How did Helen end up a permanent character?

[PaulKTF]

I think Harmony was a much more interesting character with a more robust personality. Helen just bores me. At least the singer they're using these days is pretty talented.

[CEC3066]

i think Helen was the character most styores had at the time of PTT's bankruptcy. thus it was a logical decision to stick with her

[bzier]

i think Helen was the character most styores had at the time of PTT's bankruptcy. thus it was a logical decision to stick with her

Yep...basically comes down to money...like always.

[captslappy]

Yes. They went with Helen system wide the year before PTT went out of business. Prior to that they had Harmony in some stores and Madame Oink in the other. The fact she was in every store at the time is why they kept her when Showbiz took over. It could well have been Madame Oink or another guest had it happened at a different time. Had PTT continued to do well, they likely would have made new guests and brought old ones back.

[TheRealBMcD]

Just a guess, but they probably didn't adapt Madame Oink because of Miss Piggy similarities

[MechaCory]

I think there was a point by the latter part of the mid 80's to early late 80's where I was like "hey, wait a second...why has there not been any new characters?" In the early 80's as a kid I was so used to a flurry of new PTT characters. When Showbiz/RAE replaced my local PTT, it was something new. But when CEC was brought back in 1988 to where I frequented, it pretty much cemented the core 5.

Of course, it's kind of funny how the "Broadway Helen"(basically this older woman nostalgic of her antiquated showtune days of yore) was replaced in the early 1990's with this vibrant peppy young version.

When someone lamented on here how Showbiz corporate wanted to turn Helen into Mitzy without the legal hassle, it kind of all made sense to me. Didnt even a former employee admit that they intentionally "Mitzified" Helen?

[chuckecheesefan98]

When someone lamented on here how Showbiz corporate wanted to turn Helen into Mitzy without the legal hassle, it kind of all made sense to me. Didnt even a former employee admit that they intentionally "Mitzified" Helen?

I think former Director of Entertainment Jul Kamen said they "Mitzified" Helen.

[raebigc]

i think how she became a permanent character cause she is like a role model for younger girls...