The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show | |
---|---|
![]() Title card from the opening sequence | |
Genre | Variety |
Created by | Jim Henson |
Presented by | Kermit the Frog |
Starring | Jim Henson Frank Oz Jerry Nelson Richard Hunt Dave Goelz Steve Whitmire Louise Gold Kathryn Mullen Eren Ozker John Lovelady |
Announcer | Jerry Nelson |
Theme music composer | Jim Henson Sam Pottle |
Opening theme | The Muppet Show Theme |
Ending theme | The Muppet Show Theme (Instrumental) |
Country of origin | United States United Kingdom |
No. of series | 5 |
No. of episodes | 120 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Production locations | ATV Elstree, Borehamwood, England |
Camera setup | Multi-camera |
Running time | 22–26 minutes |
Production companies | ATV ITC Entertainment Henson Associates CBS-Owned Television Stations (WCBS-TV, KCBS-TV, WBBM-TV, WCAU, KMOV) |
Original release | |
Network | ITV (UK) Syndication (US) |
Release | 13 September 1976 15 March 1981 | –
The Muppet Show is a family-oriented comedy-variety television series that was produced by puppeteer Jim Henson and features The Muppets. After two pilot episodes produced in 1974 and 1975 failed to get the attention of America's network heads, Lew Grade approached Henson to produce the programme for ATV's ITV franchise in the UK. The show lasted for five series consisting of 120 episodes which were first broadcast in Britain between 5 September 1976 and 15 March 1981 over ATV and syndicated to local broadcast stations elsewhere. The programmes were recorded at ATV's Elstree Studios just north of London.
The series 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.[1] The show was known for outrageous physical slapstick, sometimes absurdist comedy, and humorous parodies.[2] 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, Steve Whitmire, Fran Brill, Eren Ozker, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, Karen Prell, Brian Muehl, Bob Payne, and John Lovelady. Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns were two of the show writers. The music was performed by Jack Parnell and his orchestra.
Plot
Opening sequence
Theme song
The Muppet Show Theme (written by Henson and Sam Pottle in 1976)[3] is the show's theme song. It is the opening and closing theme for every episode of The Muppet Show, and was performed by The Muppets in a scene of The Muppets movie.
The melody of "The Muppet Show Theme" is identical with the German song "Musik, Musik, Musik" written by the German composer Peter Kreuder in 1939 for the German movie "Hallo Janine".
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!"
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 series' five seasons, the musical composition remained sequentially the same. Throughout the years, the song has become a staple of the franchise.
First series
For the first series, 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.
Second series
For the second series, 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 on-stage, 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 incident that changed every week.
Third, fourth, and fifth series
For the third series, 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 series, 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 series, the opening underwent some changes. The shot of Rowlf and Zoot were replaced with a shot of a new Zoot puppet. This opening reverted 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.
Setting
![]() | This section possibly contains original research. (November 2012) |
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, Statler and Waldorf's Box, the auditorium, reception, the recording studio, 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.[4] 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 located next to Muppet Studios. It is the main storyline of the movie that the Muppets reunite to raise money to buy back the Muppet Theater deed from an oil magnate named Tex Richman.
Recurring skits
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fe/Fozzierowlf.jpg/300px-Fozzierowlf.jpg)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Theater 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.
- 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 the 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.
- Muppet Labs – Muppet Labs is "Where the future is being made today!" These segments featured the latest invention from Dr. Bunsen Honeydew 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 realized 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 in order 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 gives a news brief 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 Muppet Newsman 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's sketch) 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 Newsroom and he landed on and crushed the Muppet Newsman.
- 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 in order 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, 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 take-off 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." 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, and CityKids (which featured different Koozebanian aliens). Kermit the Frog would later report from Koozebane on a 1992 Good Morning America appearance. Planet Koozebane was also referenced in the "Science Fiction" episode of The Jim Henson Hour and in the video game Muppets Party Cruise.
- Rowlf at the Piano – Rowlf the Dog would sing classical songs and would be occasionally accompanied by the other Muppet characters.
- 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.
- The Electric Mayhem – A bunch of musical sketches featuring Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
- The Swedish Chef – A 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!"), Swedish meatballs that bounce, and repeatedly adding pepper to a recipe. The Swedish 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. Debuted in the pilot Sex and Violence.
- 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.
- Vendaface – The Vendaface (voiced by Jerry Nelson) is a vending machine that can give any Muppet a facelift. The Vendaface was apparently only meant to be used once, but David Lazer said that they shouldn't 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 66 as the Vendawish (voiced by Jerry Nelson) which was a wish-granting machine.
- Veterinarian's Hospital – Parody of the soap opera General Hospital and other medical dramas, 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 installment 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, 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. In the first season the narrator was usually performed 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."
- 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).
Guest stars
No guest star ever appeared twice on The Muppet Show, although John Denver 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. Additionally, several guest stars from the series had cameos in one of the first three Muppet theatrical films. Originally, the producers had to call upon on their personal contacts to appeal to them to appear, especially considering that doing so meant an overseas trip to Britain to do so. However, the situation changed when the renowned ballet dancer, Rudolph Nureyev, offered to appear; his performance on this unusual TV program produced so much favorable publicity that the series became one of the most sought after for various celebrities to appear in.[5]
Many episodes featured actors, such as Dom DeLuise; 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. Mark Hamill was in one episode as both himself and Luke Skywalker, his role in the science fiction film Star Wars
One episode featured staff writer, Chris Langham, (who wrote some episodes of this show starting in Season Three) 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.
Characters
Many of the characters who appeared on The Muppet Show have previously appeared in earlier productions in various ways.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/63/Muppets_cast.jpg/170px-Muppets_cast.jpg)
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 here originated on The Muppet Show, a television series that aired from 1976 to 1981. Since then, several more characters have been introduced in other television series, as well as theatrical films.
The first Muppet characters appeared in Sam and Friends, a Washington, D.C.–based show which was broadcast from 1955 to 1961. Kermit the Frog was one of the show's regulars, and thus was one of Henson's first Muppet creations.[6] The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television program Sesame Street.[6] Henson was initially reluctant to become involved with Sesame Street because he feared being pigeon-holed as a children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals.[7]: 5 Henson's company owned the characters created for Sesame Street until 2000;[8] since 2001, they have instead been owned by Sesame Workshop and are now considered a separate franchise.
These characters have been owned by The Muppets Studio, a division of The Walt Disney Company, after Disney acquired the characters from The Jim Henson Company in 2004.
Main characters
Kermit the Frog
- Performed by Jim Henson (1955–1990), Steve Whitmire (1990–2016), Matt Vogel (2017–present)
A pragmatic frog who is the straight man protagonist and de facto leader of the Muppets. Created by Jim Henson and introduced in 1955 on Sam and Friends, Kermit, arguably Henson's best-known character, quickly became the de facto face of the franchise, including regularly appearing on Sesame Street, sometimes as a reporter. He starred on The Muppet Show, as the showrunner, responsible for managing the show's production, and has appeared in every Muppet-branded production since.
Jim Henson was Kermit's performer from his debut until Henson's death in 1990. Steve Whitmire assumed the role and continued to perform Kermit until 2016.[9] Matt Vogel replaced Whitmire in 2017.[10]
Miss Piggy
- Performed by Frank Oz (1976–2002), Eric Jacobson (2001–present)
A temperamental diva pig who is the Muppets' break-out and "authentic superstar".[6]: 28 Until 2015, she was the romantic significant other of Kermit.[11][12] Authors Maryanne Fisher and Anthony Cox call Piggy "uniquely strong and feminine", but "domineering and demanding." She was designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. During the first season of The Muppet Show, she was sometimes performed by Richard Hunt. Debuted in a 1974 Herb Alpert television special, where she was performed by Jerry Nelson.[13] She is Oz's best-known character.[14]: 103
Fozzie Bear
- Performed by Frank Oz (1976–2000), Eric Jacobson (2002–present)
An insecure, stand-up comic bear introduced in The Muppet Show. Fozzie's characterization was created by Frank Oz, who performed the character from his debut in 1976 until Oz's retirement in 2000. Eric Jacobson has performed the character since then.[15] Finch calls Fozzie "a sweetly insecure and absolutely terrible comedian". According to Oz, Fozzie is such a bad comedian that he "can't afford good joke writers, and he can't write good jokes himself but still a good character". He was designed by Michael K. Frith.[14]: 102
Gonzo the Great
- Performed by Dave Goelz (1976–present)
An eccentric, hooked-nosed creature and stunt performance enthusiast who debuted in The Great Santa Claus Switch in 1970 as the Cigar Box Frackle. A running gag is that Gonzo's species is unknown. In past Muppets films and series, he was called a "whatever" and in Muppet Babies, Gonzo was known as a weirdo. In Muppets from Space, Gonzo is shown to be an alien. He was created by Dave Goelz, who has performed Gonzo since his inception.
Rowlf the Dog
- Performed by Jim Henson (1962–1990), Bill Barretta (1996–present)
An easygoing pianist dog who first appeared in Purina Dog Chow commercials. He was designed by Jim Henson.[16] He then appeared in The Jimmy Dean Show, as Jimmy Dean's sidekick. Finch calls Rowlf "the first fully rounded character performed by Jim Henson", and also calls him "wonderfully down-to-earth, with a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor" and "a master of the double take." He was built by Don Sahlin[14]: 32–33
Scooter
- Performed by Richard Hunt (1976–1991), Adam Hunt (voice only, 1999), Matt Vogel (2000), Julianne Buescher (2001), Brian Henson (2002–2003), Rickey Boyd (2005), David Rudman (2008–present)
The loyal stage manager and gofer of the Muppet Theatre. Richard Hunt based Scooter's voice and personality on how he remembered himself when he was younger. He was designed by Michael K. Frith. Debuted in the first season of The Muppet Show.[6]: 83
Pepe the King Prawn
- Performed by Bill Barretta
A scheming and sassy Latino king prawn,[17] Pepe was introduced in Muppets Tonight, where he and Seymour would often work as elevator operators and commissary cooks. His first theatrical film appearance was in Muppets from Space. Pepe became the spokesman of restaurant chain Long John Silver's in 2002.
Rizzo the Rat
- Performed by Steve Whitmire (1980–2016)
Rizzo is a sly and witty brown rat from the inner city that Whitmire describes as "a sarcastic kind of New York City character"; he debuted in season four.[18]: 80
Animal
- Performed by Frank Oz (1975–2000), John Kennedy (2001–2003), Eric Jacobson (2002–present)
The wild, frenzied monster drummer for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Author Christopher Finch calls Animal "the ultimate representation of a long line of Muppets who personify unbridled appetite",[14]: 103 both "carnivorous beast" and "physical manifestation of pure libido." He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Dave Goelz. Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.[6]: 77
Supporting characters
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
A rock house band consisting of six members: Dr. Teeth, the gravelly-voiced leader and keyboard player of the band; Floyd Pepper, the cynical "hippie" bass player; Janice, the lead guitar player with a flower child personality; Zoot, the laid-back saxophone player; Animal, the crazed drummer; and Lips, the mumbling trumpet player. Other characters to perform with the Electric Mayhem on occasion were Rowlf the Dog on piano on many occasions, Rizzo on cymbals in the "Paul Simon" episode, Beaker on vocals in the "Diana Ross" episode, Scooter in The Muppet Movie, Clifford in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, and Crazy Harry as part of the band in the first episode and later.
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
- Performed by Dave Goelz
An inventive yet absent-minded scientist who frequently performs science experiments and invention demonstrations that typically go awry and has an "affable cluelessness" whenever his assistant, Beaker, is a victim of these presentations. Bunsen serves as a foil for Beaker.[6]: 85 Bunsen debuted during the first season of The Muppet Show and was joined by Beaker during the second season.[19]: 96–97
Beaker
- Performed by Richard Hunt (1977–1991), Steve Whitmire (1992–2016), David Rudman (2017–present)
A hapless lab assistant to Bunsen, who performs ill-fated experiments which often result in him becoming the victim and seriously injured. He was designed by Henson and built by Don Sahlin. Beaker debuted in the second season of The Muppet Show.[19]: 96–97
Sam Eagle
- Performed by Frank Oz (1975–2000), Kevin Clash (2002–2003), Eric Jacobson (2005–present)
A patriotic bald eagle and the group's self-proclaimed delegator of disciplined manners and values. Critic Jordan Schildcrout describes Sam as "a cross between Uncle Sam and the bald eagle (which is the U.S. national bird and symbol) with a dash of Richard Nixon, [who] represents a conservative, nationalist Puritanism that makes him a snob and a prude." He was designed by Henson and built by Don Sahlin. Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.[20]: 832 Most recently, Sam has appeared alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo in The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida.
Statler and Waldorf
- Statler: Performed by Richard Hunt (1976–1991), Jerry Nelson (1975, 1992–2003), Steve Whitmire (2002–2016), Peter Linz (2017–present)
- Waldorf: Performed by Jim Henson (1975–1990), Dave Goelz (1992–present)
Two elderly and grumpy gentlemen who constantly heckle the Muppets from the audience, specifically from an upper balcony box on The Muppet Show.[21]: 40 Statler and Waldorf were named after two New York City hotels: the Statler Hilton and the Waldorf-Astoria. They were designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. They debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.[21]: 43–44
The Swedish Chef
- Performed by Jim Henson (1975–1990), David Rudman (1992), Bill Barretta (1996–present)
A non-sensical chef that speaks in mock Swedish. Based on the "standard finger puppet",[22]: 77 the Swedish Chef was originally a dual collaboration between Henson and Oz, who provided the hands. Oz would deliberately do unexpected things, like tossing chickens and juggling meat cleavers, that Henson would have to improvise with a reaction. He was designed by Michael K. Frith and built by Henson and Bonnie Erickson. He debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.[14]: 102
Walter
- Performed by Peter Linz
A shy, soft-voiced human-like Muppet and obsessive fan of the Muppets. Introduced in the film The Muppets (2011), Walter is the younger brother of Gary (Jason Segel) in the film. Along with Gary and his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), Walter assists Kermit in reuniting the Muppets as an effort to raise enough money to regain control of the Muppet Theater from oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). After his successful contributions to the telethon with his lauded whistling act, Walter is accepted as a member of the Muppet ensemble. Walter returns in Muppets Most Wanted (2014), where he is instrumental in discovering Constantine's intentions and in rescuing Kermit.
Camilla the Chicken
- Performed by Jerry Nelson (1978–2003), Alice Dinnean (2005), Matt Vogel (2008–present)
Camilla the Chicken is the hen that is Gonzo's longtime love interest on The Muppet Show. This chicken with hay fever was performed by veteran Muppet performer, Jerry Nelson, and is seen frequently on The Muppet Show, but also makes appearances on the various full-length Muppet movies such as The Muppets Take Manhattan where she hyperventilates after attacking a villain and needs "mouth-to-beak resuscitation", and The Muppet Movie as Gonzo's plumber girl and is in the back of the car for the whole movie. She also appeared in TV specials such as A Muppet Family Christmas where she is seduced by the turkey who was invited to the family gathering by the Swedish Chef.
On Muppet Babies, Camilla was Baby Gonzo's stuffed yellow chicken doll. She was voiced by Frank Welker, and subsequently Dave Coulier and Russi Taylor when she came to life in Gonzo's imagination.
In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, the Tin Thing (played by Gonzo) mentions that he and Camilla are engaged, but this is never elaborated with the actual Gonzo. Camilla appears as Gonzo's business partner in the 2011 film The Muppets, where she and her chicken companions also perform "Forget You" in the big Muppet reunion show.
Bobo the Bear
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3f/Bobo_the_Bear.jpg/175px-Bobo_the_Bear.jpg)
- Performed by Bill Barretta
Bobo the Bear is an imposing yet easily amused and befuddled brown bear, though his appearance is less anthropomorphic than other animal characters such as Fozzie Bear. Bobo has been in several Muppet films as a major character and others as just a background character. One of his appearances was on Muppets Tonight as the security guard, where he was a seemingly clever and lovable character, with his tagline of "Have a good day, sir!" His character in Muppets from Space was named Rentro. The character appeared in the television special A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, appearing alongside Nathan Lane as a pair of airport security personnel.
In The Muppets, Bobo appears as a henchman of oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theater and drill for oil on the site. Along with fellow henchman Uncle Deadly, Bobo is not fully aware of the scheme that Richman is doing; at one point, he even turns to Uncle Deadly asking, "So, you think we're working for the bad guy?" He was seen partaking in the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song" where he was seen with Tex Richman's showgirls.
In the television series The Muppets, he plays a key role as the stage manager for the talk show Up Late with Miss Piggy.
Uncle Deadly
- Performed by Jerry Nelson (1976–1979), Matt Vogel (2011–present)
Uncle Deadly is a sinister-looking, blue dragon-like monster who lurks around the Muppet Theater. He was originally performed by Jerry Nelson on The Muppet Show. In his first full part on the show, in episode 121, he was known as "the Phantom of the Muppet Show". Although he made his first appearance alongside Vincent Price on episode 119 of The Muppet Show, Uncle Deadly did not receive his proper introduction until episode 121. One by one, the Muppets tell Kermit the Frog that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at the Muppet Theater, where he played Othello until he was killed...by the critics. Uncle Deadly sang a handful of songs on the show, including singing a bar of "You're Just in Love" with Ethel Merman and "Sheik of Araby", and performed in the Muppet Melodrama sketches with Miss Piggy and Wayne in season three. Although he did not have a major role in any of the Henson-helmed Muppet movies, Uncle Deadly did appear in the final group scenes at the end of The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan. He also appeared on The Tonight Show in 1979 when Kermit hosted.
Uncle Deadly made his first appearance in over 20 years in The Muppets, in which he was performed by Matt Vogel. He and Bobo the Bear are the henchmen of oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theatre and drill for oil on the site. As Richman tries repeatedly to stop the Muppets from raising the funds to buy the theater, Deadly realizes his mistake and decides he too is a Muppet. He forces Richman off the theatre roof before he can cut the wires on the transmission tower and joins the group. Uncle Deadly is seen during the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song". Uncle Deadly later appears in Muppets Most Wanted as the organist at Miss Piggy's wedding, performed again by Vogel.
In the 2015 TV series, Uncle Deadly is Miss Piggy's wardrobe supervisor and plays a featured part in the show, a role he continues in Muppets Now and the live shows the Muppets performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the O2 Arena. On the Muppets' YouTube page, Uncle Deadly is the host of its "Muppet Thought of the Week" segment where he also contributed some thoughts.
He appears as the Justice of the Peace in the 2021 Halloween special Muppets Haunted Mansion.
Clifford
- Performed by Kevin Clash
Clifford is a cool lavender-colored, catfish-faced, sunglasses-wearing character with multicolored dreadlocks.[23] He was created to be the bassist for Solid Foam, the band on The Jim Henson Hour (1989).
When The Jim Henson Hour was canceled, Clifford was the only major character (beyond the classic Muppet Show characters) to make further appearances. In 1990, he appeared as a member of The Electric Mayhem in The Muppets at Walt Disney World television special. In that special, Clifford played glockenspiel, tambourine, and cowbells. Months later, he then appeared in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, in which he read one of the fan letters about Jim Henson's death. Clifford also made appearances on The Arsenio Hall Show (alongside Henson in his last television appearance) and VH1. He also co-starred with Kermit in a sing-along video and appeared in a music video.
In 1996, Clifford became the host of Muppets Tonight. In addition to being the host, his appearance was changed as well.[23] He had visible eyes instead of his sunglasses and wore a suit and necktie instead of a Hawaiian shirt. The puppet's head was also built slightly bigger. In 2001, at a Muppet fan convention, Kevin Clash revealed that he disliked the visible eyes and will not perform Clifford again unless he is wearing his sunglasses.[24]
When Muppets Tonight ended in 1998, Clifford was returned to his original sunglasses look for his last two appearances in Muppets from Space and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.
Recurring characters
![]() | This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience.(August 2017) |
Beauregard
- Performed by Dave Goelz
Beauregard is the Muppets' backstage janitor and stagehand of indeterminate species. Debuting in season three of The Muppet Show, Beauregard originally wore a gray jacket over his plaid shirt, but in the fourth season, he stopped wearing the jacket. It is revealed in The Muppet Show On Tour that he calls his mop "Belleregard." Beaker occasionally assists Beauregard with stagehand duties. He tries to be helpful, but his dimwitted efforts frequently result in disaster. His slow wit is often preyed upon by other characters who use him to their own purposes. He has a characteristic blink and often turns to the camera and says, "Right". Beauregard has superhuman strength, which is illustrated by his ability to effortlessly lift and carry around objects that are far too heavy to carry, such as an anvil, couch or piano.
Beauregard appeared on the stage in various sketches and skits. Other times, Beauregard appears accidentally on stage during productions, still working on the props until he realizes that he is intruding and must either rush out of sight or attempt to blend in with the action. However, Beauregard was more comfortable backstage.
Beauregard also appeared in The Great Muppet Caper in 1981, where he played a taxi driver. He brought Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo to the Happiness Hotel, and right through the front door, into the lobby. Beauregard's other major role was in the 1990 special The Muppets at Walt Disney World, where he dragged Miss Piggy onto a series of thrill rides.
He has also had minor roles and cameo appearances in later projects, including The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets Tonight, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years, and It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. In the book Of Muppets and Men, Goelz explains that Beauregard was based on the clumsy Wendell Porcupine from Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas. The main reason why Beauregard never became a star was because the writers thought he was too passive; he did not desire anything. This made Beauregard difficult to write for. In The Muppets, Beauregard is found by Scooter living in the janitor's closet of the old Muppet Theatre, seemingly unaware that The Muppet Show is no longer on the air. In Muppets Most Wanted, Beauregard is the engineer of the train that is used for the Muppets' world tour.
Crazy Harry
- Performed by John Lovelady (1974, 1976–1977), Richard Hunt (1975; 1981) Jerry Nelson (1976–2003), Rickey Boyd (2005), Matt Vogel (2008–present)
Crazy Harry is a pyrotechnician obsessed with explosives, who first appeared in The Muppets Valentine Show and later, The Muppet Show. Crazy Harry has black scruffy hair, an uncombed chin curtain beard and huge, egg-shaped baggy eyes. Early in season one, he played triangle with the pit band. He usually carried a plunger box which would activate a hidden charge, often to his victim's chagrin. Once he assisted Gonzo the Great in a cannonball-catching act but perhaps overdid it on the powder, which resulted in an absurdly stretched right arm for Gonzo. In episode 28 he provided the "Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!" chorus of "Chanson d'Amour", happily blowing the stage and performers to smithereens with his little plunger and cackling. Harry also played solo backup for Jean Stapleton's performance of "I'm Just Wild About Harry", with a collection of plunger boxes forming an "explodaphone", providing explosions at the end of every verse of the song. In the show's first couple of seasons, Harry's appearances were a regular running gag. After those first seasons, the gag was shelved along with Crazy Harry for the remainder of the show's run.
Crazy Harry also appeared in The Muppet Movie, complete with his explosive equipment, as one of the many Muppets in the audience to whom Kermit the Frog screened the film. He appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan as a wedding guest. In 2009, he appeared in the Muppets' music video "Bohemian Rhapsody". In 2011, he appeared in The Muppets, blasting his likeness onto Mount Rushmore—destroying Abraham Lincoln's face in the process—during the film's montage. In 2014, he appeared in a Toyota Highlander commercial, blasting Gonzo from a cannon, like a human cannonball, through the sunroof. In 2014, he appeared in Muppets Most Wanted, in which a criminal uses the noise of Harry's explosions to cover the sounds of a break-in.
For the commercials for the then-new TNT cable channel, Crazy Harry would be featured at the end of the commercials, prefixing his use of his plunger with the question "Did someone say TNT?"—followed by a maniacal laugh after the explosion. In the Dresden Files novel Blood Rites, several references are made to the "Bolshevik Muppet with all the dynamite". The phrase "Bolshevik Muppet" was then used as a warning by Harry Dresden to his allies just prior to setting off a large explosion.
Lew Zealand
- Performed by Jerry Nelson (1978–2003), Bill Barretta (2002–2005), Matt Vogel (2008–present)
Lew Zealand is a tan humanoid Muppet with dark hair, a mustache, a red knobby nose, a ruff and a red ringmaster's suit. His name is a portmanteau of New Zealand and Lew Grade, the distributor of The Muppet Show. Lew started out as a Whatnot before a permanent puppet was made of him. Lew has an obsession for throwing fish, which are unique in that they return to him once thrown—hence the term "boomerang fish". His catchphrase is: "I throw the fish away, and it comes back to me!" Lew appears on The Muppet Show from season three onward trying to promote his Boomerang Fish act. He is also able to play a fish organ (a line of fish that, when squeezed, each gargle a different note). The sketches he appears in usually end with the entire stage in an uproar. In the "Marisa Berenson" episode, he played a major part in that episode by using his timely boomerang fish to prevent Kermit the Frog from being tricked into a real marriage during Miss Piggy's "wedding sketch". In the "Leslie Uggams" episode, Lew Zealand told Leslie how to be a great boomerang fish thrower by saying that "Well, you've got to have sole. And if you can't get sole, get halibut." In the "Lynn Redgrave" episode, he played a member of the Merry Men in the Robin Hood sketch.
Lew Zealand has had supporting roles in The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppet Treasure Island, and Muppets Haunted Mansion. Lew Zealand has had cameo appearances in The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppets From Space. Lew Zealand has a supporting role in The Muppets, where after rejoining the group to help save the Muppet Theatre from Tex Richman, Lew assists in kidnapping Jack Black to be the telethon's celebrity host. He later encourages Kermit not to give up on the Muppet Theatre. Lew reappears in Muppets Most Wanted, joining the rest of the Muppets on their world tour.
The Whatnot head construction for Lew Zealand was done by Dave Goelz and Lew Zealand's character finishing was done by Amy van Gilder. Jerry Nelson considered Lew Zealand to be a tribute to Frankie Fontaine. Nelson stated in an interview, "He had that dopey voice, but he could sing beautifully. We never did that part of it on the show, but just the idea of this guy who had a boomerang fish act. There were some really ridiculous acts on the show, and that was one of the all-time dopey ones."[25]
Link Hogthrob
- Performed by Jim Henson (1977–1990), Steve Whitmire (2000–2016), Peter Linz (2017–present)
Link Hogthrob is a dim-witted pig possessing traits of a stereotypical leading man, with wavy blond hair, a manly cleft chin, and a high opinion of himself. In The Muppet Show, Link is best known as the captain of the Swinetrek on the recurring sketch Pigs in Space where his unbridled machismo is often a source of conflict with his co-star, First Mate Piggy. Unlike Dr. Julius Strangepork, whose role on The Muppet Show would primarily be on Pigs in Space, sketches including "Wonder Pig", Link would feature regularly both in the show's onstage acts and backstage mayhem. Link's singing talents featured a number of times in solos (such as "Sonny Boy"), duets ("Là ci darem la mano"), and group numbers. Starting in the show's third season, Link was also featured as the police chief in the recurring Bear on Patrol sketches, where his dimwittedness was often the source of physical trauma to patrol officer Fozzie Bear. Henson's son, Brian Henson, recalled that his father often used Link's deep-throated, pompous voice when performing some stereotypically masculine chore, such as carving the Thanksgiving turkey.
Link was later one of the few classic Muppet Show characters to be used regularly in the Muppet Central control room on The Jim Henson Hour.
Since Henson's death, Link has mostly remained a non-speaking Muppet, although he has since appeared occasionally in silent cameos in such productions as The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets Tonight and Muppets from Space. His only speaking roles from 1990 to 2011 were in the video games Muppet RaceMania and Muppets Party Cruise, as voiced by Steve Whitmire. Whitmire performed Link for the 2011 movie The Muppets. The appearance featured the first speaking appearance of the puppet ever since Henson's death. Link appears in several scenes in the background and gets a moment in the spotlight as part of a barbershop quartet, singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit". In Muppets Most Wanted, Link returned to prominence for the first time in decades, having several lines of dialogue and his own scene with Usher.
An animated version of Link was seen in Pigs in Space segments in Little Muppet Monsters (voiced by Bob Bergen) and an episode of Muppet Babies. A walk-around version of Link was created for The Muppet Show on Tour. An action figure of Link was produced in 2003 as part of Series 4 of Palisades Toys' line of Muppet action figures.
Marvin Suggs
- Performed by Frank Oz (1976–1981), Eric Jacobson (2011–present)
Marvin Suggs is a flamboyant musician that wears a frilly, multicolored shirt. He is best known for playing an instrument known as a Muppaphone,[26][27] a group of small, round, furry pink and orange Muppets that emit a tonal "ow" (voiced by Henson and Jerry Nelson[28]) when Marvin strikes them on the head with his mallet. During season three of The Muppet Show, Suggs and the Muppaphone were part of an "explicit criticism of violence" with Suggs being explicitly punished for his violence in an episode where a witchdoctor turns Suggs' head into a Muppaphone.[27] The act has been compared to the sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus called "Arthur Ewing and His Musical Mice".[28] He was designed by Rollie Krewson.[14] He appears in 2011's The Muppets.
The Newsman
- Performed by Jim Henson (1976–1990), Richard Hunt (1981), Jerry Nelson (1996), Brian Henson (2001–2003), Steve Whitmire (2008–2016), Eric Jacobson (2017–present)
The Newsman is the bespectacled newsman for The Muppet Show, who tries to deliver the news with accuracy, but is visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of the Muppet News Flash segments in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he would almost invariably suffer some calamity related to the story, such as having items dropped on his head or the newsroom destroyed.
Pops
- Performed by Jerry Nelson (1980–2002), Matt Vogel (2011–present)
Pops is an elderly doorman at the Muppet Theatre in The Muppet Show. He greeted the week's guest star in every episode of the fifth season. He also had a major part as the innkeeper of the Happiness Hotel in The Great Muppet Caper. Since then, he has only had a couple of supporting roles, minor roles and cameo appearances.
Robin the Frog
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/RobinTheFrog.jpg)
- Performed by Jerry Nelson (1971–2003), Matt Vogel (2008–2017), Peter Linz (2017–present)
Robin the Frog is Kermit's young, sweet-voiced nephew. He has appeared in most Muppet productions since The Muppet Show. He loves to spend time with his Uncle Kermit, his best friend Sweetums, and his boys' club, the Frog Scouts. Robin first appeared in The Frog Prince as Sir Robin the Brave. One of his most famous moments was singing "Halfway Down the Stairs", a song based on a poem by Winnie the Pooh creator A. A. Milne. He also has an important role in episode 212 of The Muppet Show, when he was feeling sad for being so small until the guest star Bernadette Peters and all Robin's Muppet friends sing the song "Just One Person" to cheer him up. In the animated Muppet Babies series, Robin appeared as a tadpole in a fish bowl, as all the characters were younger versions of their live-action selves, and was said to be the son of Kermit's (unnamed and unseen) big sister.
Robin's roles in the Muppet movies varied from supporting roles, minor roles and cameos to large roles, though he has not appeared in many Muppet movies. In The Muppet Movie (1979), he had a minor role at the beginning of the movie at the film screening where he asks Kermit if the movie is about how the Muppets got started. He also had a few other scenes and is with the other Muppets in the finale. In the TV special John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) Robin helps sing many of the Christmas Carols with the other Muppets and John Denver. In the TV movie Rocky Mountain Holiday (1982) Robin plays a more major role as he tries to help out as a Frog Scout and bonds with John Denver through the process. In The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), he only appeared in the audience at the wedding. In Muppet Family Christmas, Robin discovered the Fraggle hole in the basement, taking Kermit with him and meeting the five main Fraggles.
Robin played the role of Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), his largest role to date. His next appearance was in the direct-to-video Muppet Classic Theater (1994) where he appeared in "The Emperor's New Clothes" sketch in a minimal role, realizing Fozzie (the emperor) was not wearing clothes. He also appeared alongside Kermit in The Elves and the Shoemaker sketch where he took on the role of the shoemaker's nephew. He had a minor role (with dialogue) in Muppets From Space (1999) in the boarding house. His final role with Jerry Nelson as his performer was in 2002's It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, which was arguably his second-largest role to date; he appears in the Muppet Theatre in a few scenes and in the Moulin Scrooge scene as the green fairy. After a five-year absence, Robin returned in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, performed by Matt Vogel. He wore his Tiny Tim attire in a 2009 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the film The Muppets. Robin, along with his Uncle Kermit, appeared again on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to sing "When the River Meets the Sea" on December 23, 2011, once again, performed by Matt Vogel. He also made a minor role in 2014's Muppets Most Wanted, again performed by Vogel. Robin (voiced by Vogel) is the "guest star" of the February 23, 2016 episode of The Muppets titled "Little Green Lie". In the episode, Kermit and Miss Piggy pretend to still be in a relationship so as not to upset Robin, whose parents are divorcing.
Sweetums
- Performed by Jerry Nelson (1971, in-suit performer, 2000), Carl Banas (1971, voice only), Richard Hunt (1976–1991), John Henson (1991, 1996–2005), Victor Yerrid (2005), Noel MacNeal (2006–2009), Matt Vogel (2009–present)
Sweetums is a very large, imposing and hairy ogre about nine feet tall. Despite appearing physically intimidating, he is often depicted as friendly and harmless. Sweetums has very thick blondish-brown hair all over his body. He has a very large lower jaw, similar to a bulldog, which juts out, revealing two pointy tusk-like teeth. He has thick, brown eyebrows over his large yellow eyes and large nose. He often wears a shabby, burlap-like brown shirt. Many are fooled by his intimidating appearance, but he is very nice and humble, hence his name, "Sweetums".
Sweetums first appeared on the television special The Frog Prince (based on the story of the same name) in 1971 as the henchman of a full-bodied Taminella Ginderfall (who was previously seen in the pilots to Tales of the Tinkerdee and The Land of Tinkerdee). There he tried to eat the hero, played by Kermit's nephew Robin. He later performed a duet with Robin and the two appeared together on merchandise as best friends. During his first appearance, Sweetums was performed by Muppeteer Jerry Nelson and voiced by voice veteran Carl Banas, but soon after, Richard Hunt made the character his own. Hunt gave life to Sweetums throughout the run of The Muppet Show and the first two Muppet movies. During the making of Muppet*Vision 3D when Hunt's health deteriorated, Muppet creator Jim Henson's son, John Henson, did the puppetry, while Hunt did the voice. After Richard Hunt died, John Henson eventually took over both the voice and puppetry.
Sweetums also played a car jack in a used-car lot in The Muppet Movie where a salesman introduced him as his Jack. When called "Jack" by Kermit, he replied, "Jack not name; jack job!". After Kermit and his friends ask him if he wants to go to Hollywood with them, he shouts "Hollywood!" repeatedly and runs away, only to come back with his suitcase shortly after the group has left. He pursues the group for the duration of the movie, finally making it to Hollywood, bursting through the movie screen, shouting "I made it!!" During the montage of the Muppets getting back together again in The Muppets, Sweetums is shown working at the same lot and is again forced to chase after the group's car. He also has supporting roles and minor roles in The Great Muppet Caper, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and various other Muppet specials. Sweetums was performed by Matt Vogel in 2011's The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. The character also appears at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland's Disney California Adventure in Muppet*Vision 3D. He is the only Muppet to appear "live" in the show. All other Muppets that appear in the theater are audio-animatronics. The character was seen in an episode of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony. In the 2015 TV series, Sweetums is in charge of the cue cards for the show.
Other characters
Frackles
Frackles are a classification of Muppet monsters. They first appeared in a television special called The Great Santa Claus Switch. They would then appear in later franchises, such as The Muppet Show. Characteristics of a Frackle include fur and toothy or toothless beaks. They are normally small to medium size in stature, but there are exceptions. The Frackles became nameless, utility characters without personalities. They often changed appearance, performer, name and gender depending on the sketch and show. Gonzo originated as a Frackle living in a cigar box in The Great Santa Claus Switch.
Penguins
The Muppet version of the Penguins are often seen in various Muppet productions.
While most of them are nameless, there had been some known Penguins that were named:
- Gloria Estefan Penguin (performed by Peter Linz[29]) – A Magellanic penguin chick who has a fondness for drinking martinis that debuts in the TV series The Muppets. Gloria was adopted by Miss Piggy during her trip to Argentina and quickly forms a bond with Uncle Deadly.
- Nicky Napoleon (performed by James Kroupa) – A penguin from Muppet*Vision 3D and Little Muppet Monsters who is the leader of the band Nicky Napoleon and His Emperor Penguins.
- Winky Pinkerton (performed by Steve Whitmire in the "Loretta Lynn" episode) – A penguin who does bird impressions and is the first known Penguin to appear in The Muppet Show before the generic Penguins came into view. He was built by Brian Henson.
The 2018 version of Muppet Babies introduced Summer Penguin (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) who is the Muppet Babies' residential artist and the shortest of the group.
Whatnots
The Whatnots are Muppets extras designed with blank heads and faces, clothes, and hair that can be customized for different roles.[30][31] Similar generic puppets used for Sesame Street are known as Anything Muppets. The characters of Scooter, Lew Zealand, and Marvin Suggs were originally created using Whatnot puppets before permanent puppets were made for them. The Muppet Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz opened in 2008,[32] which allowed people to purchase a custom Whatnot with chosen clothes and facial features.[33][34][35] Whatnot kits were later sold through Toys 'R' Us after the chain acquired FAO Schwarz.[36]
Additional characters
Name | Performer(s) | Description |
---|---|---|
'80s Robot | Matt Vogel | A 1980s-esque robot chauffeur and servant who debuted in The Muppets. In the film, he lives in Kermit's mansion, after the breakup of the Muppets. '80s Robot also functions as a chauffeur and uses his databanks and search engine to locate the Muppet troupe. Created by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, the character—as his name implies—resembles the many robots who dominated the toy, novelty, and pop culture landscape in the 1980s. He uses slang from the era and offers such beverages as Tab and New Coke. '80s Robot is said to bear an uncanny resemblance to Omnibot 2000, a robot toy made by Tomy in the 1980s that was used to portray Robin Sparkles' sidekick in a television series Segel was on.[37][38] '80s Robot was designed by Legacy Effects. He subsequently reappears in Muppets Most Wanted.[39] |
Afghan Hound | Louise Gold (1977–1981), Richard Hunt (1977), Kathryn Mullen (1980), Alice Dinnean (2011-present) | An Afghan Hound who first appeared in episode 214 of The Muppet Show.[40] |
Andy and Randy Pig | Andy: Brian Henson (1994), Steve Whitmire (1996–2016), Bill Barretta (2016–present) Randy: Dave Goelz (1994–present) |
Miss Piggy's dimwitted young nephews that debuted in Muppet Classic Theater, in a version of "Three Little Pigs". They later appeared on Muppets Tonight as production assistants, where their severe ineptitude caused the show more harm than help. They were featured in the recurring sketches "Bay of Pigswatch" and "The Eagle's Nest".[citation needed] |
Angel Marie | Bill Barretta, John Kennedy, Peter Linz, Tyler Bunch | An ugly green hideous monster who first appeared in Muppet Treasure Island.[citation needed] |
Annie Sue | Louise Gold | A young female pig who is Miss Piggy's innocent rival. She first appeared in episode 214 of The Muppet Show, but was given a proper introduction in episode 302.[citation needed] |
Astoria | Bob Payne | The wife of Waldorf who appeared just once on The Muppet Show in episode 413 when Statler is unavailable.[citation needed] |
Baskerville the Hound | Dave Goelz, Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, John Lovelady | A small, shaggy, brown dog with glasses and a pointed snout, who was originally created in 1962 as a foil for Rowlf the Dog in a series of Purina Dog Chow commercials.[citation needed] |
Bean Bunny | Steve Whitmire | A small rabbit who first appeared in the HBO special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic as the main character. Bean Bunny also appears in Muppet Babies, the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park attraction Jim Henson's Muppet*Vision 3D, The Jim Henson Hour, and has had minor roles and cameos in most Muppet films after The Muppet Christmas Carol. He was designed by Diana Dawson-Hall and built by Rollie Krewson.[citation needed] |
Beautiful Day Monster | Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Caroll Spinney, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Dan Redican, Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta, David Rudman | A bluish-gray monster who debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show and appeared on the first season of Sesame Street as the central antagonist. He is known by that name by the creators because he purposely sabotaged a girl's beautiful day, using magic and eating flowers and killing birds. On Sesame Street, his character has been named “Snuki”, “Harry,” and “Ralph”, and he had a more villainous edge, as he terrified viewers (mostly children), while Kermit demonstrated a lecture on how to make the letter B sound “BUH!”, the monster roared “BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH,” which caused Kermit to run away from him, and as an exclamation point, a spooky light effect was used. He was taken off of Sesame Street because of his behavior. [citation needed] |
Behemoth | Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Steve Whitmire, Bill Barretta | A large full-bodied orange monster who is one of the Muppets who eat other Muppets.[citation needed] |
Beverly Plume | Julianne Buescher | A turkey who hosts the "Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ" segments on Muppets Now.[citation needed] |
Big Mean Carl | Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta | A shaggy, horned monster who enjoys consuming objects, other Muppets, normal animals, and, very rarely, even humans. He first appeared on the Muppet Meeting Films segment "Think Bigger" as the Chairman Blodgett, and as different occupations in Muppets Tonight. In the TV series The Muppets, Carl acts as the receptionist at the studio where Up Late with Miss Piggy is filmed. Besides being a Francophile, Big Mean Carl has a similar-looking sister named Big Mean Carla; she is also carnivorous, and works in the real estate business. The puppet also appeared with a different, suessified styling as the Grox on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss episode "There is Nothing to Fear in Here".[citation needed] |
Bill | Dave Goelz, Kevin Clash | A brown-haired frog with ears.[citation needed] |
Bill the Bubble Guy | Dave Goelz | Performer whose head spurts out bubbles.[citation needed] |
Bobby Benson | Richard Hunt (1978–1979), David Rudman (2014–present) | Nuanced musician and director of the "baby band", who first appeared in episode 319 of The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
Bubba the Rat | Bill Barretta | A tough-talking rat.[citation needed] |
Butch | Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Brian Muehl | A Bengal tiger.[citation needed] |
Chester the Rat | Dave Goelz | A male rat and friend of Rizzo's who first appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan.[citation needed] |
Chip | Gord Robertson (1989–1997), Dave Goelz (1997–present) | A nerdy technician who first appeared on The Jim Henson Hour where he was the technician of Gorilla Television. In the TV series The Muppets, Chip worked as the IT Technician for Up Late with Miss Piggy. He also appears on Muppets Now.[citation needed] |
Constantine | Matt Vogel | An evil Russian frog who is considered to be the "World's Most Dangerous Frog", Interpol's most wanted criminal, and a doppelgänger for Kermit.[41] Appearing in Muppets Most Wanted, Constantine differs slightly from Kermit in physical appearance as his eye pupils line up differently, and he has a shorter neck collar, and a distinctive mole on the right side of his face.[42] In the film, Constantine escapes a Siberian gulag becoming a fugitive from the main prison warden Nadya (Tina Fey). Constantine collaborates with Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) to conduct robberies all across Europe, framing the Muppets as culprits until the two of them are defeated and arrested by the police.[43]
The filmmakers tasked in designing Constantine originally planned to have him be a paler shade of green than Kermit. However, early camera tests revealed that the color differed too greatly from Kermit's, clashing with the filmmakers' intentions of having Constantine bear a strong resemblance to him.[41] Instead, Constantine's neck collar was made shorter and with wider spikes. Following a suggestion by director James Bobin, Vogel based his performance on the Russian antagonist, General Orlov, in Octopussy.[41] |
Country Trio | Jim: Jim Henson Frank: Frank Oz Jerry: Jerry Nelson |
A hillbilly band consisting of caricatures of Henson, Oz and Nelson.[citation needed] |
Dead Tom | Bruce Lanoil | A skeleton. |
Denise | Julianne Buescher | A pig who is the head of ABC's marketing department.[44] She is Kermit's girlfriend and love interest in The Muppets.[45] |
Digit | Dave Goelz | A semi-robotic person who worked as MuppeTelevision's Technical Director on The Jim Henson Hour.[citation needed] |
Doglion | Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Rob Mills, Noel MacNeal, Bill Barretta | A large monster with a dog-like face that is often seen with Sweetums.[citation needed] |
Dr. Julius Strangepork | Jerry Nelson (1977–2003), Matt Vogel (2008–present) | A pig that appears as a chief science officer in the "Pigs in Space" sketches on The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
Dr. Phil Van Neuter | Brian Henson | A mad scientist and veterinarian who is the host of the Muppets Tonight sketch "Tales from the Vet".[citation needed] |
Droop | Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Eren Ozker, Jim Henson, Richard Hunt, Peter Linz | A green monster with a long pointy nose and bird-like feet. Droop originated in The Great Santa Claus Switch where he was called Snivelly.[citation needed] |
Emily Bear | Jerry Nelson (1977–1992), Matt Vogel (2019–present) | Fozzie Bear's elderly mother. Debuted in episode 216 of The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
The Fazoobs | Nigel Plaskitt, Susan Beattle, and Brian Herring (Mopatop's Shop) | A group of musical Muppets who auditioned for an act in episode 208 of The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
Fleet Scribbler | Jerry Nelson | A human Muppet and the gossip journalist for "The Daily Scandal" who appeared in Season 2 of The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
Fletcher Bird | Graham Fletcher (performer), Steve Whitmire (voice) | A large multi-colored dancing bird.[citation needed] |
Flower-Eating Monster | Jim Henson | A purple Muppet monster with dog-like ears who has an appetite for flowers.[citation needed] |
The Flying Zucchini Brothers | Various performers | An Italian acrobat/daredevil act on The Muppet Show. They also appeared in The Muppet Show On Tour. The Zuchinni Brothers are best known for their Human Cannon Ball act. This act is mostly performed by three Zuchinni brothers and one cannon, although the Wally Boag episode features six brothers and five cannons. Some of the Zuchinni Brothers' names are Biondo (episode 412), Marco, Giuseppi, Luigi, Lorenzo, and Heathcliff (the "Mama's Boy" of the group). The Zuchinni Brother puppets are Whatnots; they tend to look a little differently in each episode, although their design remains basically the same.[citation needed] |
Foo-Foo | Steve Whitmire, Peter Linz | Miss Piggy's white Bichon Frisé dog, who is portrayed by both a puppet and a real dog. Debuted in episode 404 of The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
Gaffer | Kathryn Mullen | A female cat with an eyepatch who hangs around backstage.[citation needed] |
George the Janitor | Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Steve Whitmire | A crusty old custodian on The Muppet Show who has no affection for anyone or anything except his mop. Frequently appeared onstage as part of the regular dancing sequence.[citation needed] |
Gil | Steve Whitmire, Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta | A gray-haired bespectacled frog.[citation needed] |
Gladys | Richard Hunt | A cafeteria lady who appears in the third season.[citation needed] |
Gorgon Heap | Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson | A purple Muppet monster who is one of the Muppets who eat other Muppets. His appearance has shifted between a live-hand puppet form and a full-bodied puppet form.[citation needed] |
Hilda | Eren Ozker | An old wardrobe lady who appears in the first season.[citation needed] |
Howard Tubman | Bill Barretta | A rich food-loving pig. His puppet was previously used for one of the native pigs from Muppet Treasure Island. Howard Tubman also makes a cameo as a guest at Miss Piggy's wedding in Muppets Most Wanted. In the season one finale of The Muppets. Howard Tubman hooked Scooter up with some acts that he represents.[citation needed] |
Hugga Wugga | Frank Oz | A purple creature with a funnel nose that's used to blast other creatures.[citation needed] |
Iggy Wiggy | John Lovelady | A small bird-like creature.[citation needed] |
Jill | Kathryn Mullen | A female frog with long brown hair. In 2021, she later appears in the television series Muppet Babies, voiced by Ashley Spillers.[citation needed] |
Joe the Legal Weasel | Peter Linz | A weasel who works as the Muppets' lawyer. He is a recycled version of one of the Prairie Dog puppets from The Muppet Show.[46] |
Johnny Fiama and Sal Minella | Johnny Fiama: Bill Barretta Sal Minella: Jerry Nelson (1996), Brian Henson (1996–present) |
A duo, with Johnny modeled after Frank Sinatra and Sal as a vest-wearing chimpanzee and Johnny's bodyguard. Johnny and Sal Minella (whose name is a pun on salmonella) made their first appearances in Muppets Tonight. Johnny Fiama's surname is an anagram of mafia. His name suggests Johnny Fontane, the Sinatra-like character in The Godfather. Johnny appears in Muppets from Space (1999), after the cancellation of Muppets Tonight where he is seen as being roommates with Sal. He has a quick scene with a few lines of dialogue at Gonzo's party; when Sal cuts the cake meant for Gonzo's family, and Gonzo gets mad, they pretend not to have done so and go around asking who cut the cake. Johnny was a part of the main cast for It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) where he is seen exchanging gifts with Sal in the opening while singing "Jingle Bells". He is also seen trying to cheer Kermit up, along with some of the more prominent Muppets. Johnny's next film role was The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) with Sal yet again. The two have quite a large role (though not as large as the previous film) as one of many of the Wicked Witch of the West's (Miss Piggy) flying monkeys, though they appear multiple other times as well. After a 12-year absence, they returned as the ghosts of Constance Hatchway's exes in Muppets Haunted Mansion.[citation needed] |
Koozebanians | Frank Oz (Male), Jerry Nelson (Female) | A pair of Aliens who perform "The Galley-oh-hoop-hoop" in The Muppets Valentine Show.[citation needed] |
Louis Kazagger | Jerry Nelson | A sports commentator.[citation needed] |
Luncheon Counter Monster | Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Gord Robertson, Kevin Clash, Steve Whitmire, David Rudman, Brian Herring, Drew Massey | A ravenous purple monster with a penchant who eats luncheon counter props.[citation needed] |
Mahna Mahna | Jim Henson (1969–1976), Bill Barretta (2001–present) | A purple, wild orange-haired Muppet in a green tunic, often paired with the Snowths. He is notable for performing "Mah Nà Mah Nà".[citation needed] |
Mary Louise | Eren Ozker, Fran Brill, Rollie Krewson, Louise Gold | A little girl Whatnot with blonde hair. She made frequent appearances on The Muppet Show.[citation needed] |
Masterson the Rat | Bruce Edward Hall | A male rat and friend of Rizzo's who first appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan.[citation needed] |
Mean Mama | Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Louise Gold, Eric Jacobson, | A large brown voracious dog-headed monster. Her appearance has shifted between a live-hand puppet form and a full-bodied puppet form.[citation needed] |
Mildred Huxtetter | Richard Hunt, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold | An aristocratic and educated purple, beak-nosed woman.[citation needed] |
The Moopets | Miss Poogy: David Rudman Kermoot: Dave Goelz Foozie Bear: Tyler Bunch Janooce: Matt Vogel Roowlf the Dog: Matt Vogel Animool: Dave Grohl |
A street-themed Muppet tribute band based at a casino in Reno. They consist of Miss Poogy, Kermoot, Foozie Bear, Janooce, Roowlf the Dog, and Animool (a man dressed as Animal).[citation needed] |
Mulch | Jerry Nelson (1980s) Kevin Clash (1990s) |
A hunchbacked monster.[citation needed] |
The Muppaphones | Various performers | A musical instrument made up of pink and orange living balls of fluff. These creatures, members of an as yet unnamed species, are played by Marvin Suggs, who strikes them with mallets in order to elicit the cries of pain that form the Muppaphone's music ("Ow, ow, ow, ow...").[citation needed] |
The Mutations | Various performers | A trio of full-bodied dancing purple monsters who are a parody of The Temptations.[citation needed] |
Nigel (The Muppet Show version) | Jim Henson, John Lovelady, Dave Goelz, Peter Linz | An orchestra conductor on The Muppet Show who acted as the host of The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.[citation needed] |
Nigel (Muppets Tonight version) | Brian Henson | A light green monster with a long pointy nose who serves as the stressed-out director of Muppets Tonight.[citation needed] |
Mr. Poodlepants | Steve Whitmire | An eccentric fashion designer who first appeared on Muppets Tonight.[citation needed] |
Old Tom | Jerry Nelson, Allan Trautman | An old man with a long white beard and sunglasses.[citation needed] |
Pokey | Stephanie D'Abruzzo | A character who is primarily seen in the background of several Muppet productions. Pokey's most significant role to date has been that of the studio director in The Muppets Take Over Today. The character (performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo) was named in this appearance on-screen by Joe Michaels, The Today Show director, whom Pokey replaced during the takeover of the show.
Pokey's earliest appearance with the Muppets was in episode 201 of Muppets Tonight in a Tales from the Vet sketch. Later, Pokey would appear in the post office in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa during "Delivering Christmas", and in background scenes of The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted, Muppets Haunted Mansion, and as part of crowds in various commercials and promos. In 2017, Pokey appeared with Luncheon Counter Monster and Mo Frackle as Beaker's internet friends in the Muppet Labs sketch from The Muppets Take the Bowl, which was later reprised in The Muppets Take the O2. |
Real Old Tom | Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Alice Dinnean | A mummified man.[citation needed] |
Screaming Thing | Jerry Nelson | A green, pink-feathered creature with wheels for feet who only appeared in The Muppet Show episode starring Don Knotts, singing the song The Windmills of Your Mind and getting injured.[citation needed] |
Seymour | Brian Henson | An elephant who was paired with Pepe on Muppets Tonight, working as an elevator operator and commissary cook.[citation needed] |
Snowths | Frank Oz, Peter Linz, Matt Vogel, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Drew Massey | Two furry pink, tube-mouthed, horned creatures that assist Mahna Mahna in his song, "Mah Nà Mah Nà".[citation needed] |
Sopwith the Camel | Jerry Nelson | A full-bodied Bactrian camel. (A play on the airplane, the Sopwith Camel.)[citation needed] |
Spamela Hamderson | Leslie Carrara-Rudolph | A female pig who is a spoof of actress Pamela Anderson on Muppets Tonight.[citation needed] |
Splurge | Frank Oz | A large purple monster who is the first full-bodied Muppet. He debuted in Hey, Cinderella![citation needed] |
Sundance | Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson | A lion.[citation needed] |
Tatooey the Rat | Brian Muehl | A male rat and friend of Rizzo's who first appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan.[citation needed] |
Thingy-Thing | Jerry Nelson (1976), David Rudman (2014), Peter Linz (2015) | A small yellow creature with a red ring of fur around his neck. He was first seen in The Muppet Show in episode #118, during the "Hugga Wugga" sketch.[citation needed] |
Thog | Jerry Nelson (1970–1980), Tyler Bunch (2011) | A large, blue full-bodied monster with a sweet disposition who first appeared in The Great Santa Claus Switch. While originally shown to be 9 1/2 ft., he appeared 11 1/2 ft. in The Muppets where he couldn't fit through the arches.[47] |
Timmy Monster | Jim Henson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire | A large green monster with anglerfish-like mouth.[citation needed] |
Trumpet Girl | Eren Ozker | A female purple Whatnot whom is the description used in scripts of The Muppet Show for the female trumpet player in the Muppet Orchestra.[citation needed] |
Ubu | Rob Mills | A gorilla who worked for Gorilla Television on The Jim Henson Hour.[citation needed] |
Waldo C. Graphic | Steve Whitmire | A computer-generated Muppet, appearing in Muppet*Vision 3D and The Jim Henson Hour.[citation needed] |
Wayne and Wanda | Wayne: Richard Hunt (1976–1981), David Rudman (2011–present) Wanda: Eren Ozker (1976), Kathryn Mullen (1979), Alice Dinnean (2011), Julianne Buescher (2017, 2018) |
A married pair of snobby singers with a mutual inability to get past the first verse of any song that they sing.[citation needed] |
Yolanda Rat | Karen Prell (1984–1985), Camille Bonora (1988), Alice Dinnean (2010), Julianne Buescher (1994–present) | A female brown rat and friend of Rizzo's who first appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan.[citation needed] |
Zondra | Fran Brill (1989), Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (1997) | A goth woman who worked for Gorilla Television on The Jim Henson Hour and appeared on "The Real World Muppets" segments on Muppets Tonight, where she spoke with a British accent and was renamed to Darci.[citation needed] |
See also
References
- ^ Template:Wayback
- ^ Clark, John (14 August 2005). "Speaking Of Dvds: Lisa Henson, 'The Muppet Show'". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
- ^ 1976; Fuzzy Muppet Songs; Walt Disney Records Label
- ^ Mifflin, Lawrie (1996-03-10). "Following in the Frog's Footsteps". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
- ^ McKim, D. W.; Brian Henson. "Muppet Central Guides – The Muppet Show: Rudolf Nureyev". Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f Finch, Christopher (1981). Of Muppets and Men. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 0-394-52085-8.
- ^ Davis, Michael (2008). Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-01996-0.
- ^ "Big Bird and the Crew Get a New Owner". The New York Times. December 6, 2000. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Brian Jay (2013). "Epilogue-Legacy". Jim Henson: The Biography. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 486. ISBN 978-0-345-52611-3.
- ^ Parker, Ryan (July 10, 2017). "Longtime Kermit the Frog Voice Actor Replaced After 27 Years". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
- ^ Villarreal, Yvonne (August 4, 2015). "Love really is dead -- Miss Piggy and Kermit break up". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Snetiker, Marc (August 4, 2015). "Kermit and Piggy announce breakup at press conference". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ^ Fisher, Maryanne; Cox, Anthony (2009). "The Uniquely Strong but Feminine Miss Piggy". In Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (eds.). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 181. ISBN 9780786442591.
- ^ a b c d e f Finch, Christopher (1993). Jim Henson: The Works: the Art, the Magic, the Imagination. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780679412038.
- ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (March 11, 2014). "How Kermit and the Muppets Got Their Mojo Back". Variety. Archived from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
- ^ Parish, James Robert (2006). Jim Henson: Puppeteer And Filmmaker. Ferguson Pub. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-8160-5834-1.
It was Don Sahlin whom Jim [Henson] assigned to create Rowlf the Dog (and his sidekick Baskerville) for the company's new client, Purina Dog Chow
- ^ Liebeck, Laura (January 12, 2002). "Pepe the King Prawn Speaks Out". Global License. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
- ^ Eastman, Ben (1999). Jim Henson's Muppets from Space: The Making of Muppet Movie Magic. New York: Grosset and Dunlap. ISBN 0-448-42055-4.
- ^ a b Stelle, Ginger (2009). "Starring Kermit the Frog as Bob Crachit: Muppets as Actors". In Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (eds.). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786442591.
- ^ Schildrout, Jordon. (October 2008). "The Performance of Nonconformity on The Muppet Show—or How Kermit Made Me Queer." The Journal of Popular Culture, 41:5, p. 832. Quoted in Kermit Culture, pp. 121–122.
- ^ a b Schneider, Lynne D. (2009). "Stuffed Suits and Hog-Wild Desire". In Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (eds.). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786442591.
- ^ Stoessner, Jennifer (2009). "From Puppetry to Muppetry". In Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (eds.). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786442591.
- ^ a b Mifflin, Lawrie (March 10, 1996). "Following in the Frog's Footsteps". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
- ^ "Muppet Central - MuppetFest Photo Gallery". muppetcentral.com. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "A Chat with Jerry Nelson, part 2 "Muppet Fans Who Grew Up". ToughPigs. 2009-12-10. Archived from the original on November 27, 2017. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
- ^ Blumenthal, Eileen (2005). Puppetry and Puppets. Thames & Hudson. p. 155. ISBN 0-500-51226-4.
- ^ a b Garlen, Jennifer C.; Graham, Anissa M. (January 1, 2009). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. McFarland. pp. 151–. ISBN 9780786453757. Archived from the original on July 5, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- ^ a b Childs, T. Mike (November 6, 2004). The Rocklopedia Fakebandica. St. Martin's Press. pp. 3–. ISBN 9780312329440. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
- ^ "Peter Linz". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2017. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
- ^ "Muppet Whatnot". Fao.com. 2012-03-02. Archived from the original on April 3, 2014. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
- ^ "What's a Whatnot?". YouTube. September 24, 2008. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ^ Shelley Frost, Demand Media. "Things to Do With Little Kids When It Rains in New York". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Lee, Jennifer (December 1, 2008). "A Muppet Entirely Your Own". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Ries, Brian (December 2, 2008). "The Muppet Whatnot Workshop at F. A. O. Schwarz". NBC New York. Archived from the original on April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ^ "New York Fashion Week - Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week - New York Runway Photos". Runwaynewyork.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ^ Rosenbloom, Stephanie (October 26, 2009). "Toys 'R' Us Stores Will Feature FAO Schwarz Boutiques". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Wright, Blake. "It's Time to Light the Lights! On Set with The Muppets Archived January 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Comingsoon.net. June 20, 2011.
- ^ "Tomy Omnibot in the Movies - the Old Robots Web Site". Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ Boardman, Madeline (November 20, 2013). "'Muppets Most Wanted' Trailer: Kermit Is In Trouble". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ^ Shemin, Craig (2014). Disney's The Muppets Character Encyclopedia. New York: DK Publishing. ISBN 9781465417480.
- ^ a b c Murphy, Mekado (March 14, 2014). "One of These Frogs Is Extremely Dangerous". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ Hibberd, James (January 30, 2013). "A first look at the Muppets sequel, 'Muppets...Again!'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
- ^ Hamedy, Saba (October 11, 2015). "In 'Muppets Most Wanted,' a different tone for Kermit and the gang". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ^ Puente, Maria (September 2, 2015). "Meet Denise, Kermit the Frog's new girlfriend. Piggy will be peeved". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 16, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ Sollosi, Mary (September 1, 2015). "Meet Denise, Kermit the Frog's new love interest". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
- ^ Thorne, Will (August 24, 2019). "'The Muppets' Short-Form Series Coming to Disney Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ Ask Henson, Question #38
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 (The Muppets Valentine Show and The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence) were produced and aired on ABC 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 and accustomed to the idea of puppet television considering he underwrote the various 1960s Supermarionation series produced by Gerry Anderson such as Thunderbirds, 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.[1]
Episodes
![]() | This section possibly contains original research. (March 2013) |
- Pilots
The first pilot episode evolves around a character called Wally. The show develops while he is typing the script on his typewriter. In the second pilot, a new character called Nigel acts as the backstage boss. Statler and Waldorf grumble from a living room while watching the show on television (This setting for Statler and Waldorf would be revisited in the first season of Muppets Tonight). In both pilot episodes Kermit the Frog only plays a supporting role.
- Series 1
Kermit the Frog becomes the host for the show from the start of the first series, 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 the Eagle, The Swedish Chef, George the Janitor, Mildred Huxtetter, Crazy Harry, Brewster, Nigel the Conductor, and Droop continue to make appearances. Characters from previous Jim Henson productions also make appearances, including Rowlf the Dog, Sweetums and Robin the Frog (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, Scooter, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, wardrobe lady Hilda, Uncle Deadly, Marvin Suggs and his Muppaphones, Trumpet Girl, and the singing duet of Wayne and Wanda. Recurring sketches include "Veterinarian's Hospital", "At the Dance", "Talking Houses", "Pressing Questions (Panel Discussions)", "Fozzie's Monologue", "Chatting with Guest Star", "Muppet Labs" and "Gonzo's Act".
- Series 2
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 one involving the cast in arches. 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, and Gonzo the Great. Characters like George the Janitor, Hilda, Mildred, and Wayne and Wanda were dropped from the series. 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 series, female puppeteers were auditioned to replace Ozker. Louise Gold was eventually hired as Ozker's replacement. Jack Burns quit his role as writer after the first season.
- Series 3
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 commenter 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.
- Series 4
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.
- Series 5
The cold open featuring Scooter visiting the guest star's dressing room was replaced by a new opening in which Pops, the doorman, would greet each guest as they entered the theater. New characters included Pops, Lips, and Gaffer the Cat.
Muppet performers
- Jim Henson – Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, The Swedish Chef, The Muppet Newsman, Waldorf, Link Hogthrob
- Frank Oz – Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle
- Jerry Nelson – Floyd Pepper, Robin the Frog, Crazy Harry, Camilla the Chicken, Pops, Lew Zealand
- Richard Hunt – Scooter, Janice, Statler, Beaker, Sweetums, Miss Piggy (Season 1)
- Dave Goelz – Gonzo the Great, Zoot, Beauregard, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
- Steve Whitmire – Rizzo the Rat, Lips
- Louise Gold – Annie Sue
- Eren Ozker – Janice (Season One)
Awards and nominations
The Muppet Show program was nominated for 11 BAFTA Awards during its run, winning 2,[2] and was also nominated for a total of 21 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning 4, including the 1978 award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series.[3] and was presented with a Peabody Award in 1978.[4] 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.[5]
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 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.[6]
Outside the US, The Muppet Show and MuppeTelevision 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 to 2007.
Home video
Compilation releases
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:
- 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 Rita Moreno
- The Kermit and Miss Piggy Story – Hosted by Kermit and Miss Piggy as they reminisce over their moments on the show, with guest stars Raquel Welch, Tony Randall, Cheryl Ladd, and Loretta Swit
- Childrens' 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 favorite song, "Six String Orchestra", with guest stars Julie Andrews, John Denver, Twiggy, Brooke Shields Judy Collins, and Charles Aznavour
- Rock Music with the Muppets – Hosted by Dr. Teeth with assistance by Beaker in a recording studio, with guest stars Debbie Harry, Linda Ronstadt, Alice Cooper, Ben Vereen, Helen Reddy, Leo Sayer, Loretta Swit, and Paul Simon
- Muppet Treasures – Hosted by Kermit and Fozzie as they once again clean out the attic, with guest stars Zero Mostel, Loretta Lynn, Paul Simon, 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 John Cleese, Jean Stapleton, Dom DeLuise, Julie Andrews, Vincent Price, and Madeline Kahn
- Country Music with the Muppets – Hosted by Rowlf at a barnyard radio station, with guest stars Mac Davis, John Denver, Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Roy Clark, Johnny Cash, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans
- Muppet Moments – Once again hosted by Kermit and Fozzie as they clean the attic, with guest stars Pearl Bailey, Bernadette Peters, Andy Williams, Zero Mostel, and Liza Minnelli
- Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets – Hosted by Rowlf, with guest stars Marisa Berenson, Peter Sellers, George Burns, 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 Milton Berle
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, 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 songs "I'm Looking Through You" and "You've Got a Friend" (the latter of which would be cut 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 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 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment by which time Time-Life had released its tenth volume.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the first season on DVD in Region 1 on August 9, 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 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 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 | August 9, 2005 |
|
Season Two (1977–1978) | 24 | August 7, 2007 |
|
Season Three (1978–1979) | 24 | May 20, 2008 |
|
Spin-offs
The cast of The Muppet Show appeared on the Kenny Everett show at lunchtime on Capital Radio in 1976.
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, The Muppets, and Muppets Most Wanted the last two of which relied heavily on the The Muppet Show as a plot basis.
The Jim Henson Hour featured many of the same characters, plus new and boldly different content. 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.
The Muppets appeared as toddlers in the long-running animated series Muppet Babies (the Muppet babies characters were a spin-off from a daydream sequence in The Muppets Take Manhattan). Animated versions of the Muppets were also featured on the short-lived series Little Muppet Monsters.
In December 9, 2001, the MuppetFest celebration included The Muppet Show Live was staged at the Hollywood Palace in Hollywood, California. The special guest stars included Jon Voight, Brooke Shields, Joe Pasquale and Paul Williams. Lionel Richie was scheduled to appear in the show singing "Say You, Say Me" immediately after "Bein' Green," but Richie was unable to attend the show because of illness.
In 2005, the Muppets launched an award-winning web-series titled Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony. The biweekly web-series 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".
The Muppets were brought back in 2008 for two half hour television specials on the Disney Channel called Studio DC: Almost Live.
There was also a comic book adaption to The Muppet Show that was published in 2009 and was written and drawn by Roger Langridge.
For the Muppets.com channel on Disney Xtreme Digital, over 100 new, web-exclusive sketches have been produced as of January 2009, including a muppet performed version of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
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 canceled the program 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.
See also
References
- ^ Collins, Andrew (10 February 2012). "Welcome back, Muppets". Radio Times. radiotimes.com. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards Official Site". Bafta.org. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Emmy Awards Official Site". Emmys.com. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Peabody Awards Official Site". Peabody.uga.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Jim Henson's Red Book". Henson.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
- ^ 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.
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "camilla" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "castlist-220" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "castlist-221" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "davis1-26" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "eastman-22" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "eastman-80" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference with the name "eastman-22" has been invoked, but is not defined in the <references>
tag (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference with the name "eastman-80" has been invoked, but is not defined in the <references>
tag (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-8183" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-28" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-32" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-40" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-72" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-77" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-80" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-82" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-83" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-84" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch1-85" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-3233" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-32" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-36" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-102" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-103" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-114" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "finch2-119" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "schildcrout-832" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "schneider-4344" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "schneider-40" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "stelle-9697" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "stein" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "stoessner-75" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "stoessner-77" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "fisher-181" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "george" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "haberkorn-32" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "henson" is not used in the content (see the help page).
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "lewis-48" is not used in the content (see the help page).
External links
The Muppet Show on Muppet Wiki
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- The Muppet Show at IMDb
- The Muppet Show at The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
- 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)
- The Muppets characters
- Lists of Disney characters
- Disney characters originating in television
- The Muppets television series
- Television series by The Jim Henson Company
- 1970s American television series
- 1976 American television series debuts
- 1976 British television programme debuts
- 1976 in American television
- 1980s American television series
- 1981 American television series endings
- 1981 British television programme endings
- American children's comedy series
- American children's television series
- American comedy television series
- American sketch comedy television shows
- American variety television series
- CBS network shows
- Disney Channel shows
- English-language television programming
- First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
- ITV television programmes
- Peabody Award winning television programs
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners
- Television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters
- Television programs featuring puppetry
- Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television
- Television series by ITC Entertainment
- Television series by ITV Studios