The Muppet Show | |
Guest | Cheryl Ladd |
Production | May 9-12, 1978 |
Premiere | UK: December 29, 1978 NYC: November 6, 1978 |
Releases | Season 3 |
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Backstage, Kermit chats with the Bust of Beethoven, who criticizes the musical renditions. Fozzie reads a book on self-improvement, and asks Kermit to make a list of his good points and bad points. Fozzie looks at the list before it's done, and is shocked that Kermit has written down such awful bad points. Kermit gulps, and explains that that's the list of good points.
Songs/Sketches[]
- "True Love"
- "South Rampart Street Parade"
- Pigs in Space: Invisibility Pills
- UK Spot: "There's a New Sound"
- "I Enjoy Being a Girl"
- Gonzo's stunts: Gonzo Hypnotizes Himself
- "Sunshine on My Shoulders"
Notes[]
- This episode is listed in production documents as episode "3x24" (show #72), the last episode of season three. However, it wasn't the last episode to be produced for that season. Both this and the Helen Reddy episode have "May 9-12, 1978" as recording dates (Jim Henson's Red Book confirms the taping dates for the Cheryl Ladd episode as "5/11/1978") and were taped during the last production week for the first half of The Muppet Show's third season prior to filming The Muppet Movie. When the crew returned in November, they shot the Harry Belafonte episode and the rest of the season using revised puppets of the main characters built for the movie. This results in a contrast in character design to the episodes which come before it in numbering, such as episode 323.
- "There's a New Sound" was previously heard on the album The Muppet Show 2, which otherwise contained second season content.
Episode[]
Picture | Description |
---|---|
Cold Open: Scooter calls for Cheryl Ladd. Cheryl explains that she can't seem to get her costume off... of a Monster who has it on. | |
"The Muppet Show Theme": Gonzo's trumpet sounds like an alarm clock. | |
Miss Piggy and Link Hogthrob perform a "steamy jungle number," singing "True Love" accompanied by the noisy creatures of the forest. | |
Backstage, Kermit chats with the Bust of Beethoven. Rowlf is on next to play a classical song, and Beethoven predicts that he will play the piece "too fortissimo." Fozzie reads a book on self-improvement, and asks Kermit to make a list of his good points and bad points to help him grow into a more mature and adult bear. When Rowlf returns, he agrees with the bust's predictions. He played it too fortissimo. Fozzie then comes back, and tells Kermit to be honest with the list, but also gentle. To which, Kermit replies "How can you gently run over someone with a truck?" | |
Cheryl, Timmy Monster, and the Clodhoppers sing "South Rampart Street Parade." | |
Backstage, Kermit mentions that Cheryl Ladd is terrific, and the Bust Of Beethoven agrees, but points out that the trumpet player kept going flat. Fozzie comes in to ask Kermit if he has finished the list of his good points and bad points. Fozzie looks at the list before it's done, and is shocked that Kermit has written down such awful bad points. Kermit explains that that's the list of good points. Kermit leaves to go get a cup of coffee. The Bust Of Beethoven adds, "If you want to start with bad points, let's start with the crummy hat you always wear." Fozzie looks at the Bust Of Beethoven, and walks away. | |
Pigs in Space (Invisibility Pills): Dr. Julius Strangepork invents a pill that makes pigs invisible. | |
UK Spot: Scooter sings "There's a New Sound." | |
Guest Star's Dressing Room: Miss Piggy and Cheryl practice karate together, trashing the dressing room as they sing "I Enjoy Being a Girl." | |
Backstage, Kermit tells Gonzo to stand by for his hypnotism act. Kermit, who is surrounded by chickens, tells them to shoo. Gonzo rushes on to tell Kermit that the chickens are hypnotized under his power to perform animal impressions. When Kermit refuses to introduce Gonzo, he sics the chickens on Kermit. | |
Gonzo's stunts: Gonzo, unable to get any volunteers, hypnotizes himself into holding up a 5000-pound weight with one arm. | |
Backstage, Kermit asks Gonzo, who has been crushed by the 500-pound weight, how he finds such acts to do. Gonzo replies, "I just keep my ear to the ground." | |
Cheryl and the Muppets sing "Sunshine on My Shoulders." | |
At the closing, Cheryl wants to thank Kermit and the Muppets, starting from the top. Gonzo complains that that would make him last. |
Edits[]
- Disney+: The UK Spot "There's a New Sound" is cut.
Cast[]
Muppets:
- Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Chickens, Miss Piggy, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Quongo, Crocodile, Bust of Beethoven, Timmy Monster, Clodhoppers, Luncheon Counter Monster, Purple Lothar, Harvey, Whatnots, Worms
Background Muppets:
- Eric the Parrot, Clyde, Mel, Doris, Duke, Gramps, Harold, Woodland Creatures, Beaver, Opossum, James Badger, Nat Muskrat, Will Possum, Robin the Frog, Beauregard
Performers[]
- Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Waldorf, Link Hogthrob and Rowlf
- Frank Oz as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Whatnot and Stagehand
- Jerry Nelson as Quongo, the Bust of Beethoven, Dr. Julius Strangepork and Robin the Frog
- Richard Hunt as Scooter, Statler and Crocodile
- Dave Goelz as Gonzo and Beauregard
- Louise Gold as Whatnot
- Steve Whitmire as others
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Falk, Karen. "Jim Henson's Red Book", 5/11/1978 - Cheryl Ladd (MS)
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