The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...

'' is a live-action/

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 ...

television series that was created by Jim Henson and produced by

ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...

and Henson Associates. It premiered on 5 September 1976 and ended on 23 May 1981, with a total of 120 episodes over the course of 5 seasons. 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 The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

), having been acquired from The Jim Henson Company in February 2004. The 120 episodes were produced in the UK between 1976 and 1980; two

pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

s were also produced, one in 1974 and the other in 1975. The UK broadcasts featured extra scenes that were not seen on US TV. There is no set broadcast order for the episodes, as they were shown in varying order in different regions.Muppets: Season DVD Trivia Track For the Season One DVD box set that was released in 2005, Buena Vista Home Entertainment placed the episodes in the order in which they were produced, rather than aired, for this reason. Due to the sequence in which the episodes are organized on DVD disc 1, Scooter is part of the backstage staff before his first appearance ( Jim Nabors episode). The set also includes the longer UK versions of each of the episodes, though six song sequences were cut from the set because of licensing issues. It is common for television executives to insist on an edit of video release rather than pay money to the owners of the copyright of songs. Examples include the Vincent Price episode, the closing number of which, "You've Got a Friend", is cut on ''The Muppet Show: Season One'' DVD; it is available uncut and in English on the German DVD. The tables below list episodes based on their initial airing dates, for the United Kingdom, except for the two pilots. Thus they may not necessarily be the order in which episodes were shown in all regions. ''The Muppet Show'' was released for streaming on

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

on 19 February 2021. However, two episodes featuring guests

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 ...

and Chris Langham are omitted from the streaming service, the former due to music licensing issues, and the latter possibly due to the actor's child pornography arrest. In several European countries, the episode featuring

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 ...

is omitted as well.

Episodes

Pilots (1974–75)

The first pilot opens with a character called Wally and develops as he types the script on his

typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...

. In the second pilot, a new character called Nigel acts as the backstage boss.

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 ...

grumble from a living room while watching the show on television. (This setting for Statler and Waldorf would be revisited in the first series of ''Muppets Tonight''.) In both pilot episodes, Kermit the Frog only plays a supporting role.

Season 1 (1976–77)

Kermit the Frog becomes the host for the show from the start of the first season, while former host Nigel gets a part as the orchestra leader. Statler and Waldorf now watch the show from a balcony. Other characters from the pilots, including Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem,

Sam Eagle Sam Eagle, or Sam the Eagle, or Sam the American Eagle, is a Muppet character best known for his ultra-patriotism and disciplined manner of being. Sam originated on the television show ''The Muppet Show'', where he was performed by Frank Oz. ...

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 ...

George the Janitor 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 ...

Mildred Huxtetter 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 ...

Crazy Harry 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 ...

, Brewster, and Droop continue to make appearances. Characters from previous Jim Henson productions also make appearances, including Rowlf the Dog,

Sweetums 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 ...

and

Robin the Frog 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 ...

(from '' The Frog Prince''), Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, and Thog (from '' The Great Santa Claus Switch''). New characters include Fozzie Bear,

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 ...

, Scooter,

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 ...

, wardrobe lady Hilda, Uncle Deadly,

Marvin Suggs 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 ...

and his Muppaphones, Trumpet Girl, and the singing duet of Wayne and Wanda. Recurring sketches include "Veterinarian's Hospital", "At the Dance", "Talking Houses", "Panel Discussions", "Fozzie's Monologue", "Talk Spot", "Muppet Labs" and "Gonzo's Act".

Season 2 (1977–78)

Several changes were made for the second season. Each week, Scooter would now greet the guest star in his or her dressing room before the opening theme song by announcing the time until curtain call. The opening theme sequence was replaced with the more familiar one, showing each cast member under an arch. Sketches such as "At the Dance", "Talk Spot", "Panel Discussions", "Talking Houses", and "Fozzie's Monologue" either made fewer appearances or were dropped altogether. Several characters were rebuilt, with noticeable changes in Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, and Janice. Characters like George the Janitor, Hilda, Mildred, and Wayne and Wanda were dropped from the series (although Mildred would still make rare sporadic appearances). Robin is identified as Kermit's nephew. New sketches include "Pigs in Space" and "An Editorial by Sam the Eagle". New characters include Bunsen Honeydew's assistant Beaker, Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Doglion, and Annie Sue. Muppet performers Eren Ozker and John Lovelady departed from ''The Muppet Show'' after the first season. In early episodes of the second season, female puppeteers were auditioned to replace Ozker.

Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. She is best known for her work as a puppeteer on television and for roles in musical theatre in the West End. Gold was raised ...

was eventually hired as Ozker's replacement. Richard Hunt replaced Ozker as Janice's performer while Jerry Nelson took over the roles of

and The Announcer from John Lovelady.

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. ...

quit his role as writer after the first season.

Season 3 (1978–79)

The third season began promptly after the second season in the Spring of 1978, then took a summer and autumn break when Jim Henson went to work on production of ''

The Muppet Movie ''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the film w ...

'', resuming in November 1978. All of the characters and sketches from the previous season remained. New characters included dimwitted stagehand Beauregard, boomerang fish thrower Lew Zealand, cafeteria lady Gladys, Bobby Benson and His Baby Band, and sports commentator Louis Kazagger. New segments included "Muppet Sports" and "Bear on Patrol". Two new puppeteers, Steve Whitmire and Kathryn Mullen, joined the troupe of Muppeteers during this season.

Season 4 (1979–80)

Most of the characters and sketches from the previous season remained. Canteen worker Gladys however, was replaced by a new character, Winny. Rizzo the Rat also made his earliest appearances, first as "Super Rat" in the episode which featured Christopher Reeve as its guest star.

Season 5 (1980–81)

The

cold open A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Ameri ...

featuring Scooter visiting the guest star's dressing room was replaced by a new opening in which

Pops Pops may refer to: Name or nickname * Pops, an informal term of address for a father or elder * Pops (nickname), a list of people * Pops (Muppet), a Muppets character * Pops (Johnny Bravo), a character from the Cartoon Network animated televisio ...

, the doorman, would greet each guest as they entered the theatre. New characters included Pops, Lips, and Gaffer the Cat. Two new puppeteers, Brian Muehl and

Karen Prell Karen Leigh Prell (born July 26, 1959) is an American puppeteer and animator. She is the performer of Red Fraggle in ''Fraggle Rock''. Early life and career Prell was born on July 26, 1959 in Florida but grew up in Seattle, Washington. She als ...

, joined the troupe of Muppeteers during this season, and Betsy Baytos auditioned to perform in eight episodes.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Muppet Show Muppet Show Lists of variety television series episodes Lists of Disney television series episodes