Muppet explosions

Explosions have always been a Muppet trademark, from the early days of the Wilkins Coffee commercials through The Muppet Show and beyond. In the early days of the Muppets, explosions were made by blowing into a tube attached to a funnel filled with powder. By the 1970s, Muppet designer Don Sahlin developed new techniques, using pyrotechnics and compressed air. The differences between the two techniques are evident in the sketches themselves, as the powder use resulted in particles floating, while the pyrotechnics were accompanied by greater amounts of smoke and sparks of light.

Dave Goelz described Sahlin's love for explosive practical jokes in a MuppetFest panel. Goelz said that Sahlin would run "squibs" -- little remote-control explosives -- all over the office, wiring them back to a doorbell under his desk. "He would just sit there and choose when you would explode. He would just sit there, talking to you, waiting for the moment -- and then you went."

Commercials



 * Wilkins Coffee:
 * 1) Wilkins blows up Wontkins.
 * 2) Wilkins blows up Wontkins' house, with Wontkins in it.
 * 3) Wilkins (as "Swilkins the Swami") predicts that Wontkins will explode, and he does.
 * 4) Wilkins' rocket explodes.
 * 5) Wilkins (as a soldier) blows up Wontkins with a grenade.
 * 6) Wilkins blows up Wontkins' TV.


 * C & P Telephone Co. of VA: Suzy warns Mack that people who don't check the telephone directory for diling info blow up sometimes. Mack scoffs at her, and then blows up.


 * Kerns Bakery:
 * 1) Tommy blows up Fred's house, with Fred in it.
 * 2) A loaf of "Brand X" Bread blows up.


 * McGarry's Sausage: Mack blows up Kermit.


 * Kraml Dairy: Wilkins' rocket explodes.


 * Southern Bread: The Southern Colonel's rocket explodes

The Ed Sullivan Show

 * The Computer Dinner: The machine blows up the monster at the end of the sketch.


 * Sclrap Flyapp: The Sclrap Flyapp creature blasts the other creatures.


 * Business, Business: The two "Business" creatures are blown up.


 * Java: The small creature blasts the larger one.

Sesame Street

 * Six Dollar Man: A small explosion occurs when the Six Dollar Man destroys the lab.


 * Danger (song): Little Jerry and the Monotones sing part of this song surrounded by blastings, shown as explosions. Of course, they are unscathed, but one leaves looking really freaked.


 * Danger's No Stranger: Similar to above, How Now Brown and the Moo Wave sing surrounded by forms of danger, including blastings.

The Muppet Valentine Show

 * Crazy Harry (called Crazy Donald in this, his first appearance) sets off an explosion near the beginning.


 * Crazy Donald sets off an explosion as the title song ends.


 * Crazy Donald blows up a wall when George the Janitor says "Dynamite".


 * Crazy Donald sets off an explosion after George says "Blast".


 * Crazy Donald sets off an explosion during the closing song.

The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence

 * Crazy Harry sets off an explosion after the title is shown.


 * Crazy Harry sets off an explosion when the Seven Deadly Sins are about to attack Nigel.


 * Crazy Harry sets off an explosion during the credits.

The Muppet Show

 * Episode 101: Juliet Prowse: Gonzo's gong explodes when he hits the "O" in the theme song, being all blackened; Fozzie's apple explodes after he realizes that the fuse is lit. Following this scene, the cigar that Statler is smoking suddenly explodes.


 * Episode 102: Connie Stevens: Zoot blasts Mahna Mahna offstage with an explosion from his sax.


 * Episode 103: Joel Grey: Crazy Harry sets off explosions during the opening number.


 * Episode 105: Rita Moreno: The phone sets off an explosion backstage.


 * Episode 107: Florence Henderson: Male and Female Koozebanians explode during the Galley-o-hoop-hoop.


 * Episode 110: Harvey Korman: Various explosions occur during "Love Ya to Death". In Veterinarian's Hospital, a Whatnot's stomach explodes.


 * Episode 111: Lena Horne: Boppity's head explodes in At the Dance.


 * Episode 112: Peter Ustinov: At the end of Muppet Labs, Peter Ustinov as a robot politician explodes. Svengali also explodes at the end of "You Do Something To Me".


 * Episode 114: Sandy Duncan: Crazy Harry sets off two explosions during Kermit's introduction to the opening number.


 * Episode 115: Candice Bergen: Swedish Chef's brain explodes.


 * Episode 116: Avery Schreiber: Cabinets explode when the gorilla smashes them in Muppet Labs.


 * Episode 117: Ben Vereen: Crazy Harry sets off many explosions: three before Ben Vereen's second number, one during the talk spot, once when Ben tells Hilda that he gets a big bang out of being on the show, and at the end when Ben Vereen says that the show was "dynamite". (Although not seen, he also blew up the trunk that Fozzie Bear was locked in) Several of the explosions throws the guest star on the rafters.


 * Episode 118: Phyllis Diller: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew gets blown up while showing off his exploding clothes. Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when Gonzo attempts to hit the gong.


 * Episode 119: Vincent Price: Wanda's head explodes, turning her into Boppity.


 * Episode 120: Valerie Harper: Gloat's head explodes in a backstage scene.


 * Episode 123: Kaye Ballard: Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when Gonzo attempts to hit the gong.


 * Episode 124: Mummenschanz: Two Whatnots' heads explode during At the Dance.


 * Episode 204: Rich Little: Crazy Harry sets off explosions during the opening number and blows up Animal in At the Dance.


 * Episode 205: Judy Collins: Link Hogthrob presses a button and sets off an explosion during Pigs in Space. The Old Lady explodes at the end of "Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly".


 * Episode 209: Madeline Kahn: The Newsman explodes.


 * Episode 210: George Burns: The machine blows up Luncheon Counter Monster at the end of the "Monster & Machine" sketch.


 * Episode 212: Bernadette Peters: The Swedish Chef tries to prepare an egg. The egg turns out to be a bomb, and the Chef explodes.


 * Episode 218: Jaye P. Morgan: Jaye P. gives Scooter a lighted bomb, which explodes when he starts to pick it up. Kermit demonstrates explosions during the Talk Spot. A cake baked by Crazy Harry explodes in Jaye P.'s dressing room. The Swedish Chef explodes after finding a bomb in a coconut. A Whatnot woman's head explodes in At the Dance, turning her into Gloat. A bomb Waldorf holds explodes. Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when he attempts to blow his trumpet.


 * Episode 219: Peter Sellers: A bomb explodes in Peter's dressing room.


 * Episode 221: Bob Hope: Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when he attempts to blow his trumpet.


 * Episode 306: Jean Stapleton: Crazy Harry plays the explodaphone during the closing number. He also makes a few explosions before the credits, whenever somebody says something.


 * Episode 307: Alice Cooper: Thog sets off an explosion with a stick of dynamite in the closing number, "School's Out." At the end of that number, the school blows up, unprompted by anyone. In the episode's final moments, Gonzo appears onstage in an explosion, holding a bill from the Special Effects department.


 * Episode 314: Harry Belafonte: Crazy Harry sets off an explosion that blows up Scooter in Belafonte's dressing room during the opener.


 * Episode 401: John Denver: Gonzo's head explodes when he blows his trumpet. Whatnot soldiers are blown up during "Why Can't We Be Friends?"


 * Episode 407: Dudley Moore: Gonzo gets blown up after trying to defuse a giant bomb.


 * Episode 418: Christopher Reeve: Bunsen's milking machine explodes.


 * Episode 419: Lynda Carter: Various explosions occur during the closing number.


 * Episode 424: Diana Ross: Link Hogthrob sets off an explosion by lighting a match while investigating a leak from his gas lighter in "Pigs in Space".


 * Episode 512: Melissa Manchester: Crazy Harry sets off an explosion during the cold opening.


 * Episode 518: Marty Feldman: Marty grants himself a wish: which is blowing Fozzie Bear up after interupting him.


 * Episode 520: Wally Boag: During "The Ying Tong Song" the female Whatnot spontaneously explodes while singing, "Take me back to Vienna..."


 * Episode 524: Roger Moore: When Kermit mentions the word "bang", an explosion occurs behind him.

Muppet Movies

 * The Muppet Movie: Crazy Harry sets off a few explosions before the movie starts. He later fiddles with the electricity while filming the movie, causing an explosion.


 * The Great Muppet Caper: during the "Hey a Movie!" number, a man accidently drops dynamite into the sewer that Sweetums had fallen into, causing an explosion.


 * Muppet Treasure Island: A trail of fire leading into a gunpowder barrel blows up Black Dog.


 * Muppets from Space: The stove in the Muppet Boarding House explodes.


 * The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: Wicked Witch of the West sets off a couple of explosions to block Dorothy's escape.

The Jim Henson Hour

 * Episode 103: Monster Telethon: A story segment ends with a book getting blown up, as a narrator says, "And they all lived happily ever after, unil they blew it all up."

Muppets Tonight

 * Episode 203: Heather Locklear: Steve's head explodes after drinking too much coffee in the opening number.

Muppet Meeting Films

 * Wilson's Meats: In Meeting Film #2, explosions occur near the beginning and at the end of the "pop art" commercial. Later, the "Smoke-o-Meter" machine explodes.


 * Explosion: Leo blows up Grump.


 * The Sky's The Limit: One of the balloon heads explodes.


 * Coffee Break Machine: The coffee machine blows up Luncheon Counter Monster.


 * IBM Training Film: The machine blows up the monster.

Other Explosions

 * Muppet Show Promos: In the Sandy Duncan promo, Fozzie sets off an explosion after Kermit says "bang".


 * The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years: Crazy Harry sets off an explosion after the montage of Muppet monsters, eatings and explosions.


 * Disneyland's 35th Aniversary Celebration: Gonzo's nose explodes.


 * Rock Music with the Muppets: Beaker accidentally sets off a few explosions during the video, such as in the introduction to "Don't Blame the Dynamite" and throughout the end credits.


 * Muppet Moments: A bomb explodes after Fozzie Bear realizes that the bomb he's holding is lit.


 * Good Morning America: A Whatnot blows up a VCR.


 * Keep Fishin': Beaker's head (unseen) explodes.


 * Muppets Party Cruise: In "Lights Out", the "bomb light" explodes if caught by players. In "Chemical Imbalance", if you mess up the formula, it explodes. In "Aeroplane Island", you're plane explodes if you crash.


 * Muppets.com: In the "FX Generator 9000 Game", Beaker's head explodes, but instantly grows back.


 * From the Balcony: Loni Dunne blows up on Episode 17.