Jim Henson's Muppet Babies
Series, 1984, The '80s, Set in The nursery
Jim Henson's Muppet Babies is #8 of 18 in release order and #8 of 18 in chronological order in the CBS Saturday Morning Cartoons.
The story
The Muppet Babies (Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy and company) live in a large nursery watched over by Nanny. The babies have active imaginations, and often embark upon adventures into imaginary worlds.
Jim Henson's Muppet Babies recap
Jim Henson's Muppet Babies (1984) imagines the Muppets as toddlers in a nursery, where every game of pretend turns into a full adventure. Jim Henson came up with the idea and Jeffrey Scott developed it, and Marvel Productions made it for CBS with Henson Associates, later Jim Henson Productions. Baby Kermit (Frank Welker), Piggy (Laurie O'Brien), Fozzie (Greg Berg), Gonzo (Russi Taylor), Animal, Scooter and Rowlf are joined by Skeeter, Scooter's twin sister, created for the show; Howie Mandel voices both Animal and Skeeter in the first two seasons. Nanny (Barbara Billingsley) is seen only from the neck down. The fantasies travel to outer space or into the past and mix hand-drawn backgrounds with live-action footage, old films and photographs, including clips from movies such as Star Wars. Bunsen, Beaker and Gonzo's toy chicken Camilla are regulars, and Bean Bunny and Statler and Waldorf arrive in the last two seasons. For a short stretch in season 2 the program ran as Muppets, Babies and Monsters alongside Little Muppet Monsters. It lasted eight seasons and 107 episodes, from September 15, 1984, to November 2, 1991.
Jim Henson's Muppet Babies ending explained
Jim Henson's Muppet Babies ends with "Eight Flags Over the Nursery", aired November 2, 1991, in which the babies, unwilling to wait five years for a new amusement park to open, build their own in their imaginations. It is a regular episode rather than a farewell. Bean Bunny, Bunsen and Beaker, and Statler and Waldorf make their last appearances in the episodes just before it. Disney revived the idea in 2018 with a computer-animated Muppet Babies for Disney Junior, aimed at younger children.
Ratings
IMDb 7.5/10
Where it fits
- Release order: after Dungeons & Dragons, before Pee-wee's Playhouse.
- Chronological order: after Dungeons & Dragons, before Pee-wee's Playhouse.
Cast
- Frank Welker as Baby Kermit / Baby Skeeter / Baby Beaker (voice)
- Laurie O'Brien as Baby Piggy (voice)
- Russi Taylor as Baby Gonzo (voice)
- Greg Berg as Baby Fozzie / Baby Scooter (voice)
- Katie Leigh as Baby Rowlf (voice)
- Barbara Billingsley as Nanny (voice)
- Dave Coulier as Baby Animal / Baby Bunsen (voice)
- Howie Mandel as Baby Animal / Baby Bunsen (voice)
- Whoopi Goldberg
- John Ritter
Created by Jim Henson, Jeffrey Scott.