Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #104

Originally Posted on 02/18/2004 by Jeff Harris

I don't cover live-action much on this site, and the times that I do usually have a tie-in to animation or comics. Because this topic has to do with the acquisition of a massive library that happens to involve one animated project and the potential to create future animated productions, I have to talk about it in the Watchspace.

Yesterday, it was revealed that The Walt Disney Company has purchased all things Muppet related as well as Bear in the Big Blue House from The Jim Henson Company. Apparently das Maus Haus wasn't interested in the actual Henson company itself but rather the world-famous Muppet characters that they were famous for and everything bearing the Muppets brand, including Muppet Babies, the classic series responsible for the trend of making familiar characters, from The Flintstone Kids to Muppet Babies' heir apparent, Baby Looney Tunes. The purchase leads one (well, me for the biggest part) to ponder was selling off the Muppet franchise a wise one for The Jim Henson Company?

As a huge fan of Mr. Henson's works, I'm kind of divided about the deal. I mean, the Muppet brand has been so synonymous with the Henson name for so long, and to see a vulture of a company like Disney just devour it is, to say the least, disheartening. Disney plans to utilize the Muppet brand through all of its divisions, including making new productions with the characters. And what's worse? The Jim Henson Company will do all the work, and Disney will get all the credit. It'll be strange not associating Kermit's face with the Henson name anymore, especially since, at least for me anyway, Kermit IS Jim Henson.

On the other hand, perhaps the Muppet franchise sale will trigger a kind of growth for The Jim Henson Company as well. Think about it. It was just natural evolution for them. They already sold the Sesame Street characters to Sesame Workshop. Now by selling the Muppet characters and the Bear in the Big Blue House characters to Disney, the company has finally gotten rid of the last vestiges of the kid-oriented franchises they were known for. In short, this change could allow them to get a little bolder in their works.

Seriously, Farscape was just the latest Henson production to be "unconventional" by traditional Henson standards in the mold of projects like Fraggle Rock and The Storyteller, specials like Monster Maker and Dog City, and movies like Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. After all, The Jim Henson Company is always regarded as The Muppet Company by family groups and entertainment reporters. Perhaps Disney's purchase of the Muppets will allow projects that would be considered "uncoventional" to become the norm. Mr. Henson had a lot more fun doing the unconventional stuff than the commercial projects (anybody who has ever seen his short films from the 60s and 70s without the Muppets could tell that). The studio is already considering more projects with and without puppets (gads, that's right! The term "Muppet" can't be used to describe the puppets to come out of The Creature Shop nor Henson Studios anymore). Isn't that Farscape anime still in production?

Yeah, it's a bittersweet departure, but I think in the end, it'll be beneficial for both companies. Disney gets the Muppets as well as use all those dusted-off concepts they had, and Henson gets to have fun again without worrying about how to market the Muppets.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
The X Bridge Creator/Webmaster
February 18, 2004