| Muppets Tonight | |
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| Air Date | March 15, 1996 |
| Written by | Dick Blasucci, Paul Flaherty, Darin Henry, Jim Lewis, Kirk Thatcher and Patric Verrone |
| Director | Greg V. Fera |
| Prod. no. | 105 |
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Clifford and company try to convince Garth Brooks to sing a little bit of country music, but he's more interested in performing Broadway show tunes and Shakespeare. Leonard Nimoy also makes a cameo appearance.
Skit Highlights[]
- Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet
- Tales from the Vet - Taylor the Turkey
- Swift Wits
- "It's Not Unusual" sung by Garth
- The Tubmans of Porksmith
- Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine: The Next Generation of Pigs in Space
- "If I Were a Rich Man" sung by Garth
- Gonzo and Garth's inverted, suborbital, rocket-powered, anti-gravity bungee jump
- "We Shall Be Free" sung by Garth and the Muppets
Episode[]
| Picture | Description |
|---|---|
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Clifford and Rizzo are going over the plan for tonight's episode, which includes guest star Garth Brooks singing "The Thunder Rolls" (with The Longhorn Cheddar Cheeses) and "Papa Loved Mama" (with The Barbershop Cactus Quartet), when they are interrupted by Bill the Bubble Guy, who is not on the list but looking for work. Brushing Bill aside, Clifford expresses satisfaction that the network is getting what they want — Garth Brooks singing his hits. Garth himself enters and gives them the good news: instead of the "Garth Brooks stuff" he usually does, he wants to do something different. For instance: MAMBO! "Well, that's somethin' different," Rizzo says as Garth and several Muppets mambo away. |
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"Muppets Tonight Theme" |
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Clifford welcomes the audience to the show and attempts to introduce Garth without further ado when Rizzo runs ontstage and tells him he might want more ado: Garth Brooks is now wearing "a puffy shirt, tights, and a cute set of bloomers." Clifford says they can't let him go onstage like that, but as the alternative is putting on Bill the Bubble Guy, he introduces Garth "as you've never seen him before." |
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Garth performs the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, with Miss Piggy as Juliet. Piggy complains about not getting a rewrite (they were supposed to be performing "Surrey With The Fringe on Top") but begrudgingly agrees to play along, trying and failing to read the cue cards. Andy and Randy appear to announce that they are also wearing bloomers. "We fore art the Two Gentleman of Bologna!" Piggy attempts to conclude her scene ("Parking is such sweet sponging?") but tumbles to the ground when Andy and Randy pull one of the support beams out from under the balcony. |
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In their nursing home, Statler declares William Shakespeare "would have hated that." Waldorf says that Statler should know, as he dated his sister. "Boy, was she ugly," says Statler. |
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The Turkey Who Loved Thanksgiving Dr. Phil van Neuter, your friendly veterinarian, reads from the secret files (after berating Mulch when the files are missing). He tells the story of Taylor the Turkey, who likes Thanksgiving, despite being the main course. |
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In "Swift Wits" (a UK Spot) Snookie Blyer tells Agnes Stonewick that if she answers correctly, a "cute little beagle who was found whimpering in the parking lot of Al's TV City" named Buffy will be given a lifetime supply of Sniggle's Live Dog Treats. If she answers wrong, Carl the Big Mean Bunny will eat him. She's told that the answer she has to get is a large thing that sits in your living room and never moves, something you walk all over, and something you take out and beat when it's dirty (a rug); she guesses her brother Norm. |
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Kermit the Frog enters the control room and lets Clifford know that Garth has agreed to go on and perform a song. Clifford tells him that he's happy enough that, if Kermit wasn't "a bug-eyed, spindly-legged froggy," he'd kiss his "knobby little head." Kermit says if Clifford wasn't "a purple, catfish-faced, multi-colored moptop" he would let him do so. However, the happiness is short lived when they look onstage... |
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Garth, dressed as Tom Jones, is singing "It's Not Unusual" to a crowd of female Muppets (plus Bobo, Andy and Randy), most of whom faint and/or throw their underwear at him. While Garth continues singing, Rizzo tells everyone that The Head of the Network is headed in, "and he ain't happy!" The Head of the Network threatens to yank the show off the air and put Bill the Bubble Guy on instead unless Garth sings a country song. Onstage, the number concludes after all of the audience have fainted, save for Bobo (who tries to ask for his boxer shorts back). |
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UK Spot: The Tubmans of Porksmith When Howard Tubman becomes stuck in his chair, he calls for a handyman to free him. Upon discovering Howard's tremendous girth, the handyman realizes that the only solution is to "blast" him out of the chair with dynamite. Despite initial reluctance (largely because the explosion might "burn the pot roast"), Howard agrees. The handyman hands him a detonator, or plunger, and picks up some explosive charges, commenting that "all he has to do is press the plunger." Howard takes this as an instruction and blows the handyman up. The explosion makes him hungry, so he requests Carter bring in the pot roast. The butler picks up the explosive charges as he goes out, commenting that "all the poor man said was 'Press the plunger.'" Howard once again takes this literally and blows Carter up as well, leaving him with a difficult task--fetching the pot roast himself. |
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Backstage, the Barbershop Cactus Quartet and Longhorn Cheddar Cheeses, and several Lobsters are getting unruly since they haven't been able to sing with Garth as promised. Clifford tells Rizzo to find something for them all to do while he keeps working on Garth (who is now wearing a kimono). |
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Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine: The Next Generation of Pigs in Space Bill the Bubble Guy invades the Swinetrek with his bubble-blowing. The residue of the bubble creates a slick film on the bridge and the captain says he likes that kind of film and thus, the bridge instantly starts showing a movie. Miss Piggy complains about the cheapness of the joke as the sketch ends. |
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Clifford and Piggy both complain to Rizzo about the preceding sketch, with Piggy deriding the idea of a space adventure with bubbles. "They never would have done anything that unrealistic on Star Trek!" Leonard Nimoy appears to correct Piggy, telling her of an episode where the USS Enterprise was invaded by "an evil race of super-intelligent bubbles." "No wonder you were canceled," she replies. |
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Outside Garth's dressing room, Clifford attempts to be tactful while Rizzo flat-out asks if he's gone nuts. Garth promises that his next number will be him out in the country with a fiddle and the Chickens. Clifford is relieved. |
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The number Garth was talking about is revealed to be "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof, with him dressed as Tevye, surrounded by chickens, as Floyd Pepper plays the fiddle on a roof set. The Head of the Network is not happy that he's not doing a country song, though Rizzo points out he didn't specify which country. |
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Statler asks Waldorf what he'd do if he were a rich man. Waldorf says he would buy the network and cancel the show. |
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As the Head of the Network prepares to turn the time slot over to Bill, Clifford heads over to Garth's room to tell him that he doesn't want Garth letting down all the people watching who want to see him perform one of his songs. Luckily, Garth heard him through the door and agrees to perform without any gimmicks. Unluckily, Gonzo arrives to offer Garth the chance to take part in the first-ever inverted sub-orbital anti-gravity bungee jump, to which he eagerly accepts. |
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The Great Gonzo and the Great Garth-zo prepare to begin the stunt, but, upon hearing that the only thing stopping their fall will be the floor, Garth backs out and performs "We Shall Be Free" instead, much to the delight of the network head. A flattened Gonzo crashes back to earth at the song's conclusion. |
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While admiring the jetpack that Gonzo outfitted him with, Garth laments never getting his chance to perform the stunt. Gonzo says that it's never too late and presses a button that rockets him into the sky (without his bungee cord). |
Notes[]
- George the janitor from the first season of The Muppet Show is seen cleaning the studio at the end of the episode.
- This is Rowlf's first speaking appearance since Jim Henson's death. As Garth sings the closing number, Rowlf mutters, "Oh yeah," and chuckles a bit. Rowlf also makes a muttering cameo in Muppets from Space, but he doesn't say a full line on screen until It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002.
- This episode is the first appearance of Bill the Bubble Guy, Pepe the King Prawn, Seymour, and Phil van Neuter. Mulch was previously used on the final season of The Muppet Show and The Muppets Go to the Movies.
Performers[]
- Kevin Clash as Clifford, Mulch, Craniac, Agnes Stonewick, Carter
- Bill Barretta as Bobo, Pepe the Prawn, Howard Tubman, Snookie Blyer, Carl, Rowlf
- Steve Whitmire as Kermit the Frog, Andy Pig, Captain Pighead, Rizzo the Rat.
- Frank Oz as Miss Piggy.
- Dave Goelz as Gonzo, Bill the Bubble Guy, Randy Pig, Waldorf, Snorty.
- Jerry Nelson as Statler, The Head of the Network, Taylor the Turkey.
- Brian Henson as Nigel the director, Seymour the Elephant, Dr. Phil van Neuter, Captain's Log.
- Leslie Carrara
- Phil Baron
- Thom Fountain
- Bruce Lanoil as lobster
- Doug Legacy
- Len Levitt
- Drew Massey
- Joe Selph
- Leif Tilden
- Allan Trautman as the handyman
Cast[]
Muppets:
- Clifford, Rizzo the Rat, The Head of the Network, Kermit the Frog, Bill the Bubble Guy, Andy and Randy Pig, Miss Piggy, Captain's Log, Captain Pighead, Craniac, Gonzo, Statler and Waldorf, Nigel (Muppets Tonight), Dr. Phil van Neuter, Mulch, Bobo the Bear, Taylor the Turkey, Rowlf, Pepe the King Prawn, Seymour, Handyman, Howard Tubman, Carter, The Extremes, Chickens, Eugene, Snookie Blyer, Big Mean Carl, Agnes Stonewick, Buffy, Harvey, Duke, Doris, Shirley, Whatnots, The Barbershop Cactus Quartet, The Longhorn Cheddar Cheeses, Lobsters
Background Muppets:
- Floyd Pepper, George the Janitor, J.P. Grosse, Inkspot, Lobsters, Murray the Minstrel, One of the Fazoobs, Larb, Larry
Audience Muppets:
- Begoony, Big Mean Carl, Blustering Bellowpane Monster, Buster Bergman, Butch, Chickens, Chip, Crocodile, Frackles, Gnu, Large Marvin Fraggle, Doris, a Monkey, Pigs, Rats, Quongo, The Newsman, Shirley
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