Changes: The Newsman

PERFORMER	Jim Henson 1976-1989
	Steve Whitmire 2008-present
	→CASTING HISTORY...
DEBUT	1976
DESIGN	Bonnie Erickson

Revision as of 13:33, 5 February 2016

Thomas Galey's Ballet Chicken — The Newsman from Season 1

The Newsman in the 2009 "Bohemian Rhapsody" video.

Muppets2011Trailer02-47 — On *The Muppets* in 2011.

Episode102 (25) — In episode #2 of *The Muppets*

The Newsman is the weary, bespectacled Muppet News Flash anchor on The Muppet Show, debuting in the second episode. The Newsman always tried to deliver the news with accuracy, but was visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of the News Flash in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he suffered from a nasty streak of bad luck that usually culminated in some person or object - somehow related to the day's story - falling on his head.

For example, a plea to return missing library books results in a pile of books falling on the Newsman from seemingly out of nowhere, and a stock market report that beef is falling dramatically causes a cow to plummet upon his person. One Muppet Show episode had random objects falling on another Muppet, which causes Kermit to question what is happening, as "things are only supposed to fall on the Newsman!"

One would think the solution would be to give up the news after so many mishaps (but that would obviously end the sketches), but due to either dedication to his craft or a limited sense of self-preservation, the Newsman keeps plugging along.

Apart from his Muppet Show berth, the veteran journalist has presented breaking news bulletins in The Great Muppet Caper, A Muppet Family Christmas, and The Jim Henson Hour (as well as non-news related cameos in The Muppet Movie, The Muppets Take Manhattan and as an audience background character in Muppets Tonight). In The Muppets Take Manhattan, the Newsman is among the guests at Miss Piggy and Kermit's wedding. He tells Sam the Eagle they must wait for the bride and groom to arrive.

More recently, he surfaced in the video games Muppets Inside and Muppets Party Cruise, in The Muppet Show Live at MuppetFest, and on Muppets TV. His most recent appearances include The Muppet Show Comic Book, the music videos for "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Muppet Show Theme", as well as News Flash segments on Muppets.com.

In The Muppets, he appears as one of the telephone operators during the telethon. During the credits, he makes announcements about the Muppets following their grand finale. In a picture from the set, he appears in a deleted scene with Scooter, Kathy Griffin, and Billy Crystal. For this movie, he is rebuilt with new eyelids that can open and close. In Muppets Most Wanted, he reports on Constantine escaping from the Gulag and Kermit and Piggy's supposed marriage.

On The Muppets, the Newsman works for a news station across the street from the Up Late with Miss Piggy studios. He has access to their office space, and in "Hostile Makeover" competes with Bobo selling girl scout cookies for his daughter because every box he sells makes him look better than his ex-wife.

Additional names

In the scripts for season one of The Muppet Show, the character was called Muppet Reporter. It was changed to the Newsman in season two.

In The Muppet Show Annual 1977, he is called "The Muppet News Reporter."

In some merchandise, such as the Palisades Toys action figure of the Newsman, he is called Muppet Newsman.

In Muppet Party Cruise, he is listed as Muppet Newscaster.

Casting History

Main Performers

Jim Henson: The Muppet Show (1976) - The Jim Henson Hour (1989)
Steve Whitmire: Muppets.com (2008) - present

Alternate Performers

Jerry Nelson: Muppets Inside CD-ROM (1996)
Brian Henson: The Muppet Show Live (2001), Muppets Party Cruise (2003)

Filmography

Book appearances

The Muppet Show Book (1978)
The Comic Muppet Book (1979)
Robin Hood (1980)
Muppets at Sea (1980)
The Muppet Show Comic Book (2009)
Muppet Robin Hood (2009)
The Treasure of Peg-Leg Wilson (2009)
The Muppet Show Comic Book: Pigs in Space (2009)
The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 [[Image:Newsman.png|thumb|300px|The Newsman in 2010.]]
 [[Image:Muppets2011Trailer02-47.jpg|thumb|300px|On ''The Muppets'' in 2011.]]
+[[Image:Episode102 (25).jpg|thumb|300px|In [[Episode 102: Hostile Makeover|episode #2]] of ''The Muppets'']]
+[[File:NewsmanMW.png|thumb|300px]]
 '''The Newsman''' is the weary, bespectacled [[Muppet News Flash]] anchor on ''[[The Muppet Show]]'', debuting in [[Episode 102: Connie Stevens|the second episode]]. The Newsman always tried to deliver the news with accuracy, but was visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of the News Flash in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he suffered from a nasty streak of bad luck that usually culminated in some person or object - somehow related to the day's story - falling on his head.
@@ Line 17: / Line 19: @@
 More recently, he surfaced in the video games ''[[Muppets Inside]]'' and ''[[Muppets Party Cruise]]'', in ''[[The Muppet Show Live]]'' at [[MuppetFest]], and on ''[[Muppets TV (France)|Muppets TV]].'' His most recent appearances include ''[[The Muppet Show Comic Book]]'', the music videos for "[[Bohemian Rhapsody]]" and "[[The Muppet Show Theme]]", as well as News Flash segments on ''[[Disney Xtreme Digital|Muppets.com]]''.
-In ''[[The Muppets (2011)|The Muppets]]'', he appears as one of the telephone operators during the telethon. During the credits, he makes announcements about the Muppets following their grand finale. In a picture from the set, he appears in a deleted scene with [[Scooter]], [[Kathy Griffin]], and [[Billy Crystal]]. For this movie, he is rebuilt with new eyelids that can open and close.
+In ''[[The Muppets (2011)|The Muppets]]'', he appears as one of the telephone operators during the telethon. During the credits, he makes announcements about the Muppets following their grand finale. In a picture from the set, he appears in a deleted scene with [[Scooter]], [[Kathy Griffin]], and [[Billy Crystal]]. For this movie, he is rebuilt with new eyelids that can open and close. In ''[[Muppets Most Wanted]]'', he reports on [[Constantine]] escaping from the [[Gulag]] and Kermit and Piggy's supposed marriage.
+On ''[[The Muppets (2015)|The Muppets]]'', the Newsman works for a news station across the street from the ''[[Up Late with Miss Piggy]]'' studios. He has access to their office space, and in "[[Episode 102: Hostile Makeover|Hostile Makeover]]" competes with [[Bobo]] selling girl scout cookies for his daughter because every box he sells makes him look better than his ex-wife.
-In ''[[Muppets Most Wanted]]'', he reports on [[Constantine]] escaping from the [[Gulag]] and Kermit and Piggy's supposed marriage.
 ==Additional names==
@@ Line 102: / Line 104: @@
 * ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]''
 * ''[[The Muppets Take Manhattan]]''
+* '' [[The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years]]''
 * [[Pampers]] commercial
 * ''[[A Muppet Family Christmas]]''
@@ Line 115: / Line 118: @@
 **World's Biggest Sandwich
 * [[The Muppet Show Theme]] Music Video
-* ''[[The Muppets (2011)|The Muppets]]''
+* ''[[The Muppets (2011)|The Muppets]]'' (film)
 * ''[[Muppets Most Wanted]]''
 * ''[[Muppet Moments (shorts)|Muppet Moments]]''
 * [[The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot]]
+* [[The Muppets (2015)|The Muppets]]'' (series)
+** [[Episode 102: Hostile Makeover]]
+** [[Episode 112: A Tail of Two Piggies]]
 ==Book appearances==

Muppet Wiki

Changes: The Newsman

Revision as of 13:33, 5 February 2016

Contents

Additional names

Casting History

Filmography

Book appearances

See also