Muppets Generations was a spin-off line of multi-media (Including comics, toys and videos) developed by The Muppets franchise as well as Hasbro, Disney and Curious Pictures. It was the first media project from The Muppets since they were acquired by Disney in 2004 and ran from 2004 to 2008.
DESCRIPTION[]
Muppets Generations has been described as a reinterpretation of the original Muppets franchise while still retaining its characters, themes and comedy. However, Muppets Generations is more focused on appealing to an urbanised tween audience and as a result, has re-invented certain elements for the demographic. The spin-off line is set in Los Angeles, California and it's characters revolve around teenagers that are heavily based off certain Muppets. While there are many that appear in the line as either supporting characters or more major characters, the line mainly focused on a main cast of 5. From 2004 to 2006, these 5 characters were Kerry Ford (Based off Kermit The Frog), Marie-Peggy Priscilla (Based off Miss Piggy), Fergus Bernando (Based off Fozzie Bear), Gabriel Tai-Genki (Based off Gonzo The Great) and Ross Dereks (Based off Rowlf The Dog), who from 2007 onward would be replaced by Scott Sawyer (Based off Scooter). Each of the characters all had their own talents and dreams, as well as having opportunities to become famous celebrities. The characters all attend an art-based high school called Henson Talent High (Named after Muppet creator Jim Henson) where they also express and work at their talents. The characters also have a main hangout at the school owned theatre just outside of the school, which is heavily advertised in the line as the main hangout spot or a place to rehearse ideas.
"Dig that music and light those lights, it's time for Muppets Generations today AND tonight Meet some brand new totally hilarious, fun-loving and talented friends who will do absolutely ANYTHING to make it big and have their names in a hall of fame! It all started in Los Angeles at the acclaimed Henson Talent High with 5 stars banding together to go against the odds, bring back the old wonders of stardom, become famous and most importantly... Having a wild and awesome time while they're at it! Now they got lots more to face including their journey to fame, the wild ideas and pursuits, some wacky hijinks, exciting sights and adventures and whole new faces to meet. They've got imagination, they've got humour, they've got sass, they've got skills and best of all, they will never give up!"
- The official description for Muppet's Generations that could be found on a variety of merchandise for the line as well as the official website.
CHARACTERS[]
THE MAIN 5[]
Kerry Ford (Voiced By: Steve Whitmire): The main advertised character and self-proclaimed "Leader" of the group. Kerry is mixed Caucasian-African American and is 15 years old. He is described as an imaginative dreamer who always has aspirations for being seen for more than what he is now and always does his best to manage everything and everyone around him. Kerry is a level-headed and appreciative person who always looks to find the best in people and always has a creative solution to solve a problem. However, he can have trouble finding his voice and can get easily overwhelmed. He also tends to focus more on his point of view than the others due to his high sense of morality. Kerry has dreams of becoming a famous director of many well-acclaimed movies and theatre productions and has a load of concept boards, scripts and cameras for practice. His birthday is May 9th (Taurus) and is based off of Kermit The Frog. He debuted in 2004.
Marie-Peggy Priscilla (Voiced By: Eric Jacobson): A majorly advertised character and the "Diva" of the group. Marie-Peggy is French-American and is 15 years old. Marie-Peggy may look like a typical sweet, romantic and charming star-in-training that just so happens to come from a rich background but in reality, she is major diva material who never stops giving up on what she wants. She is an extrovert with a love for social events and being in the spotlight, but at the same time takes her work very seriously and never takes no for an answer. At her best, she's determined, strong-headed and charismatic. But at her worst, she's self-absorbed, over-dramatic and short-tempered. Marie-Peggy is in the school's drama club and has worked for years to become a famous actress with the recordings, performance records and glamour to prove it. Her birthday is June 14th (Gemini) and is based off of Miss Piggy. She debuted in 2004.
Fergus Bernando (Voiced By: Eric Jacobson): A majorly advertised character and the "Jokester" of the group. Fergus is Latino-American (Though his background of origin is never specified) and is 16 years old. Fergus lives for a good laugh and always looks at the bright side of life, always using a good joke to cheer himself or his friends up. He's fun-loving, comedic and is a full blown optimist who even when it doubt, keeps marching forward, always puts his friends first and never leaves them behind. He always uses a good joke to brighten up the day and sometimes goes into full comedy acts, the problem is he doesn't realise that his jokes need a bit of work and has trouble accepting criticism. He is also quite clumsy and his jokes can sometimes even result in some chaos. Fergus dreams of being a world-famous comedian with his own stand up comedy routines and even starring in big slapstick comedy movies, but he still doesn't know if he can do it without some friends. His birthday is September 5th (Virgo) and is based off of Fozzie Bear. He debuted in 2004.
Gabriel Tai-Genki (Voiced By: Dave Goelz): A majorly advertised character and the "Daredevil" of the group. Gabriel is Asian-American (Possibly Japanese, though his background of origin is never specified) and is 14 years old. Gabriel lives on the edge of his seat and never backs down from a challenge, going for the craziest of ideas and acts. He loves taking risks and is an especially quirky, idealistic and eccentric person which he takes pride in and never lets anyone put him down for. He can have some weird hobbies, but that helps make him stand out more and feel "Unique". He lives his life to the fullest and is prone to taking the craziest routes to help his friends get back on track such as dare-defying performances that no one else could do. However, Gabriel is also prone to jumping into situations head first without thought and sometimes his eccentric plans don't have a first thought, resulting in a reckless, impulsive and careless nature. For years Gabriel has been training to perform the craziest and most extreme stunts and dreams of becoming a daredevil. His birthday is November 18th (Scorpio) and is based off of Gonzo The Great. He debuted in 2004.
Ross Dereks (Voiced By: Bill Barretta): A majorly advertised character and the "Musician" of the group. Ross is African-American and is 16 years old. Ross is a snarky and perceptive pianist who rarely has a care in the world and always sees life in his own, carefree manner. He is laidback and even when in stressful situations, keeps his cool and tries to keep the peace. He is a deadpan wisecracker who's sarcasm may seem pessimistic, but he lives for the mayhem with his friends and uses it to help keep that fun vibe. However, his humour can annoy some of his friends and it can make him seem clueless to everyone's problems when in reality, he does his best to provide some strange but helpful words of wisdom to those who need it. He is also prone to subtle criticism about his friends behaviour. Ross is a natural musician who always dreamed of becoming a famous pianist and singer on stage with his own albums and performances, even meeting some of his favourite stars along the way. His birthday is March 4th (Pisces) and is based off of Rowlf The Dog. He debuted in 2004 as part of the main 5, but in 2007 was replaced and taken out of any other merchandise releases such as toys and films. An issue of the comics and the website's news page article at the time of his replacement cites that due to his parents having their workplace relocated, he had to move to New York and was staying there to finish his high school years and work towards being a musician.
Scott Sawyers (Voiced By: David Rudman): A majorly advertised character and the "Smarts" of the group. Scott is Irish-American and is 15 years old. Scott is and always has been an efficient, knowledgable and orderly kid who is top at management and the work he does. At first, Scott was a timid, introverted and awkward person who had trouble expressing himself while adapting to his new school life, having low self-confidence. But after first meeting and befriending the rest of the main 5 in the theatre, Scott was welcomed as the next star in the team and slowly became more confident and social, transforming into a very resourceful and reliable friend in the process. Scott is highly-focused on his work both in and outside of school and applies that to his high levels of intelligence. He is also very organised and has plans made out for all his friends and himself. However, he also seems to be under a high amount of pressure at times and can easily get distressed and worried over certain errors that happen during or outside of projects. Scott likes to be called a "Techno-Wiz" because of his high levels of talent with computers and modern technology, using them to program his own editing software and has plans of getting into photography. His birthday is August 17th (Leo) and is based off Scooter. He debuted in 2007 as the new member of the main 5, replacing Ross after the latter retired that year and was written out of the line. He would stay in the main 5 until the end of line's run in 2008.
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS[]
Hannah Hopper (Voiced By: Kelly Sheridan): The main antagonist in the media line who began to have a prominent role in the comics and films. Hannah is Canadian-American and is 16 years old. Hannah is Marie-Peggy's rival and nemesis with a popular but mean girl attitude. Hannah has many traits similar to Marie-Peggy, but to an even worse extent. Her family is of wealthy-privilege due to their high business affiliations with film companies, working to launch their own and as a result, she sees herself as Hollywood's next big actress. Unfortunately for her, Marie-Peggy's family also so happens to have major acting experience. Hannah saw her as competition and even a nemesis in her plans and soon slowly began a severe case of rivalry, with Hannah doing everything in her power to secure her position in the school, even if it means destroying the main 5's reputation in the process. She is an extremely dedicated and persistent, but extremely bossy, selfish, narcissistic and even cold-hearted girl to everyone around her, even to the people that manage to tolerate her by being a part of her group who she takes for granted. But underneath that persona lies a hint of insecurity, which she puts on those she hates in order to feel better about herself. She also has a hint of cowardice, immediately jumping the ship whenever she's in major trouble, leaving her group to take the blame. Hannah is the only character in Muppets Generations that was an original thought and was not based off an existing Muppet. However, fans have pointed to her biography, personality and name being based on Doc Hopper, the antagonist of the 1979 film, The Muppet Movie. Her birthday is June 22nd (Cancer). She debuted in 2005.
Janessa "Janis" Hunt (Voiced By: David Rudman): A supporting character in the media line and a member of Hannah's popular trio. Janis is Belgian-American and is 15 years old. Janis has been one of Hannah's closest and oldest friends, even if it doesn't feel like it on both ends and always attempts to provide a breath of fresh air in the height of drama, successfully and unsuccessfully. While she is in Hannah's group, she is far from being vain and selfish. Instead, she takes the role of a peacemaker and has a "Hippie" vibe to her personality. Janis is very mellow, idealistic, soft-spoken and hates to see those she cares about upset or angry at each other. She's laidback and doesn't like people to panic. Because of that, she tries to maintain everyone's "Good vibes" by giving out odd but meaningful advice and providing them comfort. She also has a hint of a valley-girl personality to her character. However, she also can be unfocused, overly sensitive and a bit of an airhead given her habit of looking into outer ideals. But she doesn't overly do it and knows when to be realistic and serious, also knowing when to stand her ground when she is provoked. She has a hidden talent for horticulture and is an experienced guitar player. She eventually denounced Hannah, no longer became friends with her and left Hannah's group in the 8th comic book instalment in 2006. In 2007, she joins "Henson Mania" The school band as a guitarist. Her birthday is April 14th (Aries) and is based off Janice, with her last name being a reference to Janice's original performer Richard Hunt. She debuted in 2005.
Andrew Lorre (Voiced By: Eric Jacobson): A supporting character in the media line and a member of Hannah's popular trio. Andrew is Southeastern-Asian-American (Though his background of origin is never specified) and is 15 years old. Hannah didn't want Andrew in her group at first as was instead included by Janis, but she reluctantly let him in after much convincing and compromising. Andrew has always had a very disoriented and bombastic routine and through his relatives and heritage, he's learned to never run away from danger and to always be free to express himself without embarrassment. Compared to everyone else in Hannah's group, he is very loud, rambunctious and has a "Wild spirit" attached to his character, much to the annoyance of Hannah. He is prone to a sense of adventure and loves to explore every opportunity without warning and distraction, never running out of energy. This makes him very hyperactive and uncontrolled. But whenever there is a face of danger, Andrew acts as a personal bodyguard and stands up to it without warning, proving him to be very courageous and protective. He is also shown to be very expressive and can convey emotions very easily. However, he can also come across as a bit intimidating at points whenever he acts the way he is and is also prone to being an easy distraction to himself and others, impetuous and even volatile when provoked. Given he can be easily enraged, he takes that anger out by taking in a hobby for drumming and agility based sports. He eventually denounced Hannah, no longer became friends with her and left Hannah's group in the 8th comic book instalment in 2006. In 2007, he joins "Henson Mania" The school band as a drummer. His birthday is February 2nd (Aquarius) and is based off Animal. He debuted in 2005.
Riley Giovanni (Voiced By: Steve Whitmire): A supporting character in the media line and a friend of Gabriel. Riley is Italian-American and is 14 years old. Riley is a team player on the school's athletic's team alongside Gabriel with a wise-cracking sense of humour and a "Cool" persona. Riley is very rebellious and is always getting into some sort of mischief in a sense of payback against others. He uses his brains to his advantage and always finds new and inventive ways to sneak past consequences and trouble, making him much more resourceful than he looks. Because of his mischievous and prankster attitude, he also displays a laidback, snarky and sarcastic comedic tone that he uses as an attempt to capture some needed attention so he can feel important and included. Sometimes his attitude can come across as rude, condescending, obnoxious and some even think of him as a rule-breaker that avoids responsibility. Underneath that persona however lies a sensitive, ingenious and very supportive friend who does what he can to get those he cares about out of trouble. While Riley has a knack for sports, he is most invested in becoming a professional hip-hop dancer and is part of the school's dance performing group, with his dance moves sometimes being used as a clever plan in one of his tricks. His birthday is December 11th (Sagittarius) and is based off Rizzo The Rat. He debuted in 2005.
Benjamin Hudson (Voiced By: Dave Goelz): A supporting character in the media line and the school's top scientist. Benjamin is Dutch-American and is 16 years old. Benjamin is one of the most intelligent students in the school and is known for his extremely high knowledge and brightness. He can be described as a very inventive person who almost always has an answer to the most difficult questions. While he can be a bit of a "Stickler" at times when it comes to his work and hobbies, Benjamin prides on following the rules so that everything is fair and does not go wrong, making him a very obedient and dutiful person. He also has a shade of eccentricity to his personality that provides him with the motivation he needs to keep his projects up to high standard. However, his eccentricity can prove to be a flaw at times and result in him being easily distracted and absent-minded, to the point where he forgets about what he's doing and goes into a new topic as a result. He achieves remarkable grades in science and is also working on plans to be an engineer. His birthday is August 9th (Leo) and is based off Bunsen Honeydew. He debuted in 2005.
Preston Ramirez-King (Voiced By: Bill Barretta): A supporting character in the media line and the school's goal-oriented idealist. Preston is Latino-American (Though his background of origin is never specified) and is 15 years old. Preston is a very social kid with many big dreams, to the point where he can't focus on just one. Preston is described as an earnest, proud and visionary student who longs to be among the most famous in the business, and has many plans on what he'll be and how he'll get there. This results in his confident and assertive personality, and his desire to feel like a leader and make his own rules to pull through. Despite this goal-oriented attitude, Preston is a huge dreamer who can often be stuck in his own world with his ideas and fantasies. He can also prove on multiple occasions to be a huge romantic and have a longing for love including having many crushes and plans for romantic occasions. This can prove him to be a gender-bended version of the term "Boy-Crazy". However, he isn't understood by many of his peers, mainly due to his ideas and tone of speaking not making much sense or lacking logic as well as his overly turbulent display of emotions. His birthday is November 21st (Scorpio) and is based off of Pepe The Prawn. He debuted in 2006.
Desmond Victorius (Voiced By: Matt Vogel): A supporting character in the media line and a major protagonist in the 2nd Muppets Generations film. Desmond is British and is 16 years old. In the line, he is a new but temporary student in school who moved to Los Angeles for a period of time to film his next movie. Unlike the other Muppets Generations kids, Desmond is already famous and has been living out his dreams as a young and famous actor in musical theatre and film. On the other hand, it's not exactly what he hoped for and while he is extremely talented and conveys emotion extremely well, he doesn't feel like the strict and overwhelming standards and popularity is making him happy. Instead, Desmond is more interested in fashion designing and is much happier using his talents for making costumes and new designs to model with. He is described as a modest, well-mannered, classy and enterprising person who while valuing a proper personality, values the wealthy and well-mannered life and is not much for talking, still likes to broaden his horizons and find new things to enjoy as well as adapt to others. In the movie, he meets the main 5 and eventually grows fond of them, in the process becoming friends and even given the chance to permanently stay is Los Angeles. His birthday is October 3rd (Libra) and is based off Uncle Deadly. He debuted in 2006.
Sam Arnolds (Voiced By: Eric Jacobson): A supporting character in the media line and the school's student council president. Sam is Caucasian-American and is 17 years old. Being one the eldest students in the school as well as having a large role in student decisions, Sam prides himself on a high sense of authority, obedience and leadership, to represent his position. Sam can be described as a very bossy and pushy but disciplined and composed student who highly-values his education and school rules and can get very uptight and serious when someone disobeys them or acts up in class or in front of teachers, to the point he can come off as a "Hawk" (No pun intended) to other students. He can also prove to be a huge "Teacher's Pet" who always seeks to rightfully impress the superiors of the school with his talent and leadership, sometimes annoying others. Underneath that persona however lies a striving, resilient, intelligent and attentive person with good intentions for everyone. He is known for his high debating and public-speaking skills and has plans to be a professional and well-acclaimed artistic orator and debater. His birthday is July 4th (Cancer) and is based off Sam The Eagle. He debuted in 2006.
Blake Dopolos (Voiced By: Steve Whitmire): A supporting character in the media line and Benjamin's best friend as well as the school's IT programmer. Blake is Greek-American and is 15 years old. From the moment Blake first arrived at Henson High, he started off with a high amount of fears of what was in store for him and felt like an outcast. But after befriending Benjamin, the two's bond resulted in him finding new opportunities for himself in many STEM classes and becoming more open to new experiences, even becoming Benjamin's assistant. While Blake is generally a very anxious, shy and emotional student who's not the best at interacting with other people as well as having a habit for over-thinking and paranoia, he proves time and time again to be very resourceful and quick-witted whenever a problem needs to be solved as well as being the one to snap his friends out of their unrealistic habits. Due to his ongoing connections and friendships, he can also prove to evolve a mischievous and playful side around others and sometimes overcomes his fears to show off his talents. He is a very talented and well-experienced computer programmer who has great knowledge on coding and what makes certain systems work and plans to program and design his own software and website one day. His birthday is August 26th (Virgo) and is based off Beaker. He debuted in 2006.
Theo "Teeth" Amora (Voiced By: Bill Barretta): A supporting character in the media line and the founder of the school's music club as well as the leader of the school's band "Henson's Mania". Theo is Filipino-American and is 17 years old. Theo is a student that lives for a life of "good vibes and grooves" as he says and loves to take things nice and smooth. He is usually seen as a guy with driven passion, an upbeat attitude and who always finds a spark in everything. He is also a very welcoming and charismatic student who is seen to others as a popular "Older brother" figure at the school because of his age and character, especially to Ross who considers him one of his best friends outside of the main 5 as well as an inspiration. However, his creative mind can get very random and make no sense sometimes because of his process of thoughts, such as his habit of making up new "Groovy" and "Totally Rockin" words. He can also be disorganised and has a very inconsistent sense of commitment on only one thing, and instead opting to focus on too many things at once. He is a very talented electronic keyboardist, DJ and singer who can usually be found in the music room practicing or in and out of school-grounds performing as a self-proclaimed school DJ. In the future he wants to form his own band and be a rockstar. His birthday is November 30th (Sagittarius) and is based off Dr Teeth, with his nickname being a further reference to his Muppet counterpart, given that classmates almost always see him "Smiling Away". He debuted in 2006.
Robby Ford (Voiced By: Matt Vogel): A supporting character in the media line and Kerry's brother as well as the new and youngest student in the school. Robby is mixed Caucasian-African American and is 13 years old. Robby was taken out of middle school and placed into Henson High early due to concerns with bullying he had been facing for many months as well as his higher marks. In a similar vain to his older brother, Robby is best described as while shy and bashful, a student with a big sense of curiosity and imagination, who always sees the best in people and never loses heart. He is also a very good-natured and dreamy "Sweetheart" who is always wishing for something more. However, he also seems to have very low-confidence and is insecure about his place in school, especially considering his height and size which other students see as adorable and cute. He can also get pouty and easily embarrassed when he feels things aren't going right or people see him as something he doesn't want to be seen as. He loves stories including fairytales, fantasy and romance literature and has a talent for writing his own stories, wishing to become a creative writer of books one day. His birthday is March 15th (Pisces) and is based off Robin The Frog, who in the original Muppets was Kermit's nephew. He debuted in 2007.
Cole Chandcliff (Voiced By: Adrian Holmes): A supporting character in the media line and the main director of the school's reality talk and news show "Here With Henson". Cole is African-American and is 16 years old. Cole is a student who is always in the know about the latest trends, talks and gossips surrounding the school grounds and will always be completely honest and loud about it. He is described as a very straight-forward student with a sharp mind, a sincere approach to everything and who is never afraid to speak up. He is always up for a chat and has always got a talkative attitude, which helps give him confidence when live on camera. He is also not afraid to say what is on his mind when he sees that things are not working out, and that means always standing by his friends. However, his love for gossip is his biggest flaw and can sometimes be the main cause for strange talks happening around the school and has trouble listening to others when told not to interrupt. Overall however, he does not intentionally hurt feelings or cause problems. His birthday is January 8th (Capricorn) and is based off Clifford, as an attempt to bring him back into the spotlight according to interviewees. Due to his original performer (Kevin Clash) having scheduling conflicts with performing on Sesame Street, he was unable to reprise his role and Cole was instead given a new voice. He debuted in 2007.
Sebastian O'Brien (Voiced By: Matt Vogel): A supporting character in the media line and the school's best stylist as well as Cole's right hand friend. Sebastian is Scottish-American and is 15 years old. Sebastian is one of the school's most welcoming and sweetest students and is best described as a "Gentle Giant" mainly due to him being much taller than other students for his age. While not the smartest student, he always knows when someone is down and knows just how to get them through the toughest times, always ready to give them a helping hand. He is a very sensitive, compassionate and understanding student who always listens to others troubles and loves it when his friends are around which is why Cole sometimes likes to call him "Sweetums". Even though he doesn't get the best grades and is not focused on professionalism, he is a very talented stylist when it comes to beauty designs and appearance and even has a few beauty products he made on his own, wishing to become an artistic beautician and founder of his own line of products in the future. His birthday is May 31st (Gemini) and is based off Sweetums. He debuted in 2007.
Floyd S.G.T Pryce (Voiced By: Matt Vogel): A supporting character in the media line and the school band "Henson Mania's" Bassist as well as Janis's love interest. Floyd is Southern-American and is 16 years old. He can usually be found alongside his best friend Theo practicing the band's best tunes and is always shown having a funky, laid-back and snarky attitude to his personality. While he's less of a dreamy and "Out of this world" guy compared to his bandmates, he serves as the guy who always finds a spark to solve certain problems and the guy that has "Deep and universal" advice which give his friends the power they need to keep going when things get tough. He is also prone to being an easily-flustered guy with a hidden sense of love and passion, especially towards Janis, who the both have slowly developed a romantic relationship of. He has dreams of expanding to different mediums of music, becoming a world-famous popstar and pursuing goals of winning many awards and records for his bass and voice. His birthday is September 25th (Libra) and is based off Floyd Pepper. He debuted in 2007 and was the last character released before the media line's end the following year.
HISTORY[]
When the Walt Disney Company successfully acquired the Muppets franchise in February 2004, there were already new developments made to re-introduce the brand to both a new selection of audiences and a widespread public who were already familiar with the Muppets. During this period, the two companies would collaborate on new marketing ideas with products and appearances in media to gain new attention. This would eventually result in Disney and the Muppets green-lighting two new concepts that would continuously evolve into full releases. One would be The Muppets Wizard Of Oz (Which would later be released in May 2005) and the other was a concept originally titled "The Muppet Life". Originally, the earliest pitch bible intended for the project to be solely a release of children's graphic novels about the Muppet characters lives and escapades outside of the theatre and would be intended to be distributed by Image Comics. However, many of those plans were scrapped once toy company Hasbro would sign a contract deal with Disney in May of the same year. In a short interview with former Hasbro employees, the original pitch bible was scrapped because the company didn't find the concept interesting enough, and instead wanted to branch to a more new, creative and urban demographic.
In August of 2004, an article would be released in marketing related news that would give updates on Muppet related products and concepts. One section of the article would discuss finalised plans on the collaboration between Disney and Hasbro. According the article, the new Muppets project had finally been given a new title, story and marketing strategy. For starters, the project would no longer be limited to being a series of graphic novel style comics and would instead be chosen as one of the two main media products made to promote the line. The other product line used would be a series of toys described as "Fashion Figurines" that were a combination of action figures and fashion dolls, designed to ignite creativity, imagination and fun with the target demographic. They would further state that the figurines were in production for quite some time and plans were already made to expand the toy market for them. Plans were also in development for other related merchandise such as smaller products and even concepts for a promotional video and website. The story and setting aspect for the media line was also explored, but in a more vague and shorter tone compared to the merchandise aspect. The article's discussing of the setting would state:
"The brand new spin off line of the Muppets takes all of the comedy, creativity, joy and vibrancy of the original productions and transports all of those elements into a very familiar but very different environment with very familiar but very different characters and storylines. It's still the Muppets and will feature the stars that made it possible behind the scenes, but with a whole new presentation that kids can be fond of and relate to."
Finally, a new title and release date for the media line was confirmed and would be used for future products. This new and finalised title would be "Muppet Generations", the title people know now, with the media line seeing it's first tie-in toy and comic release between November to December of 2004. Just before the Holiday season in November of 2004, the first tie in set of Muppets Generations fashion figurines would be released by Hasbro in collaboration with Disney and available to purchase in numerous toy stores across North America, mainly KB Toys and Target. The first release would not only provide an introduction to the setting, the plot and characters (See Synopsis and Characters section for more information) but also offer the first look at the appearance and quality of the toys. The fashion figurines were designed to be larger than the titular Muppets action figures released around the same time but no bigger than a Bratz doll, also popular around the time. Each of the figurines bodies (Outside of the hair which was made of saran) were made of the usual material that was made for other fashion dolls but with a harder shell and their arms and legs could be posable, but they could only stand upright with a small doll stand. Their heads could also move. Each one was sold inside a box that was either released in red, green or blue. The back of the boxes had an official description of the line, a small character profile and a search link to the official website page, which was being developed at the time. The dolls also included a second outfit, 3 additional accessories correlating to their certain theme, the small doll stand mentioned, a small cutout scene and an activity sheet based on the character included featuring a creative activity on one side and a DIY activity on the other, to correlate with the themes of creativity and imagination within the line. Just under a month later on December 13th 2004, the first issue of the Muppets Generations comic series would be released and sold in physical and online stores. The books would be published under IDW comics and usually consisted of a main story, a collection of side stories and a variety of information and activities, all written and illustrated by a number of writers and illustrators. They would also be between 85 to 110 pages of material, which caused debate on whether the books could be considered either a comic or a graphic novel given the extended number of pages compared to other comics released at the time.
Public response to the line was at first very mixed to average. During it's first launch, Muppet fans and adults were fascinated with the concept of an urbanised Muppets universe and even praised some elements of the concept such as the references to Muppet history, the maintaining of it's humorous writing, talents and aspects of it's art style in an appealing manner, and it's character nods to their inspiration's personalities. However, it also gained criticism for it's appeal to gaining some form of reception for the media market more than appealing to the quality of the line, it's odd and sometimes unfitting and annoying clashing between it's hip tween-sitcom based demographic and setting alongside the traditional Muppets comedy, characters and demographics and lack of multi-dimensional character traits with the characters, though some have attempted to criticise this take with the book, webisodes and video releases, which tried to add more depth to the characters as well as justifying the decision given that the Muppets Generations characters are not the actual Muppets and that it's suppose to appeal to younger audiences. One aspect that the audiences were mixed on was the quality of the figurines and their designs appearance and fashion wise. There isn't much information on the main designer for the figurines themselves and Muppet fans can only point to it being multiple artists at Hasbro. According to a 2005 press release, the main designer for the Muppets Generations clothing from was Olivia Oh, who would continue working on multiple of the outfits from 2004 to 2006 until after that period, she would move to Mattel to work on clothing for the My Scene line. Oh's fashion design work was praised for its balanced inspiration of the original Muppets and their appearances while equally incorporating a 2000s flare. The toy designs were also praised for their unique and different appearances, box art and emphasis on creativity with some of its accessories. On the other hand, it was also criticised for the texture and materials of the face molds and outfits, lack of head articulation and non-balanced elements, questioning if it was considered an action figure or a fashion doll. Despite the criticism, the line sold its toys and books fairly well and so the line became popular in the market. As a result, it would continue to expand and manufacture them as well as new merchandise for its remainder years, including small improvements on certain criticisms.
Towards the end of December 2004, the Muppets Generations website would be launched as both an interactive and promotional campaign for the line by Hasbro and The Muppets. Much like the line, the website was also built on the foundation of interactivity and imagination. It would feature interactive character bios, a set of flash games, downloadable activities and computer items, a "Theatre" page where fans can submit fan-work they made on their own such as photos, videos, art, songs and stories and have it displayed online, a shop that sold Muppets Generations products and a video page consisting of a collection of commercials, official animated web shorts about the characters featuring their voice actors and beginning in 2005, Muppet Generations films material such as trailers, behind the scenes footage and short clips from the films. There would also be a news page that would update fans on the newest Muppets Generations news added in February 2005. From that point onward between 2004 to 2006, new material for the line would continue to be produced and released in stores without major updates to the route of the series. 15 more characters would be manufactured as dolls with 5 released each year, 3 being limited edition exclusives. This was either as new additions to the line and/or for film and comic promotion. While there were other characters introduced in the videos, they would not be manufactured as dolls and would be deemed film-exclusives. This would also be followed by new toy releases such as accessory sets, playsets and other forms of toys that would live up to the idea of creativity. From 2004 to 2008, 12 issues of the comic series would be released before the line's discontinuation with new stories, activities and features. Just months after it's debut, Muppets Generations would expand into the animation medium and between 2005 to 2007, 3 direct-to-video animated musical films would be released on DVD, with one seeing it's way on the Disney Channel. Curious Pictures, who previously worked on animated movies for other doll franchises would be brought on board to animate the Muppets Generations films. The films would also see the characters inspired Muppet voices returning to voice the characters as well as other voice actors on board. Much like the toys, the films would also receive mixed reviews being praised for the voice acting, elements of characters, humour, music and creative usage of its setting but criticised for its other aspects of writing, animation and elements of its story. The media line would also see an exclusive music album release in 2005 and a PC game released in 2006.
In 2007, Muppets Generations would go through major changes for the first time in its now 3 year run. In January 2007, The original designer for the Muppets Generations outfits and appearances Olivia Oh would announce her departure from the line to work with Mattel's My Scene dolls. After Oh's departure from the line, doll designer Youngsin Kwon would become the current designer for the Muppets Generations clothing, having experience working for MGA Entertainment's Bratz. Just under a month later in February, the website's news page would announce that one of the main characters of Muppets Generations; Ross Dereks, would be leaving the main cast. The article would cite that his parents job had been relocated to New York City and as a result, he would be moving out of Los Angeles to finish high school in New York, whilst still keeping in touch with his old friends. Marketing wise, Ross at that point was written out of the line and was ultimately retired, with no other dolls or merchandise manufactured featuring him from that point onward. As a replacement to keep the balance of the main 5, a new character based off Scooter named Scott Sawyers would take his place in toys, comics and videos. The storyline of Ross's departure and Scott's introduction would also be covered in the next issue of the comic series released a month later. The reception to this change was negative, with fans angry that Ross was being replaced out of nowhere with no real explanation, especially considering he was a prominent and interesting character. Fans also were not fond when referring back to his inspiration as Rowlf who Ross was based on was essentially Muppets creator Jim Henson in Muppet form and so, it didn't suit well for them that he was out of the line for good. This reception, good or bad did not change things however as by 2007, sales for Muppets Generations were dwindling compared to previous years. While new characters, toys and comics were still being released and while the website was still prominently active, it seemed the media line was beginning to rap up and quietly cease production with the final animated film being released directly to DVD in July 2007. One factor to this was beginning around this time, The Muppets company and Disney were attempting to push a new, easy and modern direction for the Muppets as the 2000s came to a close, which was to introduce the franchise to social media such as Facebook and Youtube. This was confirmed further when in 2008, plans were made to re-invent the old tradition of theatrical Muppet films (These plans were eventually green-lit and would transform into The Muppets in 2011).
As a result of the new changes to The Muppets as well as the continuously dwindling sales of the toys, Hasbro, Disney and The Muppets felt there was no more of a need for the media line to continue production. The final toy product release for Muppets Generations would be sold in stores in January 2008, with the 12th and final issue of the comics being released a month later. After that period, Muppets Generations would quietly cease production permanently without announcement, though interviews that followed made it clear that there was no intention to continue production or revival. Many of the toymakers, designers and artists who once worked for Muppets Generations in the years that followed, would either continue working for Hasbro on new products with the same roles they kept or in different roles, or depart from the toy company to work on other projects with different groups. Olivia Oh, the original designer for the Muppets Generation line from 2004 to 2006 would continue working with Mattel on many of their doll lines such as Barbie and My Scene before returning to Hasbro in 2014 as a senior product designer. Youngsin Kwon, who also worked as designer on the Muppets Generations line throughout the rest of it's run would leave Hasbro shortly after the line's discontinuation and return to MGA Entertainment to work on lines such as the Bratz and Moxie Girls dolls until 2010. As for the products, the toys such as the figurines, playsets and other toys in the line could still be found in international stores until they were taken off North American shelves in late 2009. However, they would still be available to find in international stores such as France, Italy, Brazil, Hong Kong and Australia until they too were taken off store shelves between late 2010 to early 2011. While the comics were also taken off store shelves in early 2011, all 12 issues can still be available to purchase in online bookstores. The website for Muppets Generations would also continue to lay doormat for visitors, albeit with its theatre page closed. It would eventually be sold off in 2012. The website can still be viewed through internet archives with the Wayback Machine.
TIMELINE[]
YEAR 1 (2004)[]
MAJOR NOTE[]
This would be the first year for the Muppets Generations media line. Hasbro and Disney at this time was still experimenting with the concepts and toys so as a result, there would be an interesting variety of materials used as a method to see which one's were suitable. As a result of the wide arrange of experimenting and many concepts still in a planning stage as well as the late release of the figurines, the fashion figurines, the comics and the website would be the first and only releases of merchandise for the line in 2004.
TOYS[]
- Muppets Generations releases its first 5 fashion figurines simply titled "Muppets Generations" in November 2004. Characters included Kerry Ford (Based on Kermit The Frog), Marie-Peggy Priscilla (Based on Miss Piggy), Fergus Bernando (Based on Fozzie Bear), Gabriel-Tai Genki (Based on Gonzo The Great) and Ross Dereks (Based on Rowlf The Dog). Each figurine from this point until 2006 would be designed by Olivia Oh. Each fashion figurine additionally contained a second outfit, 3 additional accessories, a doll stand, a small cutout scene and an activity sheet based on the character included. The back box also contained an official description of the line, a small character profile and a search link to the official website page. All five of them were either sold at KB Toys or Target.
COMICS[]
- Issue 1 of the Muppets Generations comic series releases on December 13th 2004 under the IDW Comics label and is sold in multiple physical and online stores. The comics consisted of a main story, a collection of side stories and a variety of information and activities, written and illustrated by a number of writers and illustrators. They would also be between 85 to 110 pages of material.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE[]
- The official Muppets Generations website launches in late December 2004 under Hasbro and The Muppets development. The website would feature multiple pages of interactive material including interactive character bios, flash games, downloadable activities and computer items, the "theatre" where fans could submit fan-work such as photos, videos, art, songs and stories and have it displayed online, a shop that sold Muppets Generations products and a video page consisting of a collection of commercials and official animated web shorts about the characters featuring their voice actors animated in flash.
YEAR 2 (2005)[]
MAJOR NOTE[]
- 2005 would become the height of the Muppets Generations popularity and would also be a year for major expansions of the media line, including expanding into the film and music. New characters as well as the concept of limited edition based characters would be introduced in merchandise, comics and videos and more toys including the addition of accessory sets and playsets would be manufactured and released with those characters. This would start a trend of one limited edition exclusive character being released each year. 2005 would also see improvements in the quality, appearances and material in the main fashion figurines after criticism from fans and buyers. Beginning with the 2nd edition, the face and head molds for the fashion figurines would have more refined and polished looks, while still keeping with each one's unique design. The fashion figurines materials and clothes would also be modified and improved with more detail.
TOYS[]
- The second edition of "Muppets Generations" fashion figurines is released in April 2005. 5 figurines with quality-improved appearances and material would once again be released in stores across North America including KB Toys, Target and other store expansions which now include Walmart and Walgreens. New characters introduced in this edition would be Janessa "Janis" Hunt (Based on Janis), Andrew Lorre (Based on Animal), Riley Giovanni (Based on Rizzo The Rat) and Benjamin Hudson (Based on Bunsen). A new version of Kerry Ford would also be released alongside the 4 new characters.
- The "School Daze" line-up set of fashion figurines is released in May 2005. It