''Muppets Tonight'' is an American

live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ga ...

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or control devices such as rods ...

family-oriented television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of '' The Jim Henson Hour'' (1989), the show was a continuation of '' The Muppet Show'', set in a television studio rather than a theater. Unlike the original ''Muppet Show'', most episodes of ''Muppets Tonight'' featured multiple guest stars. There would usually be one principal guest, but other celebrities would make small walk-on appearances. For example, the

Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...

episode features a cameo from Leonard Nimoy. It first ran on ABC from March 8 to July 14, 1996, with reruns on Disney Channel from 1997 to 2000.

Format

The premise of ''Muppets Tonight'' was that

Clifford Clifford may refer to: People *Clifford (name), an English given name and surname, includes a list of people with that name *William Kingdon Clifford *Baron Clifford *Baron Clifford of Chudleigh *Baron de Clifford *Clifford baronets *Clifford fami ...

was the host of a variety/talk show on KMUP. The show stuck closely to ''The Muppet Show'' format of various skits (mostly featuring the show's human guest star) interspersed with some sort of crisis occurring backstage.

Characters

Returning Muppets

(performed by Kevin Clash) – Host of the show since no one else wanted the job. Although he had visible eyes in this series instead of his sunglasses, he went back to wearing sunglasses for all of his appearances after ''Muppets Tonight''. At the MuppetFest convention in 2001, Kevin Clash revealed that he disliked the visible eyes and he preferred Clifford wearing his sunglasses, refusing to perform the character again unless he was wearing them. *

Kermit the Frog Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably '' Sesame Street'' and '' The Muppet Show'', as ...

(performed by Steve Whitmire) –

Producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

of the show * Animal (performed by Frank Oz) * Beauregard (performed by

Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz (; born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and puppet builder known for his work with the Muppets. As part of the Muppets' performing cast, Goelz performs Gonzo the Great, as well as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Waldorf (af ...

) –

Janitor A janitor (American English, Scottish English), also known as a custodian, porter, cleanser, cleaner or caretaker, is a person who cleans and maintains buildings. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A simi ...

of KMUP * Bean Bunny (performed by Steve Whitmire) * Behemoth (performed by Bill Barretta) – Ernst Stavros Grouper's assistant * Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (performed by Dave Goelz) – The

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophica ...

and

inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an id ...

from Muppet Labs who shows off his inventions on the show * Beaker (performed by Steve Whitmire) – Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's assistant *

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 ...

(performed by

Jerry Nelson Jerry L. Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Renowned for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ...

) – Appears in a "Bay of Pigswatch" sketch as the lifeguard inspector as seen in the

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 ('' GoldenEye'', '' Tomorrow ...

episode * Clueless Morgan (performed by Bill Barretta) – A

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of ...

who previously appeared in '' Muppet Treasure Island'' (1996); appears in the "At the Bar" sketch co-owning a bar with Polly Lobster * The Elvises (performed by Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson, and Bill Barretta) – A group of Muppets resembling

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

that star in "Great Moments in Elvis History" * Eugene (performed by Steve Whitmire) – A

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera '' Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": ...

who serves as Nigel's assistant * George the Janitor (performed by Steve Whitmire) –

of KMUP * Gonzo the Great (performed by Dave Goelz) – Does his stunt shows on the show * Fozzie Bear (performed by Frank Oz) * J.P. Grosse (performed by Kevin Clash) – The owner of the Muppet Theater who makes cameos as a crew member. In the

Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, Bullock was the world's highest-paid actress in 2010 and 2014. In 2010 ...

episode, he appears in "The Tubmans of Porksmith" as Howard Tubman's doctor (performed by Allan Trautman) * Miss Piggy (performed by Frank Oz) * Mulch (performed by Kevin Clash) – Dr. Phil van Neuter's assistant (shown in minor parts in earlier Muppet projects); in one sketch, it is revealed that he has a sister named Composta Heap to whom Dr. Phil van Neuter is engaged * Polly Lobster (performed by Kevin Clash) – A lobster who previously appeared in ''Muppet Treasure Island''; appears in the "At the Bar" sketch co-owning a bar with Clueless Morgan * Rizzo the Rat (performed by Steve Whitmire) – Production assistant of the show * Rowlf the Dog (performed by Bill Barretta) – Makes some appearances playing pianos in some acts * Sam the Eagle (performed by Frank Oz) – Hosts "The Eagle's Nest" *

Andy and Randy Pig 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 ...

(performed by Steve Whitmire and Dave Goelz) – Two unintelligent pigs who are Miss Piggy's nephews *

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 o ...

(performed by Jerry Nelson and Dave Goelz) – Usually seen heckling the show from an unnamed retirement home (season 2 has them traveling to different areas while watching the show) * Sweetums (performed by John Henson)

New Muppets

Some of the Muppets introduced in ''Muppets Tonight'' went on to appear in later Muppet productions, particularly Pepe the Prawn, who has become a regular. * A. Ligator (performed by Jerry Nelson) – A pink

vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North a ...

who serves as the show's announcer * Barbershop

Cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gre ...

Quartet – A group of four cacti who make up their own barbershop quartet * Big Mean Carl (performed by Bill Barretta) – A green shaggy monster. He often uses disguises or variety acts to disguise his intentions of eating other Muppets or objects, and eats the prized pet whenever a contestant loses (or wins) Swift Wits. He also makes some audience appearances * Bill the Bubble Guy (performed by Dave Goelz) – A blue-skinned Muppet who can make bubbles come out of his head; first appears in the Garth Brooks episode where the Head of the Network threatened to replace Clifford with Bill if Brooks did not sing one of his country songs. * Bobo the Bear (performed by Bill Barretta) – A

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the N ...

who works as a

security guard A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...

* Captain Pighead (performed by Steve Whitmire) – A pig who serves as the captain of the new Swinetrek in the "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine" segments. * Craniac (performed by Kevin Clash) – An alien with a

brain The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head ( cephalization), usually near organs for special ...

for a head; a crew member on the Swinetrek in the "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine" segments. * Cue Card Monster (performed by Bill Barretta) – A small green monster with long arms who works as the cue card holder. * Darci (performed by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) – She was featured in "The Real World Muppets" segments * David Hoggselhoff (a parody of

David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The You ...

; performed by Bill Barretta) – A pig who is the star of "Bay of Pigswatch" * Dr. Pain (performed by Dave Goelz) – A doctor who appears on "E-I-E-I-O R" * Dr. Phil van Neuter (performed by Brian Henson, assisted by Bill Barretta, operating the hands) – A

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or " insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly a ...

who hosts "Tales from the Vet"; in one sketch, it is revealed that he is married to Mulch's sister Composta Heap * Ernst Stavros Grouper (a parody of

Ernst Stavro Blofeld Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and villain from the James Bond series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming. A criminal mastermind with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service ...

; performed by Bill Barretta) – An eyepatch-wearing

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

who is the chairman and CEO of The Grouper Group which bought out Carni-Vore Industries (the company that owns KMUP) in the episode that guest stars Don Rickles and

Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known professionally as Coolio, was an American rapper. First rising to fame as a member of the gangsta rap group WC and the Maad Circle, Coolio achieved mainstream success as a sol ...

. *

Floor Manager A floor manager or floor director is a member of the crew of a television show. The floor manager is responsible for giving information from the director in the control room, to the crew on the studio floor, and then back to the director. Duties ...

(performed by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) – The unnamed floor manager of K-MUP * Gary Cahuenga (performed by Dave Goelz) – A ventriloquist's dummy with a mind of his own * Head of the Network (performed by Jerry Nelson) – Clifford's unnamed boss at K-MUP who first appears in the "

" episode wanting Clifford to get Garth Brooks to perform a country song or he will give Clifford's time slot to Bill the Bubble Guy; makes background appearances in the control room in later episodes * Howard Tubman (performed by Bill Barretta) – A rich food-loving pig who is featured in "The Tubmans of Porksmith" ** Carter (performed by Kevin Clash) – Howard Tubman's elderly doddering butler * Johnny Fiama (performed by Bill Barretta) – A

Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of entertainers, the second iteration of which ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business frie ...

-style singer (designed by Ed Eyth and built by Jane Gootnick) * Jowls (performed by Jerry Nelson) – A wrinkly faced man who leads a

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

called the Muppets Tonight Band * Larry – A crew member at K-MUP *

Mr. Poodlepants 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 ...

(performed by Steve Whitmire) – An eccentric character with a strange fashion style * Muppets Tonight Writers – A group of three

monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incom ...

s who did the writing for the show as seen in the " Andie MacDowell" episode * Nigel (performed by Brian Henson) – A green monster with a long pointy nose who serves as the show's stressed-out director * Pepé the King Prawn (performed by Bill Barretta) – A king prawn who serves as the elevator operator and commissary cook; often paired up with Seymour; speaks with a heavy Spanish accent * Pokey – A monster who appears in unnamed appearances in this show. * Rozzie Koala - Fozzie's 3-years-old little sister. * Sal Minella (performed by Brian Henson) – A chimpanzee who serves as Johnny Fiama's flunky,

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers ...

, and assistant (designed and built by Jane Gootnick) * Seymour (performed by Brian Henson) – An

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

who serves as the elevator operator and commissary cook; often paired with Pepe * Snookie Blyer (performed by Bill Barretta) – The host of the game show "Swift Wits" * Snorty (a parody of Lt. Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott; performed by Dave Goelz) – A pig who appears in the "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine" segments * Spamela Hamderson (performed by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) – A pig who is a spoof of Pamela Anderson. She stars in "Bay Of Pigswatch" and appears whenever a ''femme fatale'' is needed. (designed by Ed Eyth) *

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing ...

(performed by Brian Henson) – The God of Thunder who is seen doing everyday mundane tasks; whenever someone angered him, Thor would strike the person with lightning * Zippity Zap (performed by Bill Barretta) – A

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

who is one of the crew members on the show * Female Rock Lobster (episode 14) – (performed by

John Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

) * Fairyland Police Chief (episodes 8, 9, 13, and 17) – performed by Allan Trautman)

Recurring sketches

Among the regular sketches are: * Bay of Pigswatch – A parody of '' Baywatch'' starring David Hoggselhoff as Champ Schwimmer, Spamela Hamderson as Spamela, and Andy and Randy Pig as Donnie and Art C. Shell where they work as

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

s at a beach. with Guest Stars Miss Piggy And

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 ...

. * Carl the Big Mean... – Sketches which involve Carl doing an act, which usually ends up incorporating him eating someone or something, e.g., biting the head off a ventriloquist's puppet, predicting someone would be eaten, and eating him, as a psychic. * E-I-E-I-O R – In a parody of '' ER'', it features Fozzie Bear working at a hospital where the doctors and patients pass around humor; Fozzie is assisted by Dr. Pain, Ernst Stavro Grouper, and an Afghan Hound. * Great Moments in Elvis History – In a parody of ''

Great Moments in History ''Great Moments in History'' was a dramatic radio series broadcast on NBC in 1927–28. It offered recreations of famed historical situations. The program was the creation of actor-director Gerald Stoop, a New York Theater Guild member, and p ...

'', the moments in history are reenacted by a bunch of Muppet versions of

. * Pigs In Space: Deep Dish Nine – In a sequel to "Pigs in Space", Miss Piggy is featured on the new Swinetrek with a different crew. The title is a spoof of ''

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...

''. * Screen Tests – A bunch of screen tests that featured the Muppets auditioning in a movie that featured the guest stars of the episodes it was featured in. * Tales from the Vet – In a parody of '' Tales from the Crypt'', Dr. Phil van Neuter tells scary stories revolving around animals. * The Eagle's Nest – Sam the Eagle talks about politics and other issues with Andy and Randy Pig as his recurring guests. * The Johnny Fiama Show – A talk show hosted by Johnny Fiama. * NYPD Green - A parody of ''NYPD Blue'', where crimes are investigated by Kermit as Detective Amphibowicz, at least when the network censor's not interrupting. * The Real World Muppets – A spoof of '' The Real World'' that follows Clifford, Rizzo the Rat, Bobo the Bear, Bill the Bubble Guy, and Darci living together in one house. * Thor: God of Thunder – Deals with Thor doing every day mundane tasks. * UK Spots – There were some UK Spots that were in this show due to the United Kingdom version not having any commercials. ** Fairyland PD – Clifford and Bobo the Bear work as detectives at the Fairyland Police Department under the supervision of their police chief; Clifford and Bobo are charged with the duties of solving mysteries revolving around

nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From ...

s and fairy tales. ** Mr. Callahan – Features the unseen Mr. Callahan who is a regular customer at a bar owned by Polly Lobster and Clueless Morgan with this sketch being at Mr. Callahan's point of view. ** Swift Wits – A game show that stars

Snookie Blyer Nicole Elizabeth LaValle (née Polizzi; born November 23, 1987), best known by her nickname Snooki, is an American reality television personality. She is best known for being a cast member of the MTV reality show ''Jersey Shore'' and starrin ...

. In it, one must guess a secret word in 10 seconds to stop Big Mean Carl (in his Carl the Big Mean Bunny alter ego) from eating an adorable animal. In 5 of the 6 cases, the contestant failed spectacularly, and, on the occasion the contestant got the word correct - without clues - Carl defied Snookie to eat both the pet and then the contestant. ** The Tubmans of Porksmith – Follows the comical misadventures of a rich food-loving pig named Howard Tubman and his butler Carter (it was reworked into Boarshead Revisited in season 2).

Series run

The show ran from 1996 to 1998. There were 22 episodes produced in two batches. 13 episodes were ordered by ABC, though only ten of them were run in the 1995–96 TV season. The program was then purchased by the Disney Channel, which led a further 8 episodes and aired these along with the three episodes ABC did not air, in the 1997–98 season. One of the nine newly produced episodes was a clip show compilation culled from the earlier episodes. In the United Kingdom only the first thirteen episodes of the show were transmitted.

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins ...

screened the first 11 episodes at 7pm on Friday evenings from 6 September – 15 November 1996 with the last two going on 30th and 31st December at Lunchtimes.

Sky One Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1 ...

picked up the series in late December 1996 and continued to repeat episodes until Spring 1999. The BBC repeated 10 episodes in late August 1999. In Ireland the show was broadcast on

TG4 TG4 ( ga, TG Ceathair, ) is an Irish free-to-air public service television network. The channel launched on 31 October 1996 and is available online and through its on demand service TG4 Player in Ireland and beyond. TG4 was formerly known a ...

, eventually being dubbed into Irish Gaelic. In Canada, the show originally aired on CBC, and later moved to Family Channel in conjunction with Disney Channel's airings.

Episodes

Season 1 (1996)

Season 2 (1997–98)

Reception

The reception from critics was mixed.

References

External links

* {{TGIF (ABC) 1996 American television series debuts 1998 American television series endings 1990s American children's comedy television series 1990s American sketch comedy television series American Broadcasting Company original programming American television shows featuring puppetry American television spin-offs Children's sketch comedy Disney Channel original programming English-language television shows The Muppets television series Television series about television Television series by The Jim Henson Company TGIF (TV programming block)