Veterinarian's Hospital



Veterinarian's Hospital is a recurring Muppet Show sketch, loosely spoofing the atmosphere of medical soap operas.

Dr. Bob (played by Rowlf the Dog), Nurse Piggy (Miss Piggy), and Nurse Janice confer over a series of patients, telling an endless series of bad jokes, and failing to affect any cure.

In Season One, The Announcer was played by John Lovelady, and opened each sketch with, "And now, the continuing story of a former orthopedic surgeon who's gone to the dogs." Jerry Nelson occasionally substituted, and would take over the role full time in subsequent seasons. Nelson's announcer opens the sketch with, "And now, the continuing stoooory of a quack who's gone to the dogs," and ends each sketch with "Tune in next week when you'll hear [Character Name] say..."

After the completion of The Muppet Show in 1981, the further antics of Dr. Bob's operating room were told in the panels of The Muppets comic strip by Guy and Brad Gilchrist. Examples from the earliest strips made their debut on October 21st and 28th, and December 8th; the last two of which feature Fozzie returning to the hospital bed once again. Later strips took the trio outside of their familiar setting and even split the characters up to inspire a variety of circumstances. Some of these can be found in the pages of six book collections of the series released by Tom Doherty Associates.

The Palisades Toys line of Muppet action figures were announced to have gone into production for a set of Veterinarian's Hospital Action Figures, but the toys never made it past the prototype phase. In 2003, Sababa Toys released a set of bean dolls featuring the Vet's Hospital cast and their patient, Camilla.

Honorable mentions

 * The Pigs in Space sketch from episode 423 features a cameo appearance by Dr. Bob and Nurse Janice who appear to help alleviate First Mate Piggy's sore feet, thus merging two of the more well-known recurring Muppet Show sketches.