ABC Weekend News: Kermit in Russia

ABC Weekend News, November 25, 1984. Sunday edition.

CHARLES GIBSON:

Just off Red Square there was a green visitor this weekend. This is a story that might be subtitled Kermit see the Kremlin. In a recent movie, the Muppets took Manhattan, now in real life they seem to be taking Moscow, as Walter Rodgers reports.

WALTER RODGERS:

The children arrived in diplomatic limousines and they trundled through the snow on a puppet pilgrimage. Inside the US Ambassador's Moscow mansion they lined up for more than an hour, but when the doors opened the American Ambassador, Arthur Hartman, was a mere usher because the Soviet and American children came to see two superstars. First John Denver, who warmed them up with a little foot stomping and hand clapping. [DENVER SINGING] And then Denver introduced the international superstar everyone came to see, a lovable little frog with a green face, Kermit. [APPLAUSE]

JOHN DENVER

How are you doing, pal.

KERMIT THE FROG

I'm doing very good. How are you?

JOHN DENVER

Well, I'm great. What are you doing here?

KERMIT

Well, I'm, I'm, I'm here visiting other Russian frogs. Actually, I think they're all hibernating though.

JOHN DENVER

Are they? I thought they'd...

KERMIT

It's very cold out there.

JOHN DENVER

I thought maybe frogs in Russia might be red? [AUDIENCE: MIXED REACTION] I was just kidding, I was just kidding, sorry about that Kermit.

KERMIT

That's a reptilian slur.

WALTER RODGERS

And when it was all over the Ambassador's wife presented the traditional American gift here, T-shirts from the US Marines in Moscow.

KERMIT

Handsome frog looks good in anything he puts on, you know.

[LAUGHTER]

WALTER RODGERS It was the highlight of the holiday season for many homesick Americans here. Walter Rodgers, ABC News, Moscow.