Wayne and Wanda

Wayne:

Richard Hunt • (1976 - 1980)

Wanda:

Eren Ozker • (1976 - 1977)

Kathryn Mullen • (1979)

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Wayne and Wanda were a singing duo who performed on the first season of The Muppet Show. They were usually introduced by Sam the Eagle, who approved of their brand of "wholesome, uplifting, and decent" act. Unfortunately, while their sketches started out as mellow and classy, they always ended in disaster, seemingly foretold by the title of the song they were singing.

While the characters were rarely seen separately, Wanda made her first appearance in the At the Dance sketch in episode 101, where she danced with Mahna Mahna. The duo was properly introduced in a rare backstage appearance in episode 102, where they complained that their act had been cut and badmouthed guest star Connie Stevens until they realized that she was eavesdropping in on their conversation. Their first onstage act was "Stormy Weather" in episode 103.

The pair, who had been featured in a mjority of the first season episodes, were cut entirely from the second season, owing in part to the departure of Wanda's performer, Eren Ozker, and in part to the promotion to head writer of Jerry Juhl, who shifted the show's focus from running gags to character-based comedy. As a result, Wayne and Wanda, who had rarely appeared backstage during the first season and consequently never developed as individual characters, were cut from the show's regular line-up.

Wayne, however, was brought back as an individual performer in the third season, singing solo numbers like "My Wild Irish Rose" and "Dog Walk," as well as appearing as the hero in series of melodrama sketches where he attempted to save Miss Piggy from Uncle Deadly's dastardly schemes.

Wanda returned to the show in episode 406 and, along with Wayne, gave Kermit such a guilt trip for having fired them that he rehired them on the spot. Once they started singing, however, Kermit remembered why he'd fired them in the first place, so he fired them again. Although Wayne appeared once more on the show's fifth season, this would be Wanda's last appearance until the 1980s, when she appeared in the background of You're the Director!, a View Master video game. However, the Wanda puppet was used as a Whatnot in At The Dance segments as well as a backround puppet throughout the next 4 years of The Muppet Show. For these, her hair was changed as well as her attire.

Sketches

Picture	Song	Episode	Description
The Muppet Show Season 1
	"Stormy Weather"	Episode 103: Joel Grey	Wayne and Wanda get rained on.
	"Row, Row, Row"	Episode 104: Ruth Buzzi	:Sam says that they have really rehearsed this segment, and sure enough, they make it past the first verse. They sit on a row boat on water (cardboard water) but they eventually sink.
	"Goody Goody"	Episode 105: Rita Moreno	Wayne accidentally knocks Wanda down.
	"Indian Love Call"	Episode 106: Jim Nabors	Wanda makes the Indian love call.
	"You Do Something to Me"	Episode 108: Paul Williams	Wanda sings while Wayne attempts to saw her in half.
	"I Get a Kick Out of You"	Episode 110: Harvey Korman	Wanda won't let Wayne get a word in edgewise, so Wayne kicks her. (This is one of the few times that their failure was their own fault.)
	"Autumn Leaves"	Episode 112: Peter Ustinov	Too many leaves fall on them.
	"Trees"	Episode 113: Bruce Forsyth	A tree falls on Wayne.
	"Some Enchanted Evening"	Episode 116: Avery Schreiber	Gorgon Heap mistakenly thinks that Wayne said he could eat a stranger.
	"I'll Know"	Episode 117: Ben Vereen	Wayne chases after a girl who walks on-stage (making Wanda jealous).
	"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"	Episode 119: Vincent Price	Wanda's head turns into Boppity.
	"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)"	Episode 120: Valerie Harper	Their song gets interrupted by factory smoke.
	"Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!"	Episode 121: Twiggy	Snow falls on the set.
	"It's Only a Paper Moon"	Episode 124: Mummenschanz	A paper moon on the set falls.