The Muppets Valentine show was the first of two pilots for The Muppet Show. Valentine aired on ABC in 1974. Though the second pilot, The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence would be a closer prototype of the series, Valentine laid the groundwork with some characters, the idea of having a guest star, appealing to both adults and children, and the format of putting on a show with "behind the scenes" mayhem.
In this half-hour variety special, the Muppets parody the proliferation of sex and violence on television.
Kermit is pressured into allowing Scooter to do a musical number with Muppy the dog. Guest star Juliet Prowse dances to a Scott Joplin melody.
When Fozzie overhears Hilda, Kermit, and Scooter talking about getting rid of “that bear” he thinks they’re talking about him when in actual truth it’s Gonzo’s teddy bear that is being badmouthed. Meanwhile, Sesame Street’s Bert & Ernie make a guest appearance in a musical number with Connie Stevens.
Fozzie takes on a new act – jokes on any subject – which drives everybody crazy. When he takes the stage, he asks for any word. Naturally, Statler & Waldorf call his bluff by yelling out “Amoeba!”
Scooter’s uncle, J.P. Grosse sends a mechanical wind-up TV show host that resembles Kermit in every way. Soon, the duplicate starts harassing Kermit and flirts with Miss Piggy.
On stage, guest star Rita Moreno battles several Muppets including Animal who backs on drums in her closing number “Fever”. Backstage, Fozzie answers a string of rather unusual (and very funny) phone calls.
A young kid named Scooter applies for a job as a gofer. When, Kermit tells him he looks nothing like a gopher, Scooter explains that he’ll go-fer coffee and sandwiches among other things he’ll go-fer. Kermit says he doesn’t have the money pay him, but then Scooter lets in that his uncle owns the theater.
The Muppet Theater is plagued by pig-related problems with The Bouncing Borcellino Brothers flubbing their opening act and Miss Piggy throwing herself at an uninterested Kermit, then later gets jealous at guest star Florence Henderson who she thinks is gonna steal her frog away.
Scooter talks Fozzie in doing “The Telephone Pole Bit” and Fozzie practices dutifully until he finds out what the bit is really all about.
When he’s unable to get a spot on the show, Gonzo asks Scooter to be his manager. Scooter thinks Gonzo should do a rock act by banging a large rock with a mallet. Later, Gonzo tries female impersonation in a dress and a blonde wig. But Scooter gives up managing when Gonzo eats his contract.
Kermit begins to worry that guest star Harvey Korman isn’t having a great time because he complains of being the “token person” on the show with all the dogs, frogs, pigs and chickens as well as the fear of hoof-and-mouth disease. So the rest of the Muppets come up with a solution: dress Harvey in a chicken suit.
Lena Horne first performed with Kermit in the early seventies on Sesame Street. She sang a poignant version of "Bein' Green". She returned to Sesame Street about five years later helping Grover overcome his shyness in the song, "How Do You Do". (This song was released on the 1979 album "The Stars Come Out on Sesame Street"). In this episode, she demonstrates her natural rapport with the Muppets, most notably in her scene with Gonzo.
Kermit becomes jealous when Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Hilda and Scooter rave about Peter Ustinov who later admits that he’s jealous of Kermit saying that he’s always wanted to be a frog.
Fozzie hatches a plan to get even with Statler & Waldorf when he does his act. But the bear becomes crushed when he gets replaced with guest Bruce Forsyth.
Fozzie performs the famous “Banana Sketch” by Gags Beasley which everyone (including guest Sandy Duncan) has heard of. Everybody, except for Kermit.
Fozzie brings a string of deliveries to Kermit which results in some real lousy gags driving the poor frog crazy.
Much is made in this episode about Avery Schreiber's being one half on the comedy duo Burns & Screiber. The other half? First season head writer Jack Burns. This would be the first of a few times when Scooter ends up assisting Miss Piggy in her wacky schemes.
Ben Vereen received a Tony Award for his role in "Pippen". Before he became a star in his own right, Ben was an understudy for Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964. A new version of Janice premieres in this episode. Janice has a new head sculpt. Sam also received a makeover. The builders revised his head and made him slightly bluer in color.
Jim's love of jazz is evident in the performance of "Hugga Wugga". This sketch had evolved from a longtime favorite Henson sketch originally titled "Sclrap Flyapp" in the early sixties. It was originally performed on "The Today Show", "The Tonight Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show". Jim played with the idea of combining eerie music, visual imagery and special effects. He tied-in one of his favorite songs, "You Are My Sunshine" with this sketch. It was renamed "Hugga Wugga" for Nancy Sinatra's early seventies' Las Vegas show.
In honor of guest star Vincent Price, the show is filled with monsters, ghosts, vampires and spooky sketches. Meanwhile, a three-headed monster tries to audition for Kermit.
This is one of only a few Muppet Show episodes that open the show after the theme song with some kind of offstage scene. There's also a couple of scenes with the guest star in her dressing room conversing with Muppets instead of onstage in the Talk Spot. The dressing room would become more heavily integrated into the structure of the show in its second season. In last week's "At The Dance", Boppity danced in drag with another monster. This week Boppity appears as normal but his partner is in drag. In both instances, he ends up headless.
Kermit is skeptical when everyone backstage is terrorized by “the Phantom of the Muppet Show” aka Uncle Deadly, a monster-actor who performed in the theater years ago, got panned by the critics, and vowed never to perform there again, and not to let anyone else perform either warning the Muppets “Leave or be doomed!”
Fozzie’s agent, Irving Bizarre, arrives at the theater to negotiate Fozzie’s contract with Kermit who ends up offering Fozzie ten times as much money – despite the fact the bear made nothing before.
Embarrassed at the “square” music that he and the others have to play each week on the show, Floyd announces that the band is quitting.
This episode marks the debut of one of Gonzo's trademarks. Him rapidly rushing on camera with a "WHOOSH" sound effect. This is John Lovelady and Eren Ozker's final episode. Only the core five of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz will return for season two joined later in the second year by an uncredited Louise Gold. Behind the scenes, Jack Burns will retire from the show bumping longtime Henson Associate Jerry Juhl up to the position of head writer. We'll see the significant effects these changes have on the show when The Muppet Show Episode Guides returns with its look at Season Two. Eren leaves the show to have a child and John will resurface in the '80's as a puppeteer for a non-Henson puppet show called "The Great Space Coaster" along with some guy named Kevin Clash.
Sketches/Songs: "Sweet Gingerbread Man", "Windmills of Your Mind", "Beast of the Week", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "I'm Burlington Bertie", "Talk Spot", "What a Wonderful World", "Swedish Chef", "Lullaby of Birdland"
Sketches/Songs: "Chopin's Polonaise in a Flat", "What do the Simple Folk Do?", "At the Dance", "Muppet Labs", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Fears", "Drum Solo by Animal", "Lady Wrestling"
Sketches/Songs: "There are Millions of us Who are Ugly", Milton Berle's monologue, "Pigs In Space", "The Entertainer" (Milton Berle), "The Entertainer" (Miss Piggy), "Who", "Top Banana"
Sketches/Songs: "Chan Son D'amour", Rich impersonates the Muppets, "At the Dance", "The Boy in the Gallery", "Inchworm", "Veterinarian's Hospital", Gonzo and Lolita (a chicken), "Medley", A Salute to Hollywood musicals
Sketches/Songs: "Leatherwing Bat", "Pigs In Space", "An Editorial by Sam The Eagle", "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly", "Muppet Newsflash", "Talk to the Trees", "Koozebanian Phoob", "Do-Re-Mi", "Swedish Chef", "Send in the Clowns"
Kermit is at home sick so Fozzie has to run the show and proves how bad he could be by having Crazy Harry of all people have an opening skit "Target Practice", then getting "Vets' Hospital" and "At The Dance" on the same stage at the same time, causing a lot of trouble for the bear and his costars.
Sketches/Songs: "Baby Face", "Consider Yourself", "Muppet Newsflash", Gonzo's Act, "Pigs In Space", "Show Me a Rose", Fozzie's Act, "Time in a Bottle", "Down at Papa Joe's", Edgar and Charlie perform
Kermit auditions new acts for the next show. Songs/Sketches: "The Garbage Can Can", "Swannee River", balloons, "Tie a Yellow Ribbit Round an Ole Oak Tree", Baskerville auditions as comedian, Lenny Lizard auditions for emcee, The Four Fazoobs, "Gonzales & Yolanda", "Old Man River", "Ramblin' Guy", "Varisity Drag", "Yes, We Have No Bananas", "Jugglin' Guy", "Flying Zucchini Brothers", Steve plays with Lubbock Lou & the Jug-Huggers.
Sketches/Songs: "Happy Feet", "Feet", "Drum Solo by Animal", "Swedish Chef", "New York State of Mind", "Pigs In Space", "The Pig Got Up and Slowly Walked Away", "Sunny Day", "Muppet Newsflash", "Up and Away", "Wishing Song"
Sketches/Songs: "Cuento Le Gusta", "Train Back Home", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Wotcher (Knocked 'Em in the Old Kent Road)", "I Won't Dance", "World's Most Powerful Explosive", "Medley"
Sketches/Songs: "Don't Dilly Dally on the Way", "Merdlelidop", "Drum Solo by Animal", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Henrietta's Wedding", "Don't Blame the Dynamite", "Animal Shelter", "We Got Us"
Sketches/Songs: "How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Loved You When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life", "Take a Little One-Step", Chickens playing piano, "Veterinarian's Hospital", "The Sheik of Araby", "The Ant and the Grasshopper", "Just One Person", "Swedish Chef", "Muppet Labs", "I'm Five", "Muppet Newsflash", "Apple Jack"
Sketches/Songs: The Electric Mayhem, A Wagner opera performed, "Swine Lake", "Something's Missing", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "It's Cold Outside", "Clair De Lune", "Top Hat"
A poor otter family risks everything for the chance to win the cash prize of a talent contest for Christmas.
Sketches/Songs: "Crocodile Rock", "Swedish Chef", "Benny and the Jets", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Any Old Iron", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Pigs In Space", "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
Sketches/Songs: "Groovy People", "Muppet Newsflash", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Swedish Chef", "At the Dance", "Ukelele Lady", "Sonny Boy", "Bye Bye Blackbird", "Muppet Labs", Fozzie's Act, "You're the One"
Sketches/Songs: "Limbo", "Ain't Got That Swing", "Pigs In Space", Bruce Schwartz, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", "Swedish Chef", "(I Wonder Why) You're Just In Love", Fozzie's Act, "If"
Sketches/Songs: "The Lonely Goatherd", "Muppet Newsflash", Gonzo's Act, "Moonlight Sonata", "Won't Somebody Dance With Me?", "Borneo", "When You Were a Tadpole and I Was a Fish", "An Editorial by Sam The Eagle", "Muppet Labs", "I Whistle a Happy Tune"
Sketches/Songs: "Tweedle Dee Dee", "Swedish Chef", "At the Dance", "English Country Garden", "Talk Spot", "Pigs In Space", "Muppet Newsflash", "An Editorial by Sam The Eagle", "That Old Black Magic"
Sketches/Songs: "A Gypsy's Violin", "When", "Down Memory Lane", Masseur sketch, "It's Not Easy Bein' Green", "Muppet Labs", "Cigarettes & Whiskey"
Sketches/Songs: "Sea Chantey", "The Boy From Ipanema", Saloon sketch, "At the Dance", "Upidee", "Too Shy To Say", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Swedish Chef", "Tomorrow"
Sketches/Songs: "The Pig Calypso", "For What It's Worth", "Muppet Newsflash", "Swedish Chef", "Muppet Newsflash", Rowlf plays piano, "Long Long Ago", "Muppet Labs", Rowlf plays piano, "Don't Fence Me In"
Sketches/Songs: "Cotton Fields", "Pigs In Space", "Wild Thing", Gonzo's Act, "At the Dance", "Cheese Cake", "Muppet Labs", "At the Hop", "Spinning Wheel", "Nickelodeon"
Sketches/Songs: "Somebody Stole My Gal", Gonzo's Act, "Muppet Newsflash", Rowlf plays piano, "Pigs In Space", "At the Dance", "Waiting at the Church", "We Got Each Other", "Koozebanian Spoobol", "The Impossible Dream"
Sketches/Songs: "That's Entertainment", "My Hero", Fozzie's Act, "Swedish Chef", "Vedgetarian's Hospital", "Muppet Newsflash", "Pigs In Space", "Just in Time"
Sketches/Songs: "Help Me Make It Through the Night", Gonzo's Act, "Muppet Labs", "My Wild Irish Rose", "Muppet Newsflash", "We're All Alone", "A Frog He Would a Wooing Go", "New York State of Mind", "An Actor's Life For Me", "A Song I'd Like To Sing"
Sketches/Songs: "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", "Carbon Paper", "The Daffodills", "The Show Must Go On", "She was a Dear Little Dicky Bird", Fozzie's Act, "When I Need You"
Sketches/Songs: "Rocky Top", "Swedish Chef", "Pigs In Space", "Yesterday When I Was Young", "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", "Talk Spot", "At the Barn-Dance", Gonzo's Act, "Sally Was a Good Ol' Girl"
Sketches/Songs: "The Lullaby of Broadway", "Modern Major General", "Muppet Melodrama", "Witch Doctor", "A Saucy Little Bird on Nellie's Hat", "Muppet Labs", "Muppet Newsflash", "Tap Your Troubles Away"
Sketches/Songs: "My Soul is a Witness", "Muppet Labs", "Muppet Newsflash", "In the Good Old Summertime", "An Actor's Life For Me", "Pigs In Space", "At the Dance", The Camelot joust
Sketches/Songs: "Tico Tico", "Play a Simple Melody", "At the Dance", "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow-Wow", "Talk Spot", "Muppet Melodrama", "Muppet Labs", "I'm Just Wild About Harry"
Sketches/Songs: "Welcome to my Nightmare", "Muppet Labs", "Toothache", "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Once a Year Day", "You and Me", "Pigs In Space", "School's Out"
Sketches/Songs: "You're Looking at Country", "I'm All Alone", "Muppet Newsflash", Fozzie's Act, "At the Dance", "Sentimental Journey", "Oh, Lonesome Me", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Muppet Newsflash", "The Rhyming Song", "One's on the Way"
Sketches/Songs: "Never on Sunday", "Swedish Chef", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Muppet Newsflash", "She Wants to Sing in Opera", "Liberace bird concert"
Sketches/Songs: "Russian Pig Dance", "Dance", "Muppet Sports", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "Do-Re-Mi", "Our House", "The Wedding"
Sketches/Songs: "Someone Just Like You", "Jamboree", "At the Dance", Fozzie's Act, "Talk Spot", "Confide in Me", "Swedish Chef", "I'm a Woman"
Sketches/Songs: "Octopus's Garden", "The Medium", "Eight Little Notes", "Swedish Chef", "Catch a Falling Star", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Short People"
Sketches/Songs: "Staying Alive", "How Can You Be", Fozzie's dance number, "Muppet Newsflash", "Beethoven's Sonata No.8, Opus 13", "You and Me Against the World", "Veterinarian's Hospital", "Tie Me Kangaroo Down", "We'll Sing in the Sunshine"
Sketches/Songs: "Day-O", "Tea For Two", "Pigs In Space", "Honeysuckle Rose", Animal and Harry play the drums, "Muppet Sports", "Turn the World Around"
Sketches/Songs: Gonzo's first motorcycle jump, "Beauty and the Beast", "Pigs In Space", "Mack the Knife", "Just the Way You Are", Gonzo's second motorcycle jump, "Last Dance"
Sketches/Songs: "Age of Aqaurius", "Lunchtime", "Cheek to Cheek", "Jogging", "Swedish Chef", "The Flying Zucchini Brothers", "The Municipal Vermin Abatement Code", "Inchworm"
Sketches/Songs: "Oklahoma", "An Editorial by Sam The Eagle", "The Music of Scotland", "Muppet Newsflash", "Dog Walk", "America", "The Intergalactic Brotherhood of Man, Including Things", "It's a Small World"
Sketches/Songs: "Hey There, Good Times", "Muppet Labs", "Here You Come Again", "Mad About the Frog", "Bear on Patrol", "Vendawish", "Camilla", "Love Will Keep Us Together"
Sketches/Songs: "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Animal Crackers", "Pigs In Space", "Tuxedo Junction", "Pigs In Space", "Muppet Sports", "Row, Row, Row"
Sketches/Songs: "Hawaiian War Chant", "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", "Lady Be Good", "The William Tell Overture", "Veterinarian's Hospital", Fozzie's Act, "Bird in a Gilded Cage"
Song: Penguins in Mayflower: "Alabama Bound" Cluckitis (best running gag they ever had IMHO) Roger sings with watermelons Bear on Patrol: assaulting an officer Song: Roger: "A Hat Like That" Rowlf Vet's Hospital Song: Roger: "Whack-a-Doo" Song: "Dang Me".
In this one-hour special, Kermit the Frog throws a glamorous party at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub to celebrate the premiere of the Muppets' first feature film, The Muppet Movie. Hosts Dick van Dyke and Rita Moreno interview the wide array of celebrities and Muppets who attend the event. Gary Owens serves as off-camera announcer, and appears on-screen to introduce Miss Piggy.
Sketches/Songs: "Blue Skies", "Skyball Paint", "Muppet Sports", "Deep in the Heart of Texas", "A Four Legged Friend", "Bear on Patrol", Cowboy and Skyball sketch, "Medley"
The Muppets perform the classic tale of Robin Hood.
Dom DeLuise persuades Kermit the Frog to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there he meets his future muppet crew while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!
Sketches/Songs: "True Love", "South Rampart Street Parade", "Pigs In Space", "There's a New Sound", "I Enjoy Being a Girl", Gonzo's Act, "Sunshine on my Shoulder"
John and Kermit have a surprise for the cast; they're all going to Kermits' home the swamp! But even Gonzo, even with his love of the nasty and strange, thinks it's a bad idea and no one is willing to take him up on the offer even when Kermit offers them to go.
The Prairie Dog Glee Club sings very well, but Scooter says they have "pack rat blood in 'em -- they keep stealing everything!" The prairie dogs go wild, taking everything Kermit has -- including his collar, which leaves him naked on stage.
Inspired by mimes Shields & Yarnell, Fozzie Bear works on a mime act, including "Bear walking against the wind". Kermit suggests that Fozzie find a more original act, so Fozzie tries out "Bear feeding spaghetti to an elephant" and "Bear going to a drive-in movie with a porcupine".
As Miss Piggy prepares for her act, she leaves her dog Foo-Foo in the care of Floyd. Piggy tells Floyd he has to spoon-feed and floss the pampered Foo-Foo, so Floyd locks the dog in a drawer. Frantic, Piggy searches everywhere for Foo-Foo.
When Bobby Benson has to talk to a police officer someone has to take care of his babies. Unfortunately, the babies go wild without their daddy around and beat up people they don't like.
Miss Piggy announces that this show is Kermit's birthday, and before he can react, she launches into the tribute she's organized. They've planned a This Is Your Life-style show with birthday greetings, including one from Mr. Dawson, Kermit's old acting coach from Leland, Mississippi. Wayne and Wanda, the singing duo from the first season, show up and give Kermit such a guilt trip that he rehires them. When they sing, Kermit remembers why he fired them in the first place.
Dudley has a surprise for Kermit, a robot that can do the work of the entire band and of course the Electric Mayhem feel threatened by this fact.
For guest star Arlo Guthrie, the stage is turned into a farmhouse. The Swedish Chef plans a home-cooked meal, but the turkey refuses to be skewered, the pig busts him in the face, and the "beef" stampedes over him.
The pigs are excited that guest star Beverly Sills plans to perform the opera "Pigoletto" as the closing number.
During a sketch Kermit hurts himself and keeps getting frightened by jungle animals in his hospital room or injured further by some crazy inconvenience.
After years of failure Gonzo is actually appriciated for the actor he is and decides to quit the Muppet Show and move on to movies. Piggy, more jealous than sad, asks Gonzo to refer her to the director. This is one of the episodes that teeters on the edge of being very sad.
Phyllis hosts the 1st annual Muppet Awards, recognizing the greatest Muppet Show performers. Kermit, who hates awards shows, sits out the show, but Miss Piggy is absolutely determined to win.
In this beloved holiday classic, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and all the Muppets join the singer for a heart-warming Christmas celebration, with traditional carols as well as lesser-known holiday songs.
Statler is sick (of the show), so Waldorf brings his wife Astoria to the show. Meanwhile, Inspector LaBrea of the County Environmental Department arrives backstage to monitor the noise level of the show. LaBrea tells Kermit that to keep the noise down, he has to cut the trumpets for the show. Kermit tries to keep LaBrea busy while Dizzy performs.
The Muppets present a murder mystery. Kermit is a private eye hired by Liza O'Shaugnessy, an actress whose production is being terrorized by a killer. The director, Fritz (Strangepork), is shot. The police assign Patrolbear Fozzie to the case, and he interrogates the cast: "All right, which one of you killed the director?" The suspects are themselves killed one by one, until Kermit and Liza team up to unmask the true killers.
Scooter bugs everyone by leaving his skateboard lying around. Kermit trips on it and smashes a set. Later, Anne performs while the Muppets all dance on skateboards.
Jonathan is convinced that a gypsy has put a curse on the show, and while Kermit scoffs at the idea, he does notice that everything is going wrong. A few acts have to be canceled, but Kermit refuses to believe there's a curse until a meteorite falls on his flipper. In the final stage of the curse, everyone begins to speak in mock Swedish.
The regularly-scheduled guest (a terrible singer) is bumped when four stars of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope suddenly appear in the theater. It's a natural for the Pigs in Space.
Everyone has a superhero bug, donning costumes and trying acts to impress the star of Superman: The Movie.
In honor of "Wonder Woman" Lynda Carter, Scooter buys a mail-order course on how to be a superhero. Soon, a crowd of Muppets are wearing silly costumes and reading Invincibility Made Easy. Meanwhile, Miss Piggy appears as "Wonder Pig", and battles a giant chicken.
Alan accidentally drinks Bunsen Honeydew's Jekyll-and-Hyde potion, and turns into a rampaging monster. He runs amuck, as the ultra-cute Bun-Bun Brothers sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." When Kermit catches Alan in a net, he turns back into himself. Soon, Kermit takes a sip of the potion himself.
Fozzie Bear tries out a magic act, pulling a rabbit from a hat. Instead, he gets a rabbi, and then a robot. He taps the hat too hard, and gets dozens of rabbits, who follow him around and call him "Daddy."
Miss Piggy asks Andy to sing "Love Story" for her and Kermit, who have just become engaged. Unfortunately, Kermit hasn't heard about the engagement yet. The rumor slips out, and soon everyone thinks Kermit and Piggy are getting married.
Miss Piggy buys a cute new pair of shoes, but they're too small, and she can't walk in them. She wants to take them back, but Kermit compliments them, so she has to keep wearing them. She complains to Carol, who says she should have them stretched, and gives them to the gigantic Timmy Monster, who runs around the block in them.
The show's audience members are getting horrified at everyone on stage except Diana Ross.
Gene is under the impression that he's a "guest" -- that is, he's going to sit and watch, but not perform onstage. Frantic, Kermit tricks him into performing by asking him to give him a dance lesson on-stage. Kermit plans a surprise closing number, "Singin' in the Rain," Gene refuses, saying that he doesn't think he'll ever sing the song as good as he did in the movie, but he does eventually sing it backstage. Meanwhile, Scooter uses his Tarot cards to predict that the world is coming to an end. Beauregard believes him, and tries to convince the rest of the cast the apocalypse is near.
How well can Loretta fit into Miss Piggy's roles? It all comes to a dramatic climax with the "Pigs in Space" installment.
Rizzo and the other rats bother Kermit for a spot on the show, so Kermit asks Beauregard to "take care of them." Of course, Bo takes that literally, and treats them as guests. The rats make Beau their president, and manipulate him into giving them food. The rats eventually become so bold that they decide to take over the show. Kermit says Beau has to kick them out, or he goes with them. Beau chooses to stick with his new rat friends, until Miss Piggy enlightens him.
Kermit borrows fifty million dollars worth of gold for Shirley's closing number, "Goldfinger". Security guard Bruno is suspicious that Kermit wants to steal the gold, but keeping an eye on the frog makes him overlook a band of pig thieves, who steal all the gold as Shirley sings.
Animal hits it off with tough guy James Coburn -- but James decides that Animal isn't centered enough, and introduces him to meditation and Zen. Animal doesn't take well to Zen.
Thinking she was booked to do "The Muffin Show," Brooke finds herself growing and shrinking as the Muppets stage Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Glenda reveals herself to be Black Jackson the pirate captain, and she takes over the Muppet Theater with the help of Short John Silver (Sweetums) and Eric, a heartless pirate parrot (in disguise as a penguin). They tie Kermit up, turn the theater into a ship, and cast off to look for buried treasure. The show ends with a musical battle at sea, with Gonzo and a crew of chickens fighting to save Kermit and the theater.
In honor of Señor Wences and his puppets, Kermit decides to do something new -- a puppet show! Fozzie wants to do a marionette act with a Dancing Clown puppet, but the marionette eventually pulls Fozzie down on the stage with him and takes control of the strings himself.
Robin's Frog Scout troop visits the show, getting in everyone's way backstage. They ask Debbie for help earning their punk merit badges, and she teaches them how to do the pogo. When Gonzo cancels his act, the Frog Scouts get their chance to do a performance of close-order drills.
Miss Piggy is cornered by flautist Jean-Pierre, who wants to speak French with her. She claims to have laryngitis, whispering, "My vocal coach told me not to speak French. I'm not even supposed to eat French fries!"
Paul inspires Gonzo to be a songwriter. Unfortunately, Gonzo writes songs like "For You": "For youuu... I'd wash my hair with stinky glue, I'd fry my legs and eat them too, I'd put a spider in my shoe -- for yoouuuu!" Paul is stunned. Later, Gonzo's chickens run off with Paul, so Gonzo develops a new obsession -- asparagus. But at the end of the episode both the chickens and the asparagus run away when Paul asks for chicken with a side of asparagus.
This made-for-TV documentary treats Muppet fans to a behind-the-scenes look at the making of their favorite program, The Muppet Show. Includes interviews with creators Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and the rest of the crew of the series, as both themselves and as their Muppet characters, who share their experiences from working on the set, as well as discuss the special efforts that went into bringing each episode to life.
Kermit is plagued by a night of backstage crises. A group of skiers get hurt during the opening number, and after Kermit says that the theater will cover their medical costs, Scooter forgets to cash the check. The Teeterini Family are angry that their teeter board won't fit on the stage. The Swedish Chef prepares spring chicken, and the bouncing chicken drives Kermit crazy. And let's not even talk about the blindfolded, hang-gliding yodelers.
Browsing through an old book of magic spells, Tony accidentally turns Miss Piggy into stone. He considers bringing her to a stonemason for help. Fozzie, Gonzo and Floyd crack stone jokes as Kermit and Tony try to find a spell to change her back. Of course, the show must go on, and the Piggy statue takes the stage for "Pigs in Space".
Beaker tests Muppet Labs' new copier machine, ultimately falling into it and making seven copies of himself. The multiple Beakers gang up on Bunsen, and the doctor is forced to wear a disguise and hide from his assistants.
There's no show today, almost; the theater is turned into a dance marathon hosted by Gonzo.
The theater is under repair, but the workers have to destroy in order to build. They take the roof right off, leaving this show victim to the elements.
Statler and Waldorf get their chance to do a better show than Kermit--they play host, while Kermit and Fozzie heckle from the balcony. Unfortunately, Statler and Waldorf's acts don't turn out exactly as they plan. The Berlin National Opera Company cancels and are replaced by the Salzburg Sauerkraut Singers. Hal's Fourth of July number is invaded by Gonzo on a sleigh singing Christmas songs. Finally, Statler and Waldorf admit that the show is harder to put together than it looks and happily go back to complaining from the balcony.
The Muppets present their version of 1001 Arabian Nights, with guest star Marty Feldman playing the role of Scheherazade, telling tales to an evil Caliph (played by the Swedish Chef).
A messenger brings a message from the scheduled guest star -- Benny Brillstein, the Yiddish yodeler. Benny refuses to be on the show, so Kermit asks Chris, the messenger boy, to be the guest. Chris knows a joke, so Kermit introduces him as a comedian.
In honor of vaudeville-influenced guest star Wally Boag, the Muppets salute vaudeville, with a balloon animal act, a bagpipe player and a hypnotist. Wally performs acts he made famous at the Golden Horseshoe Revue at Disneyland, including the Pecos Bill teeth-spitting sketch.
In honor of Johnny Cash's appearance, the show is simulcast over country radio station WHOG, and the radio broadcast threatens to overwhelm the actual show. The head of WHOG, Big Tiny Tall Saddle, insists on making all the decisions. He refuses to let Rowlf go on, and instead schedules Grampaw McGuire and his whistling bricks. Kermit tries to run his own show, but Big Tiny is one of the toughest men alive -- when he's annoyed, he has a habit of wrapping microphone stands around people's necks. Fozzie is replaced by Wally Whoopie, a stand-up comedian who makes fun of the bear -- which inspires Kermit to stand up for his friend, and his show.
The Muppets Go to the Movies aired on ABC on May 20, 1981 to help promote The Great Muppet Caper. The special was taped between March 9 and 17, 1981. In this one-hour special, Lily Tomlin and Dudley Moore join the Muppets in a tribute to film classics. Kermit the Frog hosts the program, which begins with an all-cast rendition of "Hey a Movie!" from The Great Muppet Caper.
Thanks to Gonzo's refrigerated mildew collection, the power goes out in the theater, and Beauregard almost electrocutes himself trying to fix it. Half of the acts have to perform in the dark, until Dr. Bunsen Honeydew hooks up a generator that runs on Beaker-power. Beaker runs on a huge wheel to generate power, and when he gets tired, Bunsen helps to motivate him by releasing a hungry tiger onto the wheel.
Afraid that Linda will steal her frog away, Piggy locks Kermit up in a chest owned by Gonzo when Scooter helps him move his mildew "collection" and hides it.
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
Kermit calls the Secret Service to hire real spies for Roger's closing number. (They're listed in the Yellow Pages.) However, Roger wants to do a cute, cuddly version of "Talk to the Animals". The spies, anxious for a chance to rub out James Bond, pose as fluffy animals to infiltrate the number.
The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show is a one-hour television special starring the glamorous Miss Piggy, which aired on ABC on September 17, 1982. Miss Piggy hosts her own variety show, with special guests John Ritter, George Hamilton, and Andy Kaufman (as "Tony Clifton"). Under the direction of Kermit the Frog, the Muppets work in the studio control room and, amidst chaos, manage to keep the show on the air. Throughout the show, a romantic triangle develops among Miss Piggy, Ritter (who is smitten with the pig) and Hamilton (who is deeply uncomfortable with the star's romantic inclinations).
John Denver takes the Muppets (tm) on a camping trip in the mountains of Colorado.
For the first time in their careers, all the Muppets (except the ones that couldn't make it, like the Doozers, Gorgs and most of the Fraggles) have gathered together in one place to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary and honor the one who brought them together: Kermit the Frog (and by doing so, Jim Henson).
When Fozzie and the Muppet Show gang drop in unexpectedly on Fozzie's mother, she is forced to cancel her winter vacation plans and entertain them all. Soon the Sesame Street gang comes by as carolers, and then Kermit and his nephew Robin discover a Fraggle Rock hole in the basement. A snow storm blows in, stranding everyone at the house, except for Miss Piggy, who arrives just in time for all the Muppets to celebrate Christmas together.
Filmed right after the merger between Disney and Jim Henson productions, the Muppet's are featured heading to the greatest place on earth, Walt Disney World. Kermit and Robin take the gang to the swamp for a vacation in Califorina. It is the annual Bug Fry and it's a journey to the roots again for Kermit and Robin. However, the rest of the cast is less than excited about being in a stinking bog. When it is mentioned that they can see the fireworks from Disney, everyone is excited and wants to go to the park instead of being at the bug fry. Kermit says the'll take a short peak and be right back. As the Muppets accidentally break into the park, security tries to round them all up as they visit all of the parks. Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney/MGM. Finally, after being round back up, they get a chance to meet the one and only Mickey Mouse and show a huge musical number at the end.
Jim Henson's classic Muppets put on a tribute to their creator, but also ponder the question: Who was he? To help them figure that out are some of Jim's human friends, as well as some rare clips from the Henson legacy.
The Muppets on Puppets aired on NET in 1968, as part of the Adventure in the Arts anthology series. In this one-hour special, Jim Henson -- with the help of Muppet character Rowlf the Dog -- explains the art of puppetry, from building to performance. Henson describes the various kinds of puppets; demonstrates how to operate a hand puppet; and provides a brief history of puppet development and performance throughout the world, beginning with the influence of the character Punch from the Punch and Judy shows of the 1800s. Jerry Juhl and Frank Oz demonstrate how other kinds of puppets work, such as the string puppet or marionette, the Javan rod puppet, the finger puppet, and the Sicilian puppet.
The Muppets mistakenly intercepting three letters sent by children to Santa Claus and their attempts to fix the problems created by their mishap.
This unaired pilot, produced by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, was shot in Atlanta in the summer of 1962. The pilot featured Kermit the Frog, Taminella Grinderfall and King Goshposh, characters who would all reappear a few years later in the Tales From Muppetland TV specials.
Cinderella lives with her wicked stepmother (as everyone who ever read the fairy tale knows), but what part of the story is never told is how Cinderella's fairy godmother had help from monsters, a prince pretending to be a gardener, and none other than Kermit the Frog.
The show, narrated by Ed Sullivan, begins at the North Pole with Santa Claus and his elves getting ready for another Christmas. However, Cosmo Scam has hatched a plan to kidnap Santa and take his place. As part of the plan, Cosmo plans to abduct Santa's elves (one at a time) and replace them with his evil henchmen.
Enchanted by an evil witch, a beautiful princess is forced to speak only in nonsense phrases. One day, she finds a small frog who can understand what she says. The frog claims to really be a prince, also enchanted by an evil witch. Together they must try to break their spells.
Four mistreated farm animals seek refuge as a band of traveling musicians in this musical tale narrated by Kermit the Frog.
When no people are around, the toys still play in the playroom. But since a toy will be frozen forever if a person catches it out of position, they have to be very careful. It's Christmas Eve, and Rugby the Tiger remembers how he was the Christmas Toy last year, and thinks he's going to be unwrapped again. And it's up to Apple the Doll, whom Rugby supplanted as favorite toy, to tell him what's in store. But Rugby won't believe her, and tries to get into the Christmas package and lets Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids loose. Unfortunately, she doesn't know she's a toy, and thinks she's landed among aliens. And it's up to Apple, Mew (the Cat's toy mouse), and the other toys to get Rugby out of the box and Meteora back in it before they're found and frozen.
Bean Bunny is too small to be useful (says his brother) to help prepare for the Bunny Picnic, so he wanders off and sees a legendary persecutor of all rabbits: the farmer's dog. But nobody believes him when he tries to tell them he's seen the dog, until the dog breaks up the picnic. And it's up to Bean to come up with a plan to defeat the farmer's dog and discover the one thing the dog fears.
The celebrity-laden special, directed by John Landis and hosted in part by Tony Danza, focused on the changes to Disneyland over the years, as stars recalled their favorite attractions. Miss Piggy and Gonzo are prominently featured, in a story-sketch titled "Pigerella," written by Bill Prady. Piggy, recalling her first visit to Disneyland, longs to replace Cinderella (played by Debbie Carman) in the big parade. After much conniving, Piggy succeeds, after "fairy god-thing" Gonzo gets himself and the real Cinderella lost (though Gonzo seems to develop a fondness for Cinderella). Another sketch involved cast members from Cheers, including Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth; Will Smith, Ernest P. Worrell, and C-3PO also made appearances.
A charming tale about a family of mice living in the wealthy and eccentric Mr. Willowby's house. They decide to start the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree (namely, chopping off the top of the perfect tree Mr. Willowby has brought home). However, while they continually attempt to take their piece of tree, the top of the tree is passed around from humans to animals, each one taking just enought of the tree to make it the perfect size for them. Through this adventure, the mice see how others celebrate Christmas.
The owner of a bank (Miss Bitterman) wants to own the Muppet Theatre so she can build a nightclub over it. After she tricks Pepe into giving her the only copy of the contract between her father and the Muppets, she changes it so the Muppets have very little time to pay a debt they owe. Meanwhile, the Muppets are trying to put on a Christmas show. After the Muppets are confronted by Bitterman, they make a lot of sacrifices to save up so they can keep the Theatre.
Dorothy Gale lives with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry in a trailer park in Kansas. Dorothy has dreams of becoming a famous singer, but when a tornado hits Kansas and Dorothy rushes to save Toto, her prawn (she couldn't afford a dog), she is whisked away to Oz where she meets the four witches (all played by Miss Piggy) and the Munchkins of Oz (the rats). On her way to see the Wizard, she meets the Scarecrow (Kermit), the Tin Thing (Gonzo), and the Cowardly Lion (Fozzie) who all wish to have something given by the wizard. On their way to Emerald City, they are captured by the Wicked Witch of the West (of course, Miss Piggy) and her flying monkeys (other muppets). When they finally make it back to Emerald City, the Wizard is really a man from Hollywood. But he "grants" their wishes, but what they wanted they already had inside (there's a lesson there). When Dorothy finally is back in Kansas...
With songs, dancing and backstage antics, The Muppets and Disney Channel's biggest stars team up for another fun variety show.
A holiday extravaganza features Lady Gaga singing tunes from her 2013 album, "ARTPOP," and performing with Kermit the Frog and other Muppet favorites. Also included are duets with Elton John, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and RuPaul; an appearance by Kristen Bell; and renditions of seasonal classics by the Swedish Chef, Beaker and Animal.
After telling the story of Flint's last journey to young Jim Hawkins, Billy Bones has a heart attack and dies just as Jim and his friends are attacked by pirates. The gang escapes into the town where they hire out a boat and crew to find the hidden treasure, which was revealed by Bones before he died. On their voyage across the seas, they soon find out that not everyone on board can be trusted.
While on a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick.
When Gonzo's breakfast cereal tells him that he's the descendant of aliens from another planet, his attempts at extraterrestrial communication get him kidnapped by a secret government agency, prompting the Muppets to spring into action. It's hard to believe Gonzo's story at first, but Kermit and friends soon find themselves on an epic journey into outer space filled with plenty of intergalactic misadventures.
A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, miser extraordinaire. He is held accountable for his dastardly ways during night-time visitations by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and future.
When Kermit the Frog and the Muppets learn that their beloved theater is slated for demolition, a sympathetic human, Gary, and his puppet roommate, Walter, swoop in to help the gang put on a show and raise the $10 million they need to save the day.
