Monday Mouse Watch : Is Disney really getting ready to use the Muppets to help teach kids about technology … or does that not compute ?

Jim Hill

17 years ago

Shades of Sesame Street ! Is Mickey really looking to put Kermit & Co. back in the educational television business ?

That’s the rumor that’s currently making the rounds. Thanks — in large part — to a new online survey that was initially mentioned last Monday on the message boards over at “American Baby” & “Parents” magazines. Which is asking some rather intriguing questions about Miss Piggy & pals.

Do you want to see the Muppets return to television?
- Yes
- No
- Don’t know

Would you encourage your child to watch the Muppets in a educational and entertaining television series that (taught) them all about technology?

Don’t know

Would you find humor in watching Kermit trying to help Miss Piggy and the other Muppet characters learn all about technology?
- Yes
- No
- Don’t Know

Would you enjoy seeing the Muppets introduce special guests on their show that would encourage kids to learn about science and technology?
- Yes
- No
- Don’t know

Those are rather intriguing questions, don’t you think ? Ones that suggest that the Mouse may now have a bold new plan in the works for the Muppets.

Well, here’s the thing : Last Friday, I spoke with someone who’s in the know over at Muppets Studio, LLC (I.E. That division of the Mouse House that actually controls all Muppet-related projects). And they flat-out denied that any project like this is currently in the works.

“This is news to me,” said my un-named source. “I can tell you that we’re getting ready to shoot some mini-movies. Ones will have the Muppets interacting with members of the cast of such hit Disney Channel shows as ‘The Suite Life with Zack & Cody‘ as well as ‘High School Musical.’ But I haven’t heard anything about a new technology-based TV series being in the works.”

Mind you, my Muppet insider did admit that the Walt Disney Company is an awfully large corporation. And that it is possible that another arm of the company right now might be gathering information for a project that has yet to officially be pitched to Mouse House management and/or the folks at Muppets Studio, LLC.

But that said, some of the questions on this survey are enough to give those folks who are currently in charge of plotting the Frog’s futures (With an eye toward properly repositioning the Muppets so that they’re no longer a franchise that’s associated with nostalgia. But — rather — seen as a set of characters that really connects with today’s audiences), pause. Take — for example — these two doozies:

Do you feel the Muppets are relevant for today?
- Yes
- No
- Don’t know

How would you prefer to see the Muppets return to television?

Educational only

Educational and Entertaining

Entertaining only

Which suggests that some Mouse House executive might now have his own agenda for the Muppets. One that re-imagines these characters as direct competition for their old “Sesame Street” compatriots. Only — instead of teaching ABC & 1,2,3 — Kermit & Co. would now be helping kids become computer-literate.

Now where this gets interesting is that — this past Friday afternoon — I spoke with some folks over at Disney Channel. And while none of these people had heard anything about a new Muppet technology show being in the works, I have to say that they immediately sparked to this idea.

As one executive associated with “Playhouse Disney” explained it to me:

“A show like that would be a great way to relaunch the franchise. Expose those characters to a much younger audience, make the kids bond with Kermit. Plus a program like that would be a nice companion for ‘Mickey Mouse Playhouse‘ and ‘My Pals Tigger & Pooh.’

Jeese, I hope that this isn’t just some rumor. I’d really like to see a show like this happen.”

Mind you, a writer with a longtime association with the Muppets doesn’t share this executive’s assessment. When I asked this also-un-named source what they thought of this Muppet technology show idea, this writer replied by saying that:

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. The technology thing could be a good idea. But in my experience, kids don’t have a big problem learning technology. Their parents do.”

Which may explain what this question is doing in the middle of that online survey:

Would you as an adult watch the Muppets teaching the world about technology?
- Yes
- No
- Don’t know

I guess I should also mention that — while this un-named writer went on to say that he thought it would be a mistake to star the classic Muppet characters in a show like this because it might then ruin Disney’s chance to put Miss Piggy & pals back on prime time television and/or have the Muppets appear in feature films again … Well, a TV show like this might still be an excellent way to revive the Muppet Babies brand. Which is one of the properties that the Walt Disney Company got from the Jim Henson Company when the Mouse acquired the Muppets back in 2004.

So where does that leave things ? We have a semi-official denial for the folks at Muppets Studios, LLC. And yet the people over at Playhouse Disney are really hoping that this rumor becomes a reality. And then we have a veteran Muppet writer who says that — while a technology-teaching-based show would be a very poor choice for Piggy & pals — a program like this could still be a great way to revive the Muppet Babies franchise.

I know, I know. You now have just enough information to be totally confused.

Me personally ? I don’t know. There’s just something about this whole thing that doesn’t quite pass the sniff test. By that I mean : The Disney surveys that I’ve seen to-date are very carefully written. Since they are usually looking for specific information, these surveys typically feature very precise language. So when I read a question that’s written like this:

If the Muppets return to television and their show accomplishes for technology literacy what Sesame street did for reading literacy. How would you rate their overall performance in making a difference?
- Fair
- Good
- Excellent

… That just sets off alarm bells in my head. I mean, I’ve read forward-looking statements before. But a question that asks you to guage the overall perform of a program that hasn’t even been produced yet ? I’m not sure that that’s the sort of question that would actually turn up in a really-for-real online Disney survey.

But — as I mentioned toward the top of this article — maybe this survey was placed on surveymonkey.com by some Disney executive who’s still in the process of gathering information. Someone who honestly wants to know if the people who read “American Baby” & “Parents” magazines would actually be excited about a technology-teaching show that stars Kermit & Co. before he then officially pitches this project to Mouse House management and/or the folks at Muppets Studio, LLC.

And if that’s really the case … Well, now’s your chance to let your opinion be heard, people. Just click on this link and let whoever it is that actually posted this “Muppets Review” online survey know how you feel about the franchise. Do you think that it’s really appropriate that Miss Piggy & pals be used to help teach kids about new technology ?

Your thoughts ?