''The Muppet Show'' is a

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and is ...

television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a series and other networks in the United States rejected Henson's proposals, British producer Lew Grade expressed enthusiasm for the project and agreed to co-produce ''The Muppet Show'' for the British channel

ATV ATV may refer to: Broadcasting * Amateur television *Analog television Television stations and companies * Ràdio i Televisió d'Andorra * ATV (Armenia) * ATV (Aruba), NBC affiliate * ATV (Australian TV station), Melbourne * ATV (Austria) * AT ...

. Five seasons, totalling 120 episodes, were broadcast on ATV and other

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

franchises in the United Kingdom and in later

first-run syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...

in the US from 1976 to 1981. The programme was produced and recorded at ATV Elstree Studios, England. ''The Muppet Show'' is presented as a variety show, featuring recurring sketches and musical numbers interspersed with plotlines taking place backstage and in other areas of the venue. Within its context, Kermit the Frog (performed by Henson) acts as

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

and host, who tries to maintain control of the overwhelming antics of the other Muppet characters, as well as appease the rotating slate of guest stars. ''The Muppet Show'' is also known for its uniquely designed characters,

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

nature,

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...

, sometimes absurdist and surreal humour, and parodies. As ''The Muppet Show'' became popular, many celebrities were eager to perform with the Muppets on television and in subsequent films. The cast of performers over the course of the series included Henson, Frank Oz (credited as featured performer as well as creative consultant), Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Leo Sayer, Fran Brill, Eren Özker, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, Karen Prell, Brian Muehl,

Bob Payne Bob Payne is an American puppeteer and puppet builder. He is also known as Robert Payne and Bobby Payne. History Payne, a native of Washington, D.C., was a college friend of Jim Henson and Jane Henson. He first worked with them on Jim Henson's sh ...

John Lovelady John Lovelady is an American puppeteer who worked with the Muppets, including on the PBS series ''Sesame Street''. Lovelady is originally from Oxford, Mississippi. He was one of the puppeteer troupe in the first season of ''The Muppet Show'' (1 ...

, Jane Henson,

Peter Friedman Peter Friedman (born April 24, 1949) is an American stage, film, and television actor. Life and career Born in New York City, Friedman graduated from Hofstra UniversitySesame Street'', whose characters made sporadic appearances on ''The Muppet Show''.

Jack Burns John Francis Burns (November 15, 1933 – January 27, 2020) was an American comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, and producer. During the 1960s, he was part of two comedy partnerships, first with George Carlin and later with Avery Schreiber. ...

served as the head writer for the first season, before Jerry Juhl became the head writer from the second season. The music was performed by Jack Parnell and his orchestra. ''The Muppet Show'' was produced by ITC Entertainment and Henson Associates. The series premiered in the UK on 5 September 1976 and ended on 23 May 1981. The rights to the series are currently owned by

The Muppets Studio The Muppets Studio, LLC, formerly The Muppets Holding Company, LLC, is a wholly owned entertainment subsidiary of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, formed in 2004 through The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of ''The Muppets'' and ''Bear i ...

(a division of The Walt Disney Company), having been acquired from The Jim Henson Company on 17 February 2004.

History

Since its debut in 1969, '' Sesame Street'' had given Jim Henson's Muppet characters exposure; however, Henson began to perceive that he was becoming typecast as a children's entertainer. Subsequently, he began conceiving a programme for a more adult demographic. Two television specials, '' The Muppets Valentine Show'' (1974) and '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence'' (1975), were produced for

and are considered pilots for ''The Muppet Show''. Neither of the two specials were ordered to series. However, the

prime-time access The Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR) was a broadcasting regulation that was instituted in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1970 to restrict the amount of network programming that a local television station either ...

rule was recently enacted, shifting the 7:30 to 8 pm ET slot from the networks to their affiliates. CBS became interested in Henson's series proposals and expressed intent to broadcast it weekly on its

owned and operated station In the broadcasting industry, an owned-and-operated station (frequently abbreviated as an O&O) usually refers to a television or radio station owned by the network with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an affiliate ...

s. According to Henson's pitch reel, George Schlatter was originally involved. Lew Grade, proprietor of the British commercial station ATV, was familiar with puppet television programmes, having underwritten the various works of Gerry Anderson, while also producing two specials with Henson: ''

Julie on Sesame Street ''Julie on Sesame Street'' was a variety special broadcast in the United States on ABC on November 23, 1973 at 9 PM ET / PT. Sponsored on ABC by technology/telecommunications conglomerate GTE, the special starred Julie Andrews and Perry Co ...

'' and a special on Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. Grade offered a deal to Henson that would result in the latter's programme being produced at the ATV Elstree Studios, England. ATV, as part of the ITV network, would broadcast the programme to other ITV stations in the United Kingdom, and its distribution arm, ITC Entertainment, would handle international broadcasts. Henson set aside his misgivings about syndication and accepted. Meanwhile, Henson's Muppets were featured in '' The Land of Gorch'' skits during the first (1975–76) season of the American comedy television programme '' Saturday Night Live''. Although they lasted for only that one season on ''Saturday Night Live'' due to conflicts with that show's writers and producers, Henson and his team learned a great deal from being involved with the production. They gained institutional knowledge about adapting and quickly creating a television programme within a seven-day period. Henson also gained valuable friendships with multiple celebrities through his work on ''Saturday Night Live''. Henson and his team were later able to use these skills and relationships on ''The Muppet Show''. ''The Muppet Show'' first aired in September 1976. By Christmas 1976, the series in the UK saw around 14 million viewers tuning in on Sunday evenings. In January 1977, over 100 countries had either acquired the series or were making offers, which had resulted in over £6 million in overseas sales.

Overview

Opening and closing sequences

"The Muppet Show Theme" (written by Henson and

Sam Pottle Samuel H. Pottle (May 8, 1934 – July 4, 1978) was an American composer, conductor, and musical director involved in many theatrical and television productions. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, he is perhaps best remembered for his work on ''Sesam ...

in 1976) is the show's theme song. During the first season, the theme song contained a joke from Fozzie Bear and featured Kermit introducing the guest star ("To introduce our guest star, that's what I'm here to do, so it really makes me happy to introduce to you..."). At the song's end, Gonzo the Great appeared in front of the "Muppet Show" banner, attempting to play the "O" in "Show" like a gong, with various comical results. From the second to fourth seasons, the joke and Kermit's introduction were replaced by a short quip from

Statler and Waldorf Statler and Waldorf are a pair of Muppet characters best known for their cantankerous opinions and shared penchant for heckling. The two elderly men first appeared in ''The Muppet Show'' in 1975, where they consistently jeered the entirety of ...

, then a shot of the audience singing "Why don't they get things started?" The fifth season version featured an extra verse from the hecklers ("Why do we always come here? I guess we'll never know. It's kind of like a torture to have to watch the show!"). At the end of the song, Gonzo appeared inside the "O" in "Show" to play the final note on a trumpet; again, with various comical results. 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, followed by Zoot playing an off-key final note on his saxophone. Some last-laugh sequences featured other Muppets on the balcony. For example, in one episode, the Muppets of '' Sesame Street'' appeared behind Statler and Waldorf, 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!" Every season, the TV version of the song was presented with re-worked lyrics. While the opening sequence evolved visually over the course of the show's five seasons, the musical composition remained essentially the same. Throughout the years, the song has become a staple of the Muppets franchise as a whole.

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 theatre as The Benny Vandergast Memorial Theater, although other episodes merely identify it as "the Muppet Theater". It is also identified as simply "Muppet Theater" in ''

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie ''It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'' is a 2002 American musical fantasy comedy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher and written by Tom Martin and Jim Lewis. The film premiered November 29, 2002 on NBC and the first film to be m ...

''. It is then that the theatre becomes registered as a historical landmark, and it cannot be shut down. In the film, the theatre is shown to be in New York City. According to ''The Phantom of the Muppet Theater'', the theatre was built by a stage actor named John Stone in 1802. At some point, a production of '' Hamlet'' ran in the theatre, with Stone playing the title role. An alternative 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, Statler and Waldorf's box, the auditorium, reception, the recording studio, the stage door lobby, and the back alley. Some of these sets were later re-used as the Happiness Hotel in '' The Great Muppet Caper''. A replica of the theatre serves as the setting for the Muppet*Vision 3D attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Scooter's uncle J.P. Grosse owns the theatre, and rents it to the Muppets. In a deleted scene from ''It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'', Kermit reveals that J.P. has died and left the theatre to the Muppets in his will. This would have taken place some time 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''. In the film '' The Muppets'', a badly deteriorated version of the Muppet Theater is located next to Muppet Studios in Los Angeles. The Muppets reunite in hopes of raising enough money to buy the theatre from oil magnate Tex Richman before he can demolish it and start drilling for oil on the site.

Characters and performers

Many of the characters who appeared on ''The Muppet Show'' have appeared in previous and subsequent Muppet productions.

Guest stars

No guest star ever appeared twice on ''The Muppet Show'', although

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

appeared both on the show and in two specials ('' John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together'' and '' John Denver & the Muppets: Rocky Mountain Holiday''), while Dudley Moore reappeared in the special, ''

The Muppets Go to the Movies ''The Muppets Go to the Movies'' is a one-hour television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired May 20, 1981 on ABC as promotion for ''The Great Muppet Caper'', which was released in the United States a month later. Plot With the ...

''. Additionally, several guest stars from the series had cameos in the first three Muppet theatrical films, and season four guest Alan Arkin cameoed in ''The Muppets''. Originally, the producers had to call on their personal contacts to appeal to them to appear, especially considering that doing so required an overseas trip to Britain. However, the situation changed when the renowned ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev offered to appear; his performance on this unusual TV programme produced so much favourable publicity that the series became one of the most sought after for various celebrities to appear in. Many episodes featured actors, such as Steve Martin, Harvey Korman,

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

, Carol Burnett,

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...

, Christopher Reeve, Raquel Welch,

Joel Grey Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical ''Cabaret'' on Broadway as well as in the 1972 fil ...

and Dom DeLuise; some featured veteran performers like Ethel Merman, Bob Hope,

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

Don Knotts Jesse Donald Knotts (July 21, 1924February 24, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He is widely known for his role as Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', a 1960s sitcom for which he earned five Emmy Awards. He also ...

, Liberace,

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...

Zero Mostel Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in ''Fiddler on the Roof'', Pseudolus on stage and on ...

and Vincent Price; some featured well-known pop singers, including

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

, Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Alice Cooper,

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in ...

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". Some guest stars, such as

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...

star

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...

, co-wrote much of their own episodes. The second to last episode, in 1981, featured then- James Bond actor

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

, while the final episode to be taped guest-starred actor and dancer

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...

appeared in one episode as both himself and Luke Skywalker, his role in the ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' film series. Two of Jim Henson's childhood idols,

Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters Ch ...

and

Milton Berle Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...

, also guest-starred during the second season. In 1977,

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...

won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for her appearance. The next year, Peter Sellers—who chose not to appear as himself, instead appearing in a variety of characters— and Bernadette Peters earned nominations for the same award. One episode featured staff writer Chris Langham (who wrote some episodes of this show, starting in the third season) guest-starring due to Richard Pryor being unable to make the taping of the episode at the last minute. An early tradition was to present the guest star with a Muppet likeness of themselves as a parting gift at the end of the show, but this only lasted for the first two episodes produced, featuring Connie Stevens and Juliet Prowse. The high cost and effort of creating these unique Muppets, scheduling conflicts, and potential legal issues contributed to the decline of this practice, although Muppet caricatures and parodies would continue to appear. The practice did however take place for actors Michael Caine and Tim Curry, who were the lead performers in '' The Muppet Christmas Carol'' and '' Muppet Treasure Island'', respectively.

Recurring sketches

*"At the Dance" – The sketch was a regular during the first season but was used less frequently from the second season onward. Muppet characters (some of them being Whatnots) 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. Debuted in '' The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence'', and played a large role in the plot for a season five episode. *"Bear on Patrol" – Fozzie Bear is a luckless police officer named Patrol Bear and Link Hogthrob is the incompetent chief of police who always get into the silliest situations with the criminals brought in. The voice of the announcer was performed by Jerry Nelson. Debuted in the third season. *"Blackouts" – A bunch of short, comic sketches traditional to vaudeville that end with the lights turning off or a quick closing of the curtain. Only appeared in the first season. *"Cold Openings" – The Cold Openings would appear at the beginning of each episode, and would officially introduce the guest star. During the first season, Kermit would introduce the guest star during the opening theme. His introduction would be followed by a clip of the guest star, usually surrounded by a group of Muppets. Beginning the second season, the Cold Openings would appear before the opening theme song. Scooter would visit the guest star in his/her dressing room, usually saying "Fifteen seconds to curtain". This would then be followed by a brief joke. In the fifth season, the guest star would enter the Muppet Theatre and would be greeted by Pops the Doorman. Pops would always say "Who are you?" as soon as he saw the guest star. After the guest star introduced himself/herself to Pops, a joke would follow. *"An Editorial by Sam the Eagle" – Sam the Eagle gives an editorial on a specific topic which ends up occurring during the editorial. Only appeared in the second season. *"The Electric Mayhem" – A bunch of musical sketches featuring Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem. *"Fozzie Bear'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 Statler and Waldorf with help from Bruce Forsyth and they waved a white flag in surrender. Mainly appeared during the first season, but made occasional appearances in later seasons. *"Gonzo's Stunts" – These sketches detail the stunts of

The Great Gonzo Gonzo, also known as The Great Gonzo or Gonzo the Great, is a Muppet. Aside from his trademark enthusiasm for performance art, another defining trait of Gonzo is the ambiguity of his species, which has become a running gag in the franchise. He has ...

where something would usually go wrong. *"Muppet Labs" – Muppet Labs is "Where the future is being made today!" These segments featured the latest invention from

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a Muppet character from ''The Muppet Show'', performed by Dave Goelz. He is a bald, yellow-skinned, bespectacled, lab-coated scientist who presented periodic science segments from "Muppet Labs, where the future is being mad ...

with his assistant Beaker getting the worst of its inevitable malfunction. During the first season, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew hosted Muppet Labs by himself. The writers soon realised that another character was necessary to show Bunsen's failings, which resulted in Beaker being introduced in season two. *"Muppet Melodrama" – A sketch where Uncle Deadly would capture Miss Piggy and put her in perilous plights to force her to marry him. Wayne would often have to be the one save her. Only appeared in the third season. *"Muppet News Flash" –

The Muppet Newsman The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...

delivers a news brief about a bizarre incident or human-interest story. During the first season, these segments frequently featured an interview with the episode's guest star, who portrayed a person connected to the story. Beginning with the second season, the Muppet Newsman would almost invariably suffer some calamity associated with the story, such as being knocked out by a falling light fixture after he reported that the company manufacturing it had dropped production. *"Muppet Sports" – A sports sketch that features different sporting activities that are covered by Louis Kazagger. Debuted in the third season. *"Musical Chickens" – A bunch of Muppet chickens would peck the keys of a piano and play a classic song to show off their musical talents. *"Panel Discussions" – A sketch where Kermit the Frog, the featured guest star, and other Muppets discuss various topics. Only appeared in the first season. *"Pigs in Space" – Parody of science fiction programmes like ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'', 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,

Dr. Julius Strangepork The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson. The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed ...

(the name a take-off on "

Dr. Strangelove ''Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb'', known simply and more commonly as ''Dr. Strangelove'', is a 1964 black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and t ...

"), and Miss Piggy as First Mate. 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 (even though she arguably dwarfs them in brainpower). 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". Dr. 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 season three, and the announcer would simply claim it was "time for...Piiiiiigs...iiiin...spaaaaaaace!" Debuted in the second season. *"Planet Koozebane" – A sketch about a planet containing strange alien lifeforms like the Koozebanian creatures, the Koozebanian Phoob, the Fazoobs, the Koozebanian Spooble, the Four Fazoobs, and the Merdlidops. This was a common stop for the Swinetrek crew. The planet would also be featured later on '' Muppet Babies'', the "Space Cowboys" episode of ''

Jim Henson's Little Muppet Monsters ''Little Muppet Monsters'' is a Saturday morning television series featuring the Muppets that aired three episodes on CBS in 1985. The first season of '' Muppet Babies'' did so well in the ratings, that CBS decided to expand the series from a h ...

'', and ''

CityKids ''CityKids'' is an American television series that aired late Saturday mornings on ABC from 1993 to 1994. The show consists primarily of live action performances, interspersed with Muppet segments, courtesy of Jim Henson Productions. These Muppet ...

'' (which featured different Koozebanian aliens). Kermit the Frog would later report from Koozebane on a 1992 ''

Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...

'' appearance. Planet Koozebane was also referenced in the "Science Fiction" episode of '' The Jim Henson Hour'' and in the video game '' Muppets Party Cruise''. *"A Poem by Rowlf" – Rowlf the Dog would recite a classic poem while other Muppets end up interrupting him. Only appeared in the first season. *"Rowlf at the Piano" – Rowlf the Dog would sing classical songs and would be occasionally accompanied by the other Muppet characters. *"The Swedish Chef" – A cooking show parody. It consists of the

Swedish Chef The Swedish Chef is a Muppet character that appeared on ''The Muppet Show''. He was originally performed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously, with Henson performing the head and voice and Oz performing the character with real hands. The S ...

, who speaks mock

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

, semi-comprehensible

gibberish Gibberish, also called jibber-jabber or gobbledygook, is speech that is (or appears to be) nonsense. It may include speech sounds that are not actual words, pseudowords, or language games and specialized jargon that seems nonsensical to outsider ...

which parodies the characteristic vowel sounds and intonation of Swedish. He attempts to cook a dish with great enthusiasm until the punchline 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!"), Swedish meatballs that bounce, and smashing a cake with a baseball bat after it begins insulting the Chef in mock Japanese. Debuted in the pilot ''

Sex and Violence Jane Air is a Russian rock band. The band was founded in 1999 in Saint Petersburg. In 2002, Jane Air signed a contract with Kapkan Records and released their first record, ''Pull Ya? Let It Doll Go!''. From 2003 to 2007 the band opened conc ...

''. *"Talk Spots" – While sitting on a wall, Kermit the Frog would talk to the guest star and would occasionally be joined by the other Muppets. Mostly appeared during the first season, but made occasional appearances during the second season, and made two rare appearances in the third season (one of which featured Sam the Eagle and the Swedish Chef in place of Kermit). *"Talking Houses" – A bunch of houses that tell jokes to each other. Only appeared during the first season. *"UK Spots" – Due to shorter commercial breaks in the United Kingdom, every episode of ''The Muppet Show'' lasted two minutes longer in the UK than in the United States. The extra segments that were filmed to cover this time differential have been referred to as "UK Spots". Most of these UK Spots consisted of a short song and never featured the guest star. *"Vendaface" – The Vendaface (voiced by Jerry Nelson) is a vending machine that can give any Muppet a

facelift A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy (from the Ancient Greek () "wrinkle", and () "excision", the surgical removal of wrinkles), is a type of cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful facial appearance. There are mult ...

. The Vendaface was apparently only meant to be used once, but David Lazer said that they should not build such an expensive puppet only to use him once. The writers then decided to have him on the show a few more times in the first season. The Vendaface later appeared in episode 318 as the Vendawish (voiced by Jerry Nelson) which was a wish-granting machine. *"Veterinarian's Hospital" – Parody of the soap opera ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...

'' and other

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

s, this segment consists of Dr. Bob (played by Rowlf the Dog) cracking corny jokes in the operating room with Nurses Piggy and Janice, much to the bemusement of the frazzled 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 cross over 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, and once Nurse Piggy was replaced (much to her chagrin) by guest star Loretta Swit, parodying her Nurse Houlihan character from ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

''. In the first series, the narrator was usually performed by

, but Jerry Nelson performed the role in both the Harvey Korman and

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". *"Wayne and Wanda" – Each sketch would feature Wayne and Wanda singing a song, only to be interrupted by some sort of pun relating to a lyric. Sam the Eagle introduced these sketches, as he felt that they were among the few cultured aspects of the show. Only appeared during the first season, however, a few new sketches appeared in later seasons (with just Wayne).

Episodes

The Muppet Show ran for five seasons, with minor alterations taking place each season.

Soundtracks

'' The Muppet Show'' '' The Muppet Show - Volume 2'' Singles

Awards and nominations

''The Muppet Show'' was nominated for nine BAFTA Awards during its run, winning three. It was nominated for twenty-one

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

s, winning four, including the 1978 award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series. It was presented with a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

in 1978. Also in 1978, 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 The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

. The series also won the top Variety Prize in Golden Rose of Montreux international Contest in May 1977.

Primetime Emmy Awards

Others

Home media

Compilation releases

In 1985,

Playhouse Video Playhouse Video (formerly known as CBS/Fox Children’s Video) was a sub-label of CBS/Fox Video operating from 1983 to 1989. The company was responsible for release of some older, low-quality Fox films, in addition to family films, animated film ...

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: * ''The Muppet Revue'' (titled ''Kermit and Fozzie's Favourite Moments'' in the UK) – Hosted by Kermit and Fozzie as they clean up the attic, with guest stars Linda Ronstadt, Paul Williams, Harry Belafonte, and

* ''The Kermit and Piggy Story'' – Hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy as they reminisce over their moments on the show, with guest stars Raquel Welch,

Tony Randall Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play ''The Odd Couple'' by Neil Sim ...

Cheryl Ladd Cheryl Ladd (born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor; July 12, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and author best known for her role as Kris Munroe in the ABC television series ''Charlie's Angels'', whose cast she joined in its second season in 1977 to ...

, and Loretta Swit * ''Children's Songs and Stories with the Muppets'' – Hosted by Scooter as he looks through a scrapbook of children's songs from the show, with interruptions by others as he constantly tries to introduce his favourite song, "Six String Orchestra", with guest stars

, Twiggy,

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress and model. She was initially a child model and gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby'' (1978). She continued to model into ...

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

, and Charles Aznavour * ''Rock Music with the Muppets'' – Hosted by Dr. Teeth with assistance by Beaker in a recording studio, with guest stars

, Linda Ronstadt, Alice Cooper, Ben Vereen,

Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...

, Leo Sayer, Loretta Swit, and

* ''Muppet Treasures'' – Hosted by Kermit and Fozzie as they once again clean out the attic, with guest stars

, Loretta Lynn,

, Buddy Rich, Peter Sellers, and Ethel Merman * ''Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff'' – Hosted by Gonzo and Camilla at Gonzo's trailer home, which Gonzo tries to pass off as a mansion, with guest stars

, Jean Stapleton, Dom DeLuise,

, Vincent Price, and

Madeline Kahn Madeline Gail Kahn (''née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), '' ...

* ''Country Music with the Muppets'' – Hosted by Rowlf at a barnyard radio station, with guest stars

Mac Davis Morris Mac Davis (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. A native of Lubbock, Texas, he enjoyed success as a crossover artist, and during his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, ...

Crystal Gayle Crystal Gayle (born Brenda Gail Webb; January 9, 1951) is an American country music singer widely known for her 1977 hit "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Initially, Gayle's management and record label were the same as that of her oldest sist ...

, Loretta Lynn,

Roger Miller Roger Dean Miller Sr. (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known for his honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs and his chart-topping Country music, country and pop hits "King of the Road (song), Ki ...

Roy Clark Roy Linwood Clark (April 15, 1933 – November 15, 2018) was an American singer and musician. He is best known for having hosted ''Hee Haw'', a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969 to 1997. Clark was an important and influen ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans * ''Muppet Moments'' – Once again hosted by Kermit and Fozzie as they clean the attic, with guest stars

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in '' St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role i ...

, Bernadette Peters,

Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...

, Zero Mostel, and

* ''Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets'' – Hosted by Rowlf, with guest stars Marisa Berenson, Peter Sellers, George Burns, Petula Clark, and Steve Martin * ''Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook'' – Hosted by Fozzie in the attic as he looks through a scrapbook of his material from the show, with guest stars Raquel Welch, Beverly Sills, and

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.

Series releases

In 1994,

Buena Vista Home Video Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the Home video, home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films ...

under the Jim Henson Video imprint 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 series opening and the ending logos with Zoot, the Vincent Price episode was edited to remove the songs "

I'm Looking Through You "I'm Looking Through You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1965 album ''Rubber Soul''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney wrote the song about English actress Jane Asher, his ...

" and "

You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor fr ...

" (the latter of which would be cut again when released on the first series 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 and The Jim Henson Company, Jim Henson Home Entertainment began marketing "best of" volumes of ''The Muppet Show'' for mail-order in 2001, with six initial volumes with three 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 Muppets' 25th anniversary. The collection was available for retail in 2002 via Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment and Jim Henson Home Entertainment by which time Time-Life had released its tenth volume. Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the three seasons on DVD in Region 1 in 2005 and 2008. 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 series 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 series 1 used "Never Smile at a Crocodile" from ''Peter Pan (1953 film), Peter Pan''). :* "Stormy Weather" (

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 Huxtetter :* "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 Buena Vista Home Entertainment Germany in 2010 (which also contains English audio). However, the intro and end credit sequences on this release are in German. In addition, the Paul Williams episode is missing a scene following "All of Me (jazz standard), All of Me" wherein Fozzie and Scooter first discuss the "Old Telephone Pole bit". This scene does appear (albeit slightly abridged) in the international release. The German version also lacks the song "In My Life" performed by Twiggy, instead substituting it with a performance of "Lean on Me (song), Lean on Me" by German singer Mary Roos.

Streaming

''The Muppet Show'' was released for streaming on Disney+ on 19 February 2021. However, two episodes featuring guests

and Chris Langham are omitted from the streaming service. In several European countries, the episode featuring

is omitted as well. A Trauma trigger, content advisory was attached to several episodes describing "negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures".

References

External links

* * * *
The Jim Henson Works at the University of Maryland
70+ digital videos available to students, scholars and visitors at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) {{DEFAULTSORT:Muppet Show, The The Muppets television series Television series by The Jim Henson Company 1970s American sketch comedy television series 1976 American television series debuts 1976 British television series debuts 1980s American sketch comedy television series 1981 American television series endings 1981 British television series endings 1970s American variety television series 1980s American variety television series 1970s British television sketch shows British variety television shows English-language television shows First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Peabody Award-winning television programs Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners Television shows produced by Associated Television (ATV) American television shows featuring puppetry Television series about show business Television series about television Television series by ITC Entertainment Television series by ITV Studios Television shows adapted into comics Television shows shot at ATV Elstree Studios Works set in theatres