Wizard of Oz TV Debut is Set!

Mark your calendars! Set your VCRs! Program your TiVo! Because "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" television air-date has officially been set. The Muppet Holding Company press contact alerted me this morning that "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz" will on Friday, May 20, 2005 at 8:00pm EST on ABC (check local listings for full details). The decision to sway away from the traditional Saturday night “Wonderful World of Disney” movie programming block was made in hope to get a larger family audience. Hopefully the Friday night debut will be able to not only pull in the ratings, but also entertain millions of viewers. The premiere should be an uplifting and moving experience for Muppet fans, as that Monday (May 16) marks the 15th anniversary of the death of Jim Henson.

I was also told that more information (details of international airings, the home video and DVD releases, additional airings on other dates and channels, and promotion plans) will be available later next week. I’ll keep in contact with the Muppet Holding Company and will keep you all posted as soon as everything is set.

The debut is only 50 days away, and I know everyone has been eagerly waiting any news that they can use to help support the film in being a success. So now be sure to get everyone you know (and even those you don’t know) to watch ABC on May 20th at 8:00pm. It will be a fun event that the whole family will enjoy. So start your countdowns, and prepare yourself – The Muppets Wizard of Oz will soon be here! I’ll keep you posted as more details are avalible.

What do you want to see?

Calling all comments!!! This Friday will mark two-months of The Gelfling Waldo Files bring you daily bits of news and fun. As you have come to know, this is a place you can find all the greatest and latest Muppet, Fraggle, Sesame, and Henson news on the web. I am doing my best to build a site to please the fans. So now I'm asking you for your help. You are the ones who read this site, you are the ones who benefit from it; so what do you want to see? What do you like? What don't you like? What do you want to see me do? What don't you want to see here? Please share any and all comments, feedback, or ideas for what you would want to see (use the comments feature of this post, or e-mail me). Don't hold back; don't be afraid you'll offend me; don't be afraid to sugest something you may think is "off the wall"; tell me any idea of things you want to see done here; I'm not afraid to shake things ups if you want me to. Please give me details on what you enjoy (and don't enjoy) and what you want (and don't want). I want this site to be what the fans want, so tell me what do you want the GelflingWaldo Files to become?

Note: "Just keep doing what you've been doing" is not a sufficiant answer; let me know what has been good and what was bad; and tell me about anything else you would like to see.

Go Read a Book!

At first today seemed to be a slow news day in Muppetland. I waited until the last second to post today's bit, hoping a big story would break. I don't have news of a new DVD, the next Muppet production, or details on upcoming events. But I do have some great news that will keep you busy -- Tough Pigs' Muppet Book Club has new selection ready to go today. Hop over to Tough Pigs for a picnic pick-me-up! The Popular Muppet Fansite of Tough Pigs, has a new Muppet Book Club selection up. This time it is the 1986 Tale of the Bunny Picnic storybook. The story has everything you need (and want); pickled parsnips, sleeping potions, public de-pantsings, action, adventure, and giant hedgehogs. The whole book is up on the site, words, pictures and everything. Just click here to start reading. After you finishing reading the short book, go join discussion in the Tough Pigs Forum. The "Tough Crowd" will be discussing the book all week, so feel free to take a crack at it, put your two cents in, and enjoy. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a new exclusive "insider scoop" or some juciy breaking news (rather than the fifth fansite-related news blub in less than a week); but for today just relax, sit back, and enjoy a timeless classic made possible by Danny Horn and Tough Pigs.

The Muppets Take Tribeca Sweepstakes

The Muppet Holding Company is holding an official contest at Muppets.com that will allow a lucky Muppet-fan (and three friends) to win a special trip to the premiere of "The Muppets Wizard of Oz". The sweepstake's prize will give the winner a trip to New York City's Tribeca Film Festival to attend the red-carpet world premiere of "The Muppets Wizard of Oz". The winner will be able to see the stars as they arrive on the red carpet, enjoy a special meet-and-greet with the Muppets, and get to watch "The Muppets Wizard of Oz" on the big screen before its TV premiere .

The contest is open to adults (18 years of age and older) who are legal residents of the United States. "The Muppets Take Tribeca Sweepstakes" began today and will end on April 17, 2005. To apply for the sweepstakes you must be a registered user of Muppets.com (this is something you can do for free, and takes only a few seconds). Click here to visit the official contest sub-site for more information, official rules, and to apply. Good luck!

A Holiday Greeting from GelflingWaldo...

Muppet Central Radio Nominated for Award

From the silly to the sacred, Muppet music has impacted generations young and old. Muppet Central Radio, a service of fansite Muppet Central, broadcasts so that people around the world can listen to Muppet music 24 hours a day. The radio service is provided by Live365, an online radio service provider.

Recently Live365.com nominated Muppet Central Radio for one of it's second annual broadcaster awards under the category of "Guilty Pleasure Station". The station plays all kind of Muppet music 24-hours a day; from The Muppet Show to Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street to The Muppet Movie, and everything else . If you are a Live365 VIP member or a Live365 broadcaster and want to support Muppet Central Radio, take a moment to vote for the station (and any others that you enjoy). Polls will close by Monday April 18 - you can vote by going here.

If you are not a VIP member and have been thinking about signing up, you can do so here. There is also a free VIP trial so that everyone can vote if they want. VIP's get twice the sound quality, no ads, and Radio365, a great mp3pro player.

Philip Chapman, webmaster of Muppet Central, commented on the issue saying, "I'm really surprised by this honor. There are thousands of stations out there and for us to be selected is pretty cool since we are such a non-traditional and specific genre."

So please take some time to show your support and vote. And if you just want to listen to the great music on Muppet Central Radio just click here. Enjoy, and happy listening!

More Fraggle DVD Rumblings

The third single-disc DVD release of Fraggle Rock will be coming out in one month and one day (April 26). Many fans are eagerly anticipating the news of what's next for Fraggle Rock on DVD. The idea of season box sets has been popping up a lot in the past year, and recent rumors are starting to point towards season sets becoming a reality. Recently, the Muppeteer behind Red Fraggle, Karen Prell, posted some news on her official website that seems to shed more light on Fraggle Rock DVD season sets. On Wednesday (March 23), Karen's site was updated and shares the following news:

"The first two new US Fraggle Rock DVDs, 'Where it all Began' and 'Dance Your Cares Away' containing 3 episodes each plus extras are now available at all major video outlets. Another 3-episode DVD, 'Live By the Rule of the Rock' is due out April 26, 2005. Due to strong fan response, a full season box set of the first season/26 episodes of Fraggle Rock (with 'making of' documentary extra) is promised in the US in fall 2005! Whoopeee!!!"

"Whoopee!!!" is right. I currently have several inquires out to many people (including Karen Prell, HIT Entertainment, The Jim Henson Co., and several other Fraggle performers) to try and see if I can get you some more details and confirmation of this news. But if Karen is correctly reporting this information, than it seems like the all rumors and rumblings of the past few weeks are coming true. I'll keep you posted as more news develops on this great story - hopefully HIT will comment on the issue sometime in the next month (especially once "Live By The Rule of the Rock" is released). But there seems to be a lot more positive signs pointing to season box sets - now all we need is an official statement or press release, and we'll truly be able to dance our cares away! As always, I'll keep you posted.

Sign on Sesame

Sesame Street will be adding semi-regular segment to the show this season that builds vocabulary of a new language. It's not Spanish (that's already part of the Sesame Street program, and will continue to be), it's not French, nor is it German. Latin? Guess again. Here's a hint, it's not even spoken language. In a new segment, called "The Sign Language Moment of the Day”, children will be exposed to different words of ASL (American Sign Lanuage).

Several actors the Little Theatre of the Deaf (LTD) will be among the cast appearing in new Sesame Street segments that introduce “The Sign Language Moment of the Day”. More than 25 new segments of "The Sign Language Moment of the Day" will appear throughout the upcoming season. The scenes feature the LTD cast with some well-known Muppet friends including Elmo and Big Bird. Together they teach the audience new words in ASL.

Founded in 1967, the National Theatre of the Deaf is the oldest continually producing and touring professional Deaf Theatre Company in the United States. As many Sesame fans may know, this is not the first time the National Theatre of the Deaf has appeared on Sesame Street. Former company member, Linda Bove, first appeared on the show in 1975. The National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD) is excited about working with Sesame Street to educate and entertain children. Sesame Street will start airing its 36th season on April 4th, 2005 (but the first "Sign Language" segment will not air until April 13). Tune in to Sesame Street throughout the season to see the LTD cast teaching signs like “jump, dance, run, and exercise.”

Check out Tough Pigs

Many of our readers may know about the great Muppet website that is Tough Pigs (some of you may have even come found this blog because of that site). Tough Pigs is one of the must-stop spots on the Muppet fan-site tour. The site features almost everything a Muppet fan could want; including news, reviews, editorials, commentaries, events, discussion forum, and much, much more. The site is the direct result of dedicated Muppet-fan, Danny Horn. As many of you may already know, Danny posted a nice little blurb about this blog on Tough Pigs earlier today (along with a bunch of other updates). So to return the favor, I'll take today to share a small plug for a large part of the Muppet online community - Tough Pigs.

Tough Pigs updated today with a whole slue of great goodies. There are pictures and commentary on the Macy's "Muppet Wizard of Oz" window displays in New York. If you want to see the characters and displays, but you can’t make it you New York, then you'll want to check this out. There are also photos and transcripts of both appearances of the Muppets on "Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition". There is news about the premier of "The Muppets Wizard of Oz", information on upcoming DVDs, and a endorsement of this blog. But wait there's more; Tough Pigs is also gearing up for their annual Ugly Toy pageant, which you don’t want to miss. So be sure to check all that out.

Not enough for you? When you’re enjoying your visit to Tough Pigs you can also, read past reviews, editorials, and transcripts; check out a great collection of information on the Wizard of Oz; explore all the sections; and of course you can always join the never-ending party going on in their forum.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being an excellent website worthy of framing, and 1 being a festering bowl of dog snot), I give Tough Pigs an "A+". Be sure to check it out, bookmark it, and have fun.

Grover Goes Global

Grover, the fun and furry blue monster from Sesame Street, is taking on a new adventure - traveling around the world. In Global Grover, a new series of independent 5-minute episodes, Grover journeys around the world and serves as host to short live action films featuring children engaged in activities related to their individual cultures. Whether he is in Mexico, where children learn the art of pottery making; Israel, where kids from a kibbutz make a play house together; or Poland, where grandparents teach youngsters how to make scarecrows, Grover is taking part in the action through his attire, dance or humorous direct-to-camera commentary.

Designed to encourage respect and understanding in a kid-friendly way, the segments introduce viewers to new and exciting customs, traditions and daily life abroad. Global Grover takes it one step further, highlighting not only differences but also celebrating what we have in common.

Currently there will be 30 episodes of Global Grover produced, and they will be ready to be delivered to the broadcasters in Fall 2005. I'll keep you posted as more details are released.

Get in Line for an Early View of "Oz"

The 4th Annual Tribeca Film Festival will take place from April 19th through May 1st. Of the hundreds of entries, there is one that will have Muppet fans waiting in line. "The Muppet Wizard of Oz" is sure to be popular when it gets its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival before airing on ABC. Screenings are free (first come first serve) and will be on April 27th, 30th and May 1st. Details on the festival itself can be found on their official website.

If you can't make it to New York City to catch the premiere, The movie will air as part of "the Wonderful World of Disney", which is Saturday nights at 8pm on ABC. I have contacted ABC and the Muppet Holding Co about the exact air date, and they all say that it has not been decided yet. But they say it will be in "mid- to late May 2005" (the exact date will not be set until mid-April). So it will be either May 7, May 14, May 21, or May 28. (I'll keep you posted as soon as I hear anything). My sources say an announcement on the air date should be ready by Mid-April, after the whole spring Wonderful World of Disney line-up is all worked out.

They also say that they are working on setting up deals to replay it in either ABC-Family or the Disney Channel over the summer; but nothing official yet. There are also plans for a home video & DVD release, but a date or time when that would be out is not avalible either. I'll keep you all posted as the information about the release is released.

Even more on The Muppet Show DVD season sets

On Wednesday I brought you all a little news that helped clear-up the Muppet Show DVD season set confusion. People around the internet rejoiced as, for the first time in four months, there was now more information on the subject. Although the little blurb did not hold much new information, people really responded to having a little more confermation. But after that information hit the internet I continued to dig, continued to search, and continued to collection information on the sets. I was able to get in contact with several "insiders" working on the DVD project. And I asked them all a bunch of questions. I have collected all the information on the DVDs that is available. Sadly the project details are very "hush-hush" right now, because all the facts are still very loose and everything is still being worked on. Disney does not want to misrepresent anything, so until they have all the facts they don't want to say anything that could end up changing. But I've done researching, I got answers, and now I'm sharing everything known with you (and there is a whole lot of new information). For all the full details we'll need to wait for an official announcement (which I'm told should be out in the coming months), but until then this news should tide you over.

Yesterday I told you all about my new staff position at Muppet Central. The article I wrote with all the facts about The Muppet Show DVDs is now up in the Muppet Central news section. Rather than re-posting the whole thing here (‘cause it is lengthy), I'll just share a link to the news article (remember although it is not technically on this blog, it is still written and researched by GelflingWaldo, and contains the same great news reporting you’ve all come to know and love). If you have any comments, questions, or feedback on the article feel free to contact me - but I will warn you that everything publicly known at this time is in the article. Enjoy the news.

Click here to read "Separating fact from fiction" on Muppet Central

Me and MC

I wanted to let everybody know about a new part of my Muppet news reporting career. As many of you may already know, I am now working on the Muppet Central team. Muppet Central is on of the biggest and best Muppet sites on the web. I, GelflingWaldo (or should I say my non-alter-ego name, Greg James), have joinied the Muppet Central staff as a news reporter. I will be assisting Muppet Central with expanded news stories to help keep the site as current and informative as possible. So be sure to check out my work over there too - if you like this blog, you'll love my MC work just as much. My work at Muppet Central should not conflict with the operations of the blog; in fact the blog should only get better because of it. Be sure to check Muppet Central regularly to find the latest Muppet news, read great articles and reviews, explore their guides, listen to Muppet Central radio, discuss almost anything in their forums, and much, much more.

Macy's and The Muppets

Macy's and The Muppets are partners once again, this time transforming Macy's renowned Broadway windows in New York City into scenes from The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, airing this May. Muppets' Wizard of Oz co-star Ashanti will unveil the windows in a special grand kick-off celebration to Macy's much-anticipated annual Flower Show. The unveiling will take place Sunday, March 20, 2005 at 11am at Macy's Herald Square's Broadway windows.

The windows feature floral renditions of six scenes from the film recreated with thousands of live flowers. Additionally, during the spring season, exclusive Muppets' Wizard of Oz merchandise will be featured and Macy's shoppers will see a previews for the film at special kiosks stationed throughout the store. The Muppets' Wizard of Oz partnership is the latest endeavor in the Muppets ongoing relationship with Macy's. A Kermit the Frog balloon has appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since the early 1970's, and Kermit has made numerous in-person appearances at the Parade over the years. In addition, the Muppets are regularly featured as part of Macy's in-store promotions, including the 2003 Kermit holiday plush offering.

So if you are in the New York area, be sure to stop by Macy's and check out the Muppets. If you can get some pictures, feel free to send them my way, I'll share them with everyone and be eternally grateful.

A Holiday Greeting From GelflingWaldo...

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Muppet Show Season Sets - Fact or Fiction?

As many of you may know, Craig Shemin announced that Disney will be releasing DVD season box sets of "The Muppet Show" at the "Muppets, Music and Magic: Jim Henson's Legacy" event in New York last November. Interviews with many other Henson performers, employees and fans were filmed for bonus material at the event as well.

It was said at the event that the season box sets would begin arriving in the summer of 2005. Many thought that the estimate seemed a little optimistic, and people began to doubt the claims. Now, over four-months later, nothing more has been announced, reported, or found out about these alleged DVDs. The Disney customer service is unable to answer questions on such products due to lack of information. And many fans have begun to question the reports; especially after last fall brought several misreports, wild rumors, and confusion of similar DVD sets of Fraggle Rock from websites, fans, and even HIT Entertainment customer service themselves. So I decided to do some hunting to see if these reports were rumors or facts, and also try to get some more information on what to expect and when.

I found a contact inside the Muppet Holding Company (yes an actual person working inside the Muppet Holding Company – not just a Disney Customer Service rep.), and I politely asked what the deal with season sets are. Why have we heard nothing official? When will we get more details? Are these being made? And I got a response. Here it is, this is all they are willing to say. Enjoy.

“...Regarding your box set question--a proper DVD release is on the table, and being worked with. But an official release date is not available yet. Sometime this year is likely. Check back with me in a month or two and I'll have more information on the subject...”

So there you have it, you can interpret that however you like. But I do think that they are happening, and most likely sometime this year. I plan on keeping in contact with them and hopefully I’ll be able to bring you more news in April/May on the subject. I’ll keep you posted as I find out more.

Things are Brewing...

Some exciting things are happening to the GelflingWaldo Files, and in the coming days I hope to share some fun news with all of you. And to help keep the site going strong, I am planning some more little changes and additions around here. So in the next day (or two) there will be some updates, reworking, and new site features. So stay tuned for the latest GelflingWaldo Files happenings. I hope the little digital-Doozers living in my computer don't miding having to go to wok again. Stay tuned...

Ozzy & Piggy

World famous musician Ozzy Osbourne is releaseing a new CD collection on March 22, 2005 . "Prince Of Darkness", a four-CD, 52-song box-set, will feature Ozzy's great hits of the past, fourteen previously unreleased songs, including nine newly recorded cover tunes. The first two CDs will contain studio, live and demo versions of Osbourne's hits, while the third and fourth discs, titled "Oddities And Duets" and "Under Covers", contain an entirely new collection of covers of some of Osbourne's favorite songs; including songs from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and David Bowie's. And also feature great Osbourne collaborations and duets; including songs with Dweezil Zappa, Wu-Tang Clan, DMX, Kelly Osbourne, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and the one and only Muppet diva - Ms Piggy. That's right, Ms. Piggy will be heard by Ozzy fans around the world on the new Ozzy Osbourne box set. The song "Born to be Wild", originally recorded and released on the Muppet album "Kermit: Unpigged", features Piggy and Ozzy singing the classic Steppenwolf song. And the same song is now included in the box set (disk 3, track 6). So if you are an Ozzy fan (and you don't have a CD of "Kermit: Unpigged") then this box set will have a little Muppet treat for you.

Robert Iger Named New Disney CEO

The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors announced today that Robert A. Iger has been unanimously elected Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company effective September 30, 2005. He will succeed Michael D. Eisner, current CEO, who announced his intention to retire in a letter to the Board last year, and will step down as CEO on September 30, 2005. Iger first became part of Disney's management team in 1996, when The Walt Disney Company acquired Capital Cities/ABC, where Iger had been president and chief operating officer. Iger has been chairman of the Disney-owned ABC Group, and guided the complex merger of ABC with The Walt Disney Company. He has also been president of Walt Disney International, where he created an organization embracing Europe, the Asia-Pacific Region and Latin America. As Disney's president and chief operating officer, Iger works with Michael D. Eisner, chief executive officer, in overseeing all aspects of The Walt Disney Company's operations on a worldwide basis. It is unsure how this change in leadership will affect the Muppet Holding Company, the division of Disney that over sees the Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House properties. Eisner, who was a driving force in the Muppet/Disney deal, has been a strong supporter of building the Muppets up and working with the characters - lets hope that Iger understands, recognizes, and supports the Muppets as well...only time will tell.

Sesame Place Turns 25

On May 7, 2005 Sesame Place will turn 25. The "Sesame Street" amusement and water park will open their regular season this spring and will be celebrating in style. May 7th will kick off the season long celebration of Sesame Place’s 25th Birthday. Get to Sesame Place early (9:45am) to see the star studded red carpet arrival of all the Sesame Street characters! And when the gates open (at 10:00am) there’s more fun for all with cake and candles to wish a very Happy Birthday to Sesame Place. For 25 years Sesame Place, has made families smile! If you have never experianced the fun of Sesame Place, I might suggest booking a vacation to the Philadelphia/New York area sometime this year. Check out the exciting birthday parade, great special events, plus all the rides, shows, play areas, games, stores, attractions, characters, dining, and all the other things that make Sesame Place the only place where Sesame Street comes to life! Walk down Sesame Street, look into Big Bird nest, explore TwiddleBug land, and watch Elmo's World live. Sesame Place is located 30 minutes north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes south of New York City. For more information, call 215-752-7070 or visit sesameplace.com.

An Interview with a Monster

Earlier this week I reported on an Australian radio interview with Eric Jacobson. And to continue their support and promotion of the new season of Sesame Street in Australia, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) Brisbane shared another great audio interview with a Sesame Street icon -- this time it is the fun and furry Grover. Liam Bartlett of 720ABC radio asked the fuzzy monster all about life on Sesame Street; and Grover was not shy to speak up. The little blue monster sang songs, and talked about his favorite Sesame Street musical guest, his favorite food, what Oscar is really like, and much more! Although the interview was broadcast on Australian radio earlier today, you can listen to a RealPlayer file of the interview along with a short article on the ABC Brisbane Website (or just by clicking here). The interview is about 14 minutes long and is a great and fun chat with a Sesame Street icon that we all know and love. So surf over, listen, and enjoy!

A Buzz About the Fraggles

Here is the juiciest new buzz on the Internet today, please remember it is only a rumor and has not been confirmed by any official sources (i.e. HIT Entertainment or The Jim Henson Company). But here is the "word on the street"; some online sources reported that several Henson employees and performers visited HIT Entertainment this past weekend to tape special intros/bonus material for DVD season sets of Fraggle Rock.

Before you get over excited, please remember that this is just a rumor, and has not been confirmed or supported by any official sources (as of today HIT is still going on the record saying that the decision to produce season sets has not been made yet). The push for season sets is not over, but this could be the first positive sign of HIT working on them (if it is true, which it may not be). So please still continue to press HIT to produce season sets (or at least say that they are producing them). We absolutely must continue to write letters and call HIT to ensure that not only the first season is released, but the other four seasons as well, This company will listen, but they need to continue to hear your voices. Together we can get Fraggle Rock released to the public in proper season sets for all to enjoy. I urge you to write or call today:

HIT Entertainment
Attn: Consumer Relations (Fraggle Rock)
P.O. Box 9000
Allen, Texas 75013

Phone: 1-866-405-7625

Four DVD's of "Bear" in June '05

Disney (or should I say Buena-Vista Home Entertainment) is planning to release four new DVDs of the hit television show, "Bear in the Big Blue House". Each of the single-disc releases will feature three episodes of the show, and are set for release on June 7, 2005.

The first new DVD, "Early to Bed, Early to Rise", features Bear and his friends in three comfy, cozy episodes that encourage proper rest, consideration for others, and becoming self-reliant! Episodes included are "A Winter's Nap", "Morning Glory", and "Go To Sleep". The DVD also features four bonus sing-along songs, and will retail for $14.95 (or less).

Excitement is everywhere on the next DVD of the Big Blue House -- you can see it, hear it, touch it, taste it, and even smell it – and "Sense-sational" features three delightful adventures that promote creative exploration and imagination! The episodes found on this disc are "Smell-O-Rama", "The Senseless Detectives", and "sense-sational". The disc will also feature four bonus sing-along songs. The total run-time is 72- minutes, and will retail for $14.95 (or less).

The third DVD release, "Storytelling with Bear", is all about storytelling, vocabulary skills, kindness and sharing. Episodes on the disc include "What's The Story?", "Words, Words, Words", and "Read My Book". The disc will also features four bonus sing-along songs, and will have a standard retail price of $14.95 (or less).

The final DVD set for a June release is all about feeling good. "Visiting the Doctor with Bear" was originally released by Columbia Tri-Star in November 2001 (and is now out of print). Disney is now re-releasing the same collection episodes under the Disney brand-name; along with new cover art that matches the other Disney-DVD releases of "Bear" (and new DVD specs, and even a lower price than then the older version). The DVD features the episodes "Picture of Health", "That Healing Feeling", The Big Blue House Call". The disc will retail for $14.95 (or less).

So be sure to pick up these four great DVDs on June 7th. They will be a great addition to any DVD collection, and are a great way to celebrate the new Bear series, "Breakfast with Bear", premiering on Disney Channel in June.

The Muppets' Future is in "Oz"

You may already know about "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz" which will air on ABC in two months (May 2005), and will be the first major project involving the Muppets since the characters were bought by Disney. And now, it looks like the film is a big factor on determining what's next for Muppets. Since last February, Disney has been building up the Muppets and getting them back into the public's eye. Disney has put the Muppets on many TV shows, commercials, and even on the Internet. From Extreme Makeover Home Edition, to Pizza Hut, and Moves.com to Saturday Night Live - the Muppets are getting eased back into the spotlight. All of this is with the hope that the public will be more aware of the Muppets, and will sit down to watch "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz." in May.

The future, or at least the immediate future, of the Muppets is riding on how well this new Muppet TV movie does in the ratings. If "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz" wins its time-slot (or at least ranks fairly high) when it primers in May, it is rumored that Disney will greenlight production of a new Muppet TV-movie to start immediately. There is no clue of what the project would be, or when it would air (probably in 2006-07). But, based on rumors, here are some projects that have been floating and could be next on the Muppets' list: "The Muppets: Haunted Hotel", "The Muppets of Camelot", "The Muppets Leave Hollywood", or "The Muppets' Alice in Wonderland" (please note that these titles are all rumored projects of future Muppets productions; these may never be made, and whatever is next could be a completely new idea).

If Disney finds success with "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz" in May, they hope to build up the Muppet franchise with another TV-movie (or maybe two). By doing this Disney hopes to then be able to successfully launch new theatrical film or television series with the Muppets. If "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is not successful, then it'll be tougher to tell how Disney will feel about investing more into the franchise. So, in short, be sure to tune in to watch "The Muppets' Wonderful Wizard of Oz" in May and get all your friends, family, and anyone else you can to do the same.

An Interview with Eric Jacobson

As I reported earlier, in less than one month Sesame Street will be starting season 36 on American TV; but elsewhere in the world they have a bit of a delay to see the new episodes. In fact today season 35 started showing in Australia. To help promote the kick off of the season in the "land down under", Muppeteer Eric Jacobson was sent to do interviews and appearances for the Australian media.

Spencer Howson from ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) Brisbane had a nice interview with Eric (and Grover, Bert, and Fozzie). He asks about the future of the Muppets, and Eric said the feature films, TV series, specials, and more are all possibilities in the future, and many new projects are in the works. Eric also shares some thoughts on having to take over many of Frank Oz's roles, how the Muppeteers use new technologies, doing all the Muppet voices, and much more.

Although the interview was presented on Australian radio earlier today, you can listen to a RealPlayer file of the interview along with a short article on the ABC Brisbane Website (or just by clicking here). The interview is about 9 minutes long and is one of the first times Eric Jacobson gets put in the spotlight for all his great work keeping the Muppets alive and strong. And if you liked this interview you should check out these two older radio interviews that I reported about earlier from America's NPR with Sesame Street Muppeteers Caroll Spinney and Kevin Clash by clicking here. Enjoy!

Animal Jam comes to DVD

HIT Entertainment has already brought two shows from the Henson Family Showcase to DVD (Fraggle Rock, and Mother Goose Stories) , and they have plans for many others to be released in the coming year. The next show to get a DVD release is Jim Henson's Animal Jam. The show is a wild, music-driven, live-action dance show for preschoolers. Hosted by loveable puppets, Animal Jam used real-life kids and puppet characters to teach movement and physical skills. Animal Jam is a fun, curriculum-driven series designed to assist in the development of physical, cognative, and creative skills as well as, social and emotional growth. The show had tons of original songs, dance lessons, real animal footage, and humorous character-plots and sketches.

The show has two DVD's planned for release on May 24, 2005. The first one is "Jim Henson's Animal Jam: Springin' DVD" and the second is "Jim Henson's Animal Jam: Hug a Day DVD". Information on the exact features of the DVDs or cover art is not avalible at this time, but if anything is announced I'll let you all know. The DVDs are already up for pre-order on many online stores, with a retail price of $9.99 (or less). So if you are a parent of a 3-7 year-old child (or just an Animal Jam fan), I suggest considering picking up these two DVDs on May 24.

Extreme Make-Over: Home Edition

Just a reminder that tomorrow (Sunday, March 6, 2005) the Muppets will be on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. When Diamond Harris was pregnant, she was put on bed-rest and had to leave her nursing job. Husband Chris's salary as a third-grade teacher wasn't sufficient to cover their expenses, and soon they found their home in foreclosure. But the 2000-sq. ft., three-bedroom house was in desperate need of repair, and matters were made worse when Hurricane Ivan sent a tree crashing through their childrens' playroom.

Because there are so many children in the family, design team leader Ty Pennington thought the Muppets should be brought in to help. Fozzie helped carpenter Paul DiMeo construct a special photo frame for DeWayne's room. Kermit competed with Ty by running around with a mini-bullhorn to warn everyone how much time was left before the family was due home. Animal helped load furniture into the house. And Miss Piggy performed like the diva she is by demanding a script for her lines while shamelessly flirting with Ty

The hour-long episode with the Muppets will air on Sunday, March 6, 2005 at 8:00pm (7:00 central) on ABC (be sure to check local listings for details). Also be on the lookout for the Muppets the following night, Monday March 7, during Extreme Makeover: Home Edition How Did They Do That? Each Monday, the Extreme Makeover team goes behind-the-scenes of the previous night's episode to give the audience a sneak peak of how they renovated a particular families home in a we (check local listings for details, but the Muppets will most likely pop-up in the episode too. Be sure not to miss this excellent Muppet appearance.

One Month Until "Sesame Street: Season 36"

In one month (exactly) Sesame Street will be back for year number 36. The new season premieres April 4, 2005 on PBS (check local listings). In addition to the traditional goals of Sesame Street (teaching literacy, numeracy, science, and safety, all while having fun) Sesame Street will tackle an issue facing many families today: children's health. The new season features a new curriculum designed to address the importance of establishing an early foundation of healthy habits. Sesame Street's newest curriculum is part of a larger Sesame Workshop company-wide initiative, "Healthy Habits for Life," created in response to the growing crisis of childhood obesity among children. The preschool years are a crucial time in children's lives to foster healthy habits.

Along with the "Healthy Moments," the new season will feature all-new Muppet "street" scenes, new animations and original live-action films that all tout activities and behaviors that are good for you. Sesame Street will continue to introduce preschoolers to other cultures with all-new "Global Grover" segments. This season, Grover travels to Bangladesh, England, Paris, the Netherlands, and more.

New parodies, that take their cue from the world of pop culture, include: "Desperate Houseplants;" "Grouch Eye for the Nice Guy;" "Chasing the Cheese," with a new Muppet created in the likeness of sportscaster Chris Berman; "24," based on the TV series of the same name; "Cookie Monster: Food Investigator," a parody of Dragnet; and the series introduces Donald Grump, a Muppet who looks suspiciously like one of America's real estate moguls. And in addition to all this, Season 36 will also feature five new "Elmo's World" segments.

So be sure to tune in to the all new season next month, and help welcome all your friends on Sesame Street to their 36th season of entertaining and educating us all.

Sesame Street up for an Emmy

The nominations for the 32nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards were announced in New York, and Sesame Street is up for the award. The Show is nominated several times for several awards. The Daytime Emmy Awards will be handed out at Radio City Music Hall in New York on May 20. The show will be hosted by talk show host Maury Povich and will air on CBS. This is not the first time Sesame Street has received Emmy nominations; and let's hope it's not the last. We'll see in May if the show can bring in another batch of Emmy Awards this year.

New Site Features & Your Comments

Some new features have been added to the GelflingWaldo Files today - including a new frequently asked question section, and a Henson/Muppet calendar. Both of these items will be updated as time calls for it. Check the navigation side-bar for the links to these sections. Check them out! And I also have some other features for the site in the works. They will be added in the coming weeks as I finish them.

I am doing my best to build a site to please the fans. So now I ask you for your help. You are the ones who read this site, you are the ones who benefit from it; so what do you want to see? Please share any and all comments, feedback, or ideas for what you would want to see (use the comments feature of this post, or e-mail me). I want this site to be what the fans want, so tell me what do you want to see?

Pardon the Dust

Today marks one month since the GelflingWaldo Files first launched, and for that one month I did my best to bring a daily blip of Henson/Muppet news and fun. To celebrate, and also to help keep the site going strong, I am planning a little remodeling. So in the next day (or two) there will be some great updates, reworking of the layout, and new site features. So stay tuned for the latest GelflingWaldo Files happenings. So please excuse the mess as I prepare the new features. Hopefully all the little digital-Doozers living in my computer will be able to help me make the site even better. Stay tuned...