58 Days Until "The Muppets"

Ryan Dosier - This week I'm taking over countdown duty from our friend Lucas Ervin, who is busy doing something with somebody or other. He'll return next week! But I'm really excited that Lucas let me take this week because it features some of my favorite Muppets... the Muppet Monsters! These gorgeously designed, often hilarious, always fun creatures have been with the Muppets since the beginning, since Mushmellon way back on Sam and Friends. And now, the Monsters are back--and in a big way. Sweetums, Thog, the Mutations, Big Mean Carl, Frackles, Behemoth, Luncheon Counter Monster, and, of course, Uncle Deadly, are all back for The Muppets this November. The following are some of the best Muppet Monster sketches and songs from The Muppet Show.

58.   Sir Avery of Macho
When comedian Avery Schreiber was the show's guest star, Miss Piggy had a lot of fun trying to convince Kermit that she was in love with Avery, not the frog. However, one of the episode's biggest highlights was this sketch featuring Avery as a gladiator as he fought back "the Monster of the Moors" (Sweetums) in a battle of insults--all while Kermit reported live for Muppet News. You can probably guess who won the fight.

57.   I Feel The Earth Move
In the fifth season of The Muppet Show, Loretta Swit stopped by for a few songs and dances. But undoubtedly the most well-remembered number for this episode is Loretta's song with Thog, where the giant beast demolishes an entire city, while Loretta appropriately sings "I Feel the Earth Move." The green screen technology used by Jim Henson and The Muppet Show team really shines through in this number. Watch as Thog picks up Loretta in his hands--absolutely incredible! Especially when you remember that this was only 1980.

56.   Comedy Tonight
The opening number of the Joel Grey episode of The Muppet Show took a dark and eerie turn juxtaposed against the classic song "Comedy Tonight." The number featured tons of Muppet Monsters and some of Jim Henson's strangest looking creatures as they haunted a town while singing their song and performing what they saw as "comedy" and what the audience saw as weird... yet funny at the same time. Amazing how often The Muppet Show walked that line.


55.   You’ve Got A Friend


This number was probably the most egregious and heart-breaking cut that had to be made to The Muppet Show Season 1 when it was released on DVD. The closing number from the Vincent Price episode is not only the best part of the episode, but also one of the greatest, spookiest closing numbers in the entire run of the show. Price's delivery of the song and the background accompaniment by the Muppet Monsters is spectacular... plus, there's a health dose of Uncle Deadly, which makes everything better.

54.   Once A Year Day


This fun number breaks up some of the creepy tension caused by Alice Cooper and his seducing of Miss Piggy in the episode of the show in which he guest starred. The Muppet Monsters run rampant backstage singing this fun little song led by Boppity, the blue Frackle. Loads of special effects fill this number, including the ghosts, the moving candle on Kermit's desk, and more. Brilliant puppetry throughout the entire number makes this a fantastic Muppet Monster showcase.

53.   Hey There Good Times


Leslie Uggams joins a band of full-bodied Muppet Monsters as they bounce through the song on an extremely bright and cheery and uncharacteristic set. Something I just love about The Muppet Show is how they can take such a bouncy, fun tune like this and have a band of Muppet Monsters perform it with Leslie Uggams, chanting "Bye, bye bad times!" and the rest of the chorus throughout. It's just so funny and smart. This number on its own isn't very memorable, but it is an incredibly brilliant idea executed wonderfully.

52.   Millions Of Us Who’re Ugly


In my mind, when it comes to Muppet Monster numbers you just can't beat this song. This anthem of under-appreciated, hideous creatures who still find themselves wonderful even though the rest of the world finds them ugly is inspiring. It may be a very silly song but the message of loving yourself for who you are is (almost) on part with "Bein' Green." Plus, it's a brilliant showcase for most of the man Muppeteers' singing abilities. I just love Jim Henson and Richard Hunt in this number.



58 Days Until The Muppets!!










The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com


Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

65 Days Until "The Muppets"!

Lucas Ervin - Hey guys, I’m back... how about “The Pig With the Froggy Tattoo”? Pretty sweet huh? Now, onto this week’s sketches... The closing numbers have always been a major highlight of each episode of The Muppet Show, and there have been so many wonderful songs that have been done, I figured I’d take this week to select what I would consider the seven best closing numbers.

65.   Andy Williams - I think this one is really enjoyable because of the simplicity of the number. It’s just Andy and Kermit, sitting on stools and singing a medley of Andy’s hits, with a few new lines thrown in to include Kermit. What most people enjoy about this number, though, is that Kermit is sitting on a stool with no Jim in sight. What they did is take a mirror and bisected it between two of the legs so that it would look like a complete stool, so when you see Kermit sitting and singing, it looks real. Plus it almost looks like Andy is breaking the fourth wall when asking Kermit how he’s able to sit on the stool; “I knew toads could... surely you’ve heard of toadstools.”



64.   Lola Falana - In this episode, we find out Gonzo has been offered a movie deal in Bombay, India (which is a reference to The Muppet Movie) and this will be his last show. However, after finding out that the movie deal was for Gonzo The Mediocre, he rushes back to Kermit, begging for his old job again. After a brief interaction with Gonzo’s replacement, Trevor the Gross, Kermit gives him his old job back, with Gonzo adding, “I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else.” We couldn’t agree more. Here’s Lola Falana, backstage with Gonzo and the other Muppets, singing that lovely song, “United We Stand.”



63.   Paul Williams - I’m sure we all recognize this special guest star. He’s written songs for several Muppet productions, made a couple cameo appearances, and is one of the few guest stars who are almost the same height as the Muppets themselves. He’s been an important figure in Muppet history, and his most famous song, “The Rainbow Connection” will be sung yet again in The Muppets when it’s released in November. Here he is during the first season of the show, beside Rowlf at the piano, singing one of the most beautiful closing numbers in the show’s history, “Sad Song.”

62.   Linda Ronstadt - Miss Piggy always gets jealous when a female guest star shows up, but she really went over the line when Linda Ronstadt came on during the fifth season. Kermit, wearing a white suit, is really excited to meet the foxy singer until Piggy locks Kermit in a crate full of fungus. Sadly, Kermit and Linda don’t get to talk until the closing number, where they both express how they’re both happy to be together performing on the show, even if it’s just for a little while. With Rowlf once again on the piano, Kermit and Linda, as well as a chorus of other Muppets, sing “When I Grow Too Old To Dream.” And man, can this woman belt out a tune.



61.   Marty Feldman - When this British comedic actor came on to host, they spent the evening telling the Arabian Nights, and the final story told was Ali Bubu and the 3 Thieves. There was supposed to be 40 thieves, but Kermit didn’t have the budget for it... When Fozzie Bear finds out that the thieves get cooked in hot oil just before the closing number he runs out and starts to sing, “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight.” After each verse, he hollers “Open Sesame,” and brings forth a bunch of characters from Sesame Street, including Ernie, Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster, and they start singing their famous theme song. It’s also great seeing Cookie Monster here because he bears a striking resemblance to Marty...



60.   Ethel Merman - One of the greatest episodes of the first season was when that famous singer and Broadway star Ethel Merman came on. She had a fantastic voice and brought to us many famous show tune hits that were performed a lot during The Muppet Show’s five year run. As Fozzie is moping around backstage about a sour deal with his manager, Ethel reminds him that it shouldn’t matter because he’s doing what he loves to do. With that, she starts in on the uplifting and beautiful song, “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

59.   Harry Belefonte - And finally, a guest star whose closing number still resonates with Muppet fans all around the world, and was even sung once again at Jim Henson’s memorial service... Harry tells the story about how he came to write the song, and how there are very few differences between us if you take the time to understand one another. It’s a very spiritual number with a powerful message for everyone. If we had more people like Jim Henson and Harry Belefonte, it wouldn’t really be that difficult to “Turn The World Around.”


65 Days Until The Muppets!!














The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

72 Days Until "The Muppets"

Lucas Ervin - Well, here we are, already 28 days in. Hope you guys are enjoying these. There are a ton of numbers on the show where we'll see an outstanding song performed by some of the most unique looking characters, and then we never really see them again. But just because these aren't main characters on the show doesn't mean that we're not singing these hit songs in the shower or on our way to work. So I'm calling this the One-Hit Wonders week, where I do exactly that.

72.   Java -  For just being two neatly-decorated pieces of vacuum hoses that were designed by Frank Oz, and performed by him and Jim Henson, this number was sure seen on plenty of shows: The Ed Sullivan Show, Today, The Tonight Show--but this is the only number you see these guys in. It fits well though; the trumpet played by Al Hirt sure is catchy, and it's great seeing the smaller hose get his revenge.

71.   Your Feet's Too Big - One of Kermit's favorite numbers, this ended up being quite suitable for Carroll Channing's episode where Piggy's shoes just weren't the right... um... style. Here's a number where the puppets are shown in full body, with live feet, and it's another fun number done by Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold. The male monster keeps insulting a female monster for her "pedal extremities" while she's just blissfully laughing at him, because his feet are just as giant.

70.   Ragg Mopp - As most Muppet fans know, before Beauregard came along, the janitor on the first season of The Muppet Show was George, a grumpy old man who would have fit perfectly between Statler and Waldorf up in the box. He was mostly seen backstage, but he put a few of his brooms together in the Lena Horne episode for an act, paying tribute to the Ames Brothers, and he gave us one memorable opening number.

69.   Snerfs - Here's another jazzy number done by some really weird characters called the Snerfs--not to be confused with the Smurfs, however they are blue. These long, furry characters with horns for noses played an instrumental tune that was at the top of the Bruce Forsythe episode. They look relatively small during this song, but when you see them backstage, they look as if they’re as tall as Kermit, or taller. Who wouldn't want to bring one of these guys home as a pet?

68.   Hugga Wugga - This number's also known as the Buggy Mugger number, and can be heard on The Muppet Show Album. This was originally done on Nancy Sinatra's Las Vegas show in 1971. Frank Oz performs Hugga Wugga, the green character is by John Lovelady, and the yellow alien who blows up Hugga is performed by Jerry Nelson. The music itself is done by Joe Raposo, who wrote the famous song, Bein' Green as well as plenty of other classic songs on Sesame Street.

67.   All of Me - Sadly, this number--originally done on the Paul Williams episode--was cut from Season One of The Muppet Show on DVD due to rights. It's a fantastic song, with beautiful visuals of a male monster giving the love of his life (a female monster) "all of him." I especially love that it's performed by Jerry Nelson, and that the monster literally removes all of his body parts and puts them in a box, plus it's all done in one take.


66.   Mahna-Mahna - Performed in the first episode of The Mup--hey, you know what? You're a Muppet fan. You've seen this sketch a million times. You sing it to your friends, you post it on Facebook, and you most likely know that it came originally from a Swedish skin flick. So why should I talk about it when you can just watch it once again? Do doo do doo it.


 72 Days Until The Muppets!!






The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.comSource URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

79 Days Until "The Muppets"

Lucas Ervin - If there's one species that seems to have the most occupancy on The Muppet Show--both  backstage and onstage--it's the pigs. They even seem to take up quite a few of the opening numbers over the years. There's Miss Piggy of course, along with Link Hogthrob, Annie Sue, Dr. Strangepork, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, and even that giant weird pig that danced with Rudolph Nureyev. So I figured this week let's enjoy some of their best numbers.

79.   Lullaby of Broadway - When Gilda Radner came on to host the show, Kermit decided to open up with what he called, "A traditional lullaby from beyond the Antarctic circle... or somewhere." The pigs do a great job in singing the famous song from the musical 42nd Street. They're also joined by a walrus, chicken and even the first Muppet penguin, which was built and performed by Brian Henson, Jim's son. It's definitely one of the musical numbers from the Show that's been highlighted the most throughout the years, even with the broken ig.

78.   Staying Alive - For a song that's originally sung by the Bee Gees, the pigs on the show certainly found a way to make this 70's hit song their own during this opening number of the Helen Reddy episode. Led by Miss Piggy, the song takes place in the Palace of Versailles, where she and the pigs make the song about how they are still standing, and nothing will stand in their way... that is, until they notice the giant guillotine at the end of the number...

77.   Yakety Yak - Here's a fun song that was done at the top of the Tony Randall episode. This song was originally sung by The Coasters, with Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold doing another fantastic song together as lead vocals. Here we have a pair of prehistoric pig parents telling their kids to clean the place up before going out. Also, I love the cherry on top of this song, which is Zoot in a snazzy leopard outfit, playing a sax that's made out of dinosaur bone.

76.   The Pig Calypso - "Bib and napkin, knife and fork is the only way that I'll touch pork." Enough said.


75.   Hawaiian War Chant - Keeping with a tropical theme, when Sylvester Stallone came on to host the show, they opened with a number that expresses the sounds and language of Hawaii, singing alongside some parrots and penguins as well. Also, Animal plays a mean set of drums in this number, while the gorilla tries taking some of the singers out with coconuts. This song is actually found on The Muppet Show's second album and is still one of the more notable opening numbers to this day.

74.   I Get Around - Another pig number led by Miss Piggy, a Beach Boys classic was once again turned up on its head and the Muppets found a way to make this their own. I like how everyone else has skulls and crossbones on their bike, except Miss Piggy, who has a picture of Kermit on hers. In the documentary Of Muppets & Men, you can actually see the behind the scenes of this number, with the performers underneath their characters moving back and forth to make it all look realistic. This is probably the only time people ever enjoyed road hogs.

73.   In The Navy - When Roger Moore came on to host, it would be the last episode of The Muppet Show ever filmed. How fitting is it, then, that the final opening number belongs to the pigs, where they emulate what the Scandinavian recruitment process must have been like. This can also be seen on Of Muppets & Men, where all the people working on this number take all day just to complete this one number, and they only spend three days shooting an entire episode of The Muppet Show. Hey, it was well worth it.


79 Days Until The Muppets!!!















The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

Why The Muppets Make Everything Better

Following a week of soul searching, beginning with an ebbing Moopet fandom, taken over by obsessive Muppet fans and count-downs, exploring the world if Muppet-tributes and then fastening on the works of the band OK Go...I have now returned full circle to a love of everything Muppety -- the humour, the randomness, the heart, the wacky mayhem, the explosions and the penguin throwing. If The Green Album perhaps focused too heavily on the deep soul of the Muppets (as Kermit explained to Robin once, “Sometimes the Muppets do things that arn’t funny,” to which Robin responded, “Yeah, but I figure that’s the writer’s fault...”) then this newly released Music Video more than makes up for it with full-blown explosive crazy which includes the triumphant return of the Muppet Sheep.


However, rather than focus purely on the fun, I intend to explore the Fun-demental (if you pardon the pun). I feel the need to delve into the deeper, artistic expressions of the images presented within this music video, to see what it is that they add to the overall message of The Muppets: The Green Album, OK Go’s The Muppet Show Theme. (To see my review of the music, see here.)




See the video here.


The first image presented is of a machine, described as a ‘music machine’ by Darren from the group. Reviewing previous OK Go videos in order to present a collected opinion on this latest offering from the group, it is clear to see that the performers of the OK Go band rely upon accuracy and choreography in order to present their view of the world, a world that functions with all the mechanics of a machine. If any timings were out in their previous videos, then the entire shoot would need to be reset and taken again from the beginning. Order and timing are paramount.




This reliance on order (and technology) has become ever more prevalent as the economies of the world have been rocked time after time. Individuals rely on limiting their lives to match their budgets, much as a machine cannot extend beyond its original purpose. Moths have been often used to represent a lack of money (even within Its a Very Merry Muppet Christmas, where a moth flutters from Kermit’s wallet). However, the Muppets have always found a way to overcome their limitations...without needing money or the machinery of world governments to help them.






In fact, it is the Muppets intervention in the OK Go order and function that causes an explosion of chaos to backfire into their past and (no doubt) their future.






The Muppet Show transcends the borders of the world that it was created as and becomes real in a way that can be felt (and foam!) because it exists inside of our world, under our skin, closer than we think. Within the Music Video this kind of meta-adjustment is represented through multiple awakenings (Are they in OK Go’s dream, are OK Go in their dream, or do they both live together in the world of ‘entertainment’.)







Ryan Dosier said to me the other day that he must be living in an elaborate dream, because he cannot imagine a reality in which Nigel and Uncle Deadly appear in Music Videos in 2011 and that a huge Cinema Movie is being released on the Muppets. Well, according to this video, it could be less that he is dreaming of The Muppets and more that The Muppets are dreaming of us.




Regarding the strong imagery of The Muppets as Puppeteers of The Performers, it is interesting to see how OK Go really let go and rock out during this scene here, finally releasing the ‘machine’ of their previous videos (and pervious lives) and letting the crazy fun take hold, regardless of what other problems they may have (such as exploding machines or being run off their treadmills!)



                                


Really, there could not be a better time for a Muppet comeback. It is time we let them take the strings (or armrods?) of our worlds too.






Finally, if you would rather go and watch cat videos...feel free...I am sticking with The Muppets (sorry Moopets...yooou have have been forgooten).











The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

93 Days to The Muppets

Dear Subscribers and Casual Readers, this is a note from the 'Muppets Only' Online Petition for Ending Takeovers (MOOPET). We were devastated to see a site so utterly tustworthy under normal supervision being so casually handed over to clearly unfit ownership (The British Correspondent) who then turned our online Muppet Update experiences into something weird and unprofitable for all involved. We have subsequently blocked said British Blogger from accessing Ryan's Readership and normal service will now be readily reinstated. We'll begin with a regularly schedualed posting from Lucas Ervin. -- Kind regards, The 'Muppets Only' Online Petition for Ending Takeovers.

--




Lucas Ervin - Alright, I’m back, and I hope you guys enjoyed the first week. If not and you’re still reading this, then you’re obviously gluttons for punishment, sitting uncomfortably up in the theater box. Either way, this week, we have a list of sketches that center around some of the absolute funniest hosts that have ever worked with the Muppets. While I couldn’t fit all of the hilarious hosts into one week, I want to say that I’m sorry I can’t cover Gilda Radner, Dom DeLouise, Loretta Swit, George Burns, Jean Stapleton, James Coco, and several others. Having said that, let’s get on with Week Two of The Muppet Show clips…

93 - Madeline Kahn’s Beautiful Day- This sketch was originally done on The Ed Sullivan Show, but instead of Madeline Kahn they had a female Muppet character trying to find the positive aspects of her day, despite the rude interruptions of a nasty blue monster named Beautiful Day, hence the title of the sketch. Here Madeline tries enjoying a nice day in the park, even though the monster Doglion- performed by Jerry Nelson- is doing his best to ruin everything, like knocking over statues and shooting a bird. When Jim started making The Muppet Movie, he asked Madeline Kahn to make a cameo in the film, where she played a sketchy woman at a bar who tried picking up Kermit, and when he rejected her, she nearly got him beaten up by a sailor.




92 - Milton Berle vs. Statler & Waldorf- Speaking of handling problems, here’s Uncle Miltie on stage trying to do a comedy monologue but ends up being repeatedly heckled by Statler and Waldorf. At this time in his life, Berle had been doing stand-up for quite some time, having done vaudeville before television, so he’s prepared to deal with hecklers just in case. But Statler and Waldorf have had enough practice with making fun of Fozzie and the others, so it appears as if they may have their work cut out for them. Like several guest stars during the second season, Mr. Berle appeared in The Muppet Movie as a fast-talking car dealer who inadvertently sells Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo a car for $11.95, thanks to Sweetums.




91 - Steve Martin: Dueling Banjos- Probably still one of the most well-known actors and comedians of our time, Kermit actually had to cancel the show for the evening Martin was there due to some new acts he was opening auditions for. So with an empty house and a ticked-off guest star, the usual performers became the audience for Steve’s jokes and music in between Kermit holding the auditions. Steve Martin had such a wonderful time on The Muppet Show that Jim Henson asked him if he’d be up for making a cameo in The Muppet Movie where he played an irritated waiter during the scene where Kermit and Miss Piggy go on their first date while heading to Hollywood.




90 - Wally Boag’s Balloons- On July 17th, 1955, Mr. Wally Boag opened up the Golden Horseshoe Revue in Disneyland, California. He had done five shows a day ever since until 1986, and holds the Guinness Book of World Records for having done over 32,000 shows, the greatest number of theatrical performances, ever. He was an amazing balloon animal artist as well as quick on his feet with quick one-liners and slapstick humor. On top of that, he was also Steve Martin’s biggest influence in comedy, and had worked with Boag at Disneyland. So naturally, Jim Henson knew that he fit right in with the Muppets:




89 - Peter Sellers Talk Spot- Within 30 minutes- nay, 25- this guest star proved his amazing ability to slip in and out of several diverse and unique characters like the chameleon that he is; from Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series to Dr. Strangelove, who is now a deeply disturbed massage therapist that ends up tying Link Hogthrob in knots, and every kind of character in between. Here, however, when Kermit tells him he can just be himself when they’re one-on-one, Sellers admits that it’s impossible for him to be himself, and starts tuning his chickens. He also once told Muppeteer Dave Goelz that Gonzo was his favorite, and he sees similarities between him and Clouseau.




88 - Spike Milligan on the Muppet News- A comedic actor who hails from England, this guy could easily pass as Robin Williams’ father. Even as an adult I still enjoy this episode quite a bit, and this also marked the time when The Muppet Show was being seen in 108 countries. Milligan is every bit as weird, audacious and hilarious as any of his Muppet counterparts in this episode, which made it difficult to choose which of his three bits to show for the countdown. I went with the International News, and Jim Henson does a terrific job of keeping up with Milligan’s antics. This is also the only time- save for during season one- where we actually see the Newsman interact with the host, which the Newsman later regrets.




87 - Carol Burnett’s Dancing Partner- During the final season of the show, one of the greatest comediennes ever came on to host, and she didn’t exactly receive the same kind of show Julie Andrews did. Gonzo is holding a dance marathon which irritates her, and later worries about Kermit’s lack of professionalism towards the guest star when he does nothing about it. But she pulls through and even manages to dance with Animal, but just when she’s about to finally do her Lonely Asparagus sketch, the show ends. Years later after Jim Henson passed away, Carol helped out with a Muppet special entitled The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson and talked about how the Muppets were like a family; “They played, they argued, they sang, they bickered, but through it all, they faced the world together.”


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100 Days Until "The Muppets"

Today on The Muppet Mindset we are proud to debut a brand new weekly segment counting down the days until the November 23rd United States release date of The Muppets. Our friend Lucas Ervin has graciously agreed to take us through a trip on The Muppet Show ever Sunday leading up to the release of the movie with clips showcasing the awesome that is Muppets. Our intention is to have seven clips per post, thus one clip for ever day leading up to the movie. Enjoy!




Lucas Ervin - Hello everyone, I’m Luke. I’ve been a lifelong fan of the Muppets, and with the new Muppet film just a little over three months from now, I thought it’d be fun to show some highlights of The Muppet Show on the Mindset leading up to the release date.

As most of you are aware, this is unlike any Muppet film that’s been done in many, many years. Sure, we’ll have the main characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo. But after 21 years, Rowlf  and Scooter are being made main characters again, as well as everyone from the Electric Mayhem... not just Animal! Plus we’re going to see the return of many characters that haven’t said a word since The Muppet Show went off the air, including Wayne and Wanda, Uncle Deadly, Link Hogthrob, Julius Strangepork, Beauregard, Thog, and many more. Just with the movie trailers alone, it feels like you’re going to visit a family you haven’t seen in awhile that you’re very excited to see them all again. And the best part about the whole thing? It’s essentially a movie about The Muppet Show.

Let’s start with the seven most famous recurring sketches on the show, starting with Piiiiigs iiiiiiin Spaaaaaaace!

100.   Pigs In Space - This sketch started during season two, with two new characters created specifically for this bit; Captain Link Hogthrob (performed Jim Henson) and Dr. Julius Strangepork (performed by Jerry Nelson). And of course, they had First Mate Miss Piggy (Frank Oz, of course), who usually had to deal with her slightly dim-witted counterparts. It was set up to poke fun at Star Trek and other sci-fi television shows that were on during the 70’s. The sketch was so popular that, in 1981, NASA used one of these sketches as a wake up call for the crew on Space Shuttle Columbia two mornings in a row. It’s also rumored that they will do a Pigs In Space sketch in the new movie. Here’s one of my favorite bits:



99.   Muppet Sports - Based off of famous sports broadcaster Howard Cosell, Lewis Kazagger (performed by Jerry Nelson) came along during season three, and was the announcer for The Wild World of Muppet Sports. He covered some absurd "sporting events" such as wig racing, blindfold sprinting, and horseshoe pitching. Sometimes he would even fall victim to the event that occurred. Here he is, finding out that only real poo is the best poo for a wig:



98.   Muppet News - Performed by Jim Henson, no other character on the show was more accident-prone than the Newsman. During the first season, however, he didn’t wear his glasses, he would sometimes interview the guest star, and his voice was much like Link Hogthrob’s. However, beginning in season two- with a voice more like Dr. Teeth’s, all of that changed, when every possible, horrible thing you could imagine started hitting him, falling on him, or blowing him up. He dealt with silverware, cattle, bowling balls, statues, rocks, chickens and even explosives, but still he’d come back again to report the news with great urgency. And it was always funny what happened next:



97.   Bear on Patrol - A sketch that parodied cop dramas that were famous during the 70’s and 80’s, Bear On Patrol put Link and Fozzie in silly scenarios that made the law enforcement on Dukes of Hazard look like NYPD Blue. Here’s the first sketch they did during the Leslie Uggams episode, where a pig is caught impersonating an officer:



96.   The Swedish Chef - I’m pretty sure that there are few people who don’t know who this guy is. He’s been around since the first episode, and is still one of the most famous characters in the bunch. He served chicken in the basket by shooting an actual chicken through a basketball hoop, made donuts by shooting a hole through a muffin with a blunderbuss and made a wedding cake entirely out of onions. Jim Henson always worked the head and voice while Frank Oz did the live hands. People on the set loved watching these two film the Swedish Chef bits the most because of all the improv that took place when shooting. Come for the food, stay for the insanity:



95.   Muppet Labs- Where the future is being made today! Few people know this, but before Beaker came along, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (performed by Dave Goelz) was the only one around to fall victim to his short-sightedness. All that changed though when, in season two, his faithful yet abused assistant Beaker came along, who (performed by Richard Hunt) only spoke in “meeps” and “moops.” Bunsen seemed to always be oblivious to the fact that Beaker didn’t want to be the first to test his new experiments--whether it was edible paper clips, fireproof paper or an evil rabbit robot- but somehow Beaker would end up being shocked, blown up, or eaten. How Beaker survived so many years, we’ll never know:



94.   Veterinarian’s Hospital - Aside from the Swedish Chef spots, this was the only other sketch that lasted all five seasons of The Muppet Show. It starred Rowlf the Dog as Dr. Bob, who was always accompanied by Nurse Piggy and Nurse Janice. During the first season, Janice was performed by Erin Ozker. From season two on, however, Richard Hunt had picked her up and gave her the voice and personality she’s most known for today. Also during that first season, Richard Hunt and Frank Oz took turns performing Miss Piggy before Oz took her on full-time during the second season and solidified her as the diva of the show. Rowlf was always been performed by Jim Henson, and as Dr. Bob, he would show just how unprofessional of a doctor he was by insulting the patient and throwing out corny jokes to Piggy and Janice. They say laughter is the best medicine, which explains exactly why the quack had gone to the dogs:



We'll see you all next time on The Muppet Show!





The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

(Kind of) Weekly Muppet Quotes - Week 8

Casey Daron - The Muppets, from my perspective, looks very similar in tone to The Muppet Show. This week, I really think we should embrace the origin of the Muppets: The Muppet Show. I don’t know about you, but I am extremely excited for the new movie. I mean, Wayne, Wanda, Link, and Beautiful Day Monster... I even spotted the Mutations! This is just amazing. I really think that Jason Segel has captured the true Muppet spirit. Hey, enough of my ranting! I think I should start the quotes!

"Payday? Again?! It was payday last year! Seems to be a habit around here!"
~ Kermit the Frog, The Muppet Show

QUESTION: ARE YOU DATING
"No, we are not dating."
"She says you’re married..."
"Yes I know, Fozzie..."
"She says she loves you."
"I know! I know!"
~ Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear, The Muppets on The Muppets

"What is love?"
"Don’t ask me, I never touch the stuff... and it never touches me."
"Well you’re no help!"
"I’m no help!"
~ Wally and Droop, The Muppets Valentine Show

"My problem was my need to tell jokes."
"Yeah... that was our problem too!"
~ Fozzie Bear and Floyd Pepper, The Muppet Show

"Great... just what the world needs, humorous hip-persons!"
~ Gonzo the Great, The Muppet Show

"They aren’t half bad!"
"Nope they’re ALL bad!"
"Do ho ho ho!"
~ Waldorf and Statler, "Keep Fishin’" Music Video








The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection

(Kind of) Weekly Muppet Quotes - Week 7

Casey Daron - What is your favorite part of The Muppet Show? The theme song? Statler and Waldorf? The music? My favorite part happens to be the sketches such as "Pigs in Space" and "Bear on Patrol." So, this week, as you can guess, I compiled quotes from those various sketches. I hope you like them! It’s time to get things started on the (Almost) Weekly Muppet Quotes tonight!

"Think of the safety. Think of the sense of well-being. And, at last, your family can be protected from the heartbreak of gorilla invasion."
- Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Muppet Labs, The Muppet Show, Episode 116

"Tune in two weeks from now and miss next week's episode of Piiiiiiigs in Spaaaaaace!"
- The Announcer, Pigs in Space, The Muppet Show

"Here is a Muppet News Flash! There is no news tonight."
– Muppet Newsman, Muppet News Flash, The Muppet Show, Episode 105

"My brother has ghosts in his attic."

"Sounds scary!"

"Yeah, he’s on the top ten most haunted list!"
– Talking Houses, The Muppet Show, Episode 107

"Hello sports fans! This is Louis Kazagger, welcoming you to the wild world of Muppet Sports! Today finds us at the National Wig Racing Championships! ...Wig Racing? Uh-huh..."
– Louis Kazagger, Muppet Sports, The Muppet Show, Episode 310









The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier Source URL: https://jimhensons.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Muppet%20Show
Visit Jim Henson for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection