Celebrate Along With Them
Though silver and gold are the colors most often associated with big anniversaries, the entertainment industry is seeing green as it embraces the 25th anniversary of “The Muppet Show.” In addition to a host of video releases, Rhino has compiled the album “The Muppets 25th Anniversary Celebration — Who Let the Frogs Out,” for a Sept. 17 release. The 27-song disc contains original songs from “The Muppet Show” and Muppets feature films, some of which have never been released on CD and/or have been out of print for almost a decade.
Columbia, which picked up rights to the Jim Henson Co. home entertainment library in 1997, will bring two “Best of the Muppet Show” collections on VHS/DVD to retail for the first time Sept. 3. Until now, the titles — which contain three classic episodes each — have been sold only via direct response as part of a TV campaign orchestrated by Time-Life. Featured episodes include appearances by Julie Andrews, Elton John, Mark Hamill, and Paul Simon.
“The direct-response campaign was a really successful one for Time-Life, and the videos have had so much exposure on television. So we thought it was the right time to bring them to retail,” Columbia director of marketing Suzanne White says. “They really remind consumers of the great nostalgia of the show, and they have a variety of appeal to several markets.”
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