The Muppet Show

[Birdy]

I forced the kids to watch The Muppet Show season 1 this weekend.

I hadn't seen it in so long, and forgot how many wonderful stars appeared.

Does anyone remember Kermit singing Groucho's Lydian, The Tatooed Lady while a tatooed pig danced around him? I though my four year niece was going to split her pants laughing when Washington crossed the Delware!

I borrowed this from the library system but may have to own it. In fact, I kind of can't believe I don't.

[moira finnie]

Gee, I don't remember that one with Kermit singing about the tatooed lady, though one of the standout guest stars for me in this series was Rudolf Nureyev, who got to have fun making like Fred Astaire. He even appeared in " Swine Lake" with you-know-who. My faves on the show were the old guys, Statler and Hilton, cracking wise in their box.

Here's Rudy:
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[charliechaplinfan]

The Muppets are a hazy memory from my childhood, I wasn't old enough to appreciate the calibre of the guests. My favorite as a child was the Swedish chef. I wish they'd show it again.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Everyone,

Lord save us, but this show(s) should be back on the air and in 'prime time'....
Funny & humourous, intelligent and educational and just very, very good entertainment; there's nothing much today to equal the high value of this series....

And, they were all "STARS" - nobody today equals their stature and their talent - and they were puppets!!!

Somehow, Beaker holds a soft spot for me!!!

Birdy, run out and buy or rent all you can find; your kids will love you for it....

Larry

[knitwit45]

I was always torn between Cookie Monster (C is for Cookie!) and ........ Animal.....sigh.....

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but then, who could forget
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[movieman1957]

The show was a riot. The way they got adults to laugh in a presentation meant for children was wonderful. The fact they got the great stars they did was a credit to their success.

Victor and Fozzie
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[Rita Hayworth]

Movieman1957 - I watched the Muppet Show faithfully - The One with Victor Borge is my all time favorite ... and this show is great for all ages - I love the ending with the two old geezers with the craziest one-liners of all times. Thanks for jarring my memory of the greatest Muppet Show - ever - the one Victor Borge guest-starred in ... I humbly agreed with you - this show its a RIOT!

p.s. Thank you for posting that You Tube Clip ... forgot to add that comment in.

[ChiO]

My favorite as a child was the Swedish chef.

Vee gonna makea dee Chocolate Moose. First yoo takea dee chocolate....den yoo takea dee Moose.... (horrified moose looks on)

Never fails to crack upthe ChiO Household.

[Birdy]

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[Birdy]

I did it! Too, too funny.
Thanks for sharing all your great memories of the Muppet Show.
I didn't get all the references when I was kid, either, just like I didn't get all the references in The Carol Burnett Show and all those old variety shows. I just knew they were funny!

[charliechaplinfan]

Thank you for this thread. I wish my kids had the Muppets.

[JackFavell]

I loved the Muppet Show!We watched it every week without fail. I still have many specific memories of the show - musical numbers and gags and guest stars.

Most of all, I miss Jim Henson, brilliant man that he was, who was able to create an entire crazy world of real beings - getting the best stars to show up at his beck and call, and using the most intricate of music arrangements. He was such a genius, and had such a great huge heart. I miss him still.

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[movieman1957]

The kids weren't supposed to get all the references. Those were for the parents to keep them watching. There was plenty for them,

I loved the Swedish chef as well, ChiO.

[jdb1]

Thanks a lot. I've been running the Mahna-Mahna song in my head for two days now. But I always enjoyed the Muppet Show - it could be very corny, but corny can be funny, too.

There were so many episodes, with so many good people. I can recall some guest on a late-night talk show saying that there was a huge waiting list of celebs wanting to appear with the Muppets. A lot of it runs together in my head.

I definitely remember Beverly Sills tap dancing, and Mia Farrow very visibly pregnant. I think my clearest memory of the show is dancer Juliet Prowse doing a number with gazelles. I think it was to Scott Joplin's "Tango Rag," a slow piece of music. The gazelles weren't muppet-y, but were stylized cut-out things -- it was quite beautiful, and like most of Jim Henson's work, it did so much with very little.

[knitwit45]

I remember seeing an interview with, I believe, Ethel Merman about her appearance on the show. She talked about wondering if it would really 'work', and then being so carried away with the magic that she absolutely forgot the characters were not human. She said that the muppeteers just faded away, and the muppets became real.

mahna-mahna