Over the years the Muppets have announced or developed episodes for their television series that never came to fruition. Many of these episodes never went beyond the early development stages.
Sesame Street[]
- Kathleen Battle was to have appeared in Season 22 performing with Placido Flamingo and Grundgetta, but she was replaced by Wilhelmenia Fernandez.[1]
- Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, and Wile E. Coyote — an unproduced insert was to repurpose footage from a 1962 Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote cartoon, Zoom at the Top, with new narration from Bugs Bunny to explain the difference between open and closed. Other segments, without Bugs's narration, would have also reused Road Runner footage.[2]
- Gary Carter was originally scripted to appear alongside his fellow New York Mets Mookie Wilson and Keith Hernandez in scenes for Episode 2351.[3] Only Wilson and Hernandez appeared.
- Natalie Cole was scheduled to appear on the show, singing her hit "Unforgettable" with Forgetful Jones. Last-minute scheduling conflicts prevented the taping date and soon after, Richard Hunt passed away.[4]
- Dane Cook was originally scheduled and scripted to feature in a "Word of the Day" sketch in Season 39, presenting the word "mustache."[3] Jonah Hill instead promoted the word in the aired segment.
- Bette Davis was announced as a guest in the September 13, 1982 issue of The Times-Daily,[5] in what would have been the show's 14th season.[6] However, Sesame Workshop's database contains no record of a contract with Davis.[7]
- Bob Dylan — Lou Berger wrote a parody of Dylan's "Lay, Lady, Lay" as "A, Lady, A," but Dylan had to cancel his appearance before any recording could occur.[8]
- Andy Garcia was to appear in season 24 in a sketch "Big Bird Makes a Movie," and a segment with Elmo and Telly Monster.[9]
- Steve Guttenberg — press announcements for Season 23 mention Guttenberg as among the season's guests, but no segments featuring him were aired.[10]
- Tom Hanks was to appear in season 24 in a sketch involving waiting at the bus stop with Big Bird and the kids.[9]
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee was to appear in season 21 as "Jackie Be Nimble" in a "Monster on the Spot" segment with Telly Monster, and in a scene with Gina and the Two-Headed Monster,[9] but no such segments aired.
- Angela Lansbury was announced in a press release as a Season 22 guest star.[11] A sketch was written for her and Elmo called "Danger, She Wrote",[12] but the material was unused.
- Mitchell Levitz — the program highlights distributed prior to the airdate of Episode 1563 mention Levitz appearing in the episode to teach Gordon and the kids to score a point in soccer. However, Levitz is not present in the episode as aired.
- Steve Martin — Sesame Street writers created a sketch for Steve Martin about his feet expressing his emotions; Martin canceled, and was replaced by Jim Carrey.[13]
- Reba McEntire was scheduled to appear in Sesame Street’s 29th Season.[14] However, the song prepared for her appearance ("I'm Talkin' Love") was never filmed.[7] The song instead would be performed by Trisha Yearwood the following season.
- Willie Nelson was scheduled to perform a parody of "On the Road Again" as "We're Gonna Read Again," written by Lou Berger, but the piece went unshot.[15]
- Willard Scott was originally scripted to be the weatherman in Episode 2870.[3] The role was instead played onscreen by Kevin Clash.
- Sigourney Weaver — a Season 25 sketch written by John Weidman with Telly Monster and Rosita brushing their teeth was intended for Weaver, but ultimately went to Laurence Fishburne.[16]
- Kristi Yamaguchi was to appear in season 25 in a scene with Elmo.[9]
- Early press statements for the show's second season touted guest stars Lucille Ball, Diahann Carroll, Andy Williams, and Tom and Dick Smothers.[17] A memorandum established taping days for Ball, Williams, and the Smothers Brothers, but no segments featuring them aired on the show.
- Press statements prior to the premiere of season 28 announced several guests who didn't appear in that season or any other. These guests include Shaquille O'Neal, Cal Ripken Jr., Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Monica Sales, and the cast of Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk.[18]
The Muppet Show[]
The Muppet Show Fan Club Newsletter showing Cher and Robin Williams as guests
- ABBA — Jim Henson wished to have the group guest star on The Muppet Show, but scheduling conflicts prevented their participation.[19]
- Jack Albertson — There is a handwritten schedule of all the first season episodes of The Muppet Show on display at the Museum of the Moving Image Jim Henson Exhibition. Jack Albertson's name is clearly visible penciled in and then erased in the blocks occupied by Sandy Duncan and Ben Vereen.
- Tony Bennett was proposed as a guest as early as March 1976, where he would sing "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" to Hilda.[20] He was later the guest star in an episode of Muppets Tonight.
- Cher was announced as a guest star on The Muppet Show in a 1979 issue of The Muppet Show Fan Club Newsletter; however, she did not appear on the show.
- Gina Lollobrigida — On the DVD The Story of Mummenschanz, Bernie Schurz 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.
- Richard Pryor — In the 2002 documentary I Love Muppets, Chris Langham claims he was chosen to replace Pryor as guest on The Muppet Show because Pryor "blew himself up freebasing."
- Lionel Richie was scheduled to appear as a guest in 2001's The Muppet Show Live singing "Say You, Say Me." However, Richie was unable to participate in the show due to illness.
- Robin Williams was announced as a guest star on The Muppet Show in a 1979 issue of The Muppet Show Fan Club Newsletter; however, he did not appear on the show.
- The Beatles — According to Jerry Nelson, "They tried their best to get the Beatles. Paul was willing to do it, but we had to hire the whole band... when he was with Wings. It was too big time. We just didn't have the money. I think George would have done it, but they kept trying to negotiate with Paul. Ringo probably would have, too. If they had asked me, I would have said, 'Hey! Get them! Don't dicker... Get the ones who are ready to commit.'"[21]
- Some proposed guests for the show's second season include Dolly Parton, Olivia Newton-John, Leslie Uggams (who would appear on the show's third season), Orson Welles, Paul Anka, Rex Harrison, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, and Kris Kristofferson (who would appear on the show's third season).[20]
- During the course of The Muppet Show, Jim Henson wrote out a list of dream guests—and urged the writers and puppeteers to do the same. Among those potential guests on Henson's list were Bil Baird, Shari Lewis, Burr Tillstrom, Stan Freberg, Mae West, Mia Farrow, Princess Anne, Kim Novak, and Katharine Hepburn. The dream line-up assembled by the Muppet performers and writing staff included such stars as Dustin Hoffman, David Bowie, Salvador Dali, Michael Caine, Robert DeNiro, Frank Zappa, Meryl Streep, the entire Monty Python troupe (though one of their members would eventually guest star), and The Beatles.[22]
Muppets Tonight[]
- Rosie O'Donnell — In a cold opening sketch aired in the summer of 1996, O'Donnell attempted to court Miss Piggy via telephone into being a guest on her new daytime talk show. O'Donnell succeeded by reminding Piggy that she was already scheduled to appear on Miss Piggy's current show, Muppets Tonight. However, the series was canceled before O'Donnell could ever appear. O'Donnell also mentions that she's going to be on Muppets Tonight when Miss Piggy hosted The Rosie O'Donnell Show.
- A different female celebrity was intended to be the guest star of the premiere episode, but backed out at the last minute. Henry Kissinger would have also appeared alongside the guest in the episode's cold open, but he backed out after the replacement was made.[23]
- Spec scripts were written for Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood, neither of whom appeared in any episode.[24]
The Muppets Mayhem[]
- Dave Grohl was planned for a featured role in an episode, but after the passing of his bandmate Taylor Hawkins, the creative team wrote him out to "[give] him some much needed space."[25]
See also[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street
- ↑ document from CTW Archives
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Tony Geiss Papers at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University
- ↑ Clash, Kevin. The MuppetCast episode #41
- ↑ The Times-Daily, September 13, 1982
- ↑ Children's Television Workshop. Quarterly Progress Report, July 30, 1982 to September 30,1982.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Sesame Workshop personal communication, Scott Hanson
- ↑ Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show: Lou Berger (Writer) || Ep. 97 (00:47:50)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Joe Hennes email communication with Sesame Workshop
- ↑ Beaver County Times 'Sesame Street' family growing November 10, 1991
- ↑ Season 22 Press Release
- ↑ Sesame Workshop personal communication with Scott Hanson
- ↑ Borgenicht, David. Sesame Street Unpaved, page 137.
- ↑ ctw.org "The show's new season explores our world and beyond." by P.J. Tanz
- ↑ Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show: Lou Berger (Writer) || Ep. 97 (00:48:28)
- ↑ script provided by trusted source
- ↑ The Gettysburg Times: Sesame Street Will Begin Its Second Season, November 5, 1970.
- ↑ The Star Ledger, November 1996.
- ↑ Röster I Radio TV, issue #22 (1981)
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Archival document displayed in The Jim Henson Exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image
- ↑ IGN FilmForce "Interview with Jerry Nelson (Part 3 of 4)" by Ken Plume, February 10, 2000
- ↑ Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones (page 266)
- ↑ The George Lucas Talk Show - Muppets Tonight reunion, Part 1 at 2:26:05
- ↑ The George Lucas Talk Show - Muppets Tonight reunion, Part 1 at 2:27:45
- ↑ @adamfgoldberg on Twitter April 15, 2023
