The Best of the Muppets is a TV special broadcast by ITV on April 9, 1977. The one hour program consists of clips from the first season of The Muppet Show.
New content includes an introduction from Kermit the Frog announcing, "It's The Muppet Show, tonight starring the best of the Muppets!" (later used on A Muppet Crew Presentation), and a bumper displaying The Muppet Show logo against a solid yellow background which bookended commercial breaks. An unused sketch with Wayne and Wanda appears using Sam the Eagle's introduction seen in episode 103, but uncut and followed by a previously unused commentary bit from Statler and Waldorf. Many segments are slightly longer at the beginning or end, and there is some alternate and additional footage. The sound mix is also unique (laugh track etc), as are the wipes between segments.
| Picture | Segment | Description |
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Intro | "The Muppet Show Theme": Standard opening similar to episode 122 (although a different take is used). Kermit introduces both Ethel Merman and Rita Moreno.
Gonzo swings and misses the "O", toppling over out of frame. |
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FRAME | Kermit opens the show with a joke, provided by Fozzie Bear, about 225 dancing elephants without costumes (they forgot to pack their trunks). (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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Song | "I Get Ideas" with Rita Moreno (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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FRAME | Statler and Waldorf: The show's speeding along. (Episode 103: Joel Grey but slightly longer) |
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FRAME | Backstage, Kermit asks Fozzie to answer the phone. Water sprays from the receiver. When Kermit asks who it was, Fozzie replies, "the Water Department". (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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Sketch | Veterinarian's Hospital: The patient is a duck, but Dr. Bob keeps confusing it with a chicken. The duck constantly yells "Duck!" when someone says he's a chicken, but the doctors take it as a sign that something is about to fall down. Finally, something does fall down: a lamp, which lands on Dr. Bob's head. (Episode 113: Bruce Forsyth) |
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FRAME | When Fozzie answers the phone this time, smoke billows out: "The Fire Department". (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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Sketch | Muppet News Flash: The Newsman reports on a man who has taught his chicken to dance classical ballet and the man's wife who fricasseed the ballerina for lunch. (Episode 105: Rita Moreno but slightly longer. Newsman stifles a laugh, groans and exits.) |
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Sketch | The Swedish Chef prepares flapjacks, but when he flips them, they all get stuck to the ceiling. There is only one solution: He shoots them down. (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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FRAME | Fozzie answers the phone and hits the jackpot: "Las Vegas". (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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Song | A chorus of Muppet mops perform "Rag Mop." (Episode 111: Lena Horne, slightly longer intro) |
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FRAME | When Fozzie answers the phone, an explosion erupts from it: "The Atomic Energy Commission". (Episode 105: Rita Moreno. Slightly longer) |
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Sketch | At the Dance: Zoot and Janice discuss The Five Temptations. George the Janitor and Mildred Huxtetter argue over whose family is older. Miss Piggy's partner tells of his brother who has girls eating out of his hand (he's a waiter), and a Green Frackle reveals to his dance partner that he is "stuck" on her. And, in the end, Mildred gets stuck in the chandelier. (Episode 103: Joel Grey but every shot is slightly longer here, with a different audio mix to match. The ending is cut short.) |
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FRAME | Fozzie attempts to answer the phone again, but Kermit will not let him. He cries out, "Is there no end to this running gag?" Animal comes in to solve the problem: He tears the phone off the wall and carries it off. And that puts an end to this running gag (and all incoming calls). (Episode 105: Rita Moreno with different first shot) |
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Sketch | Sam the Eagle introduces Wayne and Wanda, who sing "Dancing in the Dark" only for all of the lights to suddenly go out in the ballroom. Statler remarks that they'd rather make a good football team. (Sam's introduction was used in Episode 103: Joel Grey but is longer here, in its apparent original context.) |
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Song | Ethel sings a medley of duets:
(End of Part One) |
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Song | "Never Smile at a Crocodile" with Mary Louise (Episode 114: Sandy Duncan) |
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FRAME | Backstage, Miss Piggy discovers a mysterious note on her dressing room door: "My dearest Piggy, you must know how much I love you. I cannot pretend any longer. I will wait for you in your dressing room, mon cher."
Positive that the note is from Kermit, she enters her dressing room eagerly and awaits her "passion flower's" embrace! It comes from Gonzo. |
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Song | "Java" (Episode 122: Ethel Merman) Ending slightly cut. |
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FRAME | Backstage, Gonzo follows Miss Piggy around, enamored with her. She states that the whole thing was a case of mistaken identity, yet he still asks her to hold him. When she repeatedly refuses to, he begs her to just touch him. She does touch him, with a karate chop. (Episode 124: Mummenschanz) |
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Sketch | Blackout: Ethel's irritated, because a mouse is in her dressing room. Whe she complains to Hilda, she's surprised to find that the mouse "sings in the band!" Ethel calls the show a zoo-which is supported when Animal appears to bother her. (Episode 122: Ethel Merman) |
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Song | "In the Summertime" with The Country Trio (Episode 123: Kaye Ballard) Last two shots are slightly longer. |
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FRAME | Kermit, in an effort to help Gonzo, asks Piggy if she would like to go to dinner after the show. He offers her a candlelit dinner with wine and dancing and a walk in the moonlight. When Piggy says that she would love to go, Kermit says that Gonzo would too, and pushes the weirdo towards her. (Episode 124: Mummenschanz) |
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Song | "Halfway Down the Stairs" with Robin the Frog (blue/purple background variant, different take than usual) (similar to Episode 110: Harvey Korman) |
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Sketch | Kermit interviews Animal (Episode 110: Harvey Korman, slightly longer) |
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Sketch | Muppet News Flash: The Newsman reports that there is no news tonight. (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) |
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Song | "Sax and Violence" with Nigel, Zoot, and Mahna Mahna (Episode 102: Connie Stevens) |
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Sketch | Fozzie does an act with Kermit requiring him to say "Good grief, the comedian's a bear!" at the moment he says "hear"...but a problem with homophones and timing leads to the frog and the bear to nearly screw up the act until they compromise. When pointed to, Kermit says the line, to which Fozzie responds (in a bad Italian accent) "No, he's a-not! He's a-wearing a neck-a-tie!" (Episode 110: Harvey Korman) Statler and Waldorf reaction slightly longer. |
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FRAME | Miss Piggy confronts Kermit about the trick he pulled on her, and tries to discuss ways that he can make it up to her. Throughout, Gonzo interrupts as he tries to get closer to her. When Kermit reminds Piggy that he does not want her, Gonzo asks if he can have her. The scene does not end well for either. (Episode 124: Mummenschanz) |
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Song | "Fever" with Rita Moreno and Animal (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) (slightly longer ending) (End of Part Two) |
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Song | "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady" (Episode 102: Connie Stevens) (Ending cut, Statler/Waldorf reaction is from Episode 101: Juliet Prowse but slightly longer.) |
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FRAME | Fozzie is ready to handle any insults Statler and Waldorf might throw at him tonight. He asks Kermit to test him, having the frog insult his jokes. When he does so, Fozzie's technique to ward off hecklers is by begging, "Oh, please, don't heckle me." (Episode 113: Bruce Forsyth. Ending cut.) |
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Song | "Tit Willow" (Episode 120: Valerie Harper. Longer intro.) |
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TALK SPOT | Talk spot. Sweetums carries away Rita Moreno. (Episode 105: Rita Moreno) Rita getting carried away is longer. Rita compares Sweetums to King Kong, who is apparently Sweetums' brother. Kermit's reaction is cut. |
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Song | "Mah Na Mah Na" (Episode 101: Juliet Prowse) Kermit's backstage reactions are longer (replacing footage of the Snowths), and Waldorf's reaction is also longer. |
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FRAME | Fozzie is certain he has mastered the art of handling hecklers, and so asks Kermit to test him again. When Kermit heckles Fozzie this time, he is hit with a rubber chicken. Fozzie is concerned, however, that the response may be too subtle. (Episode 113: Bruce Forsyth) |
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Song | "Mississippi Mud" (Episode 118: Phyllis Diller) |
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FRAME | Kermit, knowing that Fozzie is concerned about being heckled, promises that Statler and Waldorf will not bother him tonight. The show's running long, and Fozzie's act has been cut. Fozzie falling is cut. (Episode 113: Bruce Forsyth) |
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Song | Ethel Merman, in an attempt to cheer up the now depressed Fozzie, reminds him that he is still doing what he loves to do. She then sings "There's No Business Like Show Business" with Fozzie and the rest of the Muppets. (Episode 122: Ethel Merman) Longer intro. Ending slightly cut. Cuts to an audience shot, similar to 103/104 but not used in those. |
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Closing | Following the full-length version of the closing credits, just as Statler admits that watching the show was better than sitting home and watching television, Mahna Mahna invades their box. (Episode 101: Juliet Prowse) Slightly longer. Credit text starts late and is probably unique to this presentation. |