| The Muppet Show | |
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| Guest | Cleo Laine |
| Production | November 8-10, 1977 |
| Premiere | UK: January 15, 1978 NYC: May 15, 1978 |
| Releases | Season Two |
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Fozzie's mother comes to see the show, so Fozzie insinuates himself into as many sketches and introductions as possible. After annoying everyone on the show, he looks up to the balcony and notices that his mother is fast asleep.
Songs/Sketches[]
- "Muppet Limbo"
- "It Don't Mean a Thing"
- Pigs in Space (Inspection)
- Guest puppeteer Bruce Schwartz performs a bunraku ballerina puppet
- UK Spot: "Mad Dogs and Englishmen"
- The Swedish Chef (Salad): "You're Just in Love"
- Fozzie's Comedy Act (Phrenology)
- "If"
Episode[]
| Picture | Description |
|---|---|
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Cold Open: Scooter calls for guest star Cleo Laine.
Cleo: "I hope the Muppets like me." Animal pops up to show her that they don't just like her, but love her -- and he's quite aggressive about it, too. |
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"The Muppet Show Theme": Statler and Waldorf hide behind the curtains of their box.
Gonzo's trumpet flies off. (The first season puppet is used.) Gonzo: "Come back here!" |
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Kermit the Frog introduces the show by announcing that tonight they have one of the "truly great stars." Fozzie Bear comes on to thank him for the introduction.
Fozzie: "Thank you! Thank you! You are too kind!" Kermit: "I am not kind and you are not the star!" Fozzie pulls Kermit aside to tell him that his Ma is in the audience. |
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A tropical limbo number where Blue Frackle, Green Frackle and Baskerville all try to outdo each other. Kermit comes out and tops them all! |
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Backstage, Kermit pays the consequences for his limbo moves, but all Fozzie can think of is his mother -- after all, he wasn't even in the opening number!
Kermit: "I don't care." Fozzie: "You don't care? Well, why not?" Kermit: "Because I'm all scrunched up." Fozzie unscrunches him by using his arm to jack him up. Kermit quickly abandons Fozzie to introduce Cleo Laine. Fozzie: "But, Kermit, when is the bear on? That's what I want to know. When is the bear on?" |
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During the introduction, Fozzie races onstage, distracts Kermit, then pushes him off so that the bear can go on and introduce Cleo Laine. |
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Cleo sings "It Don't Mean a Thing" with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, introducing each member of the band to the audience as they play.
After the song is finished, Emily Bear is found looking for her son onstage. |
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Backstage, Fozzie begs Kermit to let him go on -- but Pigs in Space is next, so Fozzie begs Kermit to let him be in Pigs in Space.
Fozzie: "Why can't I be in Pigs in Space?!" Kermit: "Because you're not a pig!" Fozzie: "Well, nobody's perfect!" Fozzie is left to wonder if there is any possible way he could get into the sketch. Miss Piggy appears from out of her dressing room calling for her Pigs in Space costume. Fozzie has his way in! |
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"As we left our heroes last week, Captain Hogthrob had just ordered the Swintrek's bi-annual inspection..."
Dr. Julius Strangepork calls for "all hogs on deck," and when they appear, we find Fozzie Bear has replaced First Mate Piggy! Captain Hogthrob orders that the entire ship be scrubbed down from stem to... the back part. Strangepork: "That's stern, Captain." Hogthrob: "You bet that's stern!" Captain Hogthrob, after inquiring about Miss Piggy's shaving habits, dismisses the rest of the crew so he can make a pass at the ersatz "First Mate Piggy". He is left chasing Fozzie/Piggy around the bridge of the Swinetrek. |
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Backstage, Miss Piggy is on the hunt for Fozzie for stealing her costume and part. She leaves to look for him just as Link chases Fozzie offstage where he is revealed to be an impostor. Now both Link and Piggy are after Fozzie, but only until Fozzie redirects their attention to Kermit, blaming him. |
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Fozzie returns to the stage. With Kermit otherwise indisposed, Fozzie figures the rest of the show belongs to him.
Fozzie: "I thought I'd come out, tell a few jokes, sing a few songs, and then--" Kermit: "Fozzie! Will you get off the stage?!" Fozzie: "Yeah, that too." |
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Guest puppeteer Bruce Schwartz performs a bunraku ballerina puppet. |
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UK Spot: Rowlf the Dog, Baskerville and Afghan Hound sing "Mad Dogs and Englishmen". |
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Fozzie asks Kermit if he's going to introduce him now, to which Kermit replies, "No." When Fozzie asks when he will go on, Kermit reminds him that he has already been in everything.
Kermit: "What do you want, star billing?" Fozzie: "That would be nice." |
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The Swedish Chef (Salad): Cleo and the Chef sing a duet of "You're Just in Love," Cleo in English and the Chef in mock-Swedish. |
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Fozzie's Comedy Act (Phrenology): After nearly ruining everyone else's act, Fozzie finally gets his chance, using Kermit as an assistant for a demonstration of phrenology, the art of reading bumps on the head (even if he has to make them himself). |
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While Kermit is busy chasing after Fozzie, Robin the Frog comes onstage to introduce the final number. |
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Cleo sings the melancholic "If," while Bruce Schwartz accompanies her with another puppetry performance. |
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At the closing, Cleo asks Fozzie how his mother enjoyed the show. When he asks her, they discover that she is fast asleep.
Fozzie: "Oh, Ma! How could you?" |
Edits[]
- CTS: The UK Spot "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is cut.
- Disney+ includes a preceding disclaimer about negative stereotypes in this episode, although no instances are mentioned specifically.
Cast[]
Muppets:
- Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Animal, Dr. Teeth, Zoot, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Frackles, Baskerville the Hound, Afghan Hound, Pigs, Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork, The Swedish Chef, Robin the Frog, Emily Bear
Background Muppets:
Performers[]
- Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Link Hogthrob, Waldorf, Dr. Teeth, Rowlf and The Swedish Chef
- Frank Oz as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Blue Frackle and Animal
- Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper, Baskerville, Robin, Dr. Strangepork and The Announcer
- Richard Hunt as Scooter, Janice, Green Frackle and Statler
- Dave Goelz as Zoot, Gonzo and Pig
- Louise Gold as Afghan Hound
- Bruce Schwartz, guest puppeteer
Gallery[]
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