Well, the issue is that kids today simply don't know the "stars of old", and the idea of a living variety star who 1) people might know, and 2) doesn't cost a million per appearance, is simply unheard of.
they tried that with the muppets tonite stuff years ago and it simply didn't work.
plus, there's the whole Disney Channel's target market that it has been HUGELY successful in promoting. Really, for Disney, this is the final chance at a working integration between the Muppets and the rest of the property. Muppets in the parks has only had 1 attraction (a brilliant one, of course, but showing its age), and Muppets in the films have been going steadily downhill in quality and sales.
See, the thing about Disney Channels lineup today is that is really is a Mickey Mouse Club without all of the pressure of having one. Adding the muppets to that lineup can only been good for them because it'll put them into what is already a success rather than having them try to carve it out. Yes it means early on the target is more kids, but kids grow up and sometimes can demand their fandom grow up with them and have it actually work. Again, consider the Mickey Mouse club model when its a success - audiences continued to flock to Annette and a few others after the show was over.
Once this first Disney Lineup is a success and its got an audience for the characters again, they can stretch out to others.
but again, in the 1970s you could manage to get Roger Moore to stop by the studio for a week for a couple thousand. Today, don't ever expect Craig or Brosnan to do it. Same with classic rockers. Between the agents over-pricing appearances and the financial demands on licensing ('cause all DVD and repeat/syndication licenses are all worked out in advanced rather than waiting for the release to come), such appearance deals get extremely expensive and out of the budget for a cable show.
In the old days, a retired actor like George Burns or many of the Broadway stars they had could look at the muppets and go "why not, it might be fun". Today, the actor's agents simply won't let them do that anymore.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 03:35 pm (UTC)they tried that with the muppets tonite stuff years ago and it simply didn't work.
plus, there's the whole Disney Channel's target market that it has been HUGELY successful in promoting. Really, for Disney, this is the final chance at a working integration between the Muppets and the rest of the property. Muppets in the parks has only had 1 attraction (a brilliant one, of course, but showing its age), and Muppets in the films have been going steadily downhill in quality and sales.
See, the thing about Disney Channels lineup today is that is really is a Mickey Mouse Club without all of the pressure of having one. Adding the muppets to that lineup can only been good for them because it'll put them into what is already a success rather than having them try to carve it out. Yes it means early on the target is more kids, but kids grow up and sometimes can demand their fandom grow up with them and have it actually work. Again, consider the Mickey Mouse club model when its a success - audiences continued to flock to Annette and a few others after the show was over.
Once this first Disney Lineup is a success and its got an audience for the characters again, they can stretch out to others.
but again, in the 1970s you could manage to get Roger Moore to stop by the studio for a week for a couple thousand. Today, don't ever expect Craig or Brosnan to do it. Same with classic rockers. Between the agents over-pricing appearances and the financial demands on licensing ('cause all DVD and repeat/syndication licenses are all worked out in advanced rather than waiting for the release to come), such appearance deals get extremely expensive and out of the budget for a cable show.
In the old days, a retired actor like George Burns or many of the Broadway stars they had could look at the muppets and go "why not, it might be fun". Today, the actor's agents simply won't let them do that anymore.