"The Muppet Show" (1976) TV series 1976-1981

Writers:

Joseph A. Bailey (writer) (1977-1981)
Jim Henson (writer) (1976-1981)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

29 January 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Music

Plot:

Kermit the Frog and his friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.

Plot Keywords:

Frog | Variety | Theater | Heckler | Bear

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

Frank Oz	...	Fozzie Bear / ... (117 episodes, 1976-1981)
Richard Hunt	...	Statler / ... (117 episodes, 1976-1980)
Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / ... (117 episodes, 1976-1981)
Dave Goelz	...	Gonzo / ... (116 episodes, 1976-1981)
Jerry Nelson	...	Floyd Pepper / ... (110 episodes, 1976-1981)
Louise Gold	...	Additional Muppets / ... (81 episodes, 1977-1980)
Steve Whitmire	...	Additional Muppets / ... (64 episodes, 1978-1981)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Additional Muppets / ... (53 episodes, 1978-1981)

Runtime:

30 min (120 episodes)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | USA:TV-G | Singapore:G

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Associated Television (ATV)

Trivia:

Jim Henson modeled the Muppet Dr. Bunsen Honeydew after Lew Grade as a show of gratitude for financing the show. Lord Grade was delighted.

Quotes:

Waldorf: [looking down from the balcony.] He shouldn't have jumped. The show wasn't that bad.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Weezer: Video Capture Device - Treasures from the Vault 1991-2002 (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Swedish Chef's Theme

easily my favorite 'variety' show of the 1970s; so many memories, laughs, songs, and strange creatures and friends

I used to watch the Muppet Show a lot when they re-ran old episodes on Nickelodeon in the 90s, and saw a large variety of episodes, some that they released on DVD in patches a few years ago. It made me very, very happy though when I got my hands on the season 1 DVD set (albeit with some cuts made due to song rights and whatnot, which is a little disappointing but nevertheless a collector's item) and could get into the predictable- which is part of the fun- and great oddities and regulars on the show. Maybe I might be partly biased, as I've always loved the Muppets, particularly the movies and other little diddies they've done. But the show could be either a superb show for the whole family, or a little hit or miss depending on the audiences of today. For kids- as the original 'pitch' on the DVD says- there are a lot of quirky, odd, and assuredly original creations aside from the common muppets (Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Ms. Piggy, Rowlf, Stanter & Waldorf, etc), but there's also some really, really weird moments on the show, such as dancing slinkies and a character like Crazy Harry who's only function is to make things explode with a Peter Lorre-esquire expression.

For adults and older teens, such bizarre things and the assorted lot of memorable guests ranging from musicians (Elton John, Alice Cooper, Paul Williams, etc etc) comedians (John Cleese, Harvey Korman, Peter Sellers), and many other surprise types like Vincent Price and Harry Belafonte, are appealing, but what about the really goofy gags and infinite lot of bad puns? For me though, everything about the show is terrific in its sort of low-budgeted TV 70s way. It's very nutty, but it's alive in a way that makes shows of today pale in comparison. In the first season it establishes itself as a wild lampooning of variety shows of the period in general, with the guests almost as a given being apart of the jokes, and with running gags, a quasi central 'storyline' going on backstage, and like on any variety show giving full-time for jokes, musical numbers sometimes with upside down chins making faces, and just very unexpected bits with the Muppet creatures and puppets that you will never see again. And the wit that goes through the entire series, from episode to episode, sometimes varies, but is always with a great wink and a nod to how silly it is, but at the same time it's also very smart-being-stupid humor too. An example of this would be when CLeese was on, and having to help Gonzo fix his long-arm problem after catching a cannonball. It's at equal turns overall cartoonish, exciting, whimsical, and it usually attempts to work best for young and old alike.