Episode 124: Mummenschanz

The Muppet Show
Guest	Mummenschanz
Production	November 23-26, 1976
Premiere	UK: January 9, 1977 NYC: March 21, 1977
Releases	Season One Best of the Muppet Show
(TRANSCRIPT)

Miss Piggy is repulsed when Gonzo tells her that he loves her. Kermit tries to help by asking Piggy if she would like to go to dinner -- and when she accepts, he fixes her up with Gonzo. Everybody gets karate-chopped.

Songs/Sketches

• "Mr. Bassman"
• Mummenschanz: Paper Faces
• "The Blue Danube" at the Library
• Mummenschanz: Three short skits
• At the Dance
• UK Spot: "When I'm Not Near the Fish I Love"
• In the guest talk spot, Mummenschanz "talk" with Kermit -- the mouths of their masks open, and bubbles and ping-pong balls come out.
• Wayne and Wanda: "It's Only a Paper Moon"
• Vendaface: Statler
• Muppet News Flash
• Mummenschanz: Clay Faces

Episode

Picture	Description
	"The Muppet Show Theme": Gonzo shoots the "O" with a blunderbus. (Repeated from episode 119)
	Scooter and Floyd Pepper sing "Mr. Bassman" with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem backing them up.
	Backstage, Miss Piggy discovers a mysterious note on her dressing room door::"My dearest Piggy,:You must know how much I love you. I cannot pretend any longer. I will wait for you in your dressing room, mon cher." Positive that the note is from Kermit, she enters her dressing room eagerly.
	Inside her dressing room, Miss Piggy awaits her "passion flower's" embrace! It comes from Gonzo.
	Kermit introduces the Mummenschanz, an act as difficult to describe as to pronounce. For their first act, they wear masks with different facial expressions drawn on. As the story progresses, they tear away pieces of the mask or draw on the mask, revealing new expressions.
	Backstage, Gonzo follows Miss Piggy around, enamored with her. She states that the whole thing was a case of mistaken identity, yet he still asks her to hold him. When she repeatedly refuses to, he begs her to just touch him. She does touch him, with a karate chop.
	"The Blue Danube" is performed by the noisy patrons of a library. Miss Piggy sneezes or coughs her part. Fozzie Bear blows his nose and taps on the table. Hilda rustles the pages of a newspaper. Nigel chews gum, and Zelda Rose, the librarian, conducts the whole thing.
	Kermit introduces some of the very strange looking things that the Mummenschanz do.
	"At the Dance": The jokes this week make one couple so mad that they blow their tops.
	UK Spot: An eel sings "When I'm Not Near the Fish I Love."
	Talk Spot: Kermit tries to have a conversation with the Mummenschanz, a challenge since they do not talk. He tells them that they can say anything, even something silly. Unfortunately, silly things are all they have to say.
	Kermit, in an effort to help Gonzo, asks Miss Piggy if she would like to go to dinner after the show. He offers her a candlelit dinner with wine and dancing and a walk in the moonlight. When Piggy says that she would love to go, Kermit says that Gonzo would too, and pushes the weirdo towards her.
	Sam the Eagle introduces Wayne and Wanda with a review from Leonard Bernstein: "These two are a manifestation of the musical mediocrity that passes for talent in our troubled times." Wayne and Wanda then proceed to sing "It's Only a Paper Moon."
	Statler visits Vendaface and has his face rearranged.
	Miss Piggy confronts Kermit about the trick he pulled on her, and tries to discuss ways that he can make it up to her. Throughout, Gonzo interrupts as he tries to get closer to her. When Kermit reminds Piggy that he does not want her, Gonzo asks if he can have her. The scene does not end well for either.
	Muppet News Flash: The Newsman reports on the world's oldest living human. At 196, he celebrated by taking a deep breath.
	The Mummenschanz perform with masks made of clay. As the scene progresses, they add more and more clay, changing their appearance. The one character is jealous of the other's ability to make beautiful sculptures with his face. Soon, this devolves into a battle in which they eventually find themselves stuck to each other.
	At the closing, after dealing with more of Gonzo's flirting with Piggy, Kermit introduces the Mummenschanz unmasked. They are Andres Bossard, Bernie Schürch, and Floriana Frassetto.

Notes

• This episode marks the debut of Gonzo's trademark, rushing rapidly through camera with a WHOOSH sound effect.

• As the last episode of the first season, this was the last episode to feature John Lovelady and Eren Ozker as performers, and the last episode to be written and produced by Jack Burns.

• On the DVD The Story of Mummenschanz, Bernie Schürch recalls that originally, Gina Lollobrigida was planned as a guest star for season one. When she canceled, Jim Henson suggested Mummenschanz, whose performance he had seen in Geneva.

Edits

• On Nickelodeon, Wayne & Wanda's song "It's Only a Paper Moon" and Muppet News Flash were both cut.

Cast

Muppets:

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Floyd Pepper, George the Janitor, Mildred Huxtetter, Animal, Sam the Eagle, Wayne and Wanda, Vendaface, The Newsman, Dancers, Whatnots, Eel

Background Muppets:

Dr. Teeth, Janice, Zoot, Hilda, Nigel, Zelda Rose

Performers

Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Eel, the Newsman, and Waldorf

Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, George the Janitor, and Mildred

Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper and Vendaface

Richard Hunt as Scooter, Wayne, Pig Dancers, and Statler

Dave Goelz as Gonzo

Eren Ozker as Rowlf's and Animal's dancing partners and Wanda

John Lovelady as Whatnot Dancers

Gallery

External links

• Falk, Karen. "Jim Henson's Red Book", 11/24/1976 - Mummenschanz (MS)

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