Today

Today, also known as The Today Show, is a daily morning news and talk program on NBC. Debuting in January 1952, it is also the third-longest running American television series.

The Muppets were frequent guests on Today in the early 1960s, doing local cut-ins for the show from Washington, D.C. They performed sketches from Sam and Friends; Jim Henson and Jane Nebel were also interviewed occasionally.

Decades later, the Muppets still make regular appearances on the show to promote current projects. Miss Piggy has had a particularly stormy past on the show; she seems to have a romantic history with co-host Matt Lauer, and she's had dust-ups with hosts Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira. Elmo has also had a long standing flirtation with news anchor Ann Curry.

The Muppets have also played host to the Today hosts -- Lauer and weatherman Al Roker have both appeared on Sesame Street. Willard Scott and Jane Pauley were guests on The Jim Henson Hour in episode 103, when Fozzie Bear visited the set of Today.

Former Today co-host Bryant Gumbel also contributed a recipe for Miss Piggy's 1996 cookbook, In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy.

Appearances

 * June 5, 1961 with host Dave Garroway, performing "Yes, We Have No Bananas" and "Old Black Magic."


 * Weekly appearances in 1962 and 1963 with host Hugh Downs.


 * July 1984 -- Willard Scott introduces Gene Shalit's interview with Jim Henson, which starts with Henson throwing out a nod to Scott about having begun his career working with him at WRC-TV. Henson is promoting the company's new film, The Muppets Take Manhattan, which Shalit says is a refreshing break from the summer's crop of terrible movies. This launches into a discussion about violence on the screen in contemporary cinema. Later, Kermit stops in for an interview (he's even miked on his collar), and receives the usual volley of questions about the rumors concerning a marriage and on-again/off-again relationship with Miss Piggy.


 * November 14, 1988 -- Big Bird assists Willard Scott with the weather; Meryl Sheep and Count von Count take over for regular anchors Jane Pauley and Bryant Gumbel.


 * January 1, 1998 -- The morning after New Year's Eve, Miss Piggy breaks up with her New Year's date, Matt Lauer.


 * 1999 -- Roscoe Orman and Elmo appear to promote "Art From the Fuzzy and Famous".


 * January 14, 2002 -- Kermit and Miss Piggy appear for the show's 50th anniversary celebration. This is the last known appearance of Frank Oz as Piggy.


 * September 21, 2005 -- Cheryl Henson and Kevin Clash talk with Matt Lauer to promote the new book It's Not Easy Being Green.


 * December 28, 2005 -- Big Bird (Matt Vogel) appears with Rosemarie Truglio to promote Episode 4107 and Episode 4108, the "Adventures of Little Big Bird" two-parter.


 * May 2006 -- With the announced departure of Katie Couric, assorted celebrities tape segments offering their farewells. Miss Piggy and Kermit appear on May 16, and Piggy takes offense at Kermit's sign: "Hey Matt, want a pig?" On May 25, Elmo shows up to offer his own goodbyes, following General Norman Schwarzkopf.


 * August 14, 2006 -- Leslie Carrara performs Abby Cadabby in an introduction of the character to the general populus. Note: This appearance was originally scheduled for Friday, August 11th.


 * September 6, 2006 -- Kevin Clash and Elmo appear together to promote Kevin's book My Life as a Furry Red Monster.


 * September 14, 2006 -- Miss Piggy thinks that she's the new co-host, and not Meredith Vieira. And if that wasn't enough, the poor pig also has to deal with bacon breath.


 * January 5, 2007 -- Miss Piggy pops out of the roughly four-foot-tall cake and sings "Happy Anchorversary" to Matt Lauer, in celebration of Lauer's 10th anniversary on the program.


 * February 7, 2007 -- The cast of Sesame Street LIVE: Elmo's Coloring Book performs on the plaza to promote their run at Madison Square Garden.


 * May 10, 2007 -- After a retrospective video looking at Ann Curry's 10 years on The Today Show, Elmo appears in a live segment from Italy wishing Ann well. The cast escort Curry to a short wall, from which Cookie Monster pops out from in behind. Cookie pulls out a plate of cookies, presents Ann with a bouquet of flowers, then calls in "Lou" to bring a case with an engraved necklace. As Ann hugs her co-hosts, Cookie starts to chow down on his cookies, before being hugged mid-eat by Ann.


 * August 7, 2007 -- Miss Piggy appears behind the set's couch to talk to Al, Meredith, and Matt about The Muppet Show: Season Two DVD.


 * August 10, 2007 -- Elmo promotes season 38 of Sesame Street.


 * December 25, 2007 -- "Abby and the Sesame Street gang" scheduled to appear on the show, according to an email by Leslie Carrara.


 * July 29, 2008 -- Hoda and Kathie Lee Gifford talk to Kermit and Miss Piggy about the first Studio DC: Almost Live. Before the segment, Gifford apparently tried to provoke Miss Piggy, so she would react during the segment. After talking to the two about the guests, Piggy discusses her fitness regimen, shopping, and Kermit mentions he chases his food with his tongue. After discussing their relationship, Hoda asks Miss Piggy what she thinks of the fourth hour of The Today Show: "I've never watched it."


 * November 13, 2008 -- "The Muppets Take Over Today" -- Muppet characters appear, taking over the program for a full half hour, 8:00 to 8:30 am EST. The appearance "perhaps not coincidentally" corresponded to the launch of The Muppet Whatnot Workshop. Scattered appearances continued throughout the program. Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy appear, with Christopher Meloni, and Harry Connick Jr. as fellow guests.


 * November 27, 2008 -- The Muppets appear in a cooking segment on Thanksgiving. A Whatnot version of Al Roker is set to host the "cooking turkey" segment until a live turkey appears, explaining that they're actually doing a "cooking with a turkey" presentation. The turkey prepares a steak via a George Foreman grill, but a passing bull is shocked by what he sees, and sadly questions the steak: "Mama?!" Al happily closes the segment as the bull runs away in tears.


 * December 17, 2008 -- Miss Piggy appears to plug A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa. She reveals that she asked Santa for "one of those 25 billion dollar bailouts that the government's giving out." She explains that in the special she's furious at Kermit for cancelling their vacation. Asked if she eventually forgives Kermit and gets in the holiday spirit, Piggy snaps, "Look, this is a holiday special. It has a happy ending, all right? It's okay. And plus, I could never stay mad at my Kermie. No. I like to think of him as mistletoe with webbed feet." Asked whether she's ever written a letter to Santa, Piggy says, "Oh, well, yes, of course I have. Look, I wouldn't leave any stone unturned when it comes to getting Christmas presents."


 * February 6, 2009 -- Miss Piggy appears to promote The Diva Code.


 * April 2, 2009 -- Elmo appears in his green version to promote his new DVD Being Green.


 * May 14, 2009 -- Zoe appears to celebrate the announcement of Sesame Street’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.


 * September 6, 2009 -- Elmo and Jean Chatzky appear to promote Families Stand Together.


 * September 8, 2009 -- Elmo and Elmo's Mom appear to promote Families Stand Together.


 * November 6, 2009 -- The 40th Anniversary is discussed and Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby appear to promote the new season. (video)


 * December 3, 2009 -- Kermit and Piggy appear. Miss Piggy is sick and sneezing, but insists it isn't swine flu. (video)


 * May 3, 2010 -- Elmo appears to promote The Best of Elmo 2. During a promotional bumper, Elmo appears with Betty White, giving the former "Golden Girl" a kiss.  Elmo also continued his longtime flirtation with Ann Curry, and talked about his new friend Memory-Bot.

References to Today

 * In Muppets Tonight episode 103, Bobo the Bear greets Sal Minella by saying "Hold it up there, J. Fred Muggs." Muggs was a trained chimpanzee who appeared on The Today Show from 1953 until 1957, and was included in Animal Planet's 50 Greatest TV Animals.