Somewhere Over the Rainbow … Connection?!
Earlier this week, the Walt Disney Company finally decided to do something with its latest acquisition — AKA Jim Henson’s Muppets — by greenlighting production of a new TV movie for Kermit and Co. to star in. This time around, the Muppets will be affectionately sending up that classic children’s tale, “The Wizard of Oz.”
Mind you, this is NOT a project that the folks at Disney had actually originated. Truth be told, Henson had been shopping around a “Muppets Wizard of Oz” movie concept to various television networks for at least six months now. The last I heard, the folks at Fox had been giving semi-serious consideration to producing the project. (Which — perhaps-explains why the “Muppet Wizard of Oz” — though it is initially slated to air on ABC [Followed immediately by airings on ABC Family and the Disney Channel] will be co-produced by Jim Henson Productions as well as Fox TV Studios.)
“So what will this TV movie be like?” you ask. Well, for one thing, it won’t be based on the Academy Award winning 1939 “Oz” film. No, this TV movie (which is supposed to be written by Debra Frank and Steve Hayes) will mostly be inspired by the original L. Frank Baum. Though we can (obviously) expect a few off-the-wall Muppet touches to go along with this whimsical retelling of this classic tale.
“What sort of off-the-wall touches?” you query. Well, how about Miss Piggy playing a dual role in the film — appearing as both Glinda the Good Witch as well as the Wicked Witch of the West. Those who have seen early production designs for this project were particularly amused with how the Wicked Witch will be portrayed in this new “Oz” TV movie. Picture Piggy in black leather as sort of the ultimate bad-ass biker chick … and you get some idea of the way the Witch will portrayed in this film.
Yep. This isn’t going to be your Father’s “Wizard of Oz.”
Another intriguing aspect of this TV movie will be — though the “Muppet Wizard of Oz” was originally envisioned as a project that would star a single human performer in the role of Dorothy (early reports suggested that Natalie Portman of “Star Wars” fame had been approached about playing the Kansas farm girl) — now that the film is being produced for ABC Television … well, supposedly those single-human-star plans have since been changed.
Folks I spoke with earlier this week said that Disney executives have supposedly asked Frank and Hayes to create a number of cameo roles for additional human performers in their teleplay. With the hope that these cameos can then be filled by various performers from various ABC sitcoms.
Speaking of ABC, that floundering television network has supposedly put the “Muppet Wizard of Oz” on its production fast track. So look for this TV movie to go before cameras sometime later this Spring. With the idea being that the finished version of the film would then be available to air as a much-hyped event during November sweeps.
Speaking of sweeps, look for Kermit and Co. to make an appearance on ABC during the May sweeps period. When the Muppets will be the guest performers on a Jessica Simpson/Nick Lachey TV special that’s scheduled to begin taping in April.
“Why Jessica Simpson and the Muppets?” you stammer. Well, evidently some television executive thought that the blonde songstress and Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo and Animal worked so well together in that Super Bowl Pizza Hutt commercial that they ordered up an entire TV special built around that slender premise. Lachey was then brought on board with the hope that he would then give the program much broader appeal to the MTV crowd.
I should also point out that this “Jessica Simpson with the Muppets” TV special was NOT an idea that executives at the Walt Disney Company originated either. This project was supposedly put in the production fast track immediately after the Super Bowl ad aired on Sunday, February 1st. And Disney didn’t actually get around to closing the deal to acquire the Muppets ’til Wednesday, February 17th.
“So — if Disney didn’t originate the idea for the ‘Muppet Wizard of Oz’ OR that Jessica Simpson special — what IS the Mouse planning to do with the Muppets?” you wonder. Well, that is the $64 question right now, folks.
I’m told that — over the past 10 days — there have been a series of rather intense meetings between Disney officials and the crew over at Henson. Though (to date) no one I’ve spoken with has been willing go on records about what’s supposedly been said or done behind closed doors, several Mouse House insiders have suggested that Disney and ABC are looking to get a new Muppet TV show off the ground and on the air as soon as possible. Some folks that I’ve talked with have hinted that an all-new weekly Muppet TV show could be airing as early as February 2005.
Said one unnamed executive:
“That’s the plan as I understand it, Jim. We’re going to use the Jessica Simpson special in May to tease the fact that the ‘Muppet Wizard of Oz’ is coming. Then — in November — we’re supposedly going to use the “Wizard of Oz” as a platform to make people aware that the new Muppet TV show is coming in February 2005.
Then — provided that the ‘Muppet Wizard of Oz’ and the new TV series do decent enough numbers — we can then bring the Henson characters back into the theme parks in a big way. Maybe even get a new Muppet feature film — you know, something for theatrical release — in the works as well.
But — in order for this tentative plan to succeed — all of the Muppet-based projects over the next year or so have to regularly rack up huge ratings. Which is why — if JimHillMedia.com readers really want to see a whole lot more of Kermit the Frog and friends — I’d make sure to tell them to tune in for that Jessica Simpson special in May.”
So consider yourselves warned, folks. If you want to see more of Kermit the Frog in the future, you better make a point of watching that Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey TV special in May.
Okay. I know. It’ll probably be terrible. But that’s not such a huge price to pay in order to get some new Muppets stuff … is it?
Your thoughts?