-unfriendly comment on the page I’d recommend some parental guidance here.

In the news, Sesame Workshop has signed a new multiyear home-entertainment distribution deal with Warner Home Video. Previously Genius Products was Sesame’s distributor, and I believe they’re still working with the Henson Company.

Sesame Workshop, the Jim Henson Company, and the Jim Henson Legacy are all partnering with the Brooklyn Public Library to help commemorate Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary with a three-month exhibition of memorabilia at Central Library. Lots of cool events coming up, so check out the Library’s website for details.

Sesame Workshop is also in the midst of Phase II of “The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families” – a free traveling USO tour featuring five of America’s favorite Muppets. Trekking to six countries in the span of four months, the tour is scheduled to perform a series of high energy shows tailored specifically for military families at 20 military installations worldwide. More details at the USO’s website, and on this special Sesame website.

In Muppet(s) Studio(s) news, the Extreme Makeover Home crew has officially begun demolition on the house for the episode in which the Muppets will appear. I wonder if they let Crazy Harry help them. No word yet on when the episode will air.

As reported by The Muppet Mindset, Disney’s new Haunted Holidays website contains a few new Muppet web videos! The main focus of the website is a spell book of sorts in which you can access many different “sections” of the book that represent different popular Disney properties such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Snow White, and of course The Muppets.

The same Muppet videos found on the Haunted Holidays website can now be found on YouTube in HD-quality!

Sid the Science Kid is back with a brand new episode about the importance of vaccinations. For more information check out The Muppet News Flash.

The News Flash also reports that Lionsgate will be releasing a new Fraggle Rock holiday-themed DVD titled “Fraggle Rock: A Merry Fraggle Holiday” on November 9, along with the previously announced Final Season DVD Collection and repackaged Complete Series Collection.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

This is a long episode. For that I apologize, and what’s more we didn’t even get into Muppet news, Muppetology, or listener feedback. I even wrote it all out with the full intention of presenting it on the show! However, there’s just too much MGE content (the MuppetVision meet is an hour long!) and it will all be there next week.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Also thanks to Gaston Morineau for the awesome show intro! Find his work online here.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

A very special thank you to this week’s guests:
Patrick & Shelly Block
Gregg Berger
Chris Yambar
The 501st
Brett Pinson

Don’t forget, if you’re going to be in or around Walt Disney World next weekend make sure to stop by and say hello Sunday Oct 11! That day at 3pm I’ll be holding the First-Ever Genuine No-Money-Back Guarantee MuppetCast MuppetVision 3D Meet! Fun and prizes await! The meet is part of the 2nd annual MouseGuest Experience fan event. For more information on the entire schedule visit the MGE official website.

Make sure to visit The MuppetCast Flickr Page for all the new additions. Keep them coming!

Rafi Levavy sent a link to the official Muppets Studio page in iTunes! Nice to have everything in one central location.

Stuart Reeves is in the midst of putting together a beautiful Muppet 3D piece. You can see his progress on his Flickr page.

Listener SesameStMuppets sent a link to the trailer for his upcoming Christmas show “Dont Watch ‘Til Christmas Eve II“.

David Rollinson directed me to the Arts & Framing Putnam website, where you can find some artwork and a short video of Muppeteer Caroll Spinney! Mr. Spinney performs Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street.

Dave Hulteen sent a new original drawing – “The WatchMuppets“!

ComicBookResources.com has a new article talking with Grace Randolph and Amy Mebberson about their writing and artwork in the new Muppet Peter Pan comic.

Have you ever seen Jim Henson’s short film “Time Piece”? This was an early Henson project, dating back to the 1960s. Click here to view the film (just under 9 minutes) in its entirety.

Sesame Workshop gives us some sneak peeks into its upcoming landmark Season 40. Take a look at First Lady Michele Obama teaching Elmo and the kids how to plant a garden, the much-anticipated Mad Men parody, and even the new Season 40 show opening!

Oscar the Grouch is missing! Well not necessarily. Many Canadians claim that they’ve seen him popping up here and there. It’s suspected that Oscar is learning about waste reduction in Canada, since for the second year in a row he’s been named the official spokes-Muppet of Waste Reduction Week. Great website for the project here.

Movieline.com brings us 5 mind-blowing Muppet revelations. Maybe not mind-blowing, but definitely a good read.

Northstar National.com has a great opinion piece dissecting some of the claims that classic Sesame Street (1970s – 1980s) is too politically incorrect for today’s youth. Grab a plate of cookies and settle in for a great read!

For all the latest news and Muppet blogging, check out our friends at The Muppet Newsflash, ToughPigs, and The Muppet Mindset!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Instead of the usual show this week, I’ve decided it’s time to present a new vidcast! And this is one many listeners have been waiting to see for a very long time. This is the complete presentation of the August 2008 Road Trip to New Jersey, featuring Mrs. Jane Hunt (mother of beloved Muppeteer Richard Hunt) and myself as we celebrate Richard’s life and his work.

Listeners who donated in the past year to the show have received their own copy of the DVD (still available upon request with donation) and it’s gotten nothing but positive reviews. By the end of this hour-long video you will come to know and appreciate Richard in a whole new light.

I’d like to again give my sincerest thanks to Mrs. Hunt and her husband Arthur Miller for their kindness to me over that weekend and every time our paths have crossed since.

Enjoy the show! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Don’t forget, The First-Ever Genuine No-Money-Back Guarantee MuppetCast MuppetVision 3D Meet is being held Sunday, October 11 2009 at Walt Disney World! Together again, we’ll experience the best attraction in the World, MuppetVision 3D. Fun and prizes! That’s right, prizes! Hope you’re a Kermit fan.

Are you a puppeteer (or a puppet) and would like to gain some easy, free exposure in the Muppet community? I’m always looking for short show intros to play each week! There’s no intro to this week’s show, but listen back through the past few weeks and you’ll get an idea of what works well. I’d love to feature you at the beginning of next week’s MuppetCast!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Why haven’t you checked out The Muppet Mindset yet? Get over there right now! I’ll wait.

The Muppets had a big weekend at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA. Lots of news, and we’ll discuss some of it on this week’s show. I’ll save some for next week too, when I just might be joined by a couple special guests!

The Internet is for…wait, no…Everyone’s A Little Bit…um, that won’t work either…oh, I know. Everything in life is only for now. Sadly, the smash hit show Avenue Q played its final show and is no longer touring. But many of us love its characters, music, and message, and the memories will be ours forever. See you at the revival!

One big Muppet announcement to come out of the D23 Expo is that the title of Jason Segel’s Muppet film will be “The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made” (formerly The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made). Probably went with that “Cheapest” idea due to the fact that they’re dumping an ocean liner fulla money into the Disney parks! But whatever winds up happening, I know we’ll get a great film!…whenever it comes out.

Piiiiiigs Innnn Spaaaaaaaaace! In comic book form. Declicious.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World (the traveling exhibit put together by the Henson family, the Legacy, and S.I.T.E.S.) is now at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, PA. Those lucky Pennsylvanians. First they get The Office, and now this!

Have you seen Dinosaur Train?? You guys might not be ready for it yet. But your kids are gonna love it!

The Ad Council has enlisted the help of Elmo and Gordin (Roscoe Orman) to help kids stay happy and healthy amid threats of the coming flu season. Yes I saw the Conan version and I loved that too!

Three words. Lifetime Achievement Award. We love you, Sesame Street.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Thanks to David Quesal and the David Quesal Puppet Troupe for this week’s show intro.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

No news, history, trivia, etc this week; the show is jam packed full of special guest goodness at 90 minutes! However, there are a few items to note:

The new preschool educational series Dinosaur Train debuts this week on PBS. See the official PBS DT website.

Congratulations to Sesame Street on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Daytime Emmy award ceremony. Sesame Street was nominated in over a dozen categories and won several, including Kevin Clash for Outstanding Performer in a Children’s Series.

Sesame Street’s new special “Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times” airs this Wednesday Sept 9. The special is directed at all families and help parents and children communicate about the tough econimic times many are experiencing right now.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks to everyone who’s been sending pictures for The MuppetCast Flickr page. Lots of new additions this week!

Super Grover is the subject of this week’s Muppetology. Faster than lightning, stronger than steel, smarter than a speeding bullet…and he is cute too!

Special thanks to Ben and Kevin from Missing Link Puppets for this week’s show intro! You can find their official YouTube channel here.

MuppetCast contributor David Blain has a lot of stuff you need to check out! First, there’s the Jim Henson Company official YouTube channel. Then we have the Muppets on Ed Sullivan, James Taylor singing “Jelly Man Kelly” on Sesame Street, Sherri Lewis with Big Bird, and The Muppet Show Live from Muppetfest.

Jake from England has a link to a favorite Muppet Show moment: Steve Martin in “Dueling Banjos” (played with only one banjo).

Ryan Dosier has started a shiny green new Muppet blog! Set your bookmarks now to The Muppet Mindset.

John Pinizzotto sent a link to the Stuff You Should Know podcast; in particular, an episode all about how the Muppets work! This podcast is done by the folks at HowStuffWorks.com, which also has a great article about the Muppets.

Marj Harris found a picture of Grasso & Langone on cheezburger.com, with one of those twins-separated at birth pictures of Statler & Waldorf. Too funny!

Brandy Long has a formidable collection of Kermits, check them out here.

Melanie from Maple Shade had a question about an unfinished Muppet project that I’m trying to collect more information on, but in the meantime look at all of these unfinished projects! Nature of the business I guess, there are too many ideas and never enough time.

Tony from Chicago mentioned the audiobook format of Michael Davis’s book “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street”, which is read by Caroll Spinney. You can pick up your copy right here.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

The PBS Kids programming block is about to become dino-mite! “Dinosaur Train, ” a new animated series from The Jim Henson Company, will begin entertaining preschoolers sooner than you think.

The Muppet Newsflash gives the rundown on all the Sid The Science Kid merchandise currently available, as well as what to look for as we approach the holiday season.

TVShowsOnDVD.com has the details on the new Fraggle Rock Final Season release, as well as the repackaged complete series set and the Fraggle Holiday DVD, all coming out on November 3.

Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter will be returning to the Goodspeed Opera House this December, and they are getting ready to hold auditions for the lead girl role of “Jane”. Think that name is a coincidence?

For fans of Henson’s series “The Pajanimals”, the MNF is reporting that the Jim Henson Company has just released an all-new collection of songs from their hit PBS Kids Sprout series “Pajanimals” in an exclusive Amazon.com album.

The News Flash also has lots and lots of info on what (and who) to look for this season on Sesame Street. Can’t wait to get my hands on the special 2-DVD retrospective set!

And you can bet the toy manufacturers certainly aren’t letting this momentous occasion slip by. Here’s a list of just a few Sesame Street toys coming out soon. That corduroy Elmo actually looks kind of cool.

Watch in early September for the Sesame special “Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times.”

“Muppet Diplomacy” has played a big part in getting the attention of the next generation and helping them to understand other peoples and cultures in the world. The sheer number of international Sesame Street productions is a testament to that; one big way that Jim Henson left the world a better place for having been here.

Denmark is set to get its own Sesame Street. “Sesamgade” will be featured on TV2’s weekend blcok Bavian, targeting 4- to 6-year-olds.

Sesame Workshop obviously doesn’t just put out new content without extensive research and development, and many times what we see on screen only gets there after months – and sometimes years – of scrutiny. However, this week WorldScreen.com gives us a sneak peek into what to expect from the Workshop in the near future.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more Fun!

Since we’re focusing on the art of puppetry and celebrating puppeteers and builders and such, this week’s Muppet trivia question is about one of the main Muppet builders, Don Sahlin. Sahlin is “the inventor” of the Muppet look, from a design point of view. He was known to refer to himself as the “guardian of the essence” of the Muppets.

Tim Clarkson, along with his mother Linda and the rest of the family, took a vacation recently to northern Ontario and found some cool Muppet merch. Linda sent some pictures that are now on The MuppetCast Flickr Page. Thanks Clarksons!

The Jim Henson tribute video sent by David Blain last week contains some footage from 2001’s MuppetFest, as it turns out! And listener Chris Smigliano was in the audience! How awesome is that! David sent something new for fans of A&E’s “Mad Men” to wrap our heads around: which Muppet characters best suit the Mad Men cast?

Many Muppet fans were hoping this would happen, and it’s finally been announced. The live stage musical version of Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas is indeed returning for a second season at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT! The show’s official name has been shortened to “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter”, but rest assured it’s still the same amazing show that graced the stage last holiday season. Also, Goodspeed will present a few special events where you can meet the puppeteers in the show!

PBS is launching an online cross-country adventure for children starring two brothers who happen to be gophers. The Web-only “Wilson & Ditch: Digging America,” produced by The Jim Henson Co., follows the furry siblings as they explore America and learn about its culture, history and geography.

The Muppet News Flash brings us up to date on the upcoming Blu-Ray releases of Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. Turns out there is much that wasn’t on the special anniversary DVDs that came out previously. Save up your money. You know you’ll buy them!

Farscape fans will also appreciate the News Flash’s complete accounting of the special features to be found on the Farscape series megaset due out on November 17, 2009.

The classic children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” is being made into a movie. You may have known that. But you may not have seen this brand new web featurette featuring author Maurice Sendak and filmmaker Spike Jonze discussing the film. Very cool stuff, and some new music and video footage from the movie too!

Renowned opera singer Andrea Bocelli is set to team up with The Muppets this Christmas. The Italian tenor, who has previously shared the stage with Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera, was said to be recording a cover of Jingle Bells with Kermit. The album should be available this November.

The Booklyn Daily Eagle ran a “this day in history” piece on actor Will Lee this week. Lee is best known in our circle as Sesame Street’s dearly-loved shopkeeper Mr. Hooper.

Al Roker, Deborah Roberts, Elmo and Grover are teaming up for a new prime-time special entitled “Families Stand Together: Feeling Secure in Tough Times.” The new hour-long special is scheduled to air on September 9, and is designed to help families communicate during tough economic times. Sesame Workshop is setting up a special website designed to complement the special and give additional suggestions to parents.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Special thanks to Frank The Horse (maybe steer the little ones away) for that hilarious intro. I loved it! If YOU, dear listener, know any puppet characters who would like to give a special intro for The MuppetCast, let me extend the invitation to call them in or record and send it like Frank!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more FUN!

Fashion designer JC de Castelbajac has taken a liking to the Muppets recently, as shown in some of these recent designs. Click on the link given right here to go to the official website, select your language, click Menu, under the Fashion heading click Be Pop Ma Lola 09/10, and finally click Collection. Pretty cool!

David Blain sent a link to a wonderful Jim Henson tribute video. It includes some special quotes from Jim himself, along with a few of the folks who worked with him, and also includes some rare onstage footage with Muppeteers and their characters.

Renee Angely sent some outtakes from the making of The Muppets at Walt Disney World. This particular clip involves, among other people, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner messing up take after take with Fozzie Bear.

Nic Kramer sent some video from the 1980s show “The Great Space Coaster”, featuring Muppeteer Kevin Clash performing the puppet character Goriddle Gorilla. Totally sounds like Hoots the Owl!

Joe Vecciarelli sent a link to some picture from the Magical Starlight Parade at Universal Studios Japan. This parade in has a red-light constructed version of Elmo that’s really pretty impressive.

David Counterman created a really cool Bert & Ernie comic strip out of some old Sesame Street screen captures. Apparently I’m talking with Ernie on the other end of the phone telling him to tune in this week for another great edition of The MuppetCast!

On the heels of Comic Con last weekend, Cindy White at IGN.com has an interview with Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Rockne O’Bannon and Brian Henson, all about Farscape, the DVD series, the upcoming webisodes, and what’s generally in store for the series in the coming months.

Among the items saved from the fire that consumed much of country music legend Jimmy Dean’s Henrico County home was a handmade Rowlf the Dog given to him by Jim Henson. Rowlf rose to TV stardom on the Jimmy Dean show in the 1960s.

Pop star Lady Gaga has made Muppet news recently by wearing…well, Muppets. Examiner.com has the picture of her wearing an Animal print dress and some video of the singer wearing a jacket made entirely out of Kermits. Hey, it got us talking, didn’t it?

Sesame Workshop never ceases to come up with great ideas in each new season, and the historic Season 40 will be no exception! Look for a new parody of AMC’s Mad Men (which my friend Seth Miller is auditioning for!), a new computer-animated segment with Abby Cadabby (go Leslie!), and probably an interesting way to feature the letter X. How many words can you feature in a prechool show? X-ray? Xylophone? Xebra? No wait…

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Special thanks to Matt Kahl, Marianne Murphy, Megan McCabe, and David Stephens for talking with me this week. We all had a blast!

Comic Con 2009 was all atwitter (and all a-Facebook I’m sure) about the newly revealed Farscape mega box set containing all four seasons plus more bonus material than you could shake a stick at. That’s assuming you’re one for shaking sticks to begin with. It’s also been reported that fans can opt to purchase the one large mega set or purchase seasons one, two, three, or four individually. They’ll all be released at the same time. Now there’s an idea.

Farscape also earned a place in the Guiness Book of World Records for “most visual effects in a TV series“. How cool is that!

The Muppet Wiki continues to be The One Big Resource for Muppet fans who want to know anything and everything about the Muppets. This week they assist in Muppetology as we fondly remember The Teeny Little Superguy. (Oh yeah!)

After chatting with Matt Kahl from Comic Con, he visited the BOOM! Studios booth and met up with Muppet Show Comic Book writer and artist Roger Langridge. Roger was kind enough to draw a picture of The Electric Mayhem for Matt, and Matt was kind enough to send along a copy for The MuppetCast Flickr Page. Thanks Roger and Matt!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Leslie also has a superb CD available via her official website and iTunes titled “Spunkinsass”! Grab your copy today!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

If you’re in the Orlando area, catch Encore!, the 300-member choir and orchestra comprised entirely of Disney Cast Members. Our own James Songster is among their number, and he sent in a fun rehearsal recording for the show this week.

The Paul Williams song “I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus” has been nominated for an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics”. This song was part of the 2008 TV special “A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa”.

Are you going to Comic Con 2009? You are?? Lucky duck. There will be plenty to see and enjoy, and for Muppet/Henson fans here’s a schedule of events that may interest you:
Friday July 24 at 10:15am Farscape 10th Anniversary Panel with show stars and Brian Henson
Friday July 24 at 2:00pm Rockne O’Bannon signing at BOOM Studios booth (#2543)
Saturday July 25 at 2:30pm Farscape Comics panel with O’Bannon and DeCandido
Saturday July 25 at 3:45pm Rockne O’Bannon signing at BOOM Studios booth (#2543)
Sunday July 26 at 10:00am Roger Langridge and the Muppet Show Comic Book Panel

CBR also has a great new interview with Roger Langridge talking about the Muppet Show Comic.

The Jim Henson Company and Harper Collins are set to start releasing Sid The Science Kid preschool books starting December 2009.

The National Post has an incredible interactive collage of 101 Muppets from Sesame Street! Check it out here.

Sesame Workshop is expanding its “Talk, Listen, Connect” initiative, opening Sesame Street Family Connections. This is an online space where both children and adults can interact and stay connected when distance makes everyday communication difficult. Additionally, they’ve created new “Sesame Rooms”. Read all about it at the official TLC website.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life Should Be More Fun!

Featured in this episode: Muppet writer Jim Lewis discussing his books “Jim Henson’s Doodle Dreams” and “It’s Hard Out Here for a Shrimp“, and The MuppetCast’s tribute to John Denver. Enjoy!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

This month, you won’t have to travel across an ocean to experience the work of some of the world’s premier puppet artists! Venues from around Atlanta – including the Center for Puppetry Arts – have invited innovative puppet companies from Canada, France, Spain, and the United States to share their exciting array of performances, artist-led workshops, and exhibits.

Listener Hilarie Mukavitz recently made a stop in Leland, Mississippi, and visited the Jim Henson Mississippi Delta Boyhood Museum. Here’s a link to her Facebook pictures documenting the trip.

Head over to The MuppetCast Flickr Page for new additions from listeners Kyle W. and Lianne! Kyle sent pictures of some great new plushes he picked up in San Antonio, TX. Lianne found her old Muppet Show Book (the really big one from the late 1970s), and other books and figures. Great stuff!

Just as they did last year, the Jim Henson Company will be at this year’s Comic Con in San Diego, CA. This year they’ve got a big announcement for Farscape fans. As “Farscape” marks its 10th anniversary, A&E Home Entertainment and the Jim Henson Company have partnered to release all four seasons of Farscape in one DVD set! You can find certain DVDs here and there on the internet right now, but this will be a new collection encompassing all episodes, complete with new featurettes and commentary.

Canada.com tells of how the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Northeast Alabama once saw a full-sized Hoggle from the film “Labyrinth” come through their doors. Something tells me the Henson Company wound up recovering that particular piece of lost luggage.

Did you see Sesame Street singing and playing at this year’s PBS “Capitol Fourth” concert? Yes? No? Either way, I’ve included their portion of the concert in this week’s show, so enjoy!

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

David Quesal sent a link to his YouTube channel, where all of his David Quesal Puppet Troupe projects can be found. Great work, David!

BJ Wanlund sent link to the professional websites of several voice actors from the Muppet Babies cartoon of the 1980s! Click to visit each below:
Katie Leigh
Frank Welker
Alan O’Day
Dave Coulier
Howie Mandell

Katie Cook is a very talented artist with several comic book and other art projects under her belt. Recently she submitted several pieces to the Henson Company to be considered for their new Fraggle Rock comic book. She posted the work on her website, and it’s fantastic!

Paul Williams recently commented at the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame 40th Anniversary how much he enjoyed writing songs for Jim Henson. “He would add a scene to a movie just to support an idea for a song.”

ToughPigs.com has had a string of great posts on their blog recently! Not only some great stuff with Roger Langridge – actually plenty of really good general Muppet comic book chatter – but also the recent Muppet Show Haiku project is hilarious!

Take a look at Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits for Life initiative. You can download the caregiver materials from the website in English or Spanish, and can watch the video supplements too!

Sesame Street’s Forest of Fun is the newest child-themed addition to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. We’ve talked about it many times on the MC, but Busch Gardens also has a theme park in Tampa, FL. And, just as many people had hoped, Sesame Street will be coming to that park in a year or two.

The Food Network Challenge episode tackling Sesame Street cakes has had its airdate moved up. Look for it on July 26 at 8PM Eastern. Check local listings and set your DVRs accordingly.

The Jim Henson Company has announced a new partnership with Archaia to publish new comic books and graphic novels based on popular Henson titles as well as new co-branded properties. Should be very interesting to see what they come up with. At this point, we know their first project is likely to be a new Fraggle Rock book.

Thanks for listening! Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Happy birthday to Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath! Bob plays, well, “Bob” on Sesame Street, and has done so for the entire run of the show. Bob’s birthday was June 13, and this week we Celebrate Bob’s Birthday in a special way!

Lots of great listener feedback and Muppet news. For instance, Stuart Reeves is working on a fantastic 3D Muppet piece and has decided to share parts of the work in progress with the world! These pics are extremely impressive. Check out Waldorf, Dr. Teeth, Swedish Chef, Crazy Harry, Sam Eagle, Fozzie Bear, Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Animal.

Darrin G. sent a link to some Little Muppet Monsters episodes. Boy, those take me back! I loved watching those as a youngster.

Matt W. sent the link to a 40-minute puppet film that he and some friends made in his college years. Lots of little nods to Jim Henson and the Muppets. Caution: not appropriate for all audiences, by Matt’s own admission.

Joel from the DPM sent a link to the Muppet cake from last fall. If you’ve never seen this, it’s the most perfect edible Muppet tribute you may ever see!

In Muppetology we celebrate Sal Minella, and all the glorious moments in this flunky monkey’s Muppet career.

Muppet writer Jim Lewis joins a couple dozen of his Boonton, NJ alumni brethren in a local exhibit celebrating Boonton graduates’ success. Jim says there’s just something in the water.

What do you think of Wilkins Coffee? I never tasted it. BOOM. Now what do you think of Wilkins?

If Abby Cadabby thought she could take the summer off, I guess she was wrong.

For the very latest in Muppet news, stay up to date with the Muppet News Flash. Then go make fun of all the news with our friends at ToughPigs.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Also, make sure to vote for the Center for Puppetry Arts in the Nickelodeon Parents’ Poll! You can give them your vote for Best Atlanta Theatre Group for Kids, Best Atlanta Tourist Spot, and Best Atlanta Museum. You can vote daily. Winning in any or all of these categories means a lot for the Center, and will help them achieve their goal of a dedicated Jim Henson wing to their new facility!

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Vettech28 sent a link to the 1982 NBC special “I Love Liberty“, in which the Muppets re-enact the Continental Congress. Something tells me this isn’t exactly how it happened, but hey who am I to argue.

Clay from Atlanta is a big fan of the Center for Puppetry Arts, just like me, and he has a way we can all help put the Center even more in the public eye.

Speed Tracer found a link to an obscure Muppet clip from the Orson Welles show, a pilot Mr. Welles filmed in 1979 for a talk show that ultimately wasn’t picked up. The website Speed found it on is run by some of the folks working on the film “Where the Wild Things Are”.

In Muppetology, we explore the subject of the Indianapolis 500, the largest single-day sporting event in the world. We talk about two Muppet pieces; the Playstation One game “Muppet Race Mania” and a clip from Sesame Street, in which Grover pretends to drive Gordon’s car.

Along with many other theme parks and summer attractions, Bush Gardens has begun its full-time summer schedule, and for Sesame Street fans old and young that also means the new Forest of Fun is now open daily. Also open is Sesame Place, the completely Sesame-themed park in Langhorne, PA.

Yoostar on May 18 announced a new partnership with Sesame Workshop to feature 160 classic and contemporary Sesame Street clips on their revolutionary new entertainment system. Now you’ll be singing the alphabet on-screen with Kermit and Grover. A-B-C-D-Cookie Monster!

Dr. Jeanette Betancourt recently appeared on NPR’s “Tell Me More” talking about the Talk, Listen, Connect initiative.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World is now showing at Seattle’s Experience Music Project. SeattlePI.com tells us 4 things you don’t know about the Jim Henson exhibit. The official Experience Music Project page for JHFW even has a new Henson fact each day the exhibit is open!

Based on the instant success of the Muppet Show Comic Book and the projected sales of the upcoming Muppets Robin Hood books, even more Muppet comics are on the way.

Make sure to check out the Muppet News Flash and ToughPigs.com for the latest Muppet news and commentary.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Also joining me in this episode is Jeff Cornett, co-director of the Puppeteers of America’s 2009 National Festival. We talk about PoA, it’s various Muppet connections, and the exciting events contained in this July’s festival. You’ll be booking your travel plans by the end of the interview!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life Should Be More Fun!

Have you ever heard of the Jim Henson Mississippi Delta Boyhood Museum? It’s in Leland, Miss – Jim’s hometown – and although small in comparison to some other Henson collections, you’ll be glad you made the trip.

The Jim Henson Company’s new CG-animated show Dinosaur Train is set to air September 7, 2009 on PBS KIDS. We first heard about this show months ago, but as we near the debut much more information has surfaced.

The annual Licensing International Expo is set to take place this year in Las Vegas June 2-4. This is the licensing industry’s largest annual event, and this year the Jim Henson Company will be there looking for new licensees for Fraggle Rock!

Brian Calvert for KOMO News in Seattle, WA posted an interview this week with Henson archivist Karen Falk, in anticipation of the arrival of Jim Henson’s Fantastic World at Seattle’s Experience Music Project. The Experience Music Project will open the exhibit to the public on May 23.

The 2009 Daytime Emmy nominations have been published, and Sesame Workshop has been nominated in several categories. Henson’s Sid the Science Kid also received two nominations, so congratulations all around!

The Sesame Street CD “Silly Songs” will be re-released this May 19, this time by KOCH Records, the company currently handling all Sesame Street CD releases. The newly themed packaging features new artwork, and a booklet containing the lyrics to all the songs.

Check out ToughPigs.com for the new works from Peter Savieri, some commentary on the recent Daytime Emmy nominations, and pictures from this year’s “Muppet Rawk” album art imitations.

Thanks for listening this week. It’s amazing to think that all of these memories, the news, the music, all of it sprung from these projects inspired and assisted by one man: Jim Henson.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Next week, during the normal course of the show, we will observe the day that Jim Henson passed away. The actual date is May 16, which is Saturday, so spend a little time watching your favorite episode of a Henson production, or maybe your favorite Muppet film. I encourage you to call or write with your special memories and messages for inclusion on next week’s show. I’m not planning on doing a special “tribute episode” as we have done in the past, mostly because I believe what we’ve already done serves as such a fitting tribute in and of itself. Then again, if I’m bombarded with your Henson remembrances, I may have no choice! We’ll see what happens.

In Muppetology, we remember actor Dom DeLuise as he passed away last week. DeLuise was a very talented comedic actor and loved collaborating with folks like Mel Brooks and Burt Reynolds. He also appeared twice with the Muppets, once as Bernie the agent (named in tribute to Bernie Brillstein, Henson’s longtime agent), and again in the second season of The Muppet Show. You’ll hear both appearances in the show.

Listener David Blain sent a link to the first appearance of Little Muppet Monsters. The Monsters appeared as inserted pieces in the Muppet Babies cartoons for a short time.

Michelle G. sent a link to the new Hallmark keepsake ornament – the Swedish Chef! Fans will love this one, illustrating a great Chef moment being held at gunpoint by the lobster banditos.

Look for an official Sesame Workshop book full of photos and memories of the past 40 years of Sesame Street to be released around early November 2009. You can go ahead and pre-order the book if you like. I still can’t believe it’s been 40 years!

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page for some new pics sent in by listener Robin! She and her family visited Sea World San Diego last year just before their Sesame-themed Bay of Play area opened to the public. Sesame Street characters were already out and about, though, taking pictures with kids and singing and dancing.

Alma sent a YouTube link to Part 1 of the Sesame special “Don’t Eat The Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art“. This is from the early 1980s. Once you view the YouTube page for part 1 you’ll see the links to parts 2-8. You can watch the whole thing!

Check out our friends at The Muppet News Flash and ToughPigs for outstanding Muppet news coverage and commentary!

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Nicholas Lemon also joins me to talk about his recent experience on Ace of Cakes, a show on the Food Network. Along with fellow puppeteer and friend Noel MacNeal, Lemon Productions has the distinction of having the first puppets in a reality series! There has to be an award for that somewhere.

David B. has two YouTube links to the Cosby Show episode “Cliff’s Nightmare” (Part 1, Part 2). Lots of fun Muppet moments here, I remember seeing this when it first aired!

BJ Wanlund found that Plaza Sesamo, the Mexican version of Sesame Street, now has episodes available for purchase on iTunes.

Speed Tracer and Hannah from Indiana both found links to the new Night At The Museum film, featuring a cameo by Oscar the Grouch. Oscar appears on screen next to Darth Vader. Very appropriate!

Check out Pete P.’s new puppet webseries Treehouse Studios! Appropriate for adult audiences, this is a fun new series created by Pete and his friends. Also check out their Facebook group!

This week’s Muppetology segment introduces us to Froggy the Gremlin, one of the true first amphibians in show business. Kermit even credits him as being an inspiration in his 2006 memoir “Before You Leap”.

In the news, Plaza Sesamo has released four Public Service Announcements on Televisia, a TV channel in Mexico, advising children how to stay clean and safe from the unfortunate outbreak of swine flu.

More Muppet comic books are on the way! Once the current Muppet Show Comic Book run is finished, artist and writer Roger Langridge is set to create a new four-part miniseries, The Muppet Show: Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson!

The Muppets, Music & Magic film series will be in Oregon during the month of May. Muppeteer Dave Goelz was on hand for the festivities this past weekend, and Willamette Week Online has a nice interview with Mr. Goelz and Gonzo!

Amazon.com now offers an exclusive CD soundtrack from the Jim Henson Company: “Sid The Science Kid Soundtrack Vol. 1“. Here’s hoping for its success, and a Volume 2 to follow soon. There’s also an exclusive Sid ringtone available for a short time at PBS Parents.

“Puppets Take Atlanta & Beyond” is a special puppetry event coming to Atlanta, GA this summer, coinciding with the Puppeteers of America’s National Festival and Conference. A huge event not to be missed, and you can bet that I’m very excited about this!

Finally, WickedLocal.com brings us a special tour of Acton, MA. In a special video posted on their website, you can actually see the boyhood home of Mr. Caroll Spinney (performer of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch).

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life Should Be More Fun!

A new segment debuts this week called Muppetology. Think of it as a way to dive even deeper into the rich history and backstories of Muppet characters, performers, and productions. This week we discuss Sesame Street’s “Spaceship Surprise“.

MuppetCast listeners receive special discounts when visiting or becoming members of the Center for Puppetry Arts! Visit their website today for details.

An article from the Toledo Free Press talks about Jim Henson (among a few other success stories), and reminds us how Jim pursued things more enduring than money.

Sesame Workshop is celebrating Baby Bear’s birthday on Saturday, May 9 at Sesame Place theme park! The park is located in Langhorne, PA, a drivable distance from Philadelphia and New York City.

Elmo recently helped launch a new planetarium show at Washington DC’s National Air & Space Museum. “This is one small step for a monster, and one giant leap for monsterkind.”

Don’t forget to pick up The Muppet Show Comic Book #2 and Muppets Robin Hood #1 on Wednesday April 29! Comic book stores have ordered so many copies of The Muppet Show #2 that the distributor is cleaned out, and is already working on a second printing.

If you compared every Muppet film side by side, which would win? David O’Donnel takes on this impossible question, and makes some very good observations.

Get yourself over to the Muppet News Flash and see the special “Vote for Beaker” video. Don’t forget to vote for Beaker’s “Ode To Joy” video in the People’s Voice Webby Awards!

Listener Nic K. sent two great links this week, one assisting a fellow MC listener in the quest for a long lost Sesame Street video, and one to the Muppet Wiki helping a listener from a few weeks ago in finding a special record player. Nic requested to hear Jose Feliciano’s “A World Without Music” from Sesame Street, and fellow listener Kate O. was happy to provide that song!

Elizabeth sent a link to Public Broadcasting Atlanta, and a special behind-the-scenes video they produced for the Center’s show “The Little Pirate Mermaid”.

New to The MuppetCast Flickr page: Muppet wallpapers from Darrin, John P. puppeteering Audrey II in a school production of “Little Shop of Horrors”, and a Muppet sticker sheet from Michele G!

Grant H. is a Canadian puppeteer and has a new Czech Black piece on his website, The Abstractions.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Are you ready for Free Comic Book Day?

In 2008 Disney’s Muppets Studio released some all-new viral videos of some of our favorite Muppet characters (complete with Statler & Waldorf heckling at the end). One of these has attracted so much attention and admiration from fans that it’s now been nominated for a Webby Award! Watch Beaker’s Ode to Joy and then vote in the People’s Voice Award poll.

Thanks to Tales From The Laughing Place magazine, we now have something of a release date for The Muppet Show Season 4 DVD collection. Unfortunately it won’t be until 2010. However, we now also have new Muppet Whatnot Workshops coming to Disney’s California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

If you or your child is a fan of Sid the Science Kid, you can look forward to a week of new episodes starting on May 4. Check your local PBS listings for details.

Film.com is set to feature all-new Henson Alternative branded web series S.U.D.S. and Alt/Reality, along with a few clips of the live Henson stage show Puppet Up! Uncensored.

Australian parents will be happy to hear that Sesame Workshop is partnering with Brumby’s Bakeries to expand their Healthy Habits for Life program. Special Sesame school-ready items are being given away with certain purchases.

Sesame Workshop will receive the lifetime achievement award this summer at the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy awards. Congratulations!

Check out Elmo’s appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last week. In fact, head over to ToughPigs.com and check out all the recent Muppet TV appearances!

Listener Cory sent links to REM’s “Furry Happy Monsters” and The Muppet Show’s “Danny Boy“. Both classic Muppet bits, check them out. He also asked about a video, and I think he’s talking about the Sesame DVD “Sleepytime Songs & Stories“. For about $8, might as well pick it up!

SesameStMuppets from the Muppet Central Forums has a new video project to share with The MuppetCast audience: a puppet version of “Romeo & Juliet”, with plenty of Muppet references.

Stay tuned next week, when we’re scheduled to talk to Sesame Workshop about the Summer 2009 travel season, and where you can find Sesame characters and experiences around the country.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

This special episode features an interview with one of the most-requested Muppet performers among the fans, Jerry Nelson. Now retired, Mr. Nelson was one of the very early Muppeers, working closely with Jim Henson on projects like Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock; not to mention numerous Henson films like The Muppet Movie, The Dark Crystal, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. His career spans over 40 years, with much of that time spent as a principal Muppet performer.

Thanks to everyone who left voicemails and sent in special audio pieces for the show. It truly is the Muppets fans – from all over the world and from every walk of life – that keep The MuppetCast afloat. I sincerely appreciate your listening.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Sonia is also a highly sought-after guest speaker, so be sure and catch her in these upcoming appearances:
Sept 25, 2009: San Antonio, TX
Oct 14, 2009: San Jose, CA – YWCA Keynote address

Next week is The MuppetCast’s 2nd Anniversary Show! I’m still in disbelief, but thanks to your support we’re still alive and kicking! So to celebrate, I’m featuring a very special interview with longtime Muppeteer Jerry Nelson. You read that correctly. Mr Nelson was very generous with his time and commentary to The MuppetCast, and the result is a near one-hour interview that will be hear in its entirety next week, along with your emails and voicemails! Anything special that you’d like to call in or send to me for the 2nd anniversary should be done by Saturday, April 11. Thanks again everyone!

Are you on Twitter? If so, feel free to add The MuppetCast to your list of followees (and I’ll gladly follow your tweets too). Also make sure to follow The Muppet News Flash, The Muppet Wiki, Sesame Workshop, and The Jim Henson Company. Post your twitter address in the comments for this or any future episode and we’ll be sure and follow you too!

Did you know there are 3 separate Sesame Street Live productions touring the US and Canada? It’s true! Check out the new MuppetCast SSL Schedule page for show descriptions as well as show dates to find out when they’re coming to your town.

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

If you saw the recent PBS special “Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change” this past Wednesday April 1, one of the families you met were the Marcolongos of Del Mar, CA. Maj. Nico Marcolongo returned from two tours in Iraq in 2007 with PTSD, and through time and effort he and his family are now doing well in dealing with this invisible injury. The Del Mar Times reported on a PTSD support group Nico founded, and how it’s grown to include larger groups of servicepeople.

The Muppet News Flash has a video clip of Elmo’s recent appearance on NBC’s TODAY, promoting the upcoming DVD “Being Green”. Look for it starting Tuesday, April 7. They also point to a YouTube clip showing some behind-the-scenes footage from the filming for Coming Home, including some comments from Sesame Workshop CEO Gary Knell.

Sesame Workshop and Genius Products have teamed up with Amazon.com to enable we the fans to vote on our favorite classic Sesame Street clips for inclusion on an upcoming 40th anniversary DVD collection. Vote for your favorites here!

A few folks evidently put their heads together recently and filmed a mock trailer for the fictional video game “Jim Henson’s Resident Evil 5“. Whether you like the content or not (PG-13 for violence), if you watch it you’ll have to admire their workmanship. They put a lot of time into it, and I would really like to hear from at least one of the participants!

New on ToughPigs.com this week: a shiny new article from Ryan Roe taking us through some of his favorite freak-out moments from our fleecy flippered friend Kermit. Lots of great clips and commentary from ToughPigs.com! (That’s two angels, right Joe?)

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Other guests on this week’s show include author Michael Davis, author of “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street“, and listener Hilarie Mukavitz for a new Muppet List segment in which we discuss Muppet Show music hall numbers.

Michael is gearing up to do a book signing tour throughout the southeastern US, and he’d like your suggestions on where he should appear! Contact him through his website. In the meantime, here are the confirmed dates for the book tour as it stands:

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 7 p.m.
REGULATOR BOOKSHOP
720 9th Street
Durham, NC

SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1 p.m.
BARNES & NOBLE
8725 Townley Road
Huntersville, NC

MONDAY, APRIL 27, TIME TBA
A CAPELLA BOOKS
Atlanta, GA

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 8 p.m.
BOOKS AND BOOKS
Coral Gables, FL

FRIDAY, MAY 1, 7 p.m.
SARASOTA NEWS & BOOKS
Sarasota, FL

Stay tuned next week for a special announcement concerning Show #105, The MuppetCast’s 2nd Birthday!

The MuppetCast is brought to you by the letters A, I, G, and Bell, Book & Comic! Life should be more fun!

Sadly, Francis Essex, a TV executive who helped bring the Muppets to Britain, died this week. Essex worked closely with ATV’s chairman Lew Grade to bring Henson’s vision of The Muppet Show to life.

The Muppet Show Comic Book #1 was a decided success this week, as comic book distributor Diamond Comics is sold out of the book! More copies are being printed, but this book has seen a warm reception among Muppet fans. You can review and rate the book for yourself over at IGN Comics, and Muppet Central Forum member BlakeMP has a fantastic review of his own at ComiXtreme!

Sesame Place theme park in Pennsylvania will add a new waterplay structure to the range of rides on offer at the park this summer. Denver-based water ride manufacturer SCS Interactive will supply the new attraction, called Count’s Splash Castle.

MusicRadar.com recently posted their 11 greatest Sesame Street guest songs, with YouTube clips to compliment each listing.

The Muppet News Flash tells us that The Jim Henson Company and DECODE Entertainment are teaming up to produce a brand-new animated series based on the industrious little characters from Fraggle Rock known as Doozers. The company will produce 26 half-hour episodes of a new series entitled The Doozers.

After “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” is finished in Orlando, FL, where’s it heading next? Glad you asked; the exhibit will make its way diagonally across the US to Seattle, WA, to the Experience Music Project!

Listener Melanie offered up a link to the podcast Major Spoilers, a quality comic book-related show, to an episode discussing Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal.

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page for new additions from Matt, David, and Darrin. Darrin also sent some YouTube links to classic Canadian children’s puppet-based programs, including:
Casey & Finnegan
Sesame Park (the Canadian export of Sesame Street)
Friendly Giant’s Castle
Nic & Pic (a French Canadian production)

Happy Birthday to listener UncleMatt!

Listener Rafi sent a link to a blog post talking in satirical terms what the recession means to the characters of Sesame Street.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide. Follow the show on Twitter and join the Facebook page too!

Have a great week!

-Steve

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page, the Twitter feed, and the Facebook group to stay up-to-date with the show!

The MuppetCast is sponsored by our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life Should Be More Fun!

Big news from Orlando: Steve Whitmire will appear at the Orange Co. History Center April 4 and 5, to present select screenings at the ongoing “Muppets, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy” screenings. Visit the Center’s website for details.

Let’s face it, times are tough, and practically no one is immune from the economic downturn – including Sesame Workshop. Similar to the Disney company, Sesame is having to learn to operate with less overhead, and that means fewer bodies. Hopefully those let go will soon find new pursuits, and our very best wishes go out to them, as well as our hopes for better days around the corner for Sesame Workshop.

Ricky Gervais recently taped some segments for Sesame Street’s 40th season, and later did an interview for a news agency alongside Elmo (Video rated PG-13). Hilarious stuff!

Also check out Sesame Street’s Forest of Fun this summer at Busch Gardens! Highlights of the new park area include the new Alpine Express children’s roller coaster, a new performance stage, wet and dry playgrounds, a flume ride, and a shot-n-drop ride. Meet the characters and take pictures with them in their special photography studio! Visit their website for more details.

Congratulations to the Jim Henson Company for being selected to receive the Fred Rogers Award!

The Henson Company has been hard at work getting Sid the Science Kid on TV screens across the globe! The preschool science preparedness program is set to air now in France, Spain, the Middle East, Israel, and the UAE.

The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA has the honor of displaying a special “Platinum Edition” Pinocchio puppet created by master puppeteer Bob Baker of Los Angeles. See the video of the unveiling here.

Listener Max sent a link to a rare Henson instructional video, in which Jim, Frank Oz, and Michael Frith all explain the finer points of Muppet puppetry. Wonder who their audience was?

If you’re looking for Muppet Treasure Island on DVD, hopefully this Amazon link will help you out.

Tom Stewart of PuppeteersUnite.com sent a link that will hopefully aid another listener in the search for a beloved childhood toy. Is this what she was looking for?

Listener Ariel sent two more University of Maryland links (UMD was Jim Henson’s alma mater). See the 2003 Kermit statue dedication and an updated page of all UMD Henson internal links.

Finally, thanks to The Count and David Counterman for their help in some of the media clips in this episode. David has a great Kermit tribute set to the song “Frog Kissin”.

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide.

Have a great week!

-Steve

The MuppetCast is brought to you by the letter H, the number 12, and Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

I highly encourage you to watch Tales of the Tinkerdee for yourself. It’s available to view on YouTube. If you’ve never watched it you owe it to yourself to familiarize yourself with the work that spawned such characters as King Goshposh and Taminella Grinderfall.

The part of Charlie the Ogre is played here by Jim Henson’s legs.

Have a great week!

-Steve

-Steve

The MuppetCast is sponsored by Bell, Book & Comic. Life should be more fun!

Listener James has a new blog up, and his first posted work is a Muppet tribute! James is very talented, take a look for yourself and see his work on DeviantArt also.

Many years ago, late night host David Letterman had Jack Paar on as a guest, and Paar showed Dave something very surprising. Many people have heard about the famous closet of steam valves which Jim Henson meticulously decorated while he waited backstage on Paar’s show decades ago. Well, a Twitter follower sent a link to the Letterman footage where Paar first reveals this work of art to the world.

From another Twitter follower comes a YouTube link to a piece from Season 5 of The Muppet Show. Birds playing the guitar to “How Much is that Doggie in the Window“.

Ariel sent a link to the University of Maryland (Jim Henson’s Alma Mater), where students can access and view countless hours of Henson’s TV and film projects. Jealous?

Check out The MuppetCast Flickr Page for the latest fan-submitted photos. Email your Muppety photos to me@muppetcast.com.

Show #100 is coming up very soon. If you’d like to leave a voicemail to be played on that very special episode, call it in at 614-364-4270 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              614-364-4270      end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide.

Have a great week!

-Steve

The Muppet Central Forum Awards show has been moved a few weeks down the line to allow for other projects to be developed. Listen for that episode in March!

Show #100 is coming up very soon. If you’d like to leave a voicemail to be played on that very special episode, call it in at 614-364-4270. Can’t wait to hear from you!

With the popularity of the Orlando based MouseFest, a new annual event has been created: Mousemeets! Read all about it.

Jim Henson’s Fantastic World will be on display in Orlando until May 3. Recently, the Dr. Phillips Charities – the group sponsoring this Florida visit – invited some local area children to explore the exhibit.

Farscape fans get your wallets ready. BOOM! Studios will be offering a limited holofoil edition of their sold out comic FARSCAPE #1 available exclusively during WonderCon 2009.

Muppet-Beatle connections are always interesting. The artist formerly known as Cat Stevens (now called Yusuf Islam) recently recorded a version of “The Long and Winding Road” at the Jim Henson Company lot.

Don’t you get tired of people unnecessarily coming down on Sesame Street characters? So does this writer.

Caroll Spinney is a fascinating performer. At 75 years of age he’s still performing Oscar the Grouch and the forever childlike Big Bird. Read more about him here.

Sesame Street is taking kids into the digital age, not only with the exploration of the Joan Ganz Cooney center into the new digital media platforms, but by bringing new and innovative digital artists to the Street right now!

The Minneapolis-based Children’s Theatre Company’s 2009-10 season will include a world premiere musical based on Sesame Street. Bert & Ernie, Goodnight! will open in previews Sept 8 and will close Oct 25.

Listener Corey O. and friends are branching out their podcast, Total Domination. You can now find the main website here and the video component here. Also check out listener Chris W.’s podcast Interview with a Podcaster. I was lucky enough to be the guest in his very first show!

Questions/Comments about the Muppets or The MuppetCast can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Even better, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and discuss this and many other episodes with Muppet fans worldwide.

Have a great week!

-Steve

The Orlando trip, the New Jersey trip, and a lot more are also covered in my recent blog post.

Lots to talk about, and it’s all here thanks to listeners like you, as well as our friends at Bell, Book & Comic. Life Should Be More Fun!

Special thanks also to Chris “Smig” Smigliano. Check out his work over at ToughPigs.com!

There are many areas of the world where children can benefit from Sesame Street not only as a learning tool for their ABCs, but also to learn about acceptance and tolerance. None more so perhaps than in the Middle East. That’s why there’s a new Sesame International production on the Israeli Hop! TV station, Rehov Sumsum.

Ready for the new Muppet Show comic book? Here’s a very cool interview by Zack Smith at News-a-Rama.com with Muppet Show comic book writer and artist Roger Langridge.

Fans of Stephanie D’Abruzzo will be interested in this article talking about her time on the Street (and the book “Street Gang”). Stephanie’s hubby Craig Shemin will be in Orlando for an Annual Passholder Muppet Speaker Event on March 7!

CNN got Muppet-happy this week! Many people sent me the articles talking about the stories behind certain Muppet characters, and the book review of “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street”.

Toy company Hasbro and the Jim Henson Company are teaming up to introduce a wide range of toys and games based on Sid the Science Kid. Look for new products to debut in Fall 2009.

American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim recently mentioned Jim Henson in a recent talk given in West Palm Beach. In an evening titled “A Conversation With Stephen Sondheim”, he mentioned that Jim Henson had actually shown interest in making a movie version of his famous musical “Into The Woods”.

Muppet Mania is runnin’ wild (brother!) at the Orange County History Center! The Orlando Sentinel has a few more details to report from the exhibit.