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| PERFORMER | Jerry Nelson |
| DEBUT | 1976 |
The Announcer on The Muppet Show was an authoritative male voice who, in the old-time radio tradition, provided the intros and closing tags for several recurring sketches: Veterinarian's Hospital, Pigs in Space and Bear on Patrol. The characters on stage often looked around, trying to find the source of this mystery voice.
Unseen for the first four seasons, the Announcer made his first and last appearance in episode 501. When Beauregard claimed that the end of the world was coming, he predicted in Veterinarian's Hospital that something would happen that had never happened before. Indeed, while the Announcer was signing off, he plummeted onto the operating table, squashing Beau. Later, after the Announcer had taunted the crew of the Swinetrek for missing out on The Meaning and Purpose of Life, First Mate Piggy activated a lever that dropped him onto the set a second time.
John Lovelady was the Announcer's primary performer during the show's first season. Jerry Nelson performed the character's voice-overs in first season episodes 105, 110, and 118 before becoming the Announcer's full-time performer in the second season.
Notes[]
- The Announcer's presence was remarked upon in episode 423, when Rowlf and Janice appeared in a Pigs in Space sketch in their hospital attire. After the closing announcement, Rowlf said, "You know, we have him at the hospital, too."
- Matt Vogel provided the voice of the Announcer in the 2016 Pigs in Space shorts, and in new installments of Pigs in Space and Veterinarian's Hospital created for the live shows The Muppets Take the Bowl and The Muppets Take the O2.
See also[]
- A. Ligator, Muppets Tonight’s resident announcer
- The Cow Announcer