One of the biggest questions asked aboutThe Muppetsfranchise is why the ‘80s animated seriesMuppet Babiesis not streaming on Disney+ along with hours of other puppet content, which does include the 2018 reboot of the series. As a hugely popular addition to the franchise, airing originally between 1984 and 1991,Muppet Babiesblended clips from a variety of live-action movies and TV shows with animated stories of infant versions of Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Animal, and the rest of The Muppets. However, that innovative format is what seems to be preventing the series being aired again.
Cartoonist Guy Gilchrist, who worked on theJim Henson projectamong many others, recently appeared at Los Angeles Comic-Con and was asked byDennis Does LAabout the fate of theMuppet Babies. As he explained, the biggest problem for the show ever finding a home on a streaming platform comes down to a lack of “camaraderie” among studios these days. Gilchrist elaborated:
“Besides using the stuff that was in the public domain, like the silent stuff that we used in the dream sequences… Remember, the editing on that was incredibly wonderful. We used a lot of film clips from a lot of different things, including Raiders [of the Lost Ark], Star Wars, and all of that. Jim [Henson] was very good with George Lucas. George came in and worked on Labyrinth with Jim and that was not their first collaboration. Their first collaboration was… they were across the street from each other. Jim was filming The Muppets and George was doing Star Wars across the street. Yoda didn’t work, so Jim, Frank and Kathy Mullen fixed Yoda. Then, Steven Spielberg was also a very dear friend of Jim’s, and Jim fixed E.T. because E.T. didn’t work.”
Related:The Muppet Christmas Carol Is Still the Best Adaptation of the Charles Dickens Novel
Jim Henson’s Popularity Helped Him Make Waves in Hollywood
As a pioneer of modern puppetry,Jim Henson’s contribution to both children’s entertainment and more mature puppet-based content is unequaled. However, his friendly persona and “well-liked’ status within the industry is something that allowed him to do many things that others would not have been able to.
This included things like the use of songs and pulling inbig-name guest stars forThe Muppet Show, and the use of many movie clips inMuppet Babies. For Gilchrist though, the industry doesn’t work quite the same now as everyone want their piece of the pie when it comes to copyright royalties and trademarks. This is something that caused several episodes ofThe Muppet Showto be held back from being released on Disney+ while the rights to certain songs were acquired. Gilchrist said:
“That’s why, I’m sorry to say, you will not see the original Muppet Babies, and it’s the question I get asked the most. I had a lot to do with the Babies. I know how much you guys love the Babies and would love to have them back. But I don’t really know a way that that will ever happen. It’s copyrights and trademarks and that sort of thing, unfortunately.”
For now, it seems that fans will just have to be content with their old VHS recordings of the series or the reboot series, which is available on Disney+.
