Fraggle Rock Season 2 Features

HIT Entertainment has released more information the upcoming "Fraggle Rock- Complete Second Season" DVD box set, including their tentative list of features and specifications. So without further adue here are the disc specifications and sales information (including cover art) for the upcoming DVD set. Enjoy!

Fraggle Rock: Complete Second Season DVD Box Set

Disc Specifications:

• All 24 season 2 episodes
• A special Jerry Juhl tribute
• All new interviews with "Fraggle Rock" cast and creators
• Deluxe embossed collector's box and packaging
• ...and more!
  

Retail Specifications:

• 4-disc DVD collection
• $44.99 suggested retail price
• Release date: September 5, 2006

From the Balcony: Episode 27

A new episode of "Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony" was posted on Movies.com today. In the latest installment of the bi-weekly web-show, Statler and Waldorf look at Superman Returns. Plus you can learn the meaning of this week's balconism, "Armed FARCES". So check out the "From the Balcony" website on Movies.com and watch the latest episode. And be sure to look for the next episode on July 8th.

More on the "Late Night Buffet"

The Hollywood Reporter has brought forth some new information on the in development Henson TV show titled "Late Night Buffet" (which I reported about earlier).

The show is being developed for TBS, who is looking to join the cable-TV late-night programming arena. TBS ordered a single half-hour pilot of "Late Night Buffet" from the Jim Henson Company (set to be taped on July 22 in Hollywood, CA). If TBS likes what they see, then "Late Night Buffet" could easily become part of TBS's upcoming late night line-up premiering next year.

As reported earlier, the show will not feature established Muppet characters, but rather "Late Night Buffet" will create a new universe of characters. Brian Henson and Bill Barretta are set as the main performers for the new "Late Night Buffet" characters. The show features Augustus Pfiffle, the host of "Late Night Buffett", who is joined by Delbert Kastle, his sidekick and fellow puppet character. The house band will also be puppets, introducing Gina Cappellini and her pet monkeys. Like most talk shows, the show will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and will be highly improvised (with very little, if any, specific scripting).

Brian Henson said that "It's a talk show where we improvise as we go…This is the kind of character-driven work we enjoy doing."

Michael Wright (TBS senior vice president of original programming) said that "it's a different way to approach the late-night talk show… It takes the Henson brand's intelligence and warmth and mixes it with a little wickedness and fun."

I'll keep you posted as more information on the upcoming show comes our way.

From the Balcony: Episode 26

A new episode of "Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony" was posted on Movies.com today. In the latest installment of the bi-weekly web-show, Statler and Waldorf look at the upcoming car films, while the Swedish Chef serves up some Nachos Libre. Plus you can learn the meaning of this week's balconism, "STARING wheel". So check out the "From the Balcony" website on Movies.com and watch the latest episode. And be sure to look for the next episode on June 24th.

Memoirs of a Monster

As I reported earlier, Kevin Clash, the puppeteer behind Elmo, signed a book deal to write an inspirational book for adults about his life and career. Broadway Books is set to release his book, titled "My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud", later this year.

Official Book Summary:
For the past seventeen years, Kevin Clash has brought to life Elmo to life. The seven-time Emmy winner is seen by an audience of over 120 million boys and girls each daily. This inspiring memoir invites readers on the remarkable journey that Kevin has been on since Elmo’s rise to fame. As an ambassador bringing joy to children all over the world, Kevin has met heads of state and worked with stars like Robert De Niro, Jim Carrey, and Mel Gibson. With full-color photographs of the pair at work and play, this book is a treat for the eye as well as the heart. No one who reads of Kevin’s regard for his mentor, the late Jim Henson, or of Elmo’s bedside visits to the children of the Make a Wish Foundation will be able to deny the poignant impact of "My Life as a Furry Red Monster".

"My Life as a Furry Red Monster" is set to hit stores on September 5, 2006. The 208-page book is already up for pre-order on many online sites (generally retailing for less than $15) and should be an entertaining, enlightening and inspirational experience. Below is a look at the book's cover.

Memoirs of a Frog

Kermit the Frog, everyone's favorite amphibian, got himself a book deal and has sat down to write his very own book. In celebration of over 50-years in show-biz, Kermit will release "A Frog's Life: Where I've Been and the Lessons I've Learned" later this year.

"A Frog's Life" will be published by Meredith Books and is set to hit stores on September 30, 2006. The 224-page hardcover book is already up for pre-order on many online sites (generally retailing for less than $10) and should be an entertaining and enlightening addition to any literary collection. I'll keep you posted as more information on this upcoming title is released. And to top it all off, below is a sneak peak at the book's cover.

Henson's Late Night Talk Show

Plans have been announced for a new late-night Henson talk show called “Late Night Buffet”. The show will star puppets and celebrity guests and will be taped in front of a live studio audience at Henson Studios.

The program will not feature Kermit and other "Muppet Show" family characters (which are now owned by The Walt Disney Company). Instead, "Late Night Buffet" will create and focus on a new cast of puppet characters created by The Jim Henson Company.

"Late Night Buffet" is not planned to be a children's show but rather reach to a wider and more mature audience – similar to "Jim Henson's Puppet Improv" launched earlier this year. The network, premiere date, cast and other details have not yet been announced yet, however a live taping of the first episode is planned for July 22, 2006 in Hollywood, CA. If you'll be in the area and want to be in the audience of the show, you can register for free tickets on-line at AudiencesUnlimited.com.

The Jim Henson Company should announce more information on this project in the coming weeks. I'll keep you posted as I hear more on the upcoming show.

Special thanks to Phillip Chapman at Muppet Central.