Muppet Labs

Bunsen and Beaker in the lab

Muppet Labs, "where the future is being made today," is the site of scientific enquiry, technological breakthroughs, and sundry explosions on The Muppet Show. Headed by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, the lab premiered in episode 108 and lasted all five seasons. During the first season, Bunsen worked alone. Beginning in season two, the good doctor acquired an assistant/guinea pig, the hapless Beaker.

In each installment, Dr. Honeydew would present his latest scientific breakthrough, inventions which ranged from the gorilla detector to the Automatic Wastebasket. In the great Muppet tradition, the majority of these devices backfired, proving hazardous to all and sundry but most often to Beaker. Sometimes the inventions would cause chaos even when they worked properly, such as in episode 219, when Bunsen tests his teleportation device by beaming random people and objects all over the theater, driving Kermit mad. In later episodes, such as episode 506, Muppet Labs and its inventions played a key role in the backstage plot when it came to restoring Brooke Shields to her normal size.

For the first two seasons, the lab set consisted of computers and a desk against a plain blue background. In the third season, the set was changed to more closely resemble an office, with a wall clock (which was square in the third season, and circular after that) and a city backdrop. Most but not all of these later sketches began with a shot of the clock as the camera zoomed back to reveal the rest of the set.

Following the end of The Muppet Show, Muppet Labs still remained the premiere research laboratory of the Muppet universe, with new discoveries occurring on The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. The lab also plays a key role in Muppet*Vision 3D, as the labs founded Muppet*Vision technology.

In Muppets from Space, Muppet Labs is headquartered in the basement of the Muppet Boarding House.

In merchandise, The Comic Muppet Book featured a "Muppet Labs" sketch, in which Bunsen tests out his Laugh-O-Matic, which makes the wearer laugh. The Muppets: On with the Show! featured a Muppet Labs level. The first Muppet playset released by Palisades Toys was a Muppet Labs Playset. The preview issue of The Muppet Show Comic Book featured a Muppet Labs sketch.

In 2007, Disney's "Living Characters Initiative" project launched the Muppet Mobile Lab, a theme park exhibit touring Disney California Adventure and other Disney parks. In 2023, Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival would feature the Muppet Labs themed "Brew-Wing Lab" at the Odyssey Events Pavilion, themed as an experimental kitchen with new video segments of Bunsen and Beaker showcasing their culinary creations.

Sketches

The Muppet Show Season 1
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 108: Paul Williams	All-Purpose Tenderizer Dr. Bunsen Honeydew displays the all-purpose tenderizer, which can make anything softer. He demonstrates by tenderizing a dish, a ladle, then he finds out that someone used the all-purpose tenderizer on the table.
	Episode 112: Peter Ustinov	Robot Politician Dr. Honeydew shows off the robot politician (played by Peter Ustinov), who can become any kind of government ruler. The robot eventually overheats and explodes.
	Episode 116: Avery Schreiber	Gorilla Detector Dr. Honeydew shows off his latest invention, a gorilla detector, which is devised to sound a warning whenever a gorilla approaches. During the demonstration, a gorilla arrives (a performer in a gorilla suit, rather than a puppet) and proceeds to smash the equipment. Dr. Honeydew steadfastly refuses to believe that the creature is a gorilla, however, since the detector hasn't gone off. The gorilla then attacks Bunsen, and the alarm finally goes off, albeit far too late.
	Episode 118: Phyllis Diller	Exploding Clothes Dr. Honeydew shows off the latest in scientific apparel: exploding hats, exploding earmuffs, and exploding neckties.
The Muppet Show Season 2
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 202: Zero Mostel	Magnetic Carrots Dr. Honeydew invents magnetic carrots, which attract steel rabbits. Note: This is the first appearance of Beaker.
	Episode 212: Bernadette Peters	Bunsonium Bunsen shows off a liquid called "Bunsonium", which he and Beaker haven't been able to figure out what it does. They already know that it doesn't remove paint, it isn't a good glue, and causes unusual side effects when used as a shampoo (to which Beaker briefly pulls his hair off to show). Bunsen has Beaker drink it, and Beaker's head deflates.
	Episode 215: Lou Rawls	Nuclear Shaver Beaker is supposed to try out the nuclear shaver, but is forced to wear a lead helmet which is so heavy his head goes down into his shirt.
	Episode 217: Julie Andrews	Hair-Growing/Raising Tonic Dr. Honeydew invents a new hair tonic. Despite his baldness, the good doctor naturally tests the elixir on Beaker, whose own hair flies off as a result. Bunsen then considers renaming the tonic "Hair-Raising Tonic". Note: Part of this sketch appeared in the opening of The Muppets.
	Episode 219: Peter Sellers	Teleporter Dr. Honeydew presents his teleporter, which can transport people from one location to another. This makes Kermit furious, so Bunsen transports him away. Meanwhile, the scientist attempts to retrieve Beaker, previously teleported to the jungles of Africa, and inadvertently brings back a friend, Quongo the Wild Mountain Gorilla in his debut. Bunsen sends them both back to Africa and tries to bring back just Beaker, but he only succeeds in bringing back Quongo and Kermit.
	Episode 221: Bob Hope	Automatic Wastebasket Dr. Honeydew's newest invention, the Automatic Wastebasket, is efficient as a waste disposal unit, but has an insatiable hunger. Bunsen reconsiders marketing the product after it runs out of trash to eat and munches on Beaker's head.
	Episode 222: Teresa Brewer	Electric Nose Warmer Beaker tests out an electric nose warmer, which is a little too hot.
The Muppet Show Season 3
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 301: Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge	Elevator Shoes Dr. Honeydew has good news for short, stubby people... like Beaker. He has invented elevator shoes, which increase the wearer's height. He pulls the lever, making Beaker grow (and revealing that Beaker wears striped socks). Note: This is the first appearance of the new Muppet Labs set.
	Episode 304: Gilda Radner	Super Adhesive Gilda Radner volunteers to assist Bunsen and Beaker with the super glue that Dr. Honeydew invented. However, Gilda accidentally squirts glue all over, causing everybody to be stuck, including Statler and Waldorf at the end.
	Episode 305: Pearl Bailey	Edible Paperclips Beaker enjoys eating edible paper clips...until his nose falls off.
	Episode 306: Jean Stapleton	Shrinking Pills Bunsen shows off his new shrinking pills. Beaker eats too many and shrinks very small.
	Episode 307: Alice Cooper	Germ Enlarger Dr. Honeydew invents a solution that can make a small germ bigger, thereby making the microscope obsolete. But when Beaker tosses their microscope away, Bunsen threatens to dock his salary. This is soon forgotten once the Germ is enlarged, however, as it quickly engulfs Beaker, much to Bunsen's amusement.
	Episode 318: Leslie Uggams	Fireproof Paper Despite what Bunsen claims, fireproof paper immediately ignites when Beaker lights it. However, his flammable water works fine.
The Muppet Show Season 4
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 402: Crystal Gayle	Banana Sharpener Bunsen creates a device which sharpens bananas, allowing them to be easily stored by sticking them in a wall (preferably with the attached slingshot).
	Episode 416: Jonathan Winters	Luggage Compressor Dr. Honeydew invents a machine that can compress any type of travel baggage.
	Episode 418: Christopher Reeve	Milking Machine Dr. Honeydew invents a milking machine which ends up changing Beaker's hair.
	Episode 422: Andy Williams	Pet Converter Dr. Honeydew shows off an invention that can turn anything into a pet. It first converts a cat into a dog, then the dog is converted in a tiger that attacks Beaker. Meanwhile, Bunsen's hand gets turned into a dog. The sketch features a look at Gaffer without the usual eye patch.
The Muppet Show Season 5
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 504: Shirley Bassey	Alchemy Machine Dr. Honeydew has invented a machine that can turn gold into cottage cheese. For the demonstration, Beaker has taken a gold bar from backstage, which security guard Bruno attempts to retrieve. The precious metal has already been converted into cottage cheese, however, so the guard chases after Beaker.
	Episode 510: Jean-Pierre Rampal	Electric Sledgehammer The electric sledgehammer pounds Bunsen and Beaker instead of the nail. It then escapes from Muppet Labs, roaming about on a very long extension cord and attacking really wimpy nerds, as reported by the Muppet Newsman before he's attacked by the machine.
	Episode 514: Mac Davis	Copying Machine Dr. Honeydew is sad because Beaker is missing, but he presents his latest invention, a copying machine. The nervous Beaker had fallen into the machine, and the lab assistant is duplicated as a result. In a running gag throughout the episode, The Muppet Theatre is gradually overrun by Beaker clones.
The Jim Henson Hour
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 107: Fitness	Exercise Shoes Dr. Honeydew has invented shoes that can help people to exercise while at work. Beaker wears the shoes and exercises his way to the ceiling, but then Bunsen says that the shoes automatically stop at the sound of a bell.
Muppets Tonight
Picture	Episode	Description
	Episode 202: Rick Moranis	Micro Shrink-o-Matic Machine In an attempt to emulate guest star Rick Moranis, Dr. Honeydew invents his own shrinking machine which only shrinks Beaker's head.
	Episode 203: Heather Locklear	Mood Meals Bunsen has developed snacks that release endorphins to the brain. A biscotti makes one incredibly nice, while a chimichanga makes them extremely evil.
	Episode 204: Pierce Brosnan	Deadly Alarm Clock Dr. Honeydew has developed equipments for Pierce Brosnan to host the show. He develops a deadly alarm clock, a clock place into a giant slingshot and fire point blank at someone's head. Pierce later use the equipment to fight off the Rock Lobsters.
	Episode 206: Paula Abdul	Robot Abraham Lincoln Dr. Honeydew invents a robotic version of Abraham Lincoln, which runs amuck.
Muppets.com
Picture	Description
	Why... This... Takes... So... Long. Dr. Honeydew gives hint on how to stop online delays.
	A Keyboard Tutorial Dr. Honeydew explains some keyboard shortcuts.
	Meep-meep-meep...Disney.com Dr. Honeydew explains some of the new features on Disney.com
	The World Wide Waiting Game Dr. Honeydew and Beaker showcase some games you can play while waiting on a slow Internet connection.
Haunted Holidays
Picture	Description
	Carv-O-Matic Bunsen and Beaker demonstrate their automatic pumpkin-carving machine, which accidentally carves Beaker's head.
	Ghost Hunter From inside the Muppet Mobile Lab, Bunsen and a penguin observe Beaker's trip into a haunted house.

The Muppet Show Comic Book

• Time Machine (Comic-Con Preview Issue)

Bunsen invents a time machine, and tells Beaker to go 30 seconds into the past. Unfortunately, he keeps going back to when Bunsen tells him to go 30 seconds into the past.

• Humorous Cheese (Fozzie's Story)

Bunsen invents a Humorous Cheese, milked from cows with a greater-than-average sense of humor. The cheese comes to life, but when his jokes become too much for the scientists, Bunsen has Beaker to do "Plan B", letting the cheese chase Beaker into a cage. Unfortunately for Beaker, Bunsen won't unlock it, for fear that the cheese will try to escape.

• Psychic Ability Monitoring Device (Miss Piggy's Story)

Believing that everybody has a bit of psychic ability in them, Bunsen has Beaker wear a monitoring device helmet and asks a series of questions, which Beaker keeps getting right. But Beaker soon catches fire.

Muppet Babies

Bunsen and Beaker's multifunctional ray gun.

• The comic book version of Muppet Babies featured a version of Muppet Labs in issue #4.
• On the 2018 Muppet Babies reboot series, Muppet Labs first appears in the episode "One Small Problem" where Baby Bunsen and Baby Beaker introduce their invention, the Enlarge-O-Ray. They use the device in an attempt to make Summer Penguin bigger, but a malfunction causes her to become tiny. After it's fixed, Beaker is made oversized until it's revealed that, outside their imaginations, the Enlarge-O-Ray is actually just a flashlight. The location reappears regularly throughout the series; sometimes even entirely without Bunsen and Beaker's involvement, such as in the superhero episodes of the show. The often renamed (and color-changing) ray gun remains an integral part of the location, capable of many more feats (such as multiplying characters, or making them grow mustaches.)
• For the Disney Junior Music: Ready for Preschool series, an approximation of the Muppet Babies reboot version of Muppet Labs was recreated in 2D animation.

Original version

Updated version

Disney Junior Music version

See also

At the Dance Bear on Patrol Blackouts Cold Open The Electric Mayhem An Editorial by Sam the Eagle Fozzie's Comedy Acts Gonzo's Stunts Muppet Labs

Muppet Melodrama Muppet News Flash Muppet Sports Musical Chickens Panel Discussions Pigs in Space Planet Koozebane A Poem by Rowlf Rowlf at the Piano

The Swedish Chef Talk Spots Talking Houses UK Spots Vendaface Veterinarian's Hospital Wayne and Wanda