Research
For my essay, I want to look into why the popularity and the relevance of the muppets have declined under the Disney ownership. And one thing I want to look into is the TV ratings for the ABC show, The Muppets. Because this show will give me a good idea of why the popularity of the muppets have declined.
In the United States, all tv programmes are tracked by the Nielsen Ratings. Which is an audience measurement system which is used to determine who is watching what programme at a certain time. The key demographic is 18-49 year olds and these ratings determine which programmes get renewed or cancelled.
Nielsen ratings however are not an accurate representation of the entire population, it is a sample of the "120.6 million" but the Nielsen ratings do give a good idea of who is watching what. So if a TV show has a 1.0 rating, it means that 1% of the 120.6 million households tuned in to watch that specific show.
The Muppets was picked up by ABC in May 2015 after a 10 minute pilot was screened presentation to executives and apparently received a "standing ovation" once it had finished, the pilot also received similar type of reception at a screening of pilot at San Diego Comic Con. The show began in September that same year and was about the behind the scenes of Miss Piggy's talk show: Up Late With Miss Piggy and the drama surrounding the behind the scenes of the show as executive producer Kermit the Frog, has split up from Miss Piggy and is dating another Pig, Denise played by Julianne Buescher. The show however, was no typical Muppet show. The show was marketed as a more adult Muppet show with the iconic characters dealing with adult issues, and made many sexual and drug references.
Buescher, was joined on the series along with the main Muppet performer: Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, Matt Vogel and Steve Whitmire who performed the huge ensemble cast of Muppet characters from Kermit The Frog to the more obscure Chip the IT guy.
The show which debuted in September 2015, was one of the most anticipated shows of that season. However the show quickly gained negative reviews and the viewership quickly declined before the show was cancelled after just one season.
The Muppets 2015 ratings.
The Muppets 2015 Reviews:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/sep/21/the-muppets-new-episodes-tv-review-abc
These articles give me a real understanding of how poorly The Muppets 2015 was received by a general audience. And it lead me to make the conclusion that these terrible reviews lead to the show being put in hiatus after 10 episodes and then ultimately was cancelled after one season
These poor reviews also have a connection to the Nielsen ratings seen above, The declining ratings were a consequence of these constant negative reviews that were published after the first two episodes (the first two being the best rated). People clearly agreed with these reviews and began to gradually stop watching.
Muppets Most Wanted: box office and critical disappointment?
Muppets Most Wanted was the follow up to the surprise hit The Muppets which came out in 2011 and due to the critical and financial acclaim the film received grossing over $100 million dollars a the box office, Disney ordered a sequel which later became Muppets Most Wanted which released in March 2014
While the film wasn't a total failure it failed to reach the heights of James Bobins previous instalment on a both financial and critical front while boasting bigger budget than the 2011 film.
The Muppets (2011) Budget: $45 Million
Muppets Most Wanted Budget- $51 Million
Box office:
The Muppets- $165. 2 Million
Muppets Most Wanted- $80.4 million
Critically, Muppets Most Wanted still has a very respectable 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. It still failed to reach the lofty heights of its 2011 predecessor which boasts and incredible 95% on Rotten Tomatoes
"While it may not reach the delirious heights of The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted still packs in enough clever gags, catchy songs, and celebrity cameos to satisfy fans of all ages." - Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus of Muppets Most Wanted.
Other Websites I Have Looked At:
These articles all play a part in the story of The Muppets decline in popularity under the ownership of Disney. While they all ultimately do not play the biggest part in the last 10 years, they all lead to big things over the decade such as failed projects or controversy that in the big picture are much more important in my essay.
In conclusion, all of the articles, figures and ratings that I have looked at all play a part in the decline of Muppet projects over the last 10 years. Each one has a role in the story and each thing plays a part in the next projects ultimate downfall and that is something I am very interested to explore in my essay.
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