'The Muppet Show'

“It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights, it’s time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight…”

Every week, Kermit the Frog and his friends put on ‘The Muppet Show’, a variety stage show featuring acts of varying degrees of what passes for entertainment. Whether it be the terrible jokes of Fozzie Bear’s comedy routine, Miss Piggy’s outrageously self-aggrandising musical numbers, the Great Gonzo’s bizarre and ludicrously death-defying stunts, or even the groovy tunes played by Dr. Teeth and his Electric Mayhem band, the Muppets strive to give their audience an evening of amusement - come what may. Despite the heckling of two grumpy old men, Statler and Waldorf, Kermit tries his best to make sure that the show runs smoothly, although it never seems to…

As well as the usual - and unusual - songs, sketches, newsreports, and general madness, the show has regular ‘drama’ in the form of ‘Veterinarian's Hospital’, ‘Pigs in Space’ and ‘Bear on Patrol’. Not only that, but each week sees a new guest-star unwittingly arrive at the Muppet Theatre ready to give their all, taking part in elaborate routines and sketches, and invariably falling afoul of the strangeness that goes on and off-stage.

Initially, two pilots were made, 'The Muppets Valentine Show' (set in a house and hosted by Wally), and 'The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence’ (now set in a theatre and it's control room, and hosted by Nigel), before the format was finally decided on as being set in a vaudeville theatre and hosted by Kermit. The televised show ran for five seasons of twenty-five minutes, and is quite simply one of the most innovative, insane, funny and downright surreal shows you'll ever see!

(Note: Whilst the episodes mainly premiered in the US, some of them were shown in the UK before transmission in the States; for simplicity, I have noted the US transmissions)

Jim Henson (Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Link Hogthrob / Swedish Chef / Dr. Teeth / Muppet Newsman / Waldorf [voice]), Frank Oz (Animal / Fozzie Bear / Miss Piggy / Sam the Eagle / Swedish Chef [Hands]), Jerry Nelson (Camilla / Sergeant Floyd Pepper / Robin the Frog / Crazy Harry / Uncle Deadly / Dr. Julius Strangepork / Pops / J.P. Grosse / Thog / Lew Zealand / Fleet Scribbler / ‘Vend-a-Face’ / Announcer [Voice]), Richard Hunt Beaker / Miss Piggy {1976-1977} / Janice / Wayne / Scooter / Statler / Sweetums [Voice]), Dave Goelz (the Great Gonzo / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Zoot / Muppy / Beauregard / Timmy Monster [Voice]), Louise Gold (Annie Sue Pig [Voice]), John Lovelady (Crazy Harry / Nigel [Voice]), Eren Ozker (Janice / Wanda / Hilda [Voice]), Steve Whitmire (Foo-Foo / Rizzo the Rat / Lips [Voice]), Kathryn Mullen (Gaffer the Backstage Cat / Various voices), Betsy Baytos (Betsy Bird / Various voices), Brian Muehl (Various voices), Karen Prell (Various voices)


Pilot 1: 'The Muppets Valentine Show' (with Mia Farrow) - 1974
Pilot 2: 'The Muppet Show: Sex And Violence’ (no guest star) - 1975

US TX:
Season 1
Juliet Prowse - 16th January 1977 (Pilot #1)
Connie Stevens - 16th April 1977 (Pilot #2)
Joel Grey - 5th September 1976
Rita Moreno - 12th September 1976
Sandy Duncan - 19th September 1976
Jim Nabors - 26th September 1976
Ruth Buzzi - 3rd October 1976
Paul Williams - 10th October 1976
Florence Henderson - 17th October 1976
Peter Ustinov - 24th October 1976
Lena Horne - 31st October 1976
Harvey Korman - 7th November 1976
Candice Bergen - 14th November 1976
Ben Vereen - 21st November 1976
Charles Aznavour - 28th November 1976
Phyllis Diller - 5th December 1976
Avery Schreiber - 12th December 1976
Twiggy - 19th December 1976
Valerie Harper - 2nd January 1977
Mummenschanz - 9th January 1977
Kaye Ballard - 23rd January 1977
Bruce Forsythe - 30th January 1977
Ethel Merman - 9th April 1977
Vincent Price - 23rd April 1977

Season 2
George Burns - 30th September 1977
Madeline Kahn - 7th October 1977
Milton Berle - 14th October 1977
John Cleese - 21st October 1977
Nancy Walker - 28th October 1977
Rich Little - 4th November 1977
Edgar Bergen - 11th November 1977
Bernadette Peters - 18th November 1977
Dom DeLuise - 25th November 1977
Teresa Brewer - 2nd December 1977
Steve Martin - 9th December 1977
Lou Rawls - 16th December 1977
Julie Andrews - 25th December 1977
Peter Sellers - 1st January 1978
Elton John - 8th January 1978
Cleo Laine - 15th January 1978
Rudolf Nureyev - 22nd January 1978
Judy Collins - 29th January 1978
Don Knotts - 5th February 1978
Cloris Leachman - 12th February 1978
Bob Hope - 19th February 1978
Jaye P. Morgan - 26th February 1978
Zero Mostel - 5th March 1978
Petula Clark - 12th March 1978
Roy Clark - 19th March 1978
Leo Sayer - 26th March 1978
Gilda Radner - 2nd April 1978
Pearl Bailey - 9th April 1978
Jean Stapleton - 16th April 1978
Loretta Lynn - 23rd April 1978

Season 3
Raquel Welch - 17th November 1978
Alice Cooper - 24th November 1978
Helen Reddy - 1st December 1978
James Coco - 8th December 1978
Marisa Berenson - 15th December 1978
Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge - 22nd December 1978
Danny Kaye - 25th December 1978
Cheryl Ladd - 29th December 1978
Harry Belafonte - 5th January 1979
Lesley Anne Warren - 12th January 1979
Liberace - 19th January 1979
Leslie Uggams and Big Bird - 26th January 1979
Elke Sommer - 2nd February 1979
Sylvester Stallone - 9th February 1979
Roger Miller - 16th February 1979
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans - 23rd February 1979
Spike Milligan - 2nd March 1979
Lynn Redgrave - 9th March 1979

Season 4
Dudley Moore - 29th October 1979
Crystal Gayle - 2nd November 1979
Victor Borge - 9th November 1979
Beverly Sills - 16th November 1979
Shields and Yarnell - 23rd November 1979
Kenny Rogers - 30th November 1979
Linda Lavin - 7th December 1979
John Denver - 14th December 1979
Arlo Guthrie - 21st December 1979
Liza Minnelli - 28th December 1979
Dizzy Gillespie - 4th January 1980
Phyllis George - 11th January 1980
Lola Falana - 18th January 1980
Dyan Cannon - 25th January 1980
Anne Murray - 1st February 1980
Jonathan Winters - 8th February 1980
Christopher Reeve - 15th February 1980
Linda Carter - 22nd February 1980
Mark Hamill, C-3PO and R2-D2 - 29th February 1980
Andy Williams - 7th March 1980
Doug Henning - 14th March 1980
Alan Arkin - 21st March 1980
Carol Channing - 28th March 1980
Diana Ross - 4th April 1980

Season 5
Roger Moore - 5th October 1980
Loretta Swit - 12th October 1980
James Coburn - 19th October 1980
Linda Ronstadt - 26th October 1980
Tony Randall - 2nd November 1980
Brooke Shields - 9th November 1980
Melissa Manchester - 16th November 1980
Señor Wences - 23rd November 1980
Jean-Pierre Rampal - 30th November 1980
Gladys Knight - 7th December 1980
Joan Baez - 14th December 1980
Marty Feldman - 21st December 1980
Glenda Jackson - 28th December 1980
Gene Kelly - 4th January 1981
Hal Linden - 11th January 1981
Wally Boeg - 18th January 1981
Debbie Harry - 25th January 1981
Johnny Cash - 1st February 1981
Carol Burnett - 8th February 1981
Buddy Rich - 15th February 1981
Paul Simon - 22nd February 1981
Chris Langham - 1st March 1981
Mac Davis - 8th March 1981
Shirley Bassey - 15th March 1981


Written by Joseph A. Bailey, Jack Burns, Jim Henson, Don Hinkley, Jerry Juhl, Chris Langham, Marc London, David Odell, James Thurman, John Cleese*
*(Episode 23 only, uncredited)

Production - 1976-1977:
Directed by Philip Casson and Peter Harris
Executive Producers Jim Henson and David Lazer

Production - 1977-1981:
Directed by Philip Casson and Peter Harris
Produced by Jim Henson
Executive Producer David Lazer

Notes:
*Featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Scooter, Statler, Waldorf and a host of other mad muppets!