Continuity within Muppet TV series varies, with The Muppet Show in particular not relying heavily on a continuing stooooory (beyond the claims in the Veterinarian's Hospital intro). Sesame Street, apart from specific story arcs or running gags, has worked the same way for most of its run. Notable exceptions are included here.
In contrast, later series such as Fraggle Rock featured storyline progression, whether past events were explicitly mentioned or not, in terms of character arcs and the various species gradually meeting each other, and the 2015 The Muppets had heavy continuity within its run as well as to previous movies and shows. Those series are not included.
Inside jokes referring to previous versions of series, retrospective shows, and appearances discussing past projects are not included.
The Muppet Show[]
Wayne and Wanda make their return to The Muppet Show.
- Episode 109: Kermit tells Gonzo that he's seen him eat a rubber tire to music.
- Episode 206: Scooter stalls for time by attempting to sell magazine subscriptions to the audience in order to win a skateboard at school. In Episode 415, Scooter finally has a skateboard.
- Episode 307: Kermit mentions that Julie Andrews was previously a guest star, saying that the opening number wasn't as spooky as when she was on the show.
- Episode 406: Wayne and Wanda make a return appearance and it is revealed that Kermit fired them, acknowledging their absence from the show since the end of season 1.
- Episode 412: Scooter sings about all nominated guest stars, mentioning and showing images of every guest star who had been on the show by then.
- Episode 515: When Carol Burnett is unhappy with how her episode has turned out, Kermit mentions other guest stars aren't that unhappy. She brings up Julie Andrews, saying she must have been very cheery singing "The Sound of Music." Kermit corrects her and says that she sang when you were a tadpole and I was a fish.
- Episode 518: When Kermit tells Marty Feldman that one of the thieves in his last story is sick, changing the story from Ali Baba and the Four Thieves to Ali Baba and the Three Thieves, Marty says "they wouldn't dare do this to Liza Minnelli."
References to other productions[]
- Episode 217: When Julie Andrews reminds Kermit that she had written a song for him, Kermit acts like he forgot before saying that they did the song in a special.
- Episode 218: Kermit introduces the song "Tweedle Dee" as "the very first piece of material the Muppets ever did ... about 23 years ago," referring to the Muppets' first appearance on WRC-TV's Afternoon in 1955.
- Episode 322: After Roy Rogers tells Kermit how many movies he has done, Kermit then tells him he's only been in one.
- Episode 411: Gonzo pursues his dream of going to Bombay to become a movie star, previously mentioned in The Muppet Movie.
- Episode 418: Miss Piggy plans to sing "Never Before, Never Again" for the closing number and when telling Kermit, says, "Remember? In The Muppet Movie?"
Sesame Street[]
Episode 0923 - Cookie Monster finds a poster from Big Bird's presidential campaign.
Episode 1814 - Fluffy returns for another music lesson from Bob.
Episode 1847 - Telly dons his suit of armor, previously warn to protect himself from a hailstorm.
Episode 2607 - Herry wearing his glasses.
- Episode 0273 - Susan asks Miguel to sing the song she heard him and Bob sing a couple of weeks ago.
- Episode 0633 - Oscar quotes a poem by Big Bird about crocodiles, bragging about how his version is much better than the one Big Bird wrote.
- Episode 0736 - Herry Monster enjoys playing with a bunch of bricks, saying that he hasn't had this much fun since he wrote a song.
- Episode 0889 - After seeing a picture of Oscar's Granny Grouch in his photo album, Bob recalls meeting her before.
- Episode 0923 - Oscar and Cookie Monster come across a poster for the time Big Bird ran for president, with Oscar telling Cookie about it, which kicks off the plot where Cookie Monster decides to run for president.
- Episode 0942 - While they're about to drive their truck, David tells Biff and Sully to be careful, citing that last time they knocked down the mailbox.
- Episode 0971 - Oscar shows everyone his latest home movie, which he assures is nothing like the last one where the screen was all black; this time, the screen is all white.
- Episode 1010 - In preparation for making a wet paint sign, Big Bird recalls the time Luis taught him about it.
- Episode 1044 - Oscar plans an 11-gun salute for when the President of the United States passes through, commenting that the Grand High Grouch gets an 18-gun salute.
- Episode 1076 - Bob and Linda teach Pete Seeger how to sign a song they sang some time ago.
- Episode 1138 - When the Count hears Sheldon counting in the Sioux Indian language, he says that Buffy taught him how to count in an Indian language but it sounded different (as she counted in Cree).
- Episode 1141 - Though not directly referenced in dialogue, Big Bird and Grover work as part of the High and Low Company (founded in Episode 0870) when helping wash the Fix-it Shop window. Grover has taken Cookie Monster's place, and the duo does not clean the middle part as it's out of their expertise.
- Episode 1148 - Mr. Hooper tells James Earl Jones that he's been making the same old-fashioned egg creams for the last 25 years.
- Episode 1159 - During a game about underground places, Big Bird recalls taking the subway when he went to City Island.
- Episode 1185 - When Oscar invites Grace into his can, Maria warns her against it, citing the time she went in there herself.
- Episode 1195 - Oscar has invited Georgie back to play with him, as he said he'd do during their previous encounter.
- Episode 1220 - Olivia reminds Big Bird about what she told him about Cody the last time he visited.
- Episode 1342 - While thinking of something to take to the Day Care Center for show-and-tell, Big Bird considers the firetruck he got while in the hospital.
- Episode 1682 - Maria doesn't believe Oscar's disobedience training for Osvaldo's dog, Peligro, is fruitful, noting her previous experience with him.
- Episode 1715 - Luis works on chapter 2 of his cowboy story.
- Episode 1795 - Luis chats with a vacuum cleaner and recalls that its owner also has a talking radio.
- Episode 1804 - When meeting with Grace's rooster Billy Boy, Big Bird recalls meeting him during his visit to her farm.
- Episode 1814 - Oscar reminds Bob of the trumpet lesson he gave Fluffy a while back, making her one of Bob's students.
- Episode 1818 - Dr. Nobel Price refers to a passing rabbit as a "poonga-poonga" in reference to what he originally called it after discovering the animal.
- Episode 1820 - Timi comments returning to WORM-TV, as all the Grouches thought she was terrible the last time (referring to episodes 1672 and 1673).
- Episode 1847 - Telly Monster wears his suit of armor to prepare for a lunar eclipse.
- Episode 1958 - Luis celebrates the three-year anniversary of when Maria became co-owner of the Fix-It Shop.
- Episode 2099 - The episode begins with Gordon talking about the time he waited all day to meet Snuffy, with accompanying clips.
- Episode 2193 - Grundgetta fears that Oscar may be getting the Grouch flu again.
- Episode 2334 - Gordon recalls the first time he ran in a marathon.
- Episode 2341 - Maria avoids getting involved in one of Mumford's tricks, citing the time he made her quack like a duck. She is reminded of the trick in episodes 2360, 2415, and 2496.
- Episode 2393 - Big Bird does a "Here Is Your Life"-style show for Maria, recalling what her home was like during his visit to Puerto Rico.
- Episodes 2394 and 2607 - Herry wears the glasses he was prescribed during season 10. One of the pictures he looks at features Miles' trip to the Bronx Zoo.
- Episode 2447 - Maria warns Luis about Sonny Friendly's game shows, reminded of the time she didn't get a prize she was promised. She also brings it up in Episode 2478.
- Episode 2521 - Maria recalls the time she got water dumped on her head during another one of Sonny's game shows.
- Episode 2539 - When figuring out Barkley's birthday, Maria and Linda recall when Barkley just showed up.
- Episode 2574 - Big Bird recalls his first visit to the maternity clinic with Maria throughout the episode.
- Episode 2595 - Gina writes in her journal, recalling the times she met Little Jerry, got a job at Hooper's Store, and went to Maria and Luis' wedding.
- Episode 2621 - Big Bird recalls the baby book Gordon and Susan had made for Miles.
- Episode 2630 - Oscar recognizes Irvine's symptoms from having the Grouch Flu, commenting that he's had it before.
- Episode 2669 - Miles uses the same lunchbox and pencil box that Forgetful Jones got him, having previously mistaken Baby Natasha as the future kindergartener with the same items.
- Episode 2696 - Telly turns an empty carton into a pet, comparing it to how Bert has a pet rock.
- Episode 3007 - Snuffy tells Oscar that he's starting up the Snuffketeer Club again.
- Episode 3011 - Luis asks Baby Bear if his wee little chair is broken, referencing the first time they met.
- Episode 3016 - While playing "The Beauty and the Cheese" with Rosita, Telly recalls the time he had a cheese as a friend.
- Episode 3096 - When Telly breaks his arm, Luis talks about his experience with a broken arm.
- Episode 3148 - When teaching Baby Bear how to use a pogo stick, Telly claims that he was "born knowing how to do (it)."
- Episode 3164 - Maria explains how the Worm Subway came to be.
- Episode 3187 - Telly brings up breaking his arm when Jamal shows him and his friends a bird who had a broken leg that has healed. Big Bird later mentions the vegetable garden he helped plant.
- Episode 3258 - Oscar finds himself unexpectedly dancing to a Latin-flavored song, similar to his reaction to when Tito Puente and his band played "Ran-Kan-Kan."
- Episode 3258 - Elmo tells Ruthie that he lost his imagination hat, which Maria later finds.
- Episode 3307 - Luis is skeptical when Oscar plans to use his Sloppy Jalopy to take Slimey's mother to the hospital; Oscar counters by reminding him of when the car worked the day it was used to help Maria give birth to Gabi.
- Episode 3318 - Benny reminds Sherry Netherland of the sneezing fit she had the previous time Benny brought Stinky by The Furry Arms Hotel.
- Episode 3325 - The number of the day is 2, as Stinky had hinted at the week before.
- Episode 3329 - Prairie Dawn interviews Jack Be Nimble and the cow that jumped over the moon, who is referred to as Jack's oldest friend.
- Episode 3343 - Snuffy recalls meeting Sir John Feelgood.
- Episode 3390 - Telly surmises that Radish Dude might have caused Jamal's ranger hat to be flattened.
- Episode 3394 - Big Bird is able to tell Lexine about what happens at an American Indian pow wow, recalling the days he went to Montana to visit the Crow Indians.
- Episode 3811 - Stinky presents Oscar and Irvine with "Bubble Blech," made from the extract of a smelly flower Stinky grew a while back.
- Episode 3980 - When Elmo suggests Snuffy blowing Big Bird's newly-built nest dry, Telly mentions how Snuffy helped blast Slimey's spaceship off to the Moon.
- Episode 3991 - Big Bird shows Emily his new nest where he mentions the original being blown away by the hurricane the previous year.
- Episode 4009 - Telly remembers seeing a triangle for the first time in a mobile above his crib; he had previously said the same thing during an acceptance speech for "Triangle Lover of the Year" in Episode 2871.
- Grover the Salesman - When Grover tries to sell Kermit sunglasses in one segment and a hair piece in another, Kermit recites the list of past items Grover has tried to peddle to him.
Specials[]
- Sesame Street, Special - Maria reminds Phil Donahue that the last time he was on the street, she told Phil that he did not need to use the microphone.
- Magic on Sesame Street - Telly recalls Mumford's trick that caused people to quack like ducks and decides to do that trick.
Other[]
- In John Denver & the Muppets: A Christmas Together, Miss Piggy sweet-talks John Denver into getting a bigger part in the Christmas show, mentioning that she noticed the way he looked at her when he was a guest on their program. In a later dance number, Denver and Piggy run toward each other in slow-motion. Piggy briefly stops to remark that she recalls doing the same thing in a movie somewhere, referring to the "Never Before, Never Again" montage in The Muppet Movie.