Hollywood Squares

Oscar with Squares regular Paul Lynde.

Big Bird on Hollywood Squares 1976

Big Bird on Squares (January 19, 1976).

Hollywood Squares is a popular television game show where contestants compete for prizes while playing Tic-Tac-Toe. It was hosted by Peter Marshall from 1966-81, Jon Bauman from 1983-84 (in a combined hour-long format with Match Game), John Davidson from 1986-89, and Tom Bergeron from 1998-2004.

The Muppets appeared on the show various times in the Marshall and Bergeron eras, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, Oscar, Gonzo, Bear, and Elmo.

Appearances

Marshall

Jan 19, 1976	─	Big Bird/Oscar
July 19, 1976	─	Big Bird/Oscar
July 26, 1976	─	Big Bird/Oscar
Sep 5, 1977	─	Big Bird/Oscar
Dec 19, 1977	─	Big Bird (Storybook Squares)
Feb 13, 1978	─	Big Bird/Oscar
Feb 20, 1978	─	Big Bird/Oscar
Aug 28, 1978	─	Big Bird/Oscar
June 4, 1979	─	Big Bird/Oscar
June 11, 1979	─	Big Bird/Oscar
Sep 3, 1979	─	Big Bird/Oscar
Dec 24, 1979	─	Big Bird/Oscar
April 7, 1980	─	Big Bird/Oscar

Big Bird and Oscar also made appearances on the concurrent syndicated version, which aired from 1971-81. Big Bird addressed Marshall as "Mr. Marshmallow", akin to his difficulties with Mr. Hooper's name.

Bergeron

Nov 20, 2000	─	Big Bird
May 21, 2001	─	Oscar the Grouch
May 25, 2001	─	Big Bird (500th episode)
April 30, 2001	─	Kermit the Frog
Nov 19, 2001	─	Elmo
Feb 22, 2002	─	Kermit the Frog
May 13, 2002	─	Kermit and Miss Piggy
June 7, 2002	─	Bear
July 16-20, 2002	─	Bear (Whoopi Goldberg's final episodes)
Feb 25, 2002	─	Gonzo
Jan 20, 2003	─	Kermit
April 28, 2003	─	Kermit
May 12-16, 2003	─	Miss Piggy ("Blondes Have More Fun" week)
Aug 20, 2003	─	Kermit
Nov 17, 2003	─	Kermit and Miss Piggy ("Dynamic Duos" week)
Oct 27, 2003	─	Bear
Jan 12, 2004	─	Bear
April 12, 2004	─	Elmo

Gallery

Carol Channing and Big Bird
(January 19, 1976).

Oscar during a 1970s appearance.

Kermit
(April 30, 2001)

Brad Garrett and Big Bird
(May 25, 2001)

Elmo
(November 19, 2001)

Kermit with Nile Rodgers
(2002)

Kermit and Miss Piggy
(2002)

Bear
(2002)

"Blondes Have More Fun" week
(May 12, 2003)

Host Tom Bergeron with Miss Piggy
(May 12, 2003)

Piggy with producers Winkler and Levitt
(May 12, 2003)

Bear talks to Randy "Macho Man" Savage.
(2004)

Elmo
(April 15, 2004)

Kermit with Bruce Vilanch backstage.

Kermit with Jo Dee Messina backstage.

References

• The show is spoofed in the Muppet Babies episode "Muppets Not Included" as Celebrity Circles.

• The game "Trivial, But True" in The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside is based entirely around the Hollywood Squares format.

• The September 2004 edition of Sesame Street Magazine features a pull-out poster of Sesame Squares, referencing the show.

Notes

• Hollywood Squares is where Big Bird met M*A*S*H actor Gary Burghoff, who inspired Big Bird to name his teddy bear Radar.

• During the "Blondes Have More Fun" week on May 12-16, 2003, Miss Piggy starred alongside The Muppet Show guest stars Florence Henderson and Phyllis Diller. Other guests included Pamela Anderson (center square), Kathy Kinney, Charo, Nicole Sullivan, the Hilton Sisters and Loni Anderson. The show was produced by Henry Winkler and Michael Levitt (who had replaced Whoopi Goldberg and Moffitt-Lee Productions as producers for that season).

• Caroll Spinney stated in The Wisdom of Big Bird, that he's made over 140 appearances on Hollywood Squares, and in the audio commentary for I Am Big Bird, he more specifically cited 146 appearances.

Connections

• ALF replaced John Davidson in one episode of the 1986 version.
• Jack Parnell composed the original theme for the UK version, Celebrity Squares (also an ATV production).
• Warwick Davis hosted ITV's revival of Celebrity Squares in 2014.

See also

• The Storybook Squares

External links

• ToughPigs.com review of the Kermit/Miss Piggy appearance