Bug-Busting Babies
- Studio
- Marvel Productions, Ltd.
- Animation studio
- Akom Productions
- Distributor
- Jim Henson Television
Synopsis
Another parody- this time of The African Queen- as the kids try to find other ways to cool off after the air conditioner breaks down.
Characters
Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, Scooter, Skeeter, Animal, Nanny, Bunsen, Beaker, Robin, Yoda
Credits
Producing
- Producer
- Bob Richardson
- Associate Producers
- Adam Bleibtreu, John Gibbs
- Executive Producers
- Margaret Loesch, Lee Gunther
Writing
- Writer
- Hank Saroyan
Voices
- Voice
- Frank Welker (Kermit, Beaker), Greg Berg (Fozzie, Scooter, Yoda), Katie Leigh (Rowlf), Howie Mandel (Animal, Skeeter, Bunsen), Laurie O'Brien (Miss Piggy), Russi Taylor (Gonzo, Robin), Barbara Billingsley (Nanny)
Crew
- Created For Television By
- Jim Henson
- Developed For Television By
- Jeffrey Scott
- Creative Consultant
- Michael K. Frith
- Art Director
- Takashi
- Story Editor
- Hank Saroyan
- Story Consultant
- Jack Mendelsohn
- Script Coordinator
- Carol Remo
- Voice Director
- Hank Saroyan
- Supervising Directors
- Terrence Lennon, Ray Lee
- Animation Directors
- Warren Batchelder, Brad Case, Joan Case, Gerry Chiniquy, Bill Exter, Jeff Hale, Bob Kirk, Al Kouzel, Bob Matz, Norm McCabe, Margaret Nichols, Karen Peterson, Tom Ray, Bob Shellhorn, Bob Treat
- Animation Supervisor
- Ken Kessel
- Animation Storyboard Directors
- Bob Curtis, Bob Dranko, Holly Forsyth, Bob Fuentes, Scott Jerald, Mike Joens, Todd Kurosawa, Jim Mueller, Scott Shaw, Lonnie Lloyd, Wendell Washer
- Animation Storyboard
- Vicki Banks, Janet Chin, Barbara Huggins, Alissa Myerson, Swinton O. Scott III, Craig Zukowski
- Animation Model Designs
- Scott Shaw, Matt Bates, Jean M. Gilmore, Leon Joosen, Phil Ortiz, Chris Sanders, Jeff Schroeder, Bob Scott, Pat Ventura
- Animation Background Design
- Dennis Venizelos, Bill Frake, Mike Hodgson, Andrew Phillipson, Phil Phillipson, Jeff Richards, Robert Schaefer, Bob Smith, Martin Strudler
- Muppet Babies Design Consultant
- Jim Mahon
- Original Score Composed And Conducted By
- Robert J. Walsh
- Special Musical Material
- Alan O'Day, Janis Liebhart, Scott Brownlee
- Music Coordinator
- Don McGinnis
- Music Recorded By
- Terry Jennings
- Supervising Editor
- Steve Brown
- Supervising Music Editor
- Richard Allen S.M.E
- Sound Effects Editors
- Jim Blodgett, Alison Cobb, Matt Cope, Michael DePatie, John Detra, Karen Doulac, Reuvein Effi, Bruce Elliot, Ron Fedele, Richard Gannon, Jerry Jacobson, Nicholas James, Joe Reitano, Michael Tomack
- Video Tape Editors
- Frank Mazzaro, Pam Marshall
- Production Supervisor
- Jim Graziano
- Production Manager
- Barbara Donatelli
- Assistant To Bob Richardson
- Maia Maltese
- Assistant To Hank Saroyan
- Kathy Selbert
- Film Research
- Barbara Beck
- Research
- Larry Swerdlove
- Post Production Associate
- Andrew Golov
- Technical Consultant
- John Burton Jr
- Photo Layout
- Peter Montgomery
- Additional Footage
- Rocketman, Union Pacific Railroad
- Executive In Charge Of Series
- Hank Saroyan
- Crew
- MCMLXXXVI
Companies and other credits
- Produced In Association With: Toei Animation Co
- Produced In Association With: Ltd
- Additional Footage: Em Gee Film Library
- © Henson Associates
- Inc
Production notes
Jim Henson's Muppets were animated for the first time in this highly creative, action-packed show. Kermit and friends were now babies, growing up together in a nursery under the watchful, yet kindly eye of Nanny. True to a child's perspective, only Nanny's pink hemline and green-and-white striped socks were ever shown on the screen.
When Nanny shut the nursery doors behind her, the miniature Muppets' imaginations would soar. Clothes hampers became caves, chairs would be spaceships and the babies became heroes of their very own detailed fantasies. Though they technically never left the nursery, the show was anything but claustrophobic.
These stories frequently mimicked fairy tales or movies, often using real film footage with the Muppet characters superimposed. Particularly famous examples include Indiana Kermit running away from the giant boulder of Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Kermit Skywalker and Princess Piggy fighting the evil Animal Vader.
The only new addition to the original cast was Skeeter, Scooter's spunky sister, who gave the show another female character. Later in the series, baby Statler and Waldorf, Janice, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Muppet Band all joined the show.
Though Jim Henson oversaw the production, neither he nor Frank Oz provided the voices. Instead, cartoon legend Frank Welker, Howie Mandel (Bobby's World) and Dave Coulier (of Full House) did the vocal honors. Barbara Billingsly, known to television audiences as June Cleaver on the 1950's classic Leave It To Beaver, provided the soothing voice of Nanny.
The Muppet Babies went through several title and length changes during its eight-year run. Originally a half-hour, the show changed to an hour as Jim Henson's Muppets, Babies and Monsters in 1985, adding live-action segments with Henson's Muppet monsters. The monsters were soon dropped, and the following year the show kept its new length but returned to its original title. In 1987, the show expanded yet another half-hour to fill the gap left by the Garbage Pail Kids, a cartoon that never made it to the air.
A hit with kids and parents alike, the show won consecutive Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program from 1984-1988. As dominant as the show was on awards night, it was just as potent in the ratings, proving that quality and popularity indeed can coexist.
Song: Bug Busters.
When Nanny shut the nursery doors behind her, the miniature Muppets' imaginations would soar. Clothes hampers became caves, chairs would be spaceships and the babies became heroes of their very own detailed fantasies. Though they technically never left the nursery, the show was anything but claustrophobic.
These stories frequently mimicked fairy tales or movies, often using real film footage with the Muppet characters superimposed. Particularly famous examples include Indiana Kermit running away from the giant boulder of Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Kermit Skywalker and Princess Piggy fighting the evil Animal Vader.
The only new addition to the original cast was Skeeter, Scooter's spunky sister, who gave the show another female character. Later in the series, baby Statler and Waldorf, Janice, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Muppet Band all joined the show.
Though Jim Henson oversaw the production, neither he nor Frank Oz provided the voices. Instead, cartoon legend Frank Welker, Howie Mandel (Bobby's World) and Dave Coulier (of Full House) did the vocal honors. Barbara Billingsly, known to television audiences as June Cleaver on the 1950's classic Leave It To Beaver, provided the soothing voice of Nanny.
The Muppet Babies went through several title and length changes during its eight-year run. Originally a half-hour, the show changed to an hour as Jim Henson's Muppets, Babies and Monsters in 1985, adding live-action segments with Henson's Muppet monsters. The monsters were soon dropped, and the following year the show kept its new length but returned to its original title. In 1987, the show expanded yet another half-hour to fill the gap left by the Garbage Pail Kids, a cartoon that never made it to the air.
A hit with kids and parents alike, the show won consecutive Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program from 1984-1988. As dominant as the show was on awards night, it was just as potent in the ratings, proving that quality and popularity indeed can coexist.
Song: Bug Busters.
