The Muppet Show (1976)
Go behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.
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Episode 1 - Dudley Moore
Release Date: 1979-10-24Dudley has a surprise for Kermit, a robot that can do the work of the entire band and of course the Electric Mayhem feel threatened by this fact.
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Episode 2 - Crystal Gayle
Release Date: 1979-11-02The 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.
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Episode 3 - Victor Borge
Release Date: 1979-11-09When Bobby Benson has to talk to a police officer someone has to take care of his babies. Unfortunately, the babies go wild without their daddy around and beat up people they don't like.
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Episode 4 - Beverly Sills
Release Date: 1979-11-16The pigs are excited that guest star Beverly Sills plans to perform the opera "Pigoletto" as the closing number.
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Episode 5 - Shields & Yarnell
Release Date: 1979-11-23Inspired 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".
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Episode 6 - Kenny Rogers
Release Date: 1979-11-30During a sketch Kermit hurts himself and keeps getting frightened by jungle animals in his hospital room or injured further by some crazy inconvenience.
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Episode 7 - Linda Lavin
Release Date: 1979-12-07Miss Piggy announces that this show is Kermit's birthday, and before he can react, she launches into the tribute she's organized. 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 season, 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.
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Episode 8 - John Denver
Release Date: 1979-12-14John and Kermit have a surprise for the cast; they're all going to Kermits' home the swamp! But even Gonzo, even with his love of the nasty and strange, thinks it's a bad idea and no one is willing to take him up on the offer even when Kermit offers them to go.
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Episode 9 - Arlo Guthrie
Release Date: 1979-12-21For 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.
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Episode 10 - Liza Minnelli
Release Date: 1979-12-28The Muppets present a murder mystery. Kermit is a private eye hired by Liza O'Shaugnessy, an actress whose production is being terrorized 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.
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Episode 11 - Dizzy Gillespie
Release Date: 1980-01-04Statler 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 down, he has to cut the trumpets for the show. Kermit tries to keep LaBrea busy while Dizzy performs.
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Episode 12 - Phyllis George
Release Date: 1980-01-11Phyllis hosts the 1st annual Muppet Awards, recognizing the greatest Muppet Show performers. Kermit, who hates awards shows, sits out the show, but Miss Piggy is absolutely determined to win.
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Episode 13 - Lola Falana
Release Date: 1980-01-18After years of failure Gonzo is actually appriciated for the actor he is and decides to quit the Muppet Show and move on to movies. Piggy, more jealous than sad, asks Gonzo to refer her to the director. This is one of the episodes that teeters on the edge of being very sad.
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Episode 14 - Dyan Cannon
Release Date: 1980-01-25As 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.
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Episode 15 - Anne Murray
Release Date: 1980-02-01Scooter 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.
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Episode 16 - Jonathan Winters
Release Date: 1980-02-08Jonathan 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 canceled, but Kermit refuses to believe there's a curse until a meteorite falls on his flipper. In the final stage of the curse, everyone begins to speak in mock Swedish.
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Episode 17 - Christopher Reeve
Release Date: 1980-02-15Everyone has a superhero bug, donning costumes and trying acts to impress the star of Superman: The Movie.
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Episode 18 - Lynda Carter
Release Date: 1980-02-22In honor of "Wonder Woman" 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.
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Episode 19 - Mark Hamill
Release Date: 1980-02-29The regularly-scheduled guest (a terrible singer) is bumped when four stars of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope suddenly appear in the theater. It's a natural for the Pigs in Space.
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Episode 20 - Alan Arkin
Release Date: 1980-03-07Alan accidentally drinks Bunsen Honeydew's Jekyll-and-Hyde potion, and turns into a rampaging monster. He runs amuck, 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.
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Episode 21 - Doug Henning
Release Date: 1980-03-14Fozzie 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."
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Episode 22 - Andy Williams
Release Date: 1980-03-21Miss 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 rumor slips out, and soon everyone thinks Kermit and Piggy are getting married.
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Episode 23 - Carol Channing
Release Date: 1980-03-28Miss 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.
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Episode 24 - Diana Ross
Release Date: 1980-04-04The show's audience members are getting horrified at everyone on stage except Diana Ross.