After the success of Muppet Babies (1984), CBS wanted another show to cash in. Thus, Jim Henson and Marvel Productions created a mixed live action and animated series for CBS, Little Muppet Monsters (which ran in an hour-long format with Muppet Babies, billed as Muppets, Babies and Monsters). The concept was three live action Muppet monsters: Tug (Richard Hunt), Molly (Camille Bonora), and Boo (David Rudman), ran their own TV station from the basement of the Muppets' apartment building. The show mixed live-action Muppet segments with animated bits, including Pigs In Space, Kermit and Fozzie: Private Eye, 'Muppet Sport Shorts with Animal, and other supporting segments.
However, due to various issues (see the Trivia page), the show was pulled after three episodes and was swiftly cancelled, though the theme song remained in the closing credits to Muppet Babies until that show ended its' run in 1991. Some of the animated footage was also reused in Muppet Babies.
The show provides the example of:
- Animated Adaptation: The show featured animated shorts that starred the Muppet characters, the most notable of which was an animated version of The Muppet Show's Pigs in Space segment.
- Abhorrent Admirer: Milo Sockdrawer from the Pigs in Space segment of the episode "The Great Boodini" wishes to make First Mate Piggy his queen. First Mate Piggy is not interested at all.
- Forced Transformation:
- The Pigs in Space segment of "Space Cowboys" has First Mate Piggy, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Link Hogthrob turned into frogs by the Frogons who take over their ship.
- "The Great Boodini" has Boo accidentally cause various characters to transform into stuff and be unable to change them back until he pleads the magic book he found to help him. Victims include his brother Tug becoming a sandwich and his sister Molly becoming a chicken. Boo's first attempt at fixing their transformation only switches the changes so that Tug is the chicken and Molly is the sandwich.
- Recycled Soundtrack: The animated segments often recycle Rob Walsh's Muppet Babies background music tracks. Justified, in that this show was originally paired up with Muppet Babies.
- Take a Third Option: "Space Cowboys" has an error of communication resulting in Tug thinking that today's episode has a space theme while Molly and Boo are certain that today's episode is supposed to have a cowboy theme. Eventually, the three compromise with a space cowboy theme.
- Variety Show: The show has various unrelated segments hosted by Tug, Molly and Boo.
