Del's Vegas Comedy Binge

The Jim Henson Company’s Del Kastle, co-star of the 2006 Henson/TBS pilot "The Late Night Buffet", recently attended The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas to film exclusive webisodes for TBS.com. The hilarious series, entitled "Del's Vegas Comedy Binge", debuted on TBS.com this week. The show includes exclusive five-day coverage of the Comedy Festival by the renowned Delbert Kestle (performed by Bill Barretta).

Del chats with Wayne Newton, Frank Caliendo, Bill Engvall, and others as he cruises around the Vegas strip and the events of The 2007 Comedy Festival. This production, a part of the Henson Alternative brand, is only available at TBS.com. So surf over and check out these exciting webisodes today!

Watch "Del's Vegas Comedy Binge" Now!

When Muppets Dream of Peace

Highlander Pictures is producing an all-new documentary, entitled "When Muppets Dream of Peace", which will focus on the development and production of "Sesame Stories", the renowned Israeli co-production of "Sesame Street".

Directed by David Van Taylor, the film aims to shed light on the making of the international Sesame production. "Sesame Stories" is a unique production that comprises of three parallel series geared toward Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian children, and is broadcast in Hebrew and Arabic. The cenral goal of the program is to teach tolerance and understanding.

The New York-based filmmaker traveled to the Middle East to capture behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the Sesame Workshop project from 2003 through 2005 for the project as well as conducting interviews with the puppeteers and show executives along with reactions from Israeli and Palestinian children, educators and leaders.

The one-hour film is set to debut on PBS in the fall of 2008.

Elmo Studies Opposites on Upcoming DVD

Sesame Workshop and Genius Products are planning to release a band-new DVD entitled "Elmo's World: Opposites" on February 5, 2008. This 54-minute DVD will feature three complete episode of "Elmo's World" dealing with the concept of opposites - feeling sad and happy, saying hello and goodbye, opening and closing things, and being tall versus being short. The DVD is starting to pop up around the web for pre-ordering and it is set to hit store shelves in early February. "Elmo's World" stars the loveable Muppet Elmo along with his goldfish Dorothy and his silent human friend Mr. Noodles. I will be sure to keep you posted with more information on this and other Sesame Street DVD titles as details become available.

Kermit Shops at the Wonder Emporium

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which opens in theaters nation-wide today, not only stars some of Hollywood's most beloved actors - Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, and Jason Bateman - but also features an acting cameo from the legendary Muppet icon Kermit the Frog.

Set in the fabulous toy store of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, customers of the store are greeted by the 243-year-old owner Mr. Magorium (played by Dustin Hoffman). Kermit (performed by Muppeteer Steve Whitmire) appears in one comical scene of the film as a loyal customer of Magorium's magical toy store.

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium is playing in theaters now, so be sure to check out this fun magical family film, and enjoy seeing Kermit the Frog back on the big screen.

The Inflated Muppets Take Manhattan

Thanksgiving is just a week away and that means the 81st annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just around the corner.

This years festivities will feature several Muppety items in the parade line-up. After a two-year absence, the gigantic Kermit the Frog balloon will be returning to the parade. At 78 feet long, 36 feet wide, 61 feet tall and filled with 11,000 cubic ft. of helium, Kermit makes a big green impression on the city skyline But Kermit won’t be the only Muppet traveling the parade route. Sesame Street's Abby Cadabby will be making her balloon debut in this year’s parade. Floating along the parade route, Abby will be the 4th Muppet to get a balloon in the world-famous parade – the other Muppets that have been honored with a balloon incarnation include Big Bird, Kermit the Frog, and Super Grover.

Also appearing in the parade this year is the renowned Sesame Street float. The float, appearing for its 11th consecutive year, will feature everyone's favorite Sesame Street Muppets and cast members along with plenty of music and entertainment for all to enjoy.

So be sure to tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year to catch all the Muppet magic and holiday fun. The parade airs Thanksgiving Day (November 22, 2007) on NBC from 9am to noon (check local listings for details).

The Muppets Reign at TV DVD Awards

The winners of the 2007 TV-DVD Award have been announced. The awards recognize the best releases of TV shows on DVD in the past year. Studios submitted their top DVD titles for consideration in the 18 TV-DVD categories. The titles were then rated by expert judges, and their ratings were tallied. The top TV-DVD titles in each category were then listed on an online ballot and voted upon by consumers. After much calculation and deliberation, the winners were announced and the awards presented.

"The Muppet Show – Season 2" won two awards – one for "Best 1970s Television Show" and a second for "Best Children's Series" (although many Muppet fans will argue the show is not just for children). Additionally, "Fraggle Rock – Complete Third Season" won the award for "Best 1980s Television Show".

"Dinosaurs: The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons" was also nominated for "Best Children's Series" (but lost in the category to "The Muppet Show").

Previous TV-DVD Award winners include "Dinosaurs: The Complete First and Second Seasons" (2006 winner of "Best Children's Series"), "The Muppet Show: Season One" (2005 winner of "Best Children's Series") and "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars" (2005 winner of "Best Miniseries").

Congratulations to all of the 2007 TV-DVD Award winners! Thanks to all the fans who voted for their favorite DVD, and a special thanks to the producers who made these great DVD products a reality for us to own and enjoy.

Announcing the First Muppet Fan Art Calendar Contest!

The Muppet Newsflash is proud to announce their first ever contest! We are calling all artists, of all abilities and styles, to submit their best Muppet fan art. We want to showcase the talents of Muppet fans around the world by creating the first ever Muppet Fan Art Calendar. 2008 is quickly approaching (there are just 50 days left in '07) and we want to create a calendar for the fans by the fans. The calendar, featuring twelve original fan creations, will be available for purchase online starting in January. Each month will feature artwork and graphics made by fans just like you.

So we are calling for all artists and graphic makers to submit their best Muppet-themed artwork. Images will be selected by a panel of expert judges, and the twelve most creative images will featured in the calendar. Art work can be based on The Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal or any other Jim Henson creation(s). All the nitty-gritty details for the contest can be found on the official 2008 Fan Art Calendar Contest page. We want this calendar to represent entire fan community, and encourage all artists of all ages and abilities to send in their personal creations.

Submissions must be submitted by December 31, 2007 at 11:59pm. You can submit pre-existing artwork that you've made – however all artwork must be your own creations. Please don't think you need to be Monet to submit a graphic or two, or three, or twelve to the contest. Send your submissions to gelflingwaldo@yahoo.com (be sure to put "Muppet Fan Art Calendar Contest" in the subject line).

The winners will be notified on January 1, 2008 and the calendar will become available sometime in the first week of January. We'll be sure to keep you all updated as the contest develops. So get your box of crayons and a sheet of construction paper (or whatever art medium you prefer to work in), or dig through your portfolio of existing creations, and send us your best Muppet art. Good luck!

Countdown to Sesame's Christmas Countdown!

Back in July it was announced that Sesame Workshop was planning a new holiday special entitled "Elmo's Christmas Countdown" for Christmas 2007. The one-hour television special, a musical holiday celebration, is currently slated to air on primetime network television just in time for Christmas.

Christmas finds itself in trouble when Stiller the Elf's magical Christmas Counter-Downer breaks down. It is now up to Elmo and Abby Cadabby to help find the missing parts and get the official countdown to Christmas back on track. Many special celebrity guests are said to appear in the giant musical extravaganza including Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Brad Paisley, Ty Pennington, Anne Hathaway, Tony Sirico, Steve Schirripa, and Ben Stiller (as the voice of Stiller the Elf). "Elmo's Christmas Countdown" will also feature the beloved Sesame Street Muppets; including Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Snuffy, Count von Count, Bert, Ernie, Prairie Dawn, Baby Bear and many others.

The hour-long special, written by Joey Mazzarino and directed by Gary Halvorson, will air on ABC on Sunday, December 23, 2007 at 7:00 pm (Eastern/Pacific). Be sure to check your local listings for details.

I've also been told by sources at Sesame Workshop that a DVD release of the special is planned for next Christmas (tentitivly on the schedule for October 2008). The official announcement from Sesame Workshop and Genius Products for that product is expect to roll-out next fall with more information on the release.

You won't want to miss this spectacular holiday spectacular when it airs in December - so mark your calendar and program those VCRs and DVRs. "Elmo's Christmas Countdown" will air on ABC on December 23rd! I'll be sure to keep you updated with any other news on this exciting holiday special if any more details surface.

Someone's in the Kitchen with Kermit

Kermit the Frog is set to make a special TV appearance on the Food Network this Friday. Kermit will be appearing on a special Thanksgiving episode of "Paula's Party" which will air on November 9, 2007 at 9:00pm.

Kermit will be stopping by to help Paula deep-fry a pumpkin cake as part of her "Deep Fried Thanksgiving Party" special. So set your VCR or DVR, or just tune in to catch this special Muppet appearance; be sure to check your local listings or foodnetwork.com for details.

And don't worry if you miss it the first time, because the hour-long episode will re-air on the Food Network several times throughout the month; you can catch it again on November 10th at 12am and again at 2pm, November 11th at 1pm, November 20th at 9pm, and November 21st at 12am.

Kermit Helps "Deal or No Deal" go Green on Friday

Just a reminder... as reported earlier, Kermit the Frog will be appearing on the NBC game show "Deal or No Deal" this Friday (November 9th) at 8:00pm Eastern Standard Time (central time zone, you do the math).

Kermit will be appearing as part of NBC's "Green Week", in which a week of planet-friendly and environmentally-themed programs will flood the network's line-up.

Be sure to check your local listings for details. So set your VCR or program your TiVo -- or just tune in to catch this very special Muppet appearance.

Watch Tinseltown Online

If you missed the Jim Henson Company's new adult comedy series Tinseltown when it debuted as part of the Logo Network's Alien Boot Camp anthology series on Friday (or if you want to watch it again), the entire pilot is now online at AlienBootCamp.com! So be sure to surf on over and catch the entire pilot (for free). We would like to point out that Tinseltown is a part of the Henson Alternative brand and is probably not suitable for the younger viewers out there. You can jump directly to the episode by clicking here, and for more information on the cast, crew and production of Tinseltown check out our in-depth report right here. Once you watch the pilot be sure to let us know what you think in our new monthly poll (located in the right-hand column of this page) or by posting your comments here.

Watch Tinseltown here!

Writers' Strike May Affect the Muppets

As you may know, Hollywood writers went on strike today and producers have been forced to put many projects "on-hold" until the writers return. Hollywood has been shaken up as many television shows (from sitcoms and dramas to late night talk shows and specials) and many feature films are now unable to continue with production until the strike is settled. So what does this mean for the Muppets?

Well, writer, producer and comedian Hugh Fink is one of the many people working on that new "top-secret" Muppet project that you may have heard about. Fink mentioned his involvement in developing and writing the upcoming Muppet project during several interviews about the writers strike. While earlier rumors and insider sources have implied that we would see such a project surfacing sometime in the next year, Fink has mentioned that the writers strike will inevitably cause many in-development productions to be delayed and shuffled around, and (depending on the circumstantiates) some project may even wind up being canceled. Hopefully this Muppet project survives the strike and production continues once work resumes -- I've been told it is likely the project will be safe (if only a little delayed), however the length and total impact of the strike could always cause things to change. The Jim Henson Company previously mentioned that Disney was developing an "exciting" Muppet project back at Comic-Con back in July, Muppeteer Dave Goelz (and Gonzo) also publicly hinted at a big project in the works at an event back in June, and we've heard other rumblings of this project being in the works.

The Muppets, Jim Henson Company, Sesame Street and all of Hollywood will inevitably be affected by the strike - but hopefully the dispute is settled soon so production and development can resume on all the productions that we're waiting to see. I'll keep you posted as soon as soon any more information on this Muppet project surfaces or on how the strike will affect things in the Muppets.