Muppets as british as fish n chips [Archive]

Kaiser Gonzo

02-17-2006, 11:41 AM

Marky

02-17-2006, 12:06 PM

erm, not to pinch your american tv characters guys, but some people consider the Muppet Show as british as fish n chips, and i myself do, after all the americans would'nt have the muppets and a lot of people i know in england think the muppets are english, so The Muppet show is i suppose it was all done over here, your opinions

Well, I wouldn't go that far. Being neither Yank nor Limey I`d consider myself unbiased.

True, the Muppet Show (1976-1981) was produced in London with many brits in the production team. And true, the show itself (particularily the music numbers) were deliberately geared towards a UK audience, no doubt.

But when you look at the history of the Muppets frmo 1955 onwards, to say that they wouldn't exist w/o the UK is a rather daft conclusion.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-17-2006, 12:08 PM

yeh isee your point, but it is weird the amount of people that think the muppets are british, and was voted the 2nd greatest British Kids Show of all time in 2005

Kaiser Gonzo

02-17-2006, 12:09 PM

:eek: yeh isee your point, but it is weird the amount of people that think the muppets are british, and was voted the 2nd greatest British Kids Show of all time in 2005

Marky

02-17-2006, 12:12 PM

Perhaps they think it's British - in the UK. Not here though, nor in the States, I'm sure.

By the way, how does a show that's been out of production for 25 years win an award for 2005?

Kaiser Gonzo

02-17-2006, 12:18 PM

i don't know, its not shown on TV that often, it is just very, very popular over here, merchandise is avaliable and DVD's. the only way i got into the muppets was because of y parent s, i was born nine years after the show was on TV, my dad passed his kermit toys and love for the show onto me

MuppetDanny

02-17-2006, 01:01 PM

the only way i got into the muppets was because of y parent s, i was born nine years after the show was on TV, my dad passed his kermit toys and love for the show onto me

So your dad is a Muppet fan too? - that's great :)

I don't surpose you have in your video collection, original airings of "The Muppet Show" do you? - I have a vast Muppet Archive (click my hyperlink below ;) )

Marky

02-17-2006, 02:01 PM

To stay on topic, yes, the British element was definitely there to give it the "Zing" neede to separate it from the other stuff on TV at the time.

And like I said in another thread, it all feels too cheap and American now.
Where's the wit?

My advice to Disney...
get some perfect hybrids of American/Bristish comic sensibilty in your ranks. They're only just north of your border.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-17-2006, 02:08 PM

hey well said, get them canadians to perform and write,

MrsPepper

02-17-2006, 03:36 PM

Well, they owe alot to the brits, fer sure. The show was produced in britain, and was aired syndicated in North America. Of course, the performers are American, and chances are that The Muppet Show might have existed in some form or other without the British help, but it certainly wouldn't be the same. Plus, it being a british show, it was a big part of the culture. So I'd say that the Muppets belong pretty equally to both parts.

Edit: and yes, hire Canucks! Whoo.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-17-2006, 03:48 PM

Plus, it being a british show, it was a big part of the culture. So I'd say that the Muppets belong pretty equally to both parts.

well said that man, nice point Mrs Pepper, the Americans and British hold up the muppet flag together as one

TheJimHensonHour

02-17-2006, 04:35 PM

erm, not to pinch your american tv characters guys, but some people consider the Muppet Show as british as fish n chips, and i myself do, after all the americans would'nt have the muppets and a lot of people i know in england think the muppets are english, so The Muppet show is i suppose it was all done over here, your opinions
I agree with you and this is why I believe the show and the muppets are lacking these days the lack of british influance is not there so it just seems a bit dull....as much as I love them...thats why I think kermit seems so imature these days...either that or he's having a mid life crisis lol:)
-Vaughn Michael

spcglider

02-17-2006, 04:49 PM

The Muppets themselves are an American property... but The Muppet Show on the other hand, is DEFINITELY a BritiMerican hybrid.

But hey, I don't care who claims it... I'm just glad to have grown up on it!

-Gordon

Timotheus

02-17-2006, 05:31 PM

My thoughts exactly, spc...with the exception of perhaps where the humor comes from, why does it matter? It could come from Mars for all that it's worth; if I watch it here and I like it, what does it matter (aside from the fact that, as far as earthbound science is concerned, there is no life there to produce television)?
Now, as far as britishness to its humor, that's fine. America doesn't seem to produce any decent (and I mean that as opposed to indecent or obscene) comedy anymore. Course, there's plenty of raunchy British stuff, if I remember correctly, but now I'm just off on a tangent...

pepestarr

02-19-2006, 05:32 AM

I class the Muppet Show as British but the Muppet films as American

Barry Lee

02-19-2006, 07:34 AM

When the Muppet's host the "Tonight Show" Leo Sayer and Scooter talk about British talk. So maybe Scooter might be british.

super muppet

02-19-2006, 07:56 AM

Although The Muppet Show Can Be Called British. Jim Henson Is As Southern As Can Be He Was Born In Missisippi,USA.

baba

02-19-2006, 08:23 AM

The Muppets Are American.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-19-2006, 01:02 PM

The Muppets may be american,
but THE MUPPET SHOW is BRITISH!!!
your american tv stations would'nt even accept the muppet show, were as the kind british ones would, THE MUPPET SHOW IS BRITISH!!!!!!!

baba

02-19-2006, 01:06 PM

Some Of My Family Watched The Muppet Show When It Was On And They Live In America.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-19-2006, 01:11 PM

congradulations

MuppetsRule

02-19-2006, 02:52 PM

I find this whole thread simply un-American! :attitude:

Kaiser Gonzo

02-19-2006, 02:59 PM

oh,

Barry Lee

02-19-2006, 03:04 PM

The fact is, TMS is not only british, or american, it is universal.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-19-2006, 03:05 PM

mmm, well said.
It was made in Britain, so there is no doubt about it The Muppet show is a British Program

Barry Lee

02-19-2006, 03:08 PM

mmm, well said.
It was made in Britain, so there is no doubt about it The Muppet show is a British Program

True, but it was made for american audiences.

Beauregard

02-19-2006, 04:39 PM

The Muppets Are American.
To the British, the Muppets are very British. To the Americans, it is American.

Conclusion: It is both.

It was backed by a very british british person, and created by an american. Filmed in britian, for an american audience.

Simply stating that it is American does not make it so any more than stating that fish are chips...or visa versa.

Either way, they are tasty.

And either way, the Muppet show has a very british sence of humour tht appeals to americans, and is loved by the world!

Timotheus

02-19-2006, 05:04 PM

This seems to be a rather pointless argument...

baba

02-19-2006, 09:26 PM

I Think The Muppets Are American Jim Henson Was American Jane Henson Was American.I Think The Muppets Are A Little Bit More American But Thats Just What I Think.

Baba,

super muppet

02-19-2006, 10:36 PM

The Idea Of Muppets Came From Jim Henson Who Was Born In America.

mikebennidict

02-20-2006, 12:12 AM

I agree. Even brfore SS Henson and the Muppets were performing on Variety and talk shows like Ed Sullivan and the Tonight show. This thread as far as I'm concerned has no merit.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-20-2006, 02:54 AM

THE MUPPET SHOW IS BRITISH, It was filmed in Britian, Directed by British, It was shown to British Audiences first, Muppet Show merchandising went on sale in Britain first.

Jon

02-20-2006, 04:14 AM

Well the Muppet Show has a very british concept to it in the tradition of Music Hall. But let us not forget that a lot of the vernacular and most importantly the Accents are American!
Yes it was a British production,and also an overnight success with plenty of Merchandising to back it up,but alot of the characterisation has it's roots in America.

Jon

02-20-2006, 04:14 AM

Jon

02-20-2006, 04:15 AM

Not sure why that showed up twice!

Frogster

02-20-2006, 08:35 AM

Muppets aren't British, they're universal.

Marky

02-20-2006, 10:47 AM

:)

They're Canadian, eh?

spcglider

02-20-2006, 12:25 PM

:)

They're Canadian, eh?

Or possibly metro-sexual.

-Gordon

Barry Lee

02-20-2006, 12:30 PM

THE MUPPET SHOW IS BRITISH, It was filmed in Britian, Directed by British, It was shown to British Audiences first, Muppet Show merchandising went on sale in Britain first.

Ok, your really wining about something that is pointless like everyone say it's universal.

Marky

02-20-2006, 02:44 PM

Or possibly metro-sexual.

-Gordon

LOL!

Well I'd figure I'd settle it peacefully. They're Canadian.
American + British + broken French and Bacon (Piggy) = Canadian.

:)

MrsPepper

02-20-2006, 05:36 PM

They're Canadian, eh?

Or possibly metro-sexual.

-Gordon

What are you two implying? lol!

American + British + broken French and Bacon (Piggy) = Canadian.
You officially win.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-21-2006, 03:47 AM

I give up, congradulations Marky u win, the muppet show is everyones, sorry for causing a an argument guys,

Marky

02-21-2006, 07:36 AM

What are you two implying? lol!

You officially win.

Thank you, thank you, I'd like to thank all of those in my humble avatar...

Marky

02-21-2006, 07:41 AM

Y'know what, if we take the logic of the origin of this thread, does this mean that Fraggle Rock is Canadian (for real)?

Do your homework and you'll see which country it was done in, etc, etc, etc...

Not that I'd cpersonally claim it as so. We Canuks don't usually plant flags around like astronauts - just making a point! :excited:

mikebennidict

02-21-2006, 07:43 PM

I give up, congradulations Marky u win, the muppet show is everyones, sorry for causing a an argument guys,
Well you're probably right in the sense that TMS was a British show having been produced there but the fact you go into all this other detail including they are as Britsih as Fish n Chips whatever that means and not considering the fact Henson had 1 show called SS and some guest appearance on American TV long before TMS just made your comment sound meaningless.

Beauregard

02-22-2006, 04:31 AM

Now the ultimate questian...just how British are Fish and Chips???

Marky

02-22-2006, 07:15 AM

Now the ultimate questian...just how British are Fish and Chips???

Really greasy... probably French. Ida know... Google that one!

MrsPepper

02-22-2006, 12:15 PM

**giggles** Consider this thread muffined.
I always though Fish and Chips were scottish, for some reason... Like, specifically scottish, not just british. Is it a Great Britain thing, or no? ** ponders**

P.S. Marky, referring to your avatar, was it the otter that was the french one? That otter always annoyed me as a child... :mad: :crazy:

Marky

02-22-2006, 02:46 PM

If the Otter annoyed you, than it is most likely that he is indeed french. Heard that the li'l poutine-scarfing bugger had his trailer 'separated' from the rest.

MrsPepper

02-23-2006, 03:33 PM

**giggles** Wooow.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-24-2006, 11:43 AM

**giggles** Consider this thread muffined.
I always though Fish and Chips were scottish, for some reason... Like, specifically scottish, not just british. Is it a Great Britain thing, or no? ** ponders

Actually fish n chips are from Yorkshire in Northen England, and guess what i live there

Marky

02-24-2006, 01:02 PM

**giggles** Consider this thread muffined.
I always though Fish and Chips were scottish, for some reason... Like, specifically scottish, not just british. Is it a Great Britain thing, or no? ** ponders

Actually fish n chips are from Yorkshire in Northen England, and guess what i live there

The British are truly regarded worldwide as innovators of many things.
Cuisine is not one of them.

Xerus

02-26-2006, 11:14 AM

I've learned that half hour British shows last more than 30 minutes. Which is why the Muppet Show is now starting to show scenes that were only shown in the UK.

Marky

02-27-2006, 08:14 AM

Well, It's not so much that UK shows are over 30 minutes so much that they require less minutes within that 1/2 hour time frame for commercial time.

The same went for Canadian television up until the early 80's (we're now on par w/ americans) so back then, we Canuks (and Americans who live near the border watching it on a Canadian channel) saw the 'UK' spots, too.

Kaiser Gonzo

02-27-2006, 01:29 PM

Marky

02-28-2006, 07:09 AM

The British are truly regarded worldwide as innovators of many things.
Cuisine is not one of them.

hey Marky you can't say anything about the UK's cuisine, when all they serve in america is crap and McDonalds

Hmm... America is a large area. North, Central and South America... that's dozens of countries there. Ever been to one of them?
Now I'm personaly from Canada, the most northerly of the 3 countries which consitute North America.

Now obviously your statement is referring to the Untited States of America of which the world refers to their citizens as 'Americans'. You would not be the first limey (cough) Brit who simply refers to the U.S.A. as America. And don't feel bad, there's even many an American who erronously referes to their own country as simply 'America'.

Now that that's out of the way...
Do you not have many McDonald's over there in any of the countries within the U.K.? I know there are. I've been there many times, not to mention many other countries in Europe. Being a travel, cultural and food enthusiast, I've sampled many great dishes from Copenhagen to the Middle East. When sharing tales with travelling collegues there's a shared opinion on the domestic dishes in England.

I welcome you, Kaiser Gonzo, to share some of your experiences you've had with food in North or South America. Particularily some tales from your trips to The United States of America.

Kaiser Gonzo

03-01-2006, 02:10 PM

i've been to Boston, New York and washington, you can't go down one street without seeing a Mc Donalds.
Ad for Canada i've never been, but have heard how the canadians are a nice set of chaps, my uncle lives there,m somewhere

Marky

03-01-2006, 02:36 PM

You do have a valid point, KG. It's the American way, I guess.

As for us, I'd say we try to be a nice bunch. I`m always careful to wear a small Canadian pin so people know I'm not American when I travel abroad :D!

We (Anglo) Canadians are sort of an oddity, stuck in the middle. While we're snugly nestled above the U.S., objectively observing their giant eco-culture and way of life, our ties to the UK are still very much present. ie, Q.E.II is also our queen - our Govenor General for her still call in Parliament, we spell properly (colour, neighbour), and our sense of humor is far dryer and understated than our neighbours. Now while this is all true, we still love our American tv and movies, and our accents are generally closer to theirs as they are to yours (unless you're in the Maritimes. I can't understand a thing they say over there!)

I would suggest avoiding Quebec if you ever visit, though. THey're worse than the French over there! :eek:

Harvey Towers

03-03-2006, 04:32 PM

yeh isee your point, but it is weird the amount of people that think the muppets are british, and was voted the 2nd greatest British Kids Show of all time in 2005
Wasn't that the poll where "The Simpsons" came top?

I always though Fish and Chips were scottish, for some reason... Like, specifically scottish, not just british. Is it a Great Britain thing, or no? ** ponders**
I'm sorry. I got here as quickly as I could... How Scottish are fish and chips? That rather depends on whether or not they are accompanied by a deep fied Mars Bar...

Of course we don't always have chips. Sometimes we have cold chips. And that's a salad.

Anyway, the Muppets are part of British life, Kermit appeared at the 50th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth and The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet's Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island are all set in the UK.

However, this is not to say that they are not a big part of American life; or Canadian life; or French life; or Danish life; or whatever. I think the Muppets - especially with all the versions of Sesame Street - do so well (and we are all here) because of their world wide appeal or maybe to a basic appeal to individuals, no matter where they are.

Marky

03-06-2006, 12:36 PM

Wasn't that the poll where "The Simpsons" came top?

I'm sorry. I got here as quickly as I could... How Scottish are fish and chips? That rather depends on whether or not they are accompanied by a deep fied Mars Bar...

Of course we don't always have chips. Sometimes we have cold chips. And that's a salad.

Anyway, the Muppets are part of British life, Kermit appeared at the 50th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth and The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppet's Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island are all set in the UK.

However, this is not to say that they are not a big part of American life; or Canadian life; or French life; or Danish life; or whatever. I think the Muppets - especially with all the versions of Sesame Street - do so well (and we are all here) because of their world wide appeal or maybe to a basic appeal to individuals, no matter where they are.

Universal appeal? Sure (in the westen hemisphere). But if one must stick only one flag on the, it's gotta be the ol' stars and stripes. They're Jim Henson's. I have no prolem with that. Just like Star Wars is Geroge Lucas's

Beauregard

03-09-2006, 10:54 AM

Universal appeal? Sure (in the westen hemisphere). But if one must stick only one flag on the, it's gotta be the ol' stars and stripes. They're Jim Henson's. I have no prolem with that. Just like Star Wars is Geroge Lucas's
Long John Silver: Now there's an informed opinion.