Little Muppet Monsters
Encyclopedia
Little Muppet Monsters is a short-lived saturday morning
animated television series, airing only three episodes on CBS
in 1985. The first season of Muppet Babies did so well in the ratings, that CBS decided to expand the series from a half-hour to an hour, pairing Muppet Babies with Little Muppet Monsters. They called the hour-long package Muppets, Babies and Monsters.
), Boo (performed by David Rudman
) and Molly (performed by Camille Bonora).
Storyboard director Scott Shaw
discussed the show in MuppetZine issue #3 (Winter 1993). "The concept of this second half-hour was neither simple nor particularly well-developed," he said. "A trio of new (live-action) Muppet Monster Kids, working from the basement of the adult Muppets' home, create their own television station which broadcasts only to the TV sets in the house upstairs. Their 'shows' were such regular segments as "Pigs in Space", "Kermit the Frog
, Private Eye", "Muppet Sport Shorts" with Animal
, and "Fozzie's Comedy Corner", among others.
Although thirteen episodes were produced (some of which were incomplete at the time of cancellation), only three of them ever aired; Henson Associates and CBS agreed that the concept had never been properly thought out and just wasn't up to Henson's high standards. To Jim Henson
's credit, it was his idea to pull the show from the Saturday morning lineup.
"The now-vacant second half-hour was filled with repeats of the first season's Muppet Babies episodes, and the ratings stayed strong."
The three episodes have never been re-run. In fact it is unknown if the show will ever come to syndication unlike its other counterparts.
Despite its quick cancellation, the instrumental version of the theme music for Muppet Babies and Monsters would be used over the closing credits of Muppet Babies for the duration of that show's run.
In 1990, segments of the animated "Pigs in Space" and "Kermit the Frog, Private Eye" from the second episode of Little Muppet Monsters titled "Space Cowboys" was re-shown in the final episode of Muppet Babies titled "Eight Flags Over the Nursery".
, a division of Heron Communications, Incorporated but had 3 releases.
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
animated television series, airing only three episodes on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in 1985. The first season of Muppet Babies did so well in the ratings, that CBS decided to expand the series from a half-hour to an hour, pairing Muppet Babies with Little Muppet Monsters. They called the hour-long package Muppets, Babies and Monsters.
History
The show was anchored by three young Muppet monsters: Tug (performed by Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)
Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
), Boo (performed by David Rudman
David Rudman
David Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
) and Molly (performed by Camille Bonora).
Storyboard director Scott Shaw
Scott Shaw (artist)
Scott Shaw is a United States cartoonist and animator, and is also an esteemed conductor of the concert band at Mary Institute and Country Day School...
discussed the show in MuppetZine issue #3 (Winter 1993). "The concept of this second half-hour was neither simple nor particularly well-developed," he said. "A trio of new (live-action) Muppet Monster Kids, working from the basement of the adult Muppets' home, create their own television station which broadcasts only to the TV sets in the house upstairs. Their 'shows' were such regular segments as "Pigs in Space", "Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
, Private Eye", "Muppet Sport Shorts" with Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
, and "Fozzie's Comedy Corner", among others.
Although thirteen episodes were produced (some of which were incomplete at the time of cancellation), only three of them ever aired; Henson Associates and CBS agreed that the concept had never been properly thought out and just wasn't up to Henson's high standards. To Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's credit, it was his idea to pull the show from the Saturday morning lineup.
- "I've always felt that the juxtapositioning of live-action and animated Muppets invited an unfavorable comparison, to which the cartoon version inevitably suffered; the puppetry was just too good. The combination of Muppet babies, adults and kid monsters was very disorienting. Also, due to a lack of development time, the concept -- and therefore, the writing and designs -- never quite jelled."
"The now-vacant second half-hour was filled with repeats of the first season's Muppet Babies episodes, and the ratings stayed strong."
The three episodes have never been re-run. In fact it is unknown if the show will ever come to syndication unlike its other counterparts.
Despite its quick cancellation, the instrumental version of the theme music for Muppet Babies and Monsters would be used over the closing credits of Muppet Babies for the duration of that show's run.
In 1990, segments of the animated "Pigs in Space" and "Kermit the Frog, Private Eye" from the second episode of Little Muppet Monsters titled "Space Cowboys" was re-shown in the final episode of Muppet Babies titled "Eight Flags Over the Nursery".
Episodes
- In the Beginning (9/14/1985) -
- Space Cowboys (9/21/1985) -
- The Great Boodini (9/28/1985) -
Unreleased Episodes
- Hi, Mars (Unaired) -
- Monster Measles (Unaired) -
- Gonzo's Talent Hunt (Unaired) -
- Can't Stop the Music (Unaired) -
- Boo Monster Ace Reporter (Unaired) -
- Feels Like Rain (Unaired) -
- Foo-Foo Phooey (Unaired) -
- Penguin for a Day (Unaired) -
- Gunko (Unaired) -
- Mail-Order Guest (Unaired) -
Cast
- Pam ArcieroPam ArcieroPam Arciero is puppeteer and voice-over artist who portrays Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend, Grundgetta, on Sesame Street.-Career:Arciero earned her Master's in Puppetry from the University of Connecticut....
- - Cheryl BlaylockCheryl BlaylockCheryl Blaylock is an American puppeteer and actress on the Nick Jr. show, Eureeka's Castle from 1989 to 1995. Before she was on Eureeka's Castle, she was on Sesame Street, and The Muppets Take Manhattan. After Eureeka's Castle, she was on other shows like Oobi, The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth,...
- - Camille Bonora - Molly Monster
- Michael Earl -
- Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
- Gonzo - Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
- Kermit the Frog - Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
- Scooter, Tug Monster, Janice - Jim Kroupa -
- Kathryn MullenKathryn MullenKathryn "Kathy" Mullen is an actress, voice actress, and puppeteer most closely associated with Jim Henson projects. She began performing on The Muppet Show in its third season, primarily as Gaffer the Backstage Cat...
- - Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
- Floyd Pepper - Frank OzFrank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
- Fozzie Bear - Martin P. RobinsonMartin P. RobinsonMartin P. Robinson is a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company. He originally built, designed, and performed the puppets for Little Shop of Horrors. He is perhaps best known for his work on Sesame Street. He has performed the characters of Telly Monster, Slimey the Worm, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Tony...
- - David RudmanDavid RudmanDavid Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
- Boo Monster
Voice cast
- Greg BergGreg BergGreg Berg is an American voice actor.He has done voice-overs for various cartoons and video games. He has also been used in films as a voice match for certain male Hollywood actors...
- Fozzie Bear, Dr. Julius Strangepork - Bob BergenBob BergenRobert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri...
- Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Link Hogthrob - Richard HuntRichard Hunt (puppeteer)Richard Hunt was an American puppeteer best known as a Muppet performer. Hunt's Muppet roles included Scooter, Beaker, Janice, Statler, and Sweetums.-Early years:...
- Beaker, Animated Muppet Shorts Narrator - Hal RayleHal RayleHal Rayle is an American voice actor. He has done many roles for both animated series and live action movies.-Career:Rayle has had a number of voice acting jobs over his career. Rayle's animated series roles include Lieutenant Commander Steele in SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, Pipes, Snarl and...
- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Animal - Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
- Kermit the Frog
Creators
- Characters designed by: Michael Frith
- Tug built by: Ed Christie
- Molly built by: Joanne Green
- Boo built by: Rollie Krewson
VHS releases
This video program video by Hi-Tops VideoHi-Tops Video
Hi-Tops Video was a children's home video sublabel of Media Home Entertainment and Kartes Video Communications , active from 1985 until 1992...
, a division of Heron Communications, Incorporated but had 3 releases.
Other media
- Tug Monster, Molly Monster, and Boo Monster were also seen briefly in the special The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 YearsThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 YearsThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years is a 1985 one-hour special that aired on CBS starring Jim Henson's Muppets.-Plot:The Muppets, the characters from Sesame Street, the characters from Sam and Friends, Uncle Traveling Matt and Sprocket the Dog from Fraggle Rock, and other Muppet-related...
, which was broadcast in January, 1986. The special was shot before the decision was made to take Little Muppet Monsters off the air, so the show cheerfully plugged the Muppets' latest production—even though that production had been canceled four months earlier.
- The puppet for Tug Monster was later seen in Muppet Time as Do Re Mi Monster and later seen as different customers in Mopatop's ShopMopatop's ShopMopatop's Shop is a television series that which premiered on CITV in the UK in 1999. 260 ten-minute episodes were made and aired daily. It was a co-production between Jim Henson Productions and Carlton Television.-Production:...
.