Muppet Babies (2018 TV series)
Muppet Babies is an American computer-animated television series featuring toddler versions of the Muppets characters that began airing on Disney Junior and Disney Channel on March 23, 2018[1] and is aimed at a target audience of children from ages 3 to 8.[2] It is a reboot of the original 1984–1991 animated series of the same name.
| Muppet Babies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Based on |
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| Developed by | Mr. Warburton Chris Hamilton |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Voices of |
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| Opening theme | "Muppet Babies" Main Title Theme by Renée Elise Goldsberry |
| Ending theme | "Muppet Babies" Main Title Theme (instrumental) |
| Composers | Andy Bean Keith Horn |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 46 (82 segments) + (24 shorts) + special (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Mr. Warburton Chris Hamilton |
| Producers | Chris Hamilton (supervising producer) Sunisa Petchpoo (line producer) Kurt Weldon (line producer) (season 1) Eric Shaw (co-producer) (season 1) Matt Danner (co-producer) Chris Moreno (co-producer) Robyn Brown (co-producer) |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production companies | The Muppets Studio Odd Bot Animation Snowball Studios |
| Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Disney Junior |
| Original release | March 23, 2018 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Muppet Babies (original series) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The show retains several of the younger incarnations of the classic Muppet characters seen in the previous series, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo, and Animal. The series also sees the second appearance of Nanny (now known as "Miss Nanny", short for "Nancette"), and the first appearance of a new Muppet Babies member named Summer Penguin.[1]
On July 25, 2019, it was renewed for a third season, which premiered on January 4, 2021.[3]
Plot
The show details Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Summer Penguin, Fozzie Bear, Animal, and The Great Gonzo and a cast of characters using their imaginations.
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 20 | March 23, 2018 | May 3, 2019 | ||
| Special | August 3, 2018 | ||||
| 2 | 21 | August 9, 2019 | August 21, 2020 | ||
| 3 | TBA | January 4, 2021 | TBA | ||
Characters
Main
- Kermit the Frog (voiced by Matt Danner) – A level-headed and mature yet easily flustered frog who enjoys acting out adventure and playing the banjo. He is also the leader of the Muppet Babies.
- Miss Piggy (voiced by Melanie Harrison[4]) – A temperamental and self-centered pig who considers herself a star and harbors a crush on Kermit. She mostly speaks in a high-pitched voice but would at times greatly deepen when she gets passionate or angry. She is best friends with Summer.
- Fozzie Bear (voiced by Eric Bauza[4]) – A fun-loving and goofy bear who aspires to be a comedian. He is also best friends with Kermit.
- The Great Gonzo (voiced by Benjamin Diskin[4]) – A highly eccentric and unpredictable "whatever" who loves to do stunts and anything that can be considered weird.
- Animal (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker[4]) – A frenzied monster who likes playing the drums.
- Summer Penguin (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) – A kind-hearted and sweet-natured penguin from the South Pole who loves to make art. She is best friends with Piggy.[1]
- Miss Nanny (voiced by Jenny Slate[4][5]) – The caretaker of the Muppet Babies who is only seen from the shoulders down. The pattern on her stockings changes to reflect relevant elements in the episode plot. Miss Nanny won a gold medal in a gymnastics discipline at the Sport-A-Thon.
- Camilla the Chicken (vocal effects provided by Melanie Harrison) – A white chick and Gonzo's best friend who is involved with the Muppet Babies' activities.
Other Muppets
- Mr. Statler and Mr. Waldorf (voiced by Eric Bauza and Matt Danner respectively) – The neighbors of Miss Nanny who often comment about the Muppet Babies' activities from the balcony of their home.
- Rizzo the Rat (voiced by Benjamin Diskin) – A self-centered and scheming rat who lives in the mouse hole in the Muppet Babies' playroom.
- Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (voiced by Eric Bauza) – A young aspiring scientist.
- Beaker (voiced by Matt Danner) – Bunsen’s assistant.
- Dr. Teeth (performed by Bill Barretta) – The band leader of the Electric Mayhem. He appeared in a live-action transmission in "Muppet Rock" where he saw Animal perform backstage and is interested in having him join the Electric Mayhem. Animal turns him down for now as he needs to continue practicing.
- Rowlf the Dog (voiced by Matt Danner) – A cheerful yet laid-back dog who plays the piano.
- Sweetums (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) – An ogre who lives next door to the babies' daycare.
- The Swedish Chef (voiced by Matt Danner) – A mock Swedish-speaking cooking prodigy.
- Robin the Frog (voiced by Eric Bauza) – A small polliwog who is Kermit's nephew. He has a tail due to being in his tadpole state.
- Scooter (voiced by Ogie Banks) – A boy who wears a green and yellow track jacket.
- Skeeter (voiced by Cree Summer) – Scooter's athletic twin sister who wears a sports-inspired purple jacket, a baseball-shaped watch, and pig tails.
Other characters
- Priscilla – One of Camilla's fellow chicks who is yellow.
- Beep – One of Camilla's fellow chicks who is brown and makes the sound of a car horn instead of clucking.
- Carlos (voiced by Todrick Hall) - A blue frog that appears in "Frogs of a Feather". In "Frog Scouts", Carlos becomes part of the Frog Scouts alongside Kermit and Robin.
- Mr. Manny (voiced by Dulé Hill) - A friend of Miss Nanny. Like Miss Nanny, his head is never shown. Mr. Manny is known for his catchphrase where he states that a certain thing "is groovy" which is always accompanied by Mr. Manny doing horizontal gestures with his hands, bending his knees, and doing a motion that has him wiggle his hips. He is also shown to be a volunteer at the local library and the scout troop leader of the Frog Scouts.
- Rozzie (voiced by Charlie Townsend) - A young koala who is Fozzie's adopted sister. She is as every bit as fun-loving and goofy as Fozzie is.
Production
Unlike the previous series, the update is produced using computer-generated animation and features two 11-minute stories per episode. The series is aimed at children between the ages of four and seven.[6]
Tom Warburton, best known for creating Cartoon Network's Codename: Kids Next Door, is the executive producer and Eric Shaw, former writer on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants, is the story editor and co-producer.[7] The show is a co-production between Disney Junior, Odd Bot Animation, Snowball Studios and The Muppets Studio.
Production lawsuit
On October 23, 2020, it was reported original Muppet Babies writer Jeffrey Scott is suing The Walt Disney Company for using ideas that originated in the 1984 series without permission or credit.[8] Scott also stated that he presented ideas and concepts to Disney in 2016 that were used without his permission.[9] On January 27, 2021, Disney filed a motion to dismiss it.[10] Disney argue that Scott had nothing to back up his claims and that he did not claim ownership to the copyright of Muppet Babies as an intellectual property when he filed for bankruptcy in 2003.
Release
The series premiered on Disney Junior on March 23, 2018 in the United States, the following day in Canada, and in Mexico on June 10.[2]
Ratings
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired | Avg. viewers (millions) | 18–49 rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Viewers (millions) |
Date | Viewers (millions) | ||||
| 1 | 19 | March 23, 2018 | 0.89[11] | May 3, 2019 | 0.45 | 0.74 | TBD |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Muppet Babies | Nominated | |
| 2019 | TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Muppet Babies | Nominated | |
| Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Preschool Animated Children's Series | Tom Warburton Eric Shaw Joe Sichta Chris Hamilton Sarah Finn Kurt Weldon | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special | Jennifer Trujillo | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program | Eric Bauza | Nominated | |||
| Ben Diskin | Won | ||||
| 2020 | |||||
| Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Short Format Children’s Program: Muppet Babies: Play Date | Tom Warburton Matt Danner Andy Bean | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Performer in a Preschool Animated Program | Eric Bauza | Nominated | |||
| Matt Danner | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Program | Matt Danner Guy Moore Collette Sunderman | Nominated |
References
- Schwartz, Dana (January 25, 2018). "Meet the new Muppet Baby! A first look at Summer the penguin". Entertainment Weekly.
- Flaherty, Keely (January 25, 2018). "The Muppet Babies Are Returning To TV With A Brand New Muppet". Buzzfeed.
- "Disney Junior Orders Third Season of Hit Emmy Award-Nominated Series "Muppet Babies"". The Futon Critic. July 25, 2019.
- "Jenny Slate To Voice Iconic Role Of Miss Nanny In Disney's 'Muppet Babies' Revival". Deadline.com. February 6, 2018.
- Swift, Andy (6 February 2018). "Muppet Babies Reboot: Jenny Slate to Voice the Iconic, Faceless 'Miss Nanny'".
- "A Brand New Muppet Babies is On the Way". OhMyDisney.com. October 26, 2016.
- Holloway, Daniel (October 26, 2016). "'Muppet Babies' Reboot Begins Production at Disney Junior". Variety. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
- https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/muppet-babies-writer-sues-disney-in-la-over-reboot/2448344/?amp
- https://deadline.com/2020/10/disney-muppet-babies-lawsuit-jeffrey-scott-1234602811/
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/amp/thr-esq/disney-tells-court-to-shush-muppet-babies-reboot-suit
- "Top 150 Friday Cable Originals and Network Finals: 3.23.2018". Showbuzz Daily. March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.