FUN FRIDAY: This is what we call the Muppet Show

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There has never been, and will never be anything that is quite like The Muppet Show. In the mid-1970s, a British production company led by a real honest Lord took a chance that a variety show featuring characters from Sesame Street, carried only through syndication, would actually work.

To be honest, it didn’t. It was expensive and performed poorly in the ratings. To call some of the dialogue and production numbers “stupid” would be, in the words of one of my favorite films, an insult to stupid people. But yet, here we are 40 years later talking about it.

There was just something in the air

Why? Because the combination of hallucinogenic drugs (come on, it’s really obvious), creative freedom, innovations in puppetry, and some really awesome guest stars made it an instant classic. The show developed a truly cool reputation. Despite the fact that people needed to travel to London to appear on it, they did. Everyone from Lynda Carter (TV’s Wonder Woman) to Beverly Sills, the then-prominent opera singer, made the rounds.

The show evolved surprisingly considering that it was a half-hour episodic variety show. Bingewatching it now on Disney+ lets you see that evolution. Miss Piggy’s relationship with Kermit stirred, as did Gonzo’s feelings for Camilla the Chicken. New characters were introduced organically. The show started to do theme episodes. And yet, the show turned slowly away from truly experimental segments toward more comedy and pure entertainment.

Moving right along

The Muppets made a few successful movies and many unsuccessful ones. There were television shows, including the truly odd The Muppets which was packaged like a 2010s-style pseudo-documentary a la The Office. Disney bought Jim Henson Studios, the original maker of The Muppet Show, and never seemed to understand how to keep that subversive element alive.

Probably the best of the crop, once you get past the 1970s and early 1980s, was 2011’s The Muppets, no relation to the similarly named sitcom mentioned above. Here was a movie that really seemed to understand the cultural sensitivities of The Muppets. They never really were out there for children. They were out there for truly weird adults. Sadly, a sequel, Muppets Most Wanted, made it clear that the magic just couldn’t be repeated.

Never before and never again

It seems almost a foregone conclusion that there will never again be a show like it. Despite a decent movie or two, most attempts to recapture the spirit of The Muppet Show have failed. Personally I blame the lack of LSD. In today’s world, where even weirdness is mainstreamed somehow, the Muppets just don’t fit in. And, it seems like the people who shepherd the franchise at Disney simply don’t know what to do with it.

If you grew up with The Muppet Show, it became a part of you. You’re probably humming the theme already. So, I present to you a playlist claiming to be “the very best” of the show. Enjoy!

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.