THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 8, 1996 TAG: 9603080092
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
WHEN YOU NEED a beautiful, witty, charming guest star to help launch a new television show, whom do you call?
Michelle Pfeiffer? Or Miss Piggy?
How about both?
On ``Muppets Tonight!,'' which premieres on ABC at 8:30, Kermit the Frog, Gonzo the Great, Fozzie Bear, Rizzo the Rat and Clifford operate a TV station (WMUP) desperately in need of a hit show.
The ratings have been so-so for shows such as ``Little Mouse on the Prairie,'' ``Welcome Back, Otter,'' ``Single Duck in the City With an Apartment Full of Friends'' and ``The X-Flies.'' The Muppets hope their station will get a boost from a variety show starring Pfeiffer. Miss Piggy pushes herself onto the guest list.
The result: dueling divas.
It's a riot. Love Miss Piggy in a ``Baywatch'' takeoff - ``Bay of Pigs Watch.''
The Muppets are back in a prime-time series for the first time since 1981 starting tonight, and it's not a moment too soon. With Congress and the White House calling for the networks to corral programming that offends a family audience - or at the very least, to put a red flag on it with a ratings system - here comes a half hour that will offend nobody.
Except for those who think it's improper for Miss Piggy to show so much of her bod in a ``Baywatch'' bikini.
The time is right to bring the Muppets back to series television because the recent Muppet film, ``Muppet Treasure Island'' has been successful as well as the Muppet TV specials and home videos, said Brian Henson. He succeeded his late father as president and chief operating officer of Jim Henson Productions.
``The public seems excited about the Muppets all over again,'' said Henson when he met with TV writers in Los Angeles and guided us on a tour of the studios where Henson's puppeteers work their magic.
It's all done on raised platforms with the actors who give life and voice to the Muppets standing below the figures, always looking up. They wear headbands with microphones attached to them.
Trivia: Steve Whitmire is the voice of Kermit the Frog. It had always been Jim Henson until his death six years ago at the age of 53.
That is when Brian Henson, 26 at the time, assumed control of the company. Out of grief and some financial chaos, young Henson pulled the company together by aggressively marketing Muppets merchandise to raise capital and producing feature films. ``Then about two years ago, we started to think about reconvening a primetime show,'' said Henson.
No doubt that ABC would get that show. Or that ABC would take Henson's ``Aliens in the Family,'' a sitcom starting March 15 at 9 p.m.
Before his death, Jim Henson was negotiating to sell his company to Disney, which recently bought ABC. The deal fell through but Henson and Disney are partners now.
And where was Kermit in the years since the Muppets last appeared on prime time? ``In a box in the back of a big truck,'' said Kermit.
Miss Piggy of late has been doing infomercials for hair extensions which also work as pot scrubbers. She looks like she hasn't aged a day in 15 years.
In tonight's premiere, Pfeiffer doesn't just walk on, flash those high cheekbones and walk off. She's in a ``Dating Game'' skit and knocks herself out singing with Miss Piggy in a ``Sound of Music'' medley.
Henson promises a big-name guest star almost every week. Already booked are Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Tony Bennett, Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bullock, John Goodman and Garth Brooks.
Actors love working with animals, don't they?
``Actually, most of the Muppets are not specific animals,'' said Henson. Oh. by CNB