A Muppetized View of the World on "30 Rock"

Last night's episode of NBC's hit series "30 Rock" (entitled "Apollo, Apollo") paid homage to the Muppets with an appearance of several unique Anything Muppets caricatures. In the episode it is shown that Kenneth, the perpetually cheerful NBC page, views the world as being populated by Muppets. Puppeteers for this segments included Sesame Street regulars Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr, and Matt Vogel. Check out the clips of the Muppet appearances below.

Sesame Street Airs "Coming Home" Next Wednesday

On Wednesday, April 1, 2009, Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change will air nationwide on PBS. This 30-minute primetime special, presented by Sesame Workshop, explores the struggles that military families face. The special features Queen Latifah, John Mayer, and the Muppets of Sesame Street. Be sure to tune in for this special television event.

"Where the Wild Things Are" Trailer

The first trailer for the highly-anticipated film "Where the Wild Things Are" hit the web today. Based on the classic storybook by Maurice Sendak and directed by Spike Jonze, "Where the Wild Things Are" is set to his theaters on October 16, 2009. The film is being produced by Warner Bros, and the titular "Wild Things" for the film were created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. These giant animatronic puppets are simply breathtaking. Check out the trailer below, or view the HD version on Apple.com.

Doozers Get "Fraggle Rock" Spin-Off

It was announced today 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".

The series, will focus on a trio of new apprentice Doozers - named Baxter, Puzzlebea and Daze, who learn through teamwork and cooperation. The series' curriculum is built around green technology and eco consciousness. Targeted at 4- to 7-year-olds, "The Doozers" is currently in the advanced stages of development and is planned for broadcast in fall 2010. Henson will handle all consumer products, licensing, and merchandising for the property.

Halle Stanford, the executive VP of children's entertainment for The Jim Henson Company, commented on the series stating: "Who could forget the industrious little Doozers who wore hard hats as they cheerfully labored alongside the Fraggles, building scaffolds composed of 'Doozer sticks' made of 'radish dust'? Now, the Doozers' are back to inspire kids to make the world a better place by making smart, ecofriendly choices, and by inventing tools, gadgets, buildings, structures, and other technology that supports the environment's ecology."

I will be sure to keep you updated as more information on this exciting new series becomes available.

Watch Statler & Waldorf on Late Night Online

As reported, Jason Segel appeared on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night to promote his upcoming film I Love You, Man. And along with promoting his new film, Segel also talked about his love for Muppets and his development of a new Muppet project. The episode also featured a very special appearance by Statler and Waldorf, who heckled Fallon and Segel from the audience. In case you missed it, you can check out all the Muppet mayhem in the video clip below. Enjoy!

The Muppet Show Comic Comes on Wednesday

The Muppets' long awaited comic book series from BOOM! Studios is almost here. The first issue of the highly anticipated "The Muppet Show: Comic Book" will hit comic book stores this Wednesday (March 25, 2009). The initial four-issue mini series, written and drawn by Roger Langridge, is based on the beloved The Muppet Show and will come packed with all the expected skits, gags, and characters one has come to expect from The Muppet Show.

In the 24-page debut issue, Kermit the Frog long for the simple life back in the swamp. As he forlornly plucks his banjo, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and the rest of the gang attempt to bring him out of his funk.

With a retail price of only $2.99, how can you say no? "The Muppet Show #1" will be released with two different variant covers; and you can order a copy of the comic book online throught BOOM! Studios' website (order cover A or cover B). Subsequent issues will be released on a monthly basis, with the second installment planned for release on April 29, 2009.

And for those who can't wait until Wednesday to get their hands on the comic, BOOM! Studios has provided Comic Book Resources with an exclusive preview of "The Muppet Show #1" - so you can read the first 10 pages of the comic online. So surf on over and check it out!

Statler & Waldorf Heckle Jimmy Fallon Tonight!

Statler and Waldorf (aka the two old guys in the balcony on The Muppet Show) will be making a surprise appearance on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon tonight (Friday, March 20, 2009). The Muppet duo will appear in the audience heckling Jimmy and his guest Jason Segel (co-writer of the upcoming Muppet film). Late Night with Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights on NBC at 12:35am (ET/PT) - check you local listings for details. Be sure to turn in and check it out the appearance of these classic Muppet curmudgeons on Late Night tonight!

Ain't It Cool News Reviews New Muppet Movie Script

As many of you are probably aware, actor/writer Jason Segel and writer/director Nick Stoller have been working on a screenplay for a new Muppet movie. Last year, Segel had confirmed that they were half way through a script, and more recently Segel said that the duo turned in a 114-page script to the executives at Disney. Now a source at Ain't It Cool News claims to have read their completed draft and shares some thoughts on the completed script. The project has the working title of The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time, and the script review is full of spoilers.

The basic premise is pretty close to what was revealed back in 2008 – basically a story centering on Kermit having to reunite the gang to save the studio from an evil oil tycoon. Ain't It Cool News' script review also describes many of the planned celebrity cameos, along with sharing details on some specific scenes, parodies, gags, and even what characters are (and are not) featured in the script. The reviewer (under the alias "The Great Gonzo") shares their thoughts on the script (including the good and the bad) and it is definitely full of spoilers - so if you don't want to ruin the fun of seeing the movie, I suggest simply not reading it.

Please note that the opinions in this review are merely those of one individual who read a draft of the script. The script is still very much a work-in-progress and a whole lot could change between now and when they actually start filming. However, this script review does give an idea on the direction Segel and Stoller are planning to take the characters with their script.

I will be sure to keep you updated with more information on this project as information continues to surface.

Farscape Celebrates 10th Anniversary

This Thursday (March 19, 2009) marks the tenth anniversary of the debut of "Farscaoe", the Jim Henson Company's beloved science-fiction series. The Jim Henson Company has announced that it will launch a 10th anniversary celebration of the series by producing brand new, limited edition t-shirts available for sale through the Company's website, Henson.com. The limited-edition "Farscape" shirts will be available for 24 hours only - beginning at 12:00am on March 19th, 2009, to commemorate the ten years anniversary of the series. These shirt will be a must-have for dedicated fans and collectors of the series.

"Farscape" has continued to find new audiences as it airs in syndication and is available on DVD around the world as well as on iTunes, where it debuted as the top selling sci-fi show. Also in celebtration of the tenth anniversary of the series, Henson has placed the entire first season of "Farscape" (all 22 episodes) online for free viewing at Fancast.com. The complete first season of "Farscape" is now streaming on fancast.com -- so you can get hooked by watching free episodes from the first season whenever you want! "Farscape" fans have a lot to look forward to with a highly sucessful "Farscape" comic book series being released by BOOM! Comics and talk of "Farscape" webisodes being produced for SCIFI.com.

So be sure to surf over to Henson.com on Thursday and order your limited-edition anniversary T-shirt. And I will be sure to keep you updated with more information on "Farscape" as details become available.

Muppet Halloween Buzz

Walt Disney World Passholders were treated to a special Muppet event earlier this month at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL. The special members-only event featured appearances by Craig Shemin (Muppet historian), Dave Goelz (puppeteer), Heather Henson (daughter of Jim Henson), and the Great Gonzo (Muppet artiste).

During a brief question and answer session with the panelists, it was revealed that the Muppets may return to television later this year in a brand-new Halloween themed television special. I've since gotten confirmation from Disney’s Muppets Studio that there are serious discussions going on regarding a Muppet Halloween special for later this year. While nothing is officially set in stone, it is very possible that fans will be able to see Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Miss Piggy and the gang in a spooky and haunting special this fall. I will be sure to keep you updated as soon as details are confirmed and more information on this potential project becomes available.

In other Halloween related news, Disney has also made it known that they are working on a line of Halloween costumes based on the Muppets. So this Halloween fans should be able to dress up as their favorite characters with the help of a series of official Muppet costumes. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Swedish Chef costumes (in both kid and adult sizes) are reportedly being planned for release later this year. Again, I'll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

So while Halloween may be over 7-months away, there may be some new and exciting Muppet items to celebrate this fall; I'll keep you posted.

The MuppetCast Celebrates 100th Show

Yesterday our friend Steve Swanson posted a very special episode of The MuppetCast. This week marks the 100th episode of the remarkable fan-run Muppet podcast known as The MuppetCast. We congratulate Steve on the landmark episode, and can't wait to see what the future holds for the MuppetCast.

Steve Swanson, host of the MuppetCast, commented on the show's landmark episode in a blog post stating: "Such a landmark episode once again puts me in awe of the MuppetCast listeners, and the Muppet fan community at large. I say it over and over again - and it's true every time - this show wouldn't still be around without the constant support of people who, like me, are such admirers of Jim Henson and his work, and who have been influenced by him in so many ways."

The 100th episode is an episode that every MuppetCast fan should listen to. The podcast provides a "live" concert for its listeners with a wonderful set of Muppet songs performed by the one and only MuppetCast Band. The band plays a collection of fan-favorite songs from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Muppet films and more.

If you haven't checked out the MuppetCast, be sure to surf over to MuppetCast.com today! You can download and listen to the show's entire 100th episode (#100) by visiting MuppetCast.com or by subscribing to the show via iTunes. Again, we'd like to extend a big "Happy 100th" to the MuppetCast - and here's to the next 100!

More Stars Visit Sesame Street for Season 40

The list of famous faces that viewers can expect to see in the upcoming 40th season of Sesame Street continues to grow. Celebrity guests have always been an integral part of the the show, and the collection of stars already confirmed to appear in the upcoming season is nothing short of impressive. Several big stars have already visited the set to record entertaining and educational segments with the lovable Muppets of Sesame Street.

The upcoming season will feature guest appearances by Cameron Diaz ("Shrek"), Maggie Gyllenhaal ("The Dark Knight"), and Jeff Gordon (NASCAR driver). Additionally, as previously reported, the season will also include appearances by Adam Sandler ("Bedtime Stories"), Jimmy Fallon ("Late Night With Jimmy Fallon"), Ricky Gervais ("Extras"), Jason Mraz (musician), Judah Friedlander ("30 Rock"), and many others.

The 40th season of Sesame Street is planned to premiere on PBS in November, and I will be sure to keep you updated with more details on the exciting new season as more information becomes available.

Sesame Street Brings A Magical Birthday Adventure to DVD

Sesame Workshop is planning to release a new direct-to-DVD feature full of birthday magic. "Sesame Street: Elmo and Abby's Birthday Fun!" is a new DVD planned for release from Genius Products on June 2, 2009.

In this 45-minute DVD, Elmo and Abby learn about the many ways that birthdays are celebrated. It's Dorothy's birthday and Elmo is excited to celebrate his little fish’s birthday. Abby wants to help, but she has never been to a Sesame Street birthday party – only fairy tale birthday parties. Elmo teaches Abby all about pinning the tail on a donkey, playing the piñata game, and opening presents. Then Abby magically takes Elmo on an adventure to Fairytaleland, where they take part in Little Red Riding Hood's birthday celebration and play a variety of fairy tale games - including fetching a pail of water and pulling plums out of pies. The DVD will also feature a new "Birthday Dance" music video as well as the "Elmo's World" segment exploring birthdays.

So be sure to keep you eyes out for this exciting new DVD release, and I will be sure to keep you updated with more information on all the upcoming Sesame Street home video titles as more information becomes available.