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The Muppet Show

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"At the Dance" redirects here. For the song by Corey Hart, see First Offense.
The Muppet Show
Kermit the Frog as seen on the show's opening sequence.
Created byJim Henson
Presented byKermit the Frog
StarringJim Henson
Frank Oz
Dave Goelz
Louise Gold
Richard Hunt
John Lovelady
Kathryn Mullen
Jerry Nelson
Eren Ozker
Steve Whitmire
AnnouncerJerry Nelson
Theme music composerJim Henson
Sam Pottle
Opening theme"The Muppet Show Theme"
Ending theme"The Muppet Show Theme
Country of originUnited Kingdom
United States
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes120 + 2 pilots (list of episodes)
Production
Production locationsATV Elstree, Borehamwood, England
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesATV
ITC Entertainment
Henson Associates
Original release
NetworkCBS, Syndication
(US)
ITV (UK)
Release5 September 1976 (1976-09-05) –
15 March 1981 (1981-03-15)

The Muppet Show is a British-American television programme produced by puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on September 5, 1976, and five series were produced until March 15, 1981, lasting 120 episodes. The programme shows a vaudeville- or music hall-style song-and-dance variety show, as well as glimpses behind the scenes of such a show. Kermit the Frog stars as a showrunner who tries to keep control of the antics of the other Muppet characters (and his temper), as well as keep the guest stars happy. The show was known for outrageous physical slapstick, sometimes absurdist comedy, and humorous parodies.[1] Each episode also featured a human guest star. As the show's popularity rose, many celebrities were eager to perform with the Muppets on television and in film.

Many of the puppeteers also worked on Sesame Street. Muppet performers over the course of the show include Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Fran Brill, Eren Ozker, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, Karen Prell, Brian Muehl, Bob Payne, and John Lovelady. Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns were two of the show writers.

History

Since 1969, Sesame Street had given Jim Henson's Muppet creations exposure; however, Henson began to perceive that he was pigeonholed as a children's entertainer. He sought to create a programme that could be enjoyed by young and old. Two specials were produced and aired that are considered pilots for The Muppet Show. Neither led to the sale of a prime-time network series. However, the prime-time access rule had just been enacted, which took the 7:30 to 8pm ET slot from the networks and turned it over to their affiliates. CBS suggested it would be interested in Henson's proposal as a syndicated series it could purchase for its owned-and-operated stations, to run one night a week in that time slot.[citation needed]

Lew Grade, head of the British commercial station ATV, offered a deal to Henson that would see his show produced at the ATV studios in Elstree, England. ATV, as part of the ITV network, would broadcast the show to other ITV stations in the United Kingdom, and its distribution arm, ITC Entertainment, would sell the show in the United States and around the world. Henson put aside his misgivings about syndication and accepted.[citation needed]

Format

Opening sequence

Main article: The Muppet Show Theme

"The Muppet Show Theme" was played at the beginning and end of every episode of The Muppet Show. Although it evolved visually over the course of the show's five seasons, the musical composition remained sequentially the same.

For the first season, each episode began with a shot of the title card. As the camera zoomed in, the spotlight immediately lit up the O, the center of which swung back to reveal Kermit, who introduced the "very special guest star" from this position before retreating behind the sign. The title card then lifted up to reveal the curtains, and the camera pulled back to reveal the Muppet orchestra with Crazy Harry playing a triangle. Two chorus lines, one of four chorus girls and one of four chorus boys then took turns crossing the stage, the former group entering from stage right and the latter from stage left. The curtains then parted to reveal Fozzie Bear who each week tells a joke before the curtain abruptly closes on him. As the curtains close, Kermit appeared in front of them to visually present the guest star. The last verse was then performed from a set of cake layer-like risers. Kermit and the chorus of Muppets raised their arms as the song finished and the logo once again lowered into place with Gonzo trying to use the O as a gong, swinging at it with a mallet before some incident occurs.

For the second season, each episode began with a shot of the title card and Kermit introducing the guest star from inside the O. He stayed perched in the sign as it was lifted into the rafters. The curtain was then raised, revealing a series of arches. Next, a group of full-bodied monsters walked onstage, followed by a group of females singing a verse, followed by the males singing the following verse. Statler and Waldorf followed with a new wisecrack each week in place of Fozzie's joke except a couple of instances where they merely sit down in their seats. Kermit was shown seated in the arches with the rest of the cast. The camera changes shots further and further away before the logo is lowered before them. Kermit and Fozzie run to the left and right sides of the logo respectively behind the arches so they wouldn't get hidden out of the shot. Gonzo is inside the circle and plays a note on his bugle, often wrongly or with some kind of hiccup that changed every week.

For the third season, the opening remained the same except for two differences: initial shots of Zoot and Rowlf and an additional shot where the audience asks, "Why Don't You Get Things Started?" Also, some episodes featured had a special scene during the opening that took place either backstage or the orchestra pit, in place of a comment by Statler and Waldorf.

For the fourth season, the opening was shortened. The shots of women and men singing in the arches were replaced with a single shot of men (on the top row of arches) and women (on the bottom row of arches) singing one short verse. The rest of the opening remained unchanged from the third season's opening.

For the fifth season, the opening underwent some changes. The shot of Rowlf and Zoot were replaced with a shot of a new Zoot puppet. This opening reverted back to having the men and women sing two different verses, but they were re-shot. The arches appear to be slightly thicker and wider than previously. Statler and Waldorf then sang a new verse expressing their hatred toward The Muppet Show. This was followed by a shot of the orchestra and then a shot of a few rows of arches filled with characters saying, "And now let's get things started", before the audience says, "Why don't you get things started?". The rest of the opening remains the same from previous versions.

Ending sequence

Each episode ended with an extended instrumental performance of "The Muppet Show Theme" by the Muppet orchestra before Statler and Waldorf gave the last laugh of the night. Some last laugh sequences featured other Muppets on the balcony. For example, in one episode, the Muppets of Sesame Street appeared behind the duo, who told them, "How should we know how to get to Sesame Street? We don't even know how to get out of this stupid theater box!"

Characters

Main characters


Minor characters

  • Afghan Hound (performed by Louise Gold, but also performed occasionally by Richard Hunt and Kathryn Mullen) - An Afghan Hound who appeared occasionally.
  • Aliens - An alien duo who appeared occasionally.
  • Angus McGonagle (performed by Jerry Nelson) - Also known as the Argyle Gargoyle, Angus McGonagle is a Scotsman who can gargle Gerswhin gorgeously. The sound effects of Angus' gargling are provided by Richard Hunt. He was designed by Michael K. Frith and Bruce McNally and built by Jane Gootnick.
  • Annie Sue (performed by Louise Gold) - A young pig who is Miss Piggy's innocent rival.
  • Announcer (voiced by Jerry Nelson in most episodes, John Lovelady in some early episodes) - An unseen announcer who would announce the segment that is about to come on. In the "Gene Kelly" episode, the Announcer is revealed to be a blue Whatnot.
  • Baskerville the Hound (performed variously by Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, John Lovelady, and Dave Goelz) - A hound who made many appearances on the show. He once auditioned a comedy act which caused Fozzie Bear to hook him off the stage.
  • Bears - Besides Fozzie Bear and Billy the Bear, there are generic bears that appear in various roles in different episodes.
  • Beauregard (performed by Dave Goelz) - The dimwitted stagehand and janitor.
  • Beautiful Day Monster (performed variously by Richard Hunt, Jim Henson, and Jerry Nelson) - A monster that appeared occasionally. Like Kermit the Frog, he was previously seen on Sesame Street.
  • Behemoth (performed variously by Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson) - An orange Full-Bodied Muppet who made various appearances on the show. He is one of the Muppets who eats other Muppets.
  • Betsy Bird (performed by Betsy Baytos) - A giant red and yellow dancing bird who appeared in the final season. She was named after Betsy Baytos. According to Jim Henson, Betsy was dropped since the costume seemed to hide Betsy's dance movements. Despite this, Betsy Bird did appear in the special Here Come the Puppets! She was designed by Michael K. Frith and built by Cheryl Blaylock and Caroly Wilcox.
  • Billy the Bear (performed variously by Richard Hunt, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson and Brian Muehl) - A bear who appeared occasionally. He later won a Fred Award for "Best Bear Comedian".
  • Bobby Benson (performed by Richard Hunt) - The leader of the Baby Band. Although he was often seen with a cigarette in his mouth, his recent appearances have him without his cigarette.
    • The Baby Band - A bunch of babies that are often seen as members of Bobby Benson's Baby Band.
  • Bossmen - 12 ft. tall Muppets that appeared occasionally. They are operated with long rods.
  • Brewster (performed by Dave Goelz) - Also known as the "Guru," Brewster is a wise white-bearded man who appeared occasionally.
  • Brown Bat (performed by Dave Goelz) - A bat who appeared occasionally. He once sang the song "Leatherwing Bat" with Judy Collins, Harold the Woodpecker, and a Singing Owl.
  • Bruno (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A Whatnot security guard who appeared occasionally in the final season.
  • Butch the Tiger (performed variously by Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, and Brian Muehl) - A tiger who appeared occasionally.
  • Catgut (performed by Richard Hunt) - A cat who appeared occasionally. She was previously seen in The Muppet Musicians of Bremen.
  • Chick - In the "Roger Miller" episode, this chick was the source of the Cluckitis. The Chick later made other appearances in this show.
  • Chickens - Outside of Camilla, a bunch of chickens are often seen performing with Gonzo and appear in various roles.
  • Clodhoppers - A bunch of dancing blue monsters.
  • Cows - A herd of cows that appeared occasionally.
  • Crazy Harry (performed by John Lovelady in 1976–1977, Jerry Nelson for the remainder of the run) - A madman who enjoys blowing things up far too much, he appears when a character utters a line related to explosives.
  • Crocodile (performed variously by Peter Friedman and Frank Oz) - A Crocodile appeared in various sketches.
  • Doglion (performed variously by Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, and Jim Henson) - A dog-faced monster with horns who is one of the Full-Bodied Muppets. He is sometimes paired with Sweetums and the other Full-Bodied Muppets.
  • Dr. Julius Strangepork (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A pig who serves as the chief science officer in "Pigs in Space". He speaks with a German accent.
  • Droop (performed by Jerry Nelson, Jim Henson and Richard Hunt in two episodes) - A green monster with a long pointy nose and bird-like feet. He originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch where he was called Snivelly.
  • Eric the Parrot (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A parrot who appeared occasionally.
  • Fazoobs - Four musical aliens from the planet Koozebane who appeared occasionally.
  • Fish Singer - A fish who would often be paired up with the Gills Brothers.
  • Fleet Scribbler (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A gossip journalist for "The Daily Scandal" who sometimes reports on the goings-on at the Muppet Theater.
  • Fletcher Bird (performed by Graham Fletcher, voiced by Steve Whitmire) - A giant multicolored dancing bird who appeared occasionally. He is named after Graham Fletcher.
  • Flower-Eating Monster - A dog-eared monster that appeared occasionally.
  • Foo-Foo (performed by Steve Whitmire) - Miss Piggy's dog. A real dog that Foo-Foo is based on would be used for full shots.
  • Forcryingoutloud Bird (performed by Frank Oz) - A green bird with a yellow beak who appeared occasionally.
  • Frogs - Outside of Kermit the Frog and Robin the Frog, there are generic frogs that appear in various roles in different episodes.
  • Gaffer the Cat (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - An eyepatch-wearing cat that appeared occasionally.
  • Gawky Birds - 11 ft. tall rod-puppets that appeared occasionally. They are operated with long rods.
  • George the Janitor (performed by Frank Oz; but was once performed by Richard Hunt) - The crotchety old janitor. He is seen primarily in the first season occasionally in the "At the Dance" segments dancing with Mildred Huxtetter.
  • Geri and the Atrics - A band of six elderly ladies and one singing false teeth that appeared occasionally.
    • Geri (performed by Jerry Nelson) - The lead singer of the band.
    • Drum Atric (performed by Dave Goelz) - The drum player of the band.
    • False Teeth (performed by Richard Hunt) - A false teeth who is one of the vocalists of the band.
    • Guitar Atric (performed by Louise Gold) - The guitar player of the band.
    • Piano Atric (performed by Frank Oz) - The piano player of the band.
    • Tambourine Atric (performed by Jerry Nelson) - The tambourine player of the band. She once took over for Geri.
    • Tuba Atric (performed by Steve Whitmire) - The tuba player of the band.
    • Vocalist Atric (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - The vocalist of the band. She is the only one of the Atrics to not play an instrument.
  • Gladys (performed by Richard Hunt) - She works as a cafeteria lady in the Muppet Theater's canteen delivering the food made by the Swedish Chef to its customers.
  • Gogolala Jubilee Jugband - A jugband consisting of five Whatnots that appeared in Season One.
    • Gogolala Jubilee Jugband Banjo Player (performed variously by Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson) - The banjo player of the band.
    • Gogolala Jubilee Jugband Female (performed by Eren Ozker) - The female member of the band.
    • Gogolala Jubilee Jugband Jug Player (performed variously by Dave Goelz and Jim Henson) - The jug player of the band.
    • Paul (performed variously by Peter Friedman and Jerry Nelson) - He plays the fiddle and the kazoo in the band.
    • Slim (performed by Frank Oz) - He plays the guitar and trumpet for the band.
  • Gnu (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A Gnu appeared in various sketches.
  • Gorgon Heap (performed variously by Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz and Jerry Nelson) - A Muppet Monster who made many appearances in the show. He is one of the Muppets who eats other Muppets.
  • Harold the Woodpecker (performed variously by Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson) - A woodpecker who appeared occasionally.
  • Herbie the One-Octopus Band - An octopus who is a one-man band.
  • Hilda (performed by Eren Ozker in an Eastern European accent) - She is the seamstress/wardrobe mistress on The Muppet Show. For the most part, she only appears in the first season of the show. She makes rare appearances as a background character later.
  • Horses - A bunch of horses have appeared occasionally.
  • J.P. Grosse (performed by Jerry Nelson) - Scooter's uncle who owns the Muppet Theatre.
  • Kangaroo - A kangaroo who appeared occasionally.
  • Koozebanian Creatures - A bunch of aliens from the planet Koozebane.
    • Male Koozebanian Creature (performed by Frank Oz) - A loudmouthed Koozebanian Creature.
    • Female Koozebanian Creature (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A red, laughing Koozebanian Creature.
    • Baby Koozebanian Creatures - The four children of the Male and Female Koosebanian Creatures.
  • Koozebanian Phoob - An alien from the planet Koozebane. It is known as the most delicious alien on Koozebane. The Koozebanian Phoobs comes in two different kinds: a blue version and a green version.
  • Lenny the Lizard (performed variously by Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Jim Henson and Richard Hunt) - A turquoise lizard who made many appearances on the show. He once auditioned for an emcee only to be dismissed by Kermit. He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin.
  • Lizards - Besides Lenny the Lizard, there were some normal lizards that appeared occasionally.
  • Louis Kazagger (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A Muppet sports commentator who provided commentary for Muppet Sports. He is loosely inspired by Howard Cosell.
  • Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers - A jugband that debuted in Season Two replacing the Gogolala Jubilee Jugband.
    • Lubbock Lou (performed variously by Dave Goelz and Richard Hunt) - The Jew's Harp player of the band.
    • Bubba (performed by Richard Hunt) - The jug blower of the band.
    • Gramps (performed variously by Jerry Nelson and Richard Hunt) - The fiddler of the band.
    • Lou (performed by Louise Gold) - The tambourine player and vocalist of the band. She is often paired with Slim Wilson.
    • Slim Wilson (performed by Jerry Nelson, occasionally performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Steve Whitmire) - The lead singer and guitar player of the band. He is often paired with Lou.
    • Zeke (performed by Jim Henson in 1977-1978, Steve Whitmire in 1979-1981) - The sunglasses-wearing banjo player of the band with shaggy yellow hair hair and a shaggy yellow beard.
  • Lew Zealand (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A boomerang fish thrower and generally fish-obsessed performer. He was originally a Whatnot before a permanent puppet was made for him.
  • Link Hogthrob (performed by Jim Henson) - A hunky but dim-witted pig who is the star of "Pigs in Space" and Captain of the USS Swinetrek. He also stars in "Bear On Patrol" with Fozzie Bear.
  • Luncheon Counter Monster (performed variously by Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, and Jerry Nelson) - A hungry purple monster.
  • Lydia (performed by Abby Hadfield) - A bespectacled red-haired pig who appeared occasionally. Unlike the other pigs in this show, Lydia has hooves instead of hands.
  • Mahna Mahna (performed by Jim Henson) - A purple, wild orange-haired Muppet in a green tunic that is the singer of "Mah Nà Mah Nà." He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin.
    • The Snowths (performed by Frank Oz) - Two furry pink, tube-mouthed, horned creatures that sing along to Mahna Mahna's song. They were designed by Jim Henson and built by Rollie Krewson.
  • Marvin Suggs (performed by Frank Oz) - The sadistic, crazed and flamboyant Muppaphonist. He speaks with a French accent.
    • Muppaphones - A bunch of furballs that serve as Marvin Suggs' instruments.
  • Mary Louise (performed variously by Fran Brill, Eren Ozker, Rollie Krewson, and Louise Gold) - A young Whatnot girl. She once auditioned with an unnamed frog three times under three names only to be hooked off stage by Miss Piggy who states that she's the only one who can sing with a frog.
  • Mean Mama (performed variously by Richard Hunt, Jim Henson, Louise Gold, and Jerry Nelson) - A voracious brown monster who is a Full-Bodied Muppet. She is one of the Muppets who eats other Muppets. There was also a hand-puppet version of Mean Mama that was used occasionally.
  • Mickey Moose (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A moose who appeared occasionally. He is a parody of Mickey Mouse.
  • Mildred Huxtetter (performed variously by Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, and Frank Oz) - A purple beak-nosed woman who is George's dancing partner in the "At the Dance" segments who was seen primarily in the first season.
  • Miss Kitty (performed variously by Dave Goelz and Richard Hunt) - A purple monster who appeared occasionally. She was previously used in The Great Santa Claus Switch as one of Cosmo Scam's henchmen.
  • Miss Mousey (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A mouse who was the object of Droop's affections.
  • Mrs. Appleby (performed by Kathryn Mullen) - A frog who is the pack leader of the Frog Scouts.
  • Mulch (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A blue hunchbacked humanoid monster that appeared occasionally in Season Five. He was built by Bob Payne.
  • The Muppet Orchestra - The show's orchestra that plays the theme song music and the music during the credits. Rowlf the Dog, Animal, Zoot,

Floyd Pepper, and Crazy Harry have performed in this group.

    • Lips (performed by Steve Whitmire) - The trumpet player for the Muppet Orchestra added in the fifth season and additional member of the Electric Mayhem.
    • Nigel (performed by Jim Henson in 1975-1976, John Lovelady in 1976-1977) - The conductor of the Muppet Orchestra.
    • Trumpet Girl (performed by Eren Ozker) - The female trumpet player of the Muppet Orchestra. Due to the addition of the trumpet player Lips, she switched to trombone during the show's fifth season.
  • Muppy (performed by Dave Goelz) - An Old English Sheepdog who is J.P. Grosse's pet dog. An actual dog was used for long shots of Muppy.
  • Octopi - There were some octopi that appeared on this show occasionally.
  • Ohboy Bird (performed by Richard Hunt) - A blue bird that various appearances on the show.
  • Ohreally Bird (performed by Fran Brill) - An orange bird who appeared occasionally.
  • Old Skyball Paint (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A horse who appeared occasionally.
  • Paul Revere Horse (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A long-legged horse in New Balance Sneakers who appeared occasionally. When in full shots, it took two Muppet performers to operate the legs.
  • Penguins (Various Performers) - These characters also make recurring appearances on the show.
  • Pigs - Outside of Miss Piggy, Annie Sue, Link Hogthrob, and Dr. Julius Strangepork, there are generic pigs that appear in various roles in different episodes.
  • Pops (performed by Jerry Nelson) - The elderly doorman who greets the guest stars with a friendly "Who're you?"
  • Prairie Dogs - A bunch of prairie dogs that appeared occasionally.
  • Quongo the Gorilla - A wild mountain gorilla who appeared occasionally.
  • Rats - Besides Rizzo the Rat, there are generic rats that appear in various roles in different episodes.
  • Righton Bird (performed by Dave Goelz) - A purple bird who appeared occasionally.
  • Robin the Frog (performed by Jerry Nelson) - Kermit's small nephew.
  • Ronald Duck (performed by Cynthia Adler in the first appearance, Richard Hunt in the second appearance) - A duck in a sailor hat who appeared occasionally. In the "Petula Clark" episode, Ronald Duck was a companion of Mickey Moose. He is a parody of Donald Duck.
  • Rover Joe (performed by Jim Henson) - A hound who appeared occasionally. He was previously seen in The Muppet Musicians of Bremen.
  • Screaming Thing (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A green creature with pink feathers and three legs that rotate like a pinwheel.
  • Shakey Sanchez - A small pink creature that appeared occasionally.
  • Sheep - A bunch of sheep have appeared occasionally.
  • Singing Food - A collection of Muppet fruits and vegetables that were used in various sketches.
  • Singing Owl (performed by Jerry Nelson) - An owl who appeared occasionally.
  • Sopwith the Camel (voiced by Jerry Nelson) - A bactrian camel who appeared occasionally. He is one of the Full-Bodied Muppets and was built by Caroly Wilcox. It took two dancers to operate Sopwith the Camel with the front dancer using his arms to control Sopwith's head.
  • Sundance the Lion (performed variously by Dave Goelz and Jerry Nelson) - A lion who appeared occasionally. Although he is a Full-Bodied Muppet, he does have a Live-Hand Muppet counterpart that was used in Season 4 and 5. He was designed by Michael K. Frith and built by Tim Miller.
  • Sweetums (performed by Richard Hunt) - A 7-foot-tall ogre-like monster who is one of the Full-Bodied Muppets. He is sometimes paired up with the other Full-Bodied Muppets.
  • Talking Luggage - A group of luggage that appeared occasionally.
  • Talking Houses - A group of four talking houses that told each other jokes.
  • The Country Trio - A hillbilly band.
    • Frank (performed by Frank Oz) - The upright bass player of the band. He is modeled after Frank Oz.
    • Jerry (performed by Jerry Nelson) - The guitar player of the band. He is modeled after Jerry Nelson.
    • Jim (performed by Jim Henson) - The banjo player of the band. He is modeled after Jim Henson.
  • The Flying Zucchini Brothers - A group of Italian acrobat/stunt performing Whatnots that appeared occasionally. Although there were three of them, an episode guest starring Wally Boag showed that there were six of them.
  • The Frackles - They have been previously seen in The Great Santa Claus Switch and have been recycled here in various roles.
    • Blue Frackle (performed variously by Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Jim Henson, and Jerry Nelson) - A blue-colored Frackle with a very short beak, which also has ears. The character originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch where it was called Boppity.
    • Green Frackle (performed variously by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, John Lovelady, Eren Ozker, and Richad Hunt) - A light green Frackle with a short toothy beak and long fur all around his neck. The character originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch where it was called Gloat.
    • Snake Frackle (performed variously by John Lovelady and Richard Hunt) - A dark green Frackle with a long toothy beak and large eyes. The character originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch, but wasn't named. The name comes from the book Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles. Also, the sketch depicted this Frackle with having a snake tail in place of its legs.
    • Blue Bird-Like Frackle (performed by John Lovelady) - A blue vulture-like Frackle with a long toothy beak and long fur all around his neck. The character originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch where it was called Scoff.
    • Green Bird-Like Frackle (performed variously by Eren Ozker and Abby Hadfield) - A green vulture-like Frackle with a long toothy beak and long fur all around his neck and body. The character originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch, but wasn't named.
    • Pink Frackle - A magenta Frackle with long ears and a beak.
    • Jade Green Frackle - A dark-green hunchbacked Frackle.
    • Green Long-Beaked Frackle (performed by Frank Oz) - A dark green Frackle similar to Snake Frackle, only with a long, greener toothy beak and smaller eyes.
    • Green-Furred Frackle (performed by Dave Goelz) - A Frackle with green fur, fox-like ears, and a beak that change colors between orange and pink for each production.
    • Purple Frackle (performed variously by Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson) - A lavender Frackle with yellow eyes and a vulture-like appearance.
    • Gray Frackle - A Frackle with light purple skin, grayish fur, no ears, and claws.
  • The Gills Brothers (performed by Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Steve Whitmire) - A quartet of fish singers who appeared occasionally. They are a parody of The Mills Brothers.
  • The Lautrec Sisters (performed by Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, and Louise Gold) - A quartet of dancing rats.
  • The Muppet Newsman (performed by Jim Henson) - A bespectacled newsman who hosts the Muppet News Flash where something related to what he is reporting on befalls him.
  • The Mutations - A trio of purple Full-Bodied Muppets who mostly dance. The heights of the Mutations vary depending on who is performing them. They are a parody of the music group The Temptations.
  • Thog (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A friendly 9 1/2 ft. blue monster who is one of the Full-Bodied Muppets. He is actually the biggest Muppet character on the show. His ears often go up if he's startled or excited about something. Despite his size, Thog is actually a gentle soul. He was previously used in The Great Santa Claus Switch as one of Cosmo Scam's henchmen. Thog was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin. When it came to The Muppets, Thog was rebuilt by James Kroupa who made him large enough to not be able to fit between the arches for the telethon's theme song. Thus, Thog had to walk in front of the arches.
  • Timmy Monster (performed variously by Dave Goelz, Jim Henson, and Steve Whitmire) - A large green monster who is one of the Full-Bodied Muppets.
  • Tom, Dick, and Harry (performed by Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, and John Lovelady) - A green-furred, three-headed monster that appeared two times. Tom is the green-faced head, Dick is the pink-faced head, and Harry is the blue-faced head.
  • T.R. (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A rooster who made various appearances on the show. He was previously seen in The Muppet Musicians of Bremen.
  • Trolls - Three trolls appeared occasionally. One has red hair, one has green hair, and one has gray hair. They were designed by Michael K. Frith.
  • Uncle Deadly (performed by Jerry Nelson) - Also called "the Phantom of the Muppet Show", Uncle Deadly is a sinister blue dragon-like character who lurks around the theatre and appears occasionally on the show. He speaks with a British accent. He was designed by Michael K. Frith.
  • Walrus - A walrus that appeared occasionally.
  • Wayne and Wanda - Wayne (performed by Richard Hunt) and Wanda (performed by Eren Ozker in Season One, Kathryn Mullen in Season Four) sing songs that inevitably end in disaster. It is considered an accomplishment for them to get to the chorus. They are usually introduced by Sam the Eagle as part of his idea of "good, wholesome entertainment". After a recurring run in the first season, they disappeared after Eren Ozker quit the show. Wayne still appeared occasionally as a background character or as the hero in a series of Melodrama sketches co-starring Miss Piggy and Uncle Deadly, but soon vanished as well. It was eventually revealed in the Linda Lavin episode that Kermit had fired them, but forgot why he did and decided to rehire them. Unfortunately, seconds after they started to sing, Kermit remembered why he fired them (because they were terrible) and instantly fired them again and forced them off the stage. Wayne and Wanda would reappear in The Muppets Take Manhattan as guests at the wedding of Piggy and Kermit, and Wanda was seen participating in a choir. Wayne and Wanda throughout The Muppets, where they are caught kissing during a blackout. They are a slapstick tribute to Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald.
  • Whaddayasay Bird (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A red bird who appeared occasionally.
  • Whatnots - A bunch of customizable puppets whose blank faces can be customized for each act. They are similar to the Anything Muppets from Sesame Street.
  • Winky Pinkerton (performed by Steve Whitmire) - A penguin that does bird impressions who appeared occasionally. He was built by Brian Henson.
  • Winny (performed by Richard Hunt) - A bird who was a canteen waitress in Season Four replacing Gladys.
  • Wolf (performed by Frank Oz) - A wolf who appeared occasionally.
  • Woodland Animals - Some Woodland Animals have appeared in different sketches of this show. Among the featured Woodland Animals are:
  • Yorick (performed by Jerry Nelson) - A talking skull that appeared occasionally. When packed with Uncle Deadly and a Ghost as part of Palisades Toys' producing of Muppet action figures, he was referred to as a Muppet Skull. He is not to be confused with Yorick from Sam and Friends.
  • Youknow Bird (performed by Jim Henson) - A pink bird who appeared occasionally.
  • Zelda Rose (performed by Abby Hadfield, Jerry Nelson, and Richard Hunt in earlier appearances, Louise Gold in later appearances) - A tall pink Muppet. She is a recycled and regendered version of Fred from the Munchos commercials.

Recurring skits

Fozzie Bear and Rowlf the Dog perform "English Country Garden" on episode 2.18 of The Muppet Show
  • At the Dance – The sketch was a regular during the first season but was used less frequently from the second season onward. Muppet characters circulated on a semi-formal dance floor offering rapid fire one-liner jokes and come-backs as the couples passed in front of the camera.
  • Bear on Patrol – Fozzie is an unlucky police officer and Link Hogthrob is his incompetent superior who always get into the silliest situations with the criminals brought in. The voice of the announcer was performed by Jerry Nelson.
  • Fozzie's Act – Fozzie Bear gets on stage and performs his famously bad jokes. Statler and Waldorf heckle him, in a perpetual rivalry. The sketches became less frequent as Fozzie's off-stage presence became more prevalent. In one first season episode however, Fozzie turned the tables on his rivals with help from Bruce Forsyth and they waved the white flag in surrender.
  • Muppet Labs – Segments featuring the latest invention from Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, with his assistant, Beaker, getting the worst of its inevitable malfunction. The character of Beaker was introduced in the second season; during the first season Bunsen hosted Muppet Labs by himself, but the writers soon realized that another character was necessary to show Bunsen's failings.
  • Muppet News Flash – The Muppet Newsman gives a newsbrief only to have some disaster befall him (typically the same disaster he was just describing), or another strange scenario: such as the time that he ran on, stated "There is no news tonight.", and ran off. In the first season, the Muppet Newsman read out news items that occasionally featured the guest star for that week playing a character that was somehow involved in the item. Muppet News Flashes often used absurdist humour; in one sketch, the announcer stated that the Atlantic Ocean had been kidnapped. Another example is this statement: Reports are coming in from all over the world that Television News Reporters are blowing up. These unlikely rumors are... KA-BOOM! A third example, a cross-over with the Swedish Chef, has the Swedish Chef open and cause a wine bottle "explosion" (if a bottle is shaken too much before opening it for the first time, fizz will shoot up and out of the bottle) and flies through the air, classified as a UFO by the Muppet Newsman. As the scene goes, he was reported directly above the Muppet News Room and he landed on and crushed the Muppet Newsman.
  • Pigs in Space – Parody of science fiction programmes like Star Trek, but also 1930s sci-fi serials. The spacecraft is called USS Swinetrek and the title voice-over is a parody of Lost in Space. It features Captain Link Hogthrob, Miss Piggy as first mate, and Dr. Julius Strangepork (the name a takeoff on "Dr. Strangelove"). Usually, the sketches would involve the long-suffering Piggy putting up with the wacko Strangepork and the brain dead Link treating her as an inferior because she is a woman. The early sketches also usually featured odd introductions for all the characters, such as calling Link the flappable captain, Miss Piggy the flirtatious first mate, and referring to Dr. Strangepork as 'describable.' Strangepork usually got the most unusual description out of the three during these introductions, as he was the oddest member of the group. This portion of the introduction was dropped during the third season, and the announcer would simply claim it was 'time for...Piiiiiigs...iiiin...spaaaaaaace!'
  • Swedish Chef – Cooking show parody. It consists of the Swedish Chef, who speaks mock Swedish, semi-comprehensible gibberish which parodies the characteristic vowel sounds and intonation of Swedish. He attempts to cook a dish with great enthusiasm, until the punch line hits. A hallmark of these sketches was the improvisation between Jim Henson, who performed the Chef's head and voice, and Frank Oz, who was his hands. One would often make something up on the spot, making the other puppeteer comply with the action. Famous gags include "chickie in du baskie" ("two points!"), meatballs that bounce, chocolate "moose", attempting to cook Kermit's nephew and perhaps most famously, repeatedly adding pepper to a recipe. The chef was frequently seen chasing a fraught-looking chicken around the set whilst stating 'Yur puurt der chir-ken in der bewl' or words to this effect.
  • Veterinarian's Hospital – Parody of the soap opera General Hospital and other medical dramas, consisting of Dr. Bob (Rowlf) cracking corny jokes in the operating room with Nurses Piggy and Janice, much to the bemusement of the hapless patient. Each instalment ends with Dr. Bob and his nurses looking around in puzzlement as a disembodied narrator tells viewers to "tune in next time, when you'll hear Nurse Piggy / Dr Bob / Nurse Janice say....", whereupon one of the three 'medics' will prompt a corny response from one of the others. On a number of occasions, the "Veterinarian's Hospital" sketch would crossover with the cast or set of another, such as "At the Dance" or "Pigs in Space." On one occasion, Dr. Bob was the patient while the guest star (Christopher Reeve) played a doctor going to operate on Dr. Bob. In the first season the narrator was usually voiced by John Lovelady, but Jerry Nelson performed the role in both the Harvey Korman and Rita Moreno episodes, before taking over the role permanently from the Phyllis Diller episode. In the introduction, Dr. Bob went from "a former orthopedic surgeon" to "a quack" who's "gone to the dogs."

Guest stars

File:Tv muppet show john cleese.jpg
John Cleese as a Mexican maraca soloist as part of his 1977 guest appearance on The Muppet Show

No guest star ever appeared twice on The Muppet Show, although John Denver appeared both on the show and in two specials (John Denver & the Muppets: A Christmas Together and John Denver & the Muppets: Rocky Mountain Holiday). Additionally, several guest stars from the show had cameos in one of the first three Muppet theatrical films.

Many episodes featured people most British viewers had barely heard of at the time, such as Linda Ronstadt; some featured veteran performers like Ethel Merman and Rita Moreno; some featured well-known pop singers, including Elton John, Diana Ross, and Leo Sayer. Sayer's show used his hit "The Show Must Go On": he changed the lyrics in the second verse slightly, from "I wish I could tear down the walls of this theatre" to "I wish I could tear down the walls of this Muppet theatre". The last episode, in 1981, featured then-James Bond actor Roger Moore.

When the show first started, the producers would call upon friends in the entertainment business. However, about half-way through the second season when Rudolf Nureyev appeared, his appearance gave the show so much positive publicity that other celebrities came to the producers instead of the other way around.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Muppet Show episodes

The Muppet Theater

The Muppet Theater is the setting for The Muppet Show — a grand old vaudeville house that has seen better days. In episode 106, Kermit identifies the name of the theater as The Benny Vandergast Memorial Theater, although by the time of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, it is simply called "The Muppet Theater." It is then that the theater becomes registered as a historical landmark.

According to The Phantom of the Muppet Theater, the theater was built by a stage actor named John Stone in 1802. At some point a production of Hamlet ran in the theater, with Stone playing the title role. An alternate exterior is also shown in the book.

Locations seen in the Muppet Theater include backstage right (which includes Kermit's desk), the dressing rooms, the attic (featured in four compilation videos released in 1985), the canteen, the prop room, the stage, the house, the stage door lobby, and the back alley. A replica of the theatre serves as the setting for the Muppet*Vision 3D attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure.

Scooter's uncle J.P. Grosse owns the theater, and rents it to the Muppets, as Scooter is only too happy to remind Kermit. In a deleted scene from It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Kermit reveals that J.P. has died and left the theater to the Muppets in his will. This would have taken place sometime after 1996, as J.P. can be seen (and referred to as such by the head of the KMUP network) in episode 107 of Muppets Tonight, the 1990s reworking of The Muppet Show.[2] The Muppet Theater is shown to be in New York City as Rachel Bitterman plots to tear down the Muppet Theater and build a club. She is thwarted when Pepe the King Prawn manages to get the Muppet Theater to be made into a national landmark.

In The Muppets, a version of the Muppet Theater is seen in Los Angeles and is the main plotline of the movie where the Muppets reunite to raise money to buy back the Muppet Theater deed from an oil magnate named Tex Richman (who got the deed from Statler and Waldorf tricking them into believing that he will rebuild it as a museum) as he plans to demolish it and drill for oil. When Kermit entreats Tex Richman to return the ownership of the Muppet Theater, Tex says no and reveals that the Muppets will also lose their trademark name and rights which he plans to give to an imitation group, the Moopets. Although they were short on their telethon goal, the Muppets get the Muppet Theater and their trademark name back when Gonzo's head bowling act gives Tex Richman a head injury that ends with him laughing comically. The Muppet Newman stated that Tex Richman's change of heart on this had nothing to do with head injury.

Awards

The Muppet Show was nominated for a total of 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 4, including the 1978 award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series.[3] The programme was also nominated for 11 BAFTA Awards during its run, winning 2,[4] and was presented with a Peabody Award in 1978.[5] In its third season, the show received the Television Award of Merit by the Mary Washington Colonial Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.[6]

Syndication

Reruns of The Muppet Show aired in syndication for many years and eventually turned up on TNT from the channel's sign-on in 1988 to 1992. From 1992 to 1998, the show had aired reruns on Cartoon Network. From 1994 to 1996, reruns aired on Nickelodeon. In 1999, the reruns moved to Odyssey Network (which was co-owned by Henson's company), featuring new introductions by Brian Henson, until Odyssey shut down Henson's half of the channel in 2001; the show has not been seen on American television since.[7]

Outside the US, The Muppet Show and MuppeTelevison segments and Muppets Tonight were all put into an umbrella syndication package called The Jim Henson Hour. Disney Channel UK picked up the original series from 2005-2007.

Video compilations

In 1985, Playhouse Video released a collection of video compilations under the Jim Henson's Muppet Video banner. Ten videos were released, featuring original linking material in addition to clips from the show.

Videos included:

In 1993, Jim Henson Video released two compilations under the It's the Muppets banner, Meet the Muppets and More Muppets, Please! Later, three volumes of The Very Best of The Muppet Show were released on VHS and DVD in the UK (volume 3 was a release of full episodes as opposed to compilations). Unlike the Playhouse Video releases, It's the Muppets and The Very Best of The Muppet Show did not include any original footage or guest star clips, but all compilation collections did include material cut from the original US broadcasts.

VHS and DVD releases

In 1994, Jim Henson Video released The Muppet Show: Monster Laughs with Vincent Price, featuring the episodes with Vincent Price and Alice Cooper. Both episodes were edited. In addition to replacing the first season opening and the ending logos with Zoot, the Vincent Price episode was edited to remove the song s"I'm Looking Through You" and "You've Got a Friend" (the latter of which would be removed again when released on the first season DVD) as well as a sketch with the talking houses, while the Alice Cooper episode removed Robin's performance of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

Time-Life began marketing 'best of' volumes of The Muppet Show for mail-order in 2001, with six initial volumes with 3 episodes on each VHS and DVD. Unique to each episode was an introduction by Jim Henson's son, Brian. Nine more volumes were added for 2002, the Muppet's 25th anniversary. The collection was available for retail in 2002 via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment by which time Time-Life had released its tenth volume.[8]

Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD in Region 1 on 9 August 2005. The rights to the episodes and characters used in The Muppet Show, and subsequent film outings, were bought in February 2004 by the Walt Disney Company.

Several songs were cut from the Season 1 DVD release due to music licensing issues. There have also been some cuts in the intro sequence, and backstage scenes leading up to these songs. However, episodes that used Disney music remained unaltered (for example, episode 14 of Season 1 used "Never Smile at a Crocodile" from Peter Pan).

  • "Stormy Weather" (Joel Grey episode) Sung by Wayne and Wanda;
  • "Gone with the Wind" (Jim Nabors episode) Sung by Jim Nabors;
  • "The Danceros" (Jim Nabors episode) Sung by The Danceros;
  • "All Of Me" (Paul Williams episode) Sung by Two Monsters;
  • "Old Fashioned Way" (Charles Aznavour episode) Sung by Charles Aznavour with Mildred;
  • "You’ve Got A Friend" (Vincent Price episode) Sung by Vincent Price, Uncle Deadly and a chorus of Muppet Monsters

The only uncut release of Season 1 on DVD so far is the German DVD release by Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment division from 2010 (which also contains English audio). However, the intro and end credit sequences on this release are in German.

DVD Name Ep # Release Date Content
Season One (1976–1977) 24 9 August 2005
Season Two (1977–1978) 24 7 August 2007
Season Three (1978–1979) 24 20 May 2008[9]
Season Four (1979–1980) 24 N/A
Season Five (1980–1981) 24 N/A

Spin-offs

The Muppet Show characters went on to star in The Muppet Movie, which was the first film to feature puppets interacting with humans in real-world locations, and later films such as The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and The Muppets.

The Jim Henson Hour featured many of the same characters, plus new and boldly different content. The Muppets appeared as toddlers in the long-running animated series Muppet Babies. The Muppet Show format was later revived as Muppets Tonight in 1996. The first 10 episodes aired on ABC, while the rest aired on The Disney Channel. Today, all three incarnations are syndicated together as a single package.

In 2005, the Muppets launched an award-winning webseries titled Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony. The biweekly webshow created new episodes for 15 months on movies.com and starred Statler and Waldorf, along with many other popular Muppet characters from their theater box from The Muppet Show. Each episode featured the duo as they discuss upcoming films, watch movie trailers, and share the week's "balconism".

There is talk of a new revival of the format, with FOX being the initial serious contender.[citation needed] Disney considered using the America's Next Muppet mini-series to test the viability of a full-fledged series. Yet the mini-series never came to fruition.

The hit Broadway and West End musical Avenue Q is loosely based on The Muppets as well as Sesame Street but is required to provide disclaimers stating that it has nothing to do with the characters, particularly due to the musical's adult theme.[10][11]

There was also a comic book adaption to The Muppet Show.

The Muppets were brought back in 2008 for a short on the Disney Channel called Studio DC: Almost Live.

On Disney Junior, they launched on February 14, 2011.[citation needed]

For the muppets.com channel on Disney Xtreme Digital, over 100 new, web-exclusive sketches have been produced as of January 2009,[12] including a muppet performed version of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

The Muppet Show Comic Book began publication in 2009 written and drawn by Roger Langridge and published by Boom! Studios.

In 2006, the first French private TV network TF1, with Walt Disney Television, produced a French version of the show called "Muppets TV" with original Muppets and French guest stars. Low ratings cancelled the programme after only a few months.[citation needed]

In the 2011 Children in Need special, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy make a brief appearance for the original song Mah Nà Mah Nà with various guests and presenters.

Radio shows

The cast of The Muppet Show appeared on the Kenny Everett show at lunchtime on Capital Radio in 1976.

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to The Muppet Show.

References

  1. ^ Clark, John (14 August 2005). "Speaking Of Dvds: Lisa Henson, 'The Muppet Show'". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  2. ^ Mifflin, Lawrie (1996-03-10). "Following in the Frog's Footsteps". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  3. ^ "Emmy Awards Official Site". Emmys.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  4. ^ "BAFTA Awards Official Site". Bafta.org. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  5. ^ "Peabody Awards Official Site". Peabody.uga.edu. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  6. ^ "Jim Henson's Red Book". Henson.com. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  7. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (1994-04-06). "Muppets Take Nickelodeon The syndicated series, now available on cable, is as fresh and funny now as when it was produced in the '70s and '80s". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  8. ^ "Best of the Muppet Show - Muppet Wiki". Muppet.wikia.com. 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  9. ^ "listing for Season Three". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  10. ^ "Avenue Q U.S". Avenueq.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  11. ^ "Avenue Q U.K". Avenueqthemusical.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  12. ^ "Disney Xtreme Digital - Muppet Wiki". Muppet.wikia.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.

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