The Muppet Show 

Kermit the Frog and his fellow Muppets put on a vaudeville show at their theatre, bringing in a famous celebrity to help out for each episode.

Creators:

Jim Henson, Jack Burns

Stars:

Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt

Top Rated TV #234 | Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 8 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Frank Oz	...	Fozzie Bear / ... 120 episodes, 1976-1981
Richard Hunt	...	Statler / ... 120 episodes, 1976-1981
Dave Goelz	...	Gonzo / ... 120 episodes, 1976-1981
Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / ... 120 episodes, 1976-1981
Jerry Nelson	...	Floyd Pepper / ... 113 episodes, 1976-1981
Louise Gold	...	Additional Muppets / ... 85 episodes, 1977-1981
Steve Whitmire	...	Additional Muppets / ... 67 episodes, 1978-1981
Kathryn Mullen	...	Additional Muppets / ... 57 episodes, 1978-1981

Storyline

Kermit the Frog is the manager of a cabaret-style theatre house, which invariably has more drama behind the stage than on it. He has to contend with wannabe-comedian bears, the smothering advances of Miss Piggy, crabby regular theatre patrons, homicidal chefs, livestock, not to mention making the weekly guest star feel welcome.

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Plot Keywords:

puppet | cult tv | vaudeville | celebrity guest | monster | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Music

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Official Sites:

Henson.com Muppets.com

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 January 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Muppet Show

Filming Locations:

BBC Elstree Centre/ATV Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated Television (ATV), HIT Entertainment, Henson Associates (HA)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (120 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In February 2003, Disney purchased The Jim Henson Workshop. The deal includes characters such as Fozzie Bear and Dave Goelz, as well as the Bear in the Big Blue House (1997) franchise. Sesame Street characters such as Big Bird and Elmo are not included in the acquisition, as they are owned separately by the Sesame Workshop.

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Quotes

Statler: Well the show tonight certainly didn't lay an egg.
Chickens: Bawk!
Waldorf: Wanna bet?

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Crazy Credits

Occasionally, the end theme would be performed in a different way. Kaye Ballard show: All the band members, except Rowlf, quit the show. Rowlf is left to play a piano-only version of the theme tune. Loretta Lynn: Both the opening and closing credits in this show are done differently. The show is performed at the local railway station and, as such, the lyrics to the opening theme are appropriately changed - Cast: It's time to get things started, on the most sensational, inspirational... Fozzie Bear: This week's sort of, railroad stational. The band play an off-key version of the end theme. Rowlf explains the reason to the audience - "No wonder this sounds bad. We're playing a timetable!" Harry Belafonte: The cast sing the song "Turn the World Around" while the end credits roll. Spike Milligan: The cast sing the song "It's a Small World" while the end credits sing. Guest Spike Milligan tells them to keep quiet as he's trying to sleep. At the same time, the end theme is played down and Kermit the Frog, who is still on stage, yells out that the music be stopped. Roger Miller: The whole cast, except Dave Goelz, have turned into chickens. As a result, all the band play the end theme as chickens. Animal pecks at his drums, while Rowlf and another chicken play the piano. Dudley Moore: Dudley's Music Machine plays a bizarre rendition of the end theme. It sounds off-key and is done in various styles including jazz, stripper music, chase music. Mac Davis: This is the episode where Beaker gets duplicated by Dave Goelz's duplicator machine. During the last song "I Believe in Music", the band and even the hecklers Statler and Waldorf are changed into Beakers. The Beakers play the end theme.

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Alternate Versions

The opening credits for the first season were not seen in syndication or on the Timelife videos. Instead, they're replaced with second season openings.

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Connections

Referenced in Dinosaurs: Honey, I Miss the Kids (1993)

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Soundtracks

Swedish Chef's Theme
Composed Derek Scott
Performed by Swedish Chef (Jim Henson)

User Reviews

Love the Muppets!

I grew up with the Muppets, Garfield, the Care Bears, etc. Boy there were some awesome kid shows on back then! Anyway, I always have a soft spot for the Muppets because my mom loved them too. I still have the Kermit and Piggy dolls she bought me back in 1980! About the show, I still laugh out loud watching Stadler and Waldorf, the hilarious critics! "Pigs in Space" was another great bit, but nothing compares to the Swedish chef! I also loved the 3 Muppet movies that came out between 1979-1984. Sadly, while I still love the Muppets, they haven't been the same since Jim Henson passed on. God bless you, Jim and rest in peace.