Episode 110: Martin Short

	Muppets Tonight
Air Date	July 14, 1996
Written by	Dick Blasucci, Paul Flaherty, Darin Henry, Jim Lewis, Kirk Thatcher and Patric Verrone
Director	Gary Halvorson
Prod. no.	102
	(TRANSCRIPT)

Martin Short gets the short end of the shtick when Seymour and Pepe take him on an elevator ride that nearly flattens his chances of performing in the big dance number. Later, he overindulges on Mama Fiama's sauce, piling on the pounds before the final routine with Miss Piggy.

Skit Highlights[]

EIEIO-R
The Misadventures of Ed Grimley
"What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love"
Swift Wits (UK Spot)
At the Bar (UK Spot)
"Flippers"
The Eagle's Nest - International Peace Accord
The Two-Headed Comic
"Steppin' Out with My Baby"

Episode[]

Picture	Description
	Martin Short's agent (played by Short) gives the demands for his client to Kermit, including a deluxe dressing room and $100,000 per day. However, when Gonzo counters with tap water, pretzel rods, and the loose change from the sofa, the agent enthusiastically accepts the deal.
	"Muppets Tonight Theme"
	Clifford introduces the first sketch, "E-I-E-I-OR" featuring Dr. Fozzie making puns with his animal patients.
	Backstage, Johnny Fiama, Sal, and Mama Fiama arrive, with Sal loudly announcing Johnny's presence and rudely shoving a boy out of the way. When Bean Bunny approaches to sell chocolates for his school, Sal aggressively drop-kicks him out the window.
	In "The Misadventures of Ed Grimley," Ed Grimley (played by Short) receives a telegram informing him he must marry by 6PM to inherit $85 from his late uncle. Miss Piggy arrives, and despite her initial disinterest, she agrees to marry Ed when she hears about an inheritance. After a wedding performed by Ed's goldfish, Miss Piggy is outraged to learn the fortune is only $85 and demands an annulment.
	Sal introduces Johnny Fiama and Johnny begins to sing "What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love." During the performance, a heckler in the audience is heard. Sal goes to deal with the heckler, but mistakenly attacks Beaker instead.
	In the UK spot of "Swift Wits," Snookie Blyer asks "Chester" Tomwater to save a mole from being eaten by Carl the Big Mean Bunny.
	Martin Short enters the elevator with Seymour and Pepe, expressing his nerves about the upcoming dance number. A disagreement between Seymour and Pepe over which floor to go to leads to them pulling the lever back and forth, causing Martin to bounce up and down. By the time Clifford and Rizzo arrive, Martin has been compressed by the ride, prompting Rizzo to joke, "Now he's Martin Extremely-Short!"
	In another UK spot, Polly and Clueless serve Mr. Callahan in an "At the Bar" segment. Polly serves a bad drink, Clueless jokes about peanut butter shoelaces, and the two sing "O Mein Papa" until they get hit by 5000-pound weights.
	Clifford introduces a clip from Flippers featuring a young Martin Short, Kermit the Frog and Bud.
	Backstage, Bobo uses a plunger to get Martin Short back to his normal height. Later, Johnny Fiama introduces Martin to his mother (who mistakenly thinks he is Martin Sheen). Martin reluctantly eats some of her special spaghetti sauce and becomes instantly addicted.
	In "The Eagle's Nest," Sam asks Andy and Randy Pig about The International Peace Accord.
	Clifford tells Nigel to cue The Two-Headed Comic while he goes to look for Martin. He finds Martin looking plumper than usual (due to eating all of Mama Fiama's sauce) but he's still ready to perform a dance number.
	Martin sings "Steppin' Out with My Baby" with penguins and dances with Miss Piggy. However, due to his increased weight, he breaks most of the props during the routine.
	Clifford (who has also overindulged in Mama's sauce) comes onstage to thank Martin Short, but they both end up crashing through the floor.
	At the nursing home, Statler and Waldorf chuckle over the show, while Irving Cohen (played by Short) laments that kids today don't experience failure like in vaudeville, launching into a playful song about Sophie Tucker before he and the old men fall asleep as the credits roll, showcasing outtakes.

Notes[]

Short appears as Ed Grimley and Irving Cohen, both characters who originated on SCTV, but who Short would reprise on Saturday Night Live and in a variety of later productions.
This episode was originally scheduled to air the week after episode 106, but the show was then canceled and not shown again for a few months.

Performers[]

Kevin Clash as Clifford, Polly Lobster, Waldorf, Lester Tomwater

Bill Barretta as Johnny Fiama, Pepe, Bobo, Clueless Morgan, Snookie, Carl

Brian Henson as Sal, Seymour, Nigel, Duck

Jerry Nelson as Mama Fiama, Statler, Two-Headed Comic (Left Head), Porter Ricks, Mr. Dog, Whatnot

Dave Goelz as The Great Gonzo, Randy Pig, Dr. Payne, Two-Headed Comic (Right Head), Moby, Bud

Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog, Rizzo the Rat, Bean Bunny, Beaker, Andy Pig, Lofty

Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Sam the Eagle, Mr. Rabbit, Long-haired Whatnot

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph as Mrs. Dog, Nurse

Cast[]

Muppets: Kermit the Frog, Clifford, Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat, Johnny Fiama, Sal Minella, Mama Fiama, Miss Piggy, Sam the Eagle, Statler and Waldorf, Seymour, Pepe the King Prawn, Andy and Randy Pig, Bean Bunny, Fozzie Bear, Dr. Payne, Rabbits, Bobo the Bear, French Poodle, Muppy, Snookie Blyer, Big Mean Carl, Lester Tomwater, Magda, Penguins, Mr. Callahan, Polly Lobster, Clueless Morgan, Moby, Beaker, The Two-Headed Comic, Flash, Bud

Background Muppets: Carter, Eugene (Muppets Tonight), J. P. Grosse, Hopper, Afghan Hound, Cynthia Rose, Ducks, Horse, Bunnies

Audience Muppets: Begoony, Blustering Bellowpane Monster, Buster Bergman, Butch, Chickens, Chip, Crocodile, Frackles, Gnu, Large Marvin Fraggle, a Monkey, Doris, Pigs, Rats, Quongo, The Newsman, Shirley

Gallery[]

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