Farmers Insurance Heads to Sesame Street!

Farmers Insurance is teaming up with Sesame Street to help celebrate the show's 50th anniversary. 

“For over 90 years, education has been a key component of Farmers efforts to help make a positive impact in our communities. The opportunity to work with one of the most engaging and educational programs, Sesame Street, and its cherished characters to help people learn a thing or two from Professor Burke (Simmons) was a natural fit for Farmers,” says Leesa Eichberger, head of brand marketing at Farmers Insurance.

As part of the partnership, Farmers is sponsoring a short-form video series on Sesame Street’s YouTube channel that focuses on problem-solving.

“We’re incredibly pleased to work with Farmers on new content that encourages families to be healthy and safe,” says Scott Chambers, senior vice president and general manager, educational media and licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop. “Farmers’ support of the new YouTube series allows us to extend our mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.”

Of the three commercials above, two feature real-life Farmers claims reenacted with “Sesame Street’s” familiar furry faces.
The spots will air on broadcast networks such as NBC and CBS during college football, MLB and NFL games, in-theater and will also be supported digitally with presence on Hulu and Buzzfeed.

For the duration of the campaign, Sesame Street will have a presence on the Farmers Insurance website, where a special hub contains behind-the-scenes photos and shareable content featuring Professor Burke and the Muppets of Sesame Street.

Puppet Up! Uncensored Coming to Knott's Scary Farm!

The Jim Henson Company is bringing their adult improv show Puppet Up! Uncensored to Knott's "Scary Farm."

Knott's "Scary Farm" is the name Knott's Berry Farm calls itself from Sept 19-Nov 2 when they re-theme the park for Halloween. 

Puppet Up! Uncensored - Exclusively performing nightly at Knott's Scary Farm for the 2019 season, Puppet Up! Uncensored is an outrageous, off-the-cuff live show featuring a combination of improvisational comedy and the magic of puppetry performed by a cast of world-class comedian puppeteers from The Jim Henson Company. Created by legendary puppeteer and award-winning director Brian Henson and directed by Patrick Bristow (Ellen, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Puppet Up! - Uncensored is no ordinary puppet show. In true uncensored form, the content is driven by audience suggestions and participation, topped with the zany antics and bawdy shenanigans of the colorful and brazen puppet cast. 

Puppet Up! - Uncensored will be performed three times each night at Knott's Scary Farm and is intended for mature audiences and is not recommended for children.

You can watch the official announcement below:

For more info and tickets head over to Knott's Berry Farms. 

Caroll Spinney Officially Retires!

Caroll Spinney announced that he's officially fully retiring from public appearances.

His last last public Comic Con appearance will be at Rhode Island Comic Con in November as long as he if feeling up to it. 

You can read his entire message to fans below:

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Exhibit Coming To NYC!

An exhibit of the puppets and creatures from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is coming to the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. 

"Creatures from the Land of Thra: Character Design for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance"

 Will open next week on September 11 and run until February 23, 2020. 

Creatures from the Land of Thra: Character Design for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance explores the process of designing the fantastical characters for the new Netflix series, a prequel to the 1982 film co-directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. 

The exhibit features a selection of concept art, maquettes, puppets, and behind-the-scenes images, tracing the collaboration between concept artist Brian Froud, who originated the world of Thra in The Dark Crystal, and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which built the puppets for the series. Highlights include the Hunter Skeksis, the General Skeksis, a Fizzgig, and the All-Maudra and Seladon Gelflings, as well as a series of detailed maquettes, created by Toby Froud, which were used as models for the characters. 

Info and tickets to the museum can be found here.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is currently streaming on Netflix.

D23 (Tries to) Highlight The Muppets!

The latest issue of D23, Disney's fan club newsletter, was sent to fans this week and contains a few surprises for Muppet fans.

The focus seems to be introducing a few of the major characters including Summer from the new Muppet Babies, where you can see them in the parks, and encouraging people to become gold members of D23 to get an exclusive Muppet Movie pin. 

That's all well and good, but a closer look at the article makes this showcase a mishmash of info that's either completely wrong or at times misleading.

Let's take the opening to the article for example:

Notice anything odd? 

First, "The Muppets burst onto the small screen in 1976" that's a bit misleading. The Muppet Show introduced many of "The Muppets" we know today- and it's this family of characters that Disney owns - but The Muppets excited on TV screens for 20 years prior including Sam & Friends, Sesame Street, Saturday Night Live, appearances on talk shows, and commercials - more on that in a minute. 

Then they go into The Muppet Movie "which features everything from a 1951 Studebaker and The Happiness Hotel to Doc Hopper's Frog Leg Fast Food Franchise."  ugh. 

Anyone who's seen The Great Muppet Caper knows The Happiness Hotel is from The Muppets second feature, and not The Muppet Movie. 

Doc Hopper's Frog Legs as seen in The Muppet Movie and It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

They didn't even get the name of Doc Hopper's Frog Legs restaurant correct, calling it "Doc Hopper's Frog Leg Fast Food Franchise" instead of simply "Doc Hopper's Frog Legs."

Remember how I mentioned The Muppets appeared in commercials prior to being on TV in 1976? Rowlf's write up mentions his start doing Canadian Purina Dog Chow commercials in 1962!

It's great that they are hyping the Muppets at the parks including Muppet Vision 3D, PizzeRizzo's, and Great Moments in American History. However, readers who've never been to park might be a bit surprised to find a Muppet Vision 3D that hasn't looked like the picture in the article for a couple years now. 

Muppet Vision 3D as it appears in the article vs today

The issue also features an image commemorating 10 years of D23.

if you look closely you can see....the swinetrek!

It's great to see Disney acknowledging, promoting, and even re-introducing The Muppets, but I'd wish they'd get their facts straight. It doesn't give the impression that they're truly invested in the characters when they can't get their history - even their modern history - correct.

On a related note, the issue also highlights Disney+, Disney's upcoming streaming service. There was no word about The Muppets in either the Disney+ article or the one featuring The Muppets.

The Disney+ article makes a point to note that both the original and recent reboot of DuckTales will be available on the service. They make a point to mention that having both versions will help parents relate and share the original with their kids who may be more familiar with the reboot. 

What a great idea! If only there were another set of characters Disney owned that they could apply the same idea too.....

The latest issue of D23 featuring a cover story about the upcoming "live action" Lady and The Tramp remake should be arrive to D23 members soon. If you're not already a member, you can sign up using this link. 

Meet Weldon the IT Guy!

Steve Whitmire has been making the convention rounds and hinting at a new character he's been working on. 

That character, Weldon the IT Guy. 

 

The "IT" stands for internet troll and the little guy made his debut this weekend by "hacking" Steve Whitmire's social media and website! 

The interesting thing is Steve is performing him live as people call in to talk to Weldon. 

The series is titled CAVE-iN and you can watch the premiere episode: "Welcome to the mob" below:

You can find more into about Weldon (and Steve) on Steve's website. 

Happy Lab-O Day!

Happy Lab-O Day. We hope you're enjoying binge watching the The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance!

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is now streaming on Netflix.