List of The Muppet Show episodes
This is a complete listing of episodes of the live-action/puppet television series The Muppet Show.
120 episodes were produced in the UK between 1976 and 1980, plus two pilot episodes (one from 1974, the other from 1975). There is no set broadcast order for the episodes, as they were shown in varying order in different regions.[1] The UK broadcasts featured extra scenes that were not seen on US TV.[1] For the Series One DVD box set that was released in 2005, Buena Vista Home Entertainment placed the episodes in the order in which they were produced, rather than aired, for this very reason.[1] The set also includes the longer UK versions of each of the episodes,[1] though six song sequences were cut from the set because of licensing issues.
The table below lists episodes based on their initial airing. The list indicates the first date upon which each episode first aired, which is not necessarily the order in which episodes were shown in all regions.
Episodes
Pilots (1974–1975)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 | "The Muppets Valentine Show" | 30 January 1974 |
| The first Muppet Show pilot, starring Mia Farrow. The Muppets Valentine Special. The hosting duties are attended to by a character called Wally. Other characters include George the Janitor, Mildred Huxtetter, Droop, Brewster, and "Crazy Donald" (called Crazy Harry in later episodes). Kermit the Frog has a supporting role. Most of the remaining characters appearing were from previous Jim Henson productions. | ||
| 0.02 | "The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence" | 3 March 1975 |
| A second pilot episode for The Muppet Show. Viewers got glimpses of several of the future Muppet stars. Although Kermit does appear briefly, the backstage boss of this variety show is Nigel, the show's future band leader. Miss Piggy makes a brief appearance in a parody of Planet of the Apes and the Twilight Zone episode "The Eye of the Beholder". Meanwhile, a variety of sins romp around backstage, waiting for auditions for The Seven Deadly Sins Pageant. Debuting are Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, The Swedish Chef, Sam the Eagle, and Statler and Waldorf, grumbling from a living room instead of a theatre box. | ||
Series 1 (1976–1977)
| No. | Guest Star | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1.05 (1) | Rita Moreno | 18 September 1976 |
|
Backstage: Telephone running gag. | ||
| 1.06 (2) | Jim Nabors | 25 September 1976 |
|
Backstage: Scooter's first day. | ||
| 1.14 (3) | Sandy Duncan | 2 October 1976 |
|
Backstage: Kermit wants to know what the banana sketch is. | ||
| 1.04 (4) | Ruth Buzzi | 9 October 1976 |
|
Backstage: Wind-up TV Show Host. | ||
| 1.03 (5) | Joel Grey | 16 October 1976 |
|
Song: "Comedy Tonight" (from the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) by the Frackles and the Whatnot Criminals. | ||
| 1.08 (6) | Paul Williams | 23 October 1976 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie and Scooter prepare to do the telephone pole bit. | ||
| 1.11 (7) | Lena Horne | 30 October 1976 |
|
Backstage: Piggy won't be performing this week. | ||
| 1.12 (8) | Peter Ustinov | 6 November 1976 |
|
Backstage: Kermit is jealous of Ustinov. | ||
| 1.07 (9) | Florence Henderson | 13 November 1976 |
|
Backstage: Piggy comes on to Kermit. | ||
| 1.20 (10) | Valerie Harper | 20 November 1976 |
|
Backstage: Statler is determined to meet Valerie and brings her a rapidly growing African berry bush. | ||
| 1.15 (11) | Candice Bergen | 27 November 1976 |
|
Backstage: Objects for Kermit running gag. | ||
| 1.13 (12) | Bruce Forsyth | 4 December 1976 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie thinks he can handle any heckler. Then Kermit cancels his act. | ||
| 1.10 (13) | Harvey Korman | 11 December 1976 |
|
Song: "Love Ya to Death" by Electric Mayhem. | ||
| 1.09 (14) | Charles Aznavour | 15 January 1977 |
|
Backstage: Scooter becomes Gonzo's manager. | ||
| 1.17 (15) | Ben Vereen | 22 January 1977 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie gets locked in a magician's box | ||
| 1.19 (16) | Vincent Price | 29 January 1977 |
|
Backstage: Three-headed monster wants to be on the show. | ||
| 1.21 (17) | Twiggy | 5 February 1977 |
|
Backstage: Gang encounters Phantom of the Muppet Show. | ||
| 1.18 (18) | Phyllis Diller | 12 February 1977 |
|
Backstage: Hilda considers ways to make herself look younger. | ||
| 1.22 (19) | Ethel Merman and Richard Bradshaw | 19 February 1977 |
|
Backstage Fozzie's agent, Irving Bizare, comes in to negotiate Fozzie's contract. | ||
| 1.02 (20) | Connie Stevens and Sesame Street characters Ernie and Bert | 26 February 1977 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie believes everyone hates him when he hears muppets insulting Gonzo's teddy bear. | ||
| 1.16 (21) | Avery Schreiber | 16 April 1977 |
|
Backstage: Piggy tries to make Kermit jealous. | ||
| 1.01 (22) | Juliet Prowse | 23 April 1977 |
|
Backstage: Scooter and Muppy convince Kermit to allow them to do a number and then make various demands. | ||
| 1.23 (23) | Kaye Ballard | 7 May 1977 |
|
Backstage The Electric Mayhem band gets fed up with playing the theme song every night and threaten to quit unless Kermit allows them to play their own music. | ||
| 1.24 (24) | Mummenschanz | 21 May 1977 |
|
Backstage: Gonzo pesters Miss Piggy for her attention. | ||
Series 2 (1977–1978)
| No. | Guest Star | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 2.10 (25) | George Burns | 17 September 1977 |
|
Backstage: The cast is plagued by a gossip columnist from The Daily Scandal. | ||
| 2.04 (26) | Rich Little | 24 September 1977 |
|
Backstage: Gonzo interviews hopefuls for a new dancing chicken act. | ||
| 2.09 (27) | Madeline Kahn | 1 October 1977 |
|
Backstage: Gonzo has a crush on guest star Madeline Kahn. | ||
| 2.07 (28) | Edgar Bergen | 8 October 1977 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie decides to try a ventriloquist act. | ||
| 2.11 (29) | Dom DeLuise | 15 October 1977 |
|
Backstage: Miss Piggy collaborates with Scooter to make Kermit jealous and get a better place on the show. | ||
| 2.13 (30) | Rudolf Nureyev | 22 October 1977 |
|
Backstage: Sam attempts to class up the cast due to their high culture guest star. | ||
| 2.08 (31) | Steve Martin | 29 October 1977 |
|
Backstage: Kermit conducts auditions for the next show ... but he forgets to tell Steve. Fozzie gets worried Kermit will hire a new comedian to replace him. | ||
| 2.12 (32) | Bernadette Peters | 5 November 1977 |
|
Backstage: Kermit's nephew Robin feels unwanted and wants to run away. Miss Piggy harbours jealousy against Miss Mousey. | ||
| 2.03 (33) | Milton Berle | 12 November 1977 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie hides from his idol, Milton Berle. | ||
| 2.22 (34) | Teresa Brewer | 19 November 1977 |
|
Backstage: Piggy decides to go on a diet. | ||
| 2.01 (35) | Don Knotts | 26 November 1977 |
|
Backstage: The band is so pleased with the song Fozzie picks for them that they declare him hip and give him a pair of shades. | ||
| 2.23 (36) | John Cleese | 3 December 1977 |
|
Backstage: Gonzo catches a cannonball with a bare hand, which makes his hand 5 feet long. Fozzie and Floyd Pepper make jokes about it, making Gonzo angry enough to get John help. | ||
| 2.02 (37) | Zero Mostel | 10 December 1977 |
|
Backstage: Scooter's uncle J.P. Grosse will give the show the money they need, if they put a lady wrestler number in the show and enraging Sam in the process. | ||
| 2.05 (38) | Judy Collins | 28 January 1978 |
|
Backstage: J.P. Gross wants to demolish the theatre and put in a junkyard. | ||
| 2.14 (39) | Elton John | 4 February 1978 |
|
Backstage: Scooter has a song for Elton John. The Swedish Chef chases a chicken. Sam thinks Elton John is an affront to culture. | ||
| 2.21 (40) | Bob Hope | 11 February 1978 |
|
Backstage: Bob Hope is splitting his time between The Muppet Show and several charity shows. Animal tries to find a hobby. | ||
| 2.17 (41) | Julie Andrews | 18 February 1978 |
|
Backstage: A real cow mysteriously appears backstage. | ||
| 2.19 (42) | Peter Sellers | 25 February 1978 |
|
Backstage: Bunsen and Beaker keep appearing and disappearing, as well as other cast members and items. | ||
| 2.18 (43) | Jaye P. Morgan | 4 March 1978 |
|
Backstage: Jaye P. Morgan isn't very thrilled about being on the show. Later, Scooter's uncle J.P. Gross shows up. | ||
| 2.06 (44) | Nancy Walker | 11 March 1978 |
|
Backstage: Kermit is home sick, so Fozzie is in charge. | ||
| 2.15 (45) | Lou Rawls | 29 April 1978 |
|
Backstage: The show is thrown into chaos when Fozzie's roller skating act isn't quite ready. | ||
| 2.20 (46) | Petula Clark | 6 May 1978 |
|
Backstage: A moose, named Mickey and who sounds like John Wayne, hangs out backstage, upsetting Kermit. | ||
| 2.16 (47) | Cleo Laine and Bruce Schwartz | 13 May 1978 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie's mother is in the audience. | ||
| 2.24 (48) | Cloris Leachman | 20 May 1978 |
|
Backstage: Pigs take over the show. Kermit and other regulars are kept in the boiler room. | ||
Series 3 (1978–1979)
| No. | Guest Star | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 3.13 (49) | Helen Reddy | 16 September 1978 |
|
Backstage: Kermit tells his new janitor, Beauregard, to clean up the theatre and use some elbow grease. Unfortunately, the utterly incompetent Beauregard, after not finding any elbow grease, uses axle grease, which causes everyone to slip around. "Beauregard, what kind of an idiot are you?" Kermit exclaims. "Oh, I didn't know there was a choice!" Beauregard answers. Later, Beau greases up a spot on the stage, which ruins Fozzie's dance number. Kermit tells Beau to spread a little sand around the greasy areas, and Beauregard covers the backstage in huge sand dunes. Then he sweeps the sand onto the stage — so at the last minute, Kermit changes the closing number to an Arab desert number, in which Helen dances with Sopwith the Camel. | ||
| 3.03 (50) | Roy Clark | 23 September 1978 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie Bear hears Kermit say the show is "going country" with guest Roy Clark, so he sends all the stagehands out to the country. Furious, Kermit makes Fozzie do all their work — shift the scenery, open the curtains — and if anything goes wrong, Fozzie will be fired. Moments later, the theatre catches on fire. Fozzie organises a bucket brigade, and when Kermit demands an explanation, Fozzie gets the Swedish Chef to explain. He also must make a quick patchwork after Gonzo makes a hole on stage before the closing number. | ||
| 3.06 (51) | Jean Stapleton | 30 September 1978 |
|
Backstage: Kermit puts up with various problems in the theatre: Animal eats Gonzo's trained Mexican jumping beans, which make him jump whenever someone says "Arriba", he gets a strange sandwich from Gladys, and he has to put up with Miss Piggy's temper when Annie Sue is used over her in the melodrama sketch. On top of all this, Jean Stapleton announces who she'd like as her partner for the closing number partner: Crazy Harry. | ||
| 3.12 (52) | James Coco | 7 October 1978 |
|
Backstage: Although he initially loves the show, James talks Kermit into adding some "razzle-dazzle" to "dull, slow-moving acts" like the Swedish Chef. After messing up several acts with his concepts, including Spanish dancers with the Chef, and chorus girls in Veterinarian's Hospital, James decides to downsize for his closing number... to the point that he's the big man on stage! | ||
| 3.09 (53) | Liberace | 14 October 1978 |
|
Backstage: Liberace decides to perform an entire "concert for birds" in the second half of the show, while Gonzo is determined to get his tap-dancing chickens into the act. | ||
| 3.08 (54) | Loretta Lynn | 21 October 1978 |
|
Backstage: The Muppet Theater is being fumigated, so the entire show moves to a railroad station — and is periodically interrupted by passing trains. Luckily, Loretta cheerfully tells Kermit that "country singers can sing anywhere." Gonzo sets up a backstage office for Kermit on the caboose of a train, which takes off for Pittsburgh. While the show continues, Kermit and Gonzo try to ride a handcart back — but they run into a train heading in the other direction. Once back at the station for the closing, Gonzo finally eliminates the trains with a single sign: "Airport". | ||
| 3.07 (55) | Alice Cooper | 28 October 1978 |
|
Backstage: The "talented but frightening" Alice Cooper sets an eerie mood for the show from the moment he tells Scooter that the monsters in his dressing room aren't The Muppet Show's; they're his. Even the floating blue mass that comes out of Gonzo's horn in the opening has an otherworldly feel to it. Alice later reveals himself to be an agent of the Devil's, offering the Muppets "fabulous riches and worldwide fame" in a Faustian exchange for their souls. Kermit shudders at the idea, Miss Piggy gives it a test run but ultimately decides it's not worth the sacrifice (or the makeover), and Gonzo spends much of the episode looking for a pen to sign the contract. He becomes so desperate that he, in quick succession, offers to trade the Vile Bunch Drummer a chicken, all of his chickens and The Newsman, and finally his soul for a pen before realising that he has "other plans for that." Alice performs three of his songs: "Welcome to My Nightmare" (performed in a spooky setting in the beginning of the show, right after the opening theme and an introduction from Kermit), "You and Me" (a ballad performed in the middle of the show) and "School's Out" (performed at the end of the show alongside Sweetums, Thog, Timmy Monster, Mean Mama, Doglion, and a Mutation who provide backing vocals). | ||
| 3.24 (56) | Cheryl Ladd | 4 November 1978 |
|
Backstage: Kermit chats with the Bust of Beethoven. Fozzie reads a book on self-improvement, and asks Kermit to make a list of his good points and bad points. Fozzie looks at the list before it's done, and is shocked that Kermit has written down such awful bad points. Kermit gulps, and explains that that's the list of good points. | ||
| 3.05 (57) | Pearl Bailey | 11 November 1978 |
|
Backstage: Floyd is unhappy with the closing number — the jousting scene from Camelot — in which he has to play a knight, complete with heavy armour. The number also includes the mysterious Black Knight, whose identity might be revealed by his distinctive, hook-nosed mask. At the last minute, they find that they can't afford the rights to Camelot's music, so they substitute tunes from West Side Story and Hello, Dolly!, not to mention My Fair Lady, Annie Get Your Gun, Guys and Dolls, and Gypsy: A Musical Fable. | ||
| 3.01 (58) | Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge | 18 November 1978 |
|
Guest Act: "Help Me Make It Through the Night" by Kris Kristofferson and Miss Piggy backed by Electric Mayhem | ||
| 3.11 (59) | Raquel Welch | 25 November 1978 |
|
Backstage: Fozzie goes to group therapy to become more assertive. He says he won't do his monologue because he doesn't need to use humor to buy friends any more. When Kermit tells the audience that there won't be a monologue, Fozzie misinterprets their cheers as a sign that they love him, and he goes on anyway. Later, Raquel tells him that he's very sexy, and she sings him a song that boosts his confidence to the point that he decides to write "the world's funniest joke". | ||
| 3.02 (60) | Leo Sayer | 2 December 1978 |
|
Backstage: Kermit lets Annie Sue, another female pig singer, perform on the show, thus making Miss Piggy extremely jealous. | ||
| 3.04 (61) | Gilda Radner | 9 December 1978 |
|
Backstage: Guest star Gilda Radner faces several problems: initially, her request for a seven-foot tall talking parrot gets messed up by bad handwriting, making her sing operetta with a giant carrot. Later, Bunsen Honeydew tests Muppet Labs' new super-adhesive glue on her, but the glue accidentally gets everywhere, and everyone and everything gets stuck together. | ||
| 3.10 (62) | Marisa Berenson | 16 December 1978 |
|
Backstage: Kermit is pestered by Lew Zealand, who wants to audition his boomerang fish act: "I throw the fish in the air... they sail away... and then they come back to me!" Meanwhile, Miss Piggy plans the closing comedy sketch — a wedding "sketch" starring her as the bride and Kermit as the groom. Secretly, she books a real minister, and Scooter fools Kermit into signing the marriage license. Kermit is roped into going to the altar, but when the minister asks him if he'll take Piggy as his wife, he says, "I... I... I want to introduce to you the amazing Lew Zealand and his boomerang fish!" Lew starts throwing his boomerang fish as Piggy karate-chops the still-single Kermit. | ||
| 3.17 (63) | Spike Milligan | 20 January 1979 |
|
Backstage: The Muppet Show is broadcast in 108 countries, so Kermit plans an "international extravaganza," featuring people from each of those nations. Unfortunately, the various people don't necessarily get along, although everyone seems to understand the Swedish Chef telling a joke. At the end, everyone gets together for the Parade of Nations, singing "It's a Small World". | ||
| 3.19 (64) | Elke Sommer | 27 January 1979 |
|
Backstage: After a chance meeting with Beaker (who had been hiding from Bunsen's latest hairbrained invention), Beauregard lets him help build a set for the ancient-Egypt closing number. But the two end up causing chaos culminating in Beaker running amuck with power tools, Beauregard continuing on the set during the closing number, and Kermit realising the idiocy of both. | ||
| 3.16 (65) | Danny Kaye | 3 February 1979 |
|
Backstage: Statler and Waldorf leave their box to sit out in the alley, disgusted by tonight's guest star. Danny overhears them in the alley saying that tonight's guest is the worst performer on earth, even worse than Clive Cahuenga, the singing civil servant. At the end, Statler and Waldorf are embarrassed when they find out that the guest star is Danny Kaye — they thought it was Manny Kaye, the tuned clam player. During the show, Floyd Pepper and Janice occupy Statler and Waldorf's box. | ||
| 3.18 (66) | Leslie Uggams with Big Bird | 10 February 1979 |
|
Backstage: Leslie co-stars with Big Bird of Sesame Street. Gonzo has a first date with Camilla the Chicken, but she has hay fever, and the flowers Gonzo brings make her sneeze so hard that she's propelled around the room. Later, Gonzo serenades her with a song he wrote for her — "Camilla... you're prettier by far than Godzilla..." In the middle of the song, Big Bird wanders by, and Gonzo instantly falls in love with the huge bird. Gonzo flirts with Big Bird until Camilla drops a flowerpot on Gonzo's head. | ||
| 3.14 (67) | Harry Belafonte | 17 February 1979 |
|
Backstage:' Despite Kermit's insistence that everything on the show is spontaneous, Fozzie Bear decides it needs scripts. He tries his hand at scripting the show while it's actually going on, but his scripts are extremely confusing. He gives up when his tie gets caught in the typewriter. | ||
| 3.20 (68) | Sylvester Stallone | 24 February 1979 |
|
Backstage: The backstage is invaded by Sylvester Stallone's groupies, who have paid Scooter for backstage passes. To calm a furious Kermit, Scooter pretends the girls are all there to see him, then hustles them up to Sylvester's dressing room. | ||
| 3.15 (69) | Lesley Ann Warren | 5 May 1979 |
|
Backstage:Gonzo unveils his new act: riding his motorcycle up a ramp and into Statler and Waldorf's theatre box, having first taken the safety precaution of chaining them to their chairs while they were dozing. Of course, the bike doesn't even get off the ramp... the first time. Meanwhile, Kermit doesn't realise that he's booked Lesley Ann Warren; he thought he was getting "Leslie and Warren, the knife throwing act". He's thrilled to learn that his guest star is the multi-talented Ms. Warren, but over the course of the episode, other ersatz guest stars approach, including Lesley and Warren, the Dancing Cucumbers, and a trio named Les, Lee and Warren. | ||
| 3.21 (70) | Roger Miller | 12 May 1979 |
|
Backstage: There's an outbreak of "cluckitis" in the theatre, a disease which causes the sufferer to sneeze and turn into a chicken. Kermit tries to hide this from Roger, but it doesn't work — Robin turns into a chick in front of him, and Roger recognises the Lew Zealand chicken and his boomerang egg act. By the end of the show, every Muppet except Gonzo has turned into a chicken, the backstage is covered in nests, and Gonzo is thrilled. Kermit is humiliated, but Roger's very understanding; he explains that he had cluckitis once. | ||
| 3.22 (71) | Roy Rogers & Dale Evans | 19 May 1979 |
|
Backstage: In honour of Roy and Dale, the theme of the show is cowboys, and Roy's cows mill around backstage. They're crazy for Fozzie's cow jokes: "You cows are an udder delight! You don't know the hoof of it!" But just as he's getting rolling, they're herded onstage, Kermit says that's one thing you had to worry about in the Old West: "Audience rustlers." | ||
| 3.23 (72) | Lynn Redgrave | 26 May 1979 |
|
Backstage: Kermit stars in the Muppet production of Robin Hood, with Lynn as Maid Marian and Fozzie as Little John. In the story, Maid Marian is kidnapped by the henchmen of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Gonzo) while Little John teaches the Merry Men the proper way to cavort. Backstage, Miss Piggy is upset that she doesn't have a part in the play, and all Kermit can offer her is Sister Tuck. Floyd tells Scooter that he is on strike this week as he doesn't agree with the green costumes. Onstage, the Sheriff says he'll torture Marian for the location of Robin's hideout. But he demonstrates all his torture equipment on himself. Just as she escapes from the Sheriff, she's kidnapped again by Piggy's guards and is locked in her dressing room. Piggy takes Lynn's place as Marian, pretending that Lynn has stage fright, but Kermit doesn't buy it and goes to rescue Lynn from the dressing room. | ||
Series 4 (1979–1980)
| No. | Guest Star | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 4.01 (73) | John Denver | 15 September 1979 |
| John and Kermit invite the Muppets on a camping trip to Kermit's home, a weekend in the swamp. Everyone is about to make excuses — but Miss Piggy informs them that they'll all be happy to go, unless they'd rather spend some time in the hospital instead. It turns out Piggy doesn't really understand the concept, and she packs suitcases full of evening dresses and high-heeled shoes. When Kermit tells her that she has to carry everything she packs, she's not sure she wants to go, particularly after the frog taunts them to go back to her home. | ||
| 4.06 (74) | Linda Lavin | 22 September 1979 |
| Miss Piggy announces that this show is Kermit's birthday, and before he can react, she launches into the tribute she's organised. 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 series, 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, and he does it again. At the end of the show, Kermit admits that it's not his birthday, which is about four months from now. | ||
| 4.03 (75) | Shields and Yarnell | 29 September 1979 |
| 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". | ||
| 4.02 (76) | Crystal Gayle | 6 October 1979 |
| 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. The Muppets sing "Swanee" by George Gershwin. | ||
| 4.10 (77) | Kenny Rogers | 13 October 1979 |
| Scooter's uncle sells the mineral rights for Kenny's dressing room to Arabs, who start drilling for oil. Meanwhile, Kermit falls in a trapeze number and hurts his flipper. Later, he's flung from a bed, pushed down the stairs, hit by a light fixture, and shot by a catapult into Statler and Waldorf's box. | ||
| 4.07 (78) | Dudley Moore | 20 October 1979 |
| Dudley tells the Electric Mayhem that he doesn't need them tonight — he's brought a musical robot called M.A.M.M.A., the Music and Mood Management Apparatus. M.A.M.M.A. is a garbage can on wheels, which plays tinny electronic music in any style. The band resents M.A.M.M.A.'s intrusion, and Animal attacks Dudley. Later, Gonzo recites from the works of Percy Bysshe Shelley while — and at the same time — defusing a high-explosive bomb. M.A.M.M.A. wheels up behind him and plays a loud fanfare. Gonzo slips and sets off the bomb, destroying M.A.M.M.A. and half the theatre. | ||
| 4.08 (79) | Arlo Guthrie | 27 October 1979 |
| 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. Eventually, the Chef unveils his dinner — vitamin pills. | ||
| 4.05 (80) | Victor Borge | 3 November 1979 |
| Bobby Benson is arrested, and somebody has to take care of his Baby Band. Trying to prove to Kermit that she's mother material, Miss Piggy volunteers to take them. The babies go wild in her dressing room, tearing everything up. | ||
| 4.09 (81) | Beverly Sills | 10 November 1979 |
| The pigs are excited that guest star Beverly Sills plans to perform the opera "Pigoletto" as the closing number. For his work in this episode, art director Malcolm Stone received the first of two Emmy Award nominations for his work on The Muppet Show. | ||
| 4.14 (82) | Liza Minnelli | 17 November 1979 |
| The Muppets present a murder mystery. Kermit is a private eye hired by Liza O'Shaugnessy, an actress whose production is being terrorised 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 — Statler and Waldorf. At the end of the show, Statler and Waldorf are imprisoned in their balcony for twenty years. Statler complains that if he had known the judge would give them the "box," he would have asked for the electric chair... of the electric variety. | ||
| 4.11 (83) | Lola Falana | 24 November 1979 |
| Gonzo the Great plans to quit the show after receiving an offer from a film studio in Bombay. A jealous Miss Piggy asks Gonzo to keep her in mind when talking to producers. Gonzo performs a tearful "I Did It My Way", and then leaves the theatre. He ends up coming back — the producers in Bombay thought they were hiring Gonzo the Mediocre — but he has to face his replacement, Trevor the Gross... | ||
| 4.12 (84) | Phyllis George | 1 December 1979 |
| Phyllis hosts the 1st annual Muppet Awards, recognising the greatest Muppet Show performers. The award, the prestigious "Fred", is actually a bowling trophy. Kermit, who hates awards shows, sits out the show, but Miss Piggy is absolutely determined to win. She's thrilled when she realises that she appears in both of the sketches nominated for Best Sketch — "Pigs in Space" and "Vet's Hospital" — but the judges decide not to award a "Fred" in that category. Piggy's only other chance for an award is as Performer of the Year — and she's competing against Kermit. | ||
| 4.04 (85) | Dyan Cannon | 2 February 1980 |
| 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. | ||
| 4.18 (86) | Christopher Reeve | 9 February 1980 |
| Kermit is jealous when Miss Piggy is in love with Superman star Christopher Reeve. She plans to sing "Never Before, Never Again" for Kermit, but she deliberately smashes Rowlf's hands in the piano, so Christopher will have to accompany her. She sings "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" for him. | ||
| 4.19 (87) | Lynda Carter | 16 February 1980 |
| In honour of Wonder Woman star 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. Lynda sings covers of "The Rubberband Man" and "Orange Colored Sky". | ||
| 4.17 (88) | Cast of Star Wars (Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker) | 23 February 1980 |
| Kermit has booked Angus McGonagle, the argyle gargoyle who gargles Gershwin. But at the start of the show, the cast of Star Wars — Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2 — smash through the wall, looking for fellow Star Wars character Chewbacca. Kermit is thrilled to have them on his show, until he finds out that they won't actually perform anything. Luke mollifies Kermit by bringing in his "cousin", Mark Hamill — Kermit is unimpressed when he sees Mark sing and dance, but throws him out after seeing Mark "Gargling Gershwin" with Angus McGonagle. Finally, the Star Wars crew hijacks the Swinetrek. With First Mate Piggy subbing in as Princess Leia, they face Dearth Nadir (Gonzo) who is holding Chewbacca prisoner. | ||
| 4.13 (89) | Dizzy Gillespie | 1 March 1980 |
| 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 at a tolerable level, he must remove the trumpets (Gillespie's signature instrument) from the show. Kermit tries to keep LaBrea busy while Dizzy performs. | ||
| 4.15 (90) | Anne Murray | 8 March 1980 |
| 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. | ||
| 4.16 (91) | Jonathan Winters | 15 March 1980 |
| 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 cancelled, but Kermit refuses to believe there is a curse until a meteorite falls on his flipper. In the final stage of the curse, everyone begins to speak in mock Swedish. It is revealed that Statler and Waldorf had paid for a half-hour gypsy curse, but they didn't expect it would happen to them. As the curse is lifted, Winters pays the gypsy to keep it going. | ||
| 4.22 (92) | Andy Williams | 22 March 1980 |
| 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 rumour slips out, and soon everyone thinks Kermit and Piggy are getting married. | ||
| 4.21 (93) | Doug Henning | 3 May 1980 |
| 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." At the end of the episode, a bunny appears in Statler and Waldorf Box and uses the Porky Pig reference at the end of Looney Tunes, "*stuttering* That's all, Folks!" To this, Waldorf hits him on the head with a small gavel. | ||
| 4.23 (94) | Carol Channing | 10 May 1980 |
| 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. | ||
| 4.24 (95) | Diana Ross | 17 May 1980 |
| Statler and Waldorf rate the show like Olympic judges. First, they give Kermit a 2. Then, they give the opening a 3, but the audience demands they bring it down to a zero. All of the Muppets get low scores (though Fozzie's "1" is a compliment by them), and Gonzo even gets a -6. The Muppets think it's just a tough audience, but Diana gets 10's every time which gives her high scores. | ||
| 4.20 (96) | Alan Arkin | 24 May 1980 |
| Alan accidentally drinks Bunsen Honeydew's Jekyll-and-Hyde potion, and turns into a rampaging monster. He runs amok, 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. | ||
Series 5 (1980–1981)
| No. | Guest Star | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 5.04 (97) | Shirley Bassey | 20 September 1980 |
| 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 both Bunsen Honeydew (who turns one bar into cottage cheese) and ultimately a band of pig thieves, who steal all the gold as Shirley sings. | ||
| 5.05 (98) | James Coburn | 27 September 1980 |
| Animal hits it off with tough guy James Coburn — but James decides that Animal isn't centred enough, and introduces him to meditation and Zen. Animal doesn't take well to Zen. | ||
| 5.06 (99) | Brooke Shields | 4 October 1980 |
| Brooke stars as Alice in the Muppet production of Alice in Wonderland. The onstage zaniness can't match the usual backstage chaos — Fozzie thinks he's going to play the Tin Woodman, and Miss Piggy (scheduled to play the Queen of Hearts) is hoping to take over as Alice. Bunsen's special effects make Brooke too tall to leave her dressing room — and then shrink her so small that no one can find her. Piggy, still hoping for the lead, tries to "accidentally" step on Brooke. Finally, Gonzo as the Mad Hatter heads the Mad Tea Party, which ends with a rousing chorus of "We're Off to See the Wizard." | ||
| 5.13 (100) | Tony Randall | 11 October 1980 |
| Browsing through an old book of magic spells, guest star Tony Randall 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". At the end of the show, the tables are turned when Tony accidentally does the spell on Kermit. | ||
| 5.11 (101) | Paul Simon | 18 October 1980 |
| 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. | ||
| 5.03 (102) | Joan Baez | 25 October 1980 |
| Rizzo and the other rats bother Kermit for a spot on the show, so Kermit asks Beauregard to "take care of" them. Of course, Beauregard takes that literally, and treats them as guests. They make Beauregard their president, and manipulate him into giving them food. Eventually the rats become so bold that they decide to take over the show. Kermit says Beauregard has to kick them out, or he goes with them. Beauregard chooses to stick with his new rat friends, until Miss Piggy enlightens him. | ||
| 5.23 (103) | Linda Ronstadt | 1 November 1980 |
| Kermit has a crush on Linda, so Miss Piggy locks him in a trunk filled with Gonzo's fungus collection. Linda finds him, and they share a romantic moment, but Piggy locks him up again and drags the trunk onstage during "Pigs in Space". | ||
| 5.07 (104) | Glenda Jackson | 8 November 1980 |
| 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 theatre 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 theatre. | ||
| 5.02 (105) | Loretta Swit | 15 November 1980 |
| Miss Piggy plants a rumour in Tongue Magazine alleging that she and Kermit were secretly married in Las Vegas. Kermit gets so mad that he fires Piggy, and asks Loretta to take her place. Loretta appears in "Veterinarian's Hospital" and "Pigs in Space", where she is a great success. Piggy tries to make a grand, dramatic exit, but she gets so jealous of Loretta that she invades the Swinetrek herself. | ||
| 5.14 (106) | Mac Davis | 22 November 1980 |
| Beaker tests Muppet Labs' new copier machine, ultimately falling into it and getting made into 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. | ||
| 5.17 (107) | Hal Linden | 29 November 1980 |
| Statler and Waldorf get their chance to do a better show than Kermit. They play hosts, while Kermit and Fozzie watch from the balcony. Unfortunately, Statler and Waldorf's acts don't turn out exactly as they plan. The Berlin National Opera Company, who were going to perform the first act finale from Siegfried, can't make it on time, so the Salzburg Sauerkraut Singers have been sent instead. Statler and Waldorf didn't agree beforehand on which holiday Hal should do a tribute to, so Hal's Fourth of July number is invaded by Gonzo singing Christmas songs from a chicken-drawn sleigh. Plus, Miss Piggy sings "Just an Old-Fashioned Girl," instead of the star from India, Endura Mahashira. 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. | ||
| 5.10 (108) | Jean-Pierre Rampal | 6 December 1980 |
| 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!" | ||
| 5.15 (109) | Carol Burnett | 13 December 1980 |
| Kermit makes the mistake of letting Gonzo run a dance marathon during the show. Carol's songs are interrupted, and she objects to the marathon — especially when Gonzo fixes her up with Animal as her dance partner. Carol threatens to leave in the middle of the show, but Kermit persuades her to stay by promising that she can perform her famous Lonely Asparagus sketch. But Gonzo says the marathon won't be over until all the contestants collapse, so she tires the dancers out by singing "I Was Made for Dancin'". | ||
| 5.24 (110) | Roger Moore | 20 December 1980 |
| 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. | ||
| 5.21 (111) | Johnny Cash | 24 January 1981 |
| In honour 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 Big Tiny's nephew, Wally Whoopie, a stand-up comedian who makes fun of the bear — which inspires Kermit to stand up for his friend and his show. | ||
| 5.19 (112) | Chris Langham | 31 January 1981 |
| 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. Chris' bizarre acts include owl impersonation and odd magic tricks — "Pick a sausage, any sausage." Finally, doing an escape act in his dressing room, Chris locks himself in a wardrobe and can't get out. He has to do his final number, "Hawaiian Cowboy," from within the wardrobe. | ||
| 5.12 (113) | Melissa Manchester | 7 February 1981 |
| Kermit is plagued by a night of backstage crises. A group of skiers are hurt during the opening number, and after Kermit says that the theatre 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. | ||
| 5.08 (114) | Señor Wences and Bruce Schwartz | 14 February 1981 |
| In honour 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. | ||
| 5.09 (115) | Debbie Harry | 21 February 1981 |
| 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. | ||
| 5.01 (116) | Gene Kelly | 28 February 1981 |
| Gene Kelly 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 well as he did in the movie, but he does eventually sing it backstage. Meanwhile, Scooter uses his tarot cards to predict that the apocalypse is near. Beauregard believes him, and tries to convince the rest of the cast. | ||
| 5.16 (117) | Gladys Knight | 2 May 1981 |
| The theatre's roof has rotted, and the workmen have to take it to the shop to fix it. Performing without a roof, the Muppets have to go on despite snow, fog, hail and high winds. At the end of the show, Statler and Waldorf are shown wearing snow hats and scarves while shivering their bones off from the snow. Waldorf complains that they would get pneumonia, but Statler says that this show always makes them sick. | ||
| 5.20 (118) | Wally Boag | 9 May 1981 |
| In honour 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. | ||
| 5.22 (119) | Buddy Rich | 16 May 1981 |
| Thanks to Gonzo's air-conditioned mildew collection, the power goes out in the theatre, 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. | ||
| 5.18 (120) | Marty Feldman with Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, Grover, Count von Count, Herry Monster, Guy Smiley, Two-Headed Monster, and two Anything Muppets | 23 May 1981 |
| 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). | ||