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Possibly one of the most famous moments of the Muppet Show theme song, it was created due to the need by the original British producer, Associated TeleVision, to broadcast its logo at the beginning and end of every show in order to identify its programming from other programming on Independent Television in the United Kingdom (which it shared with other local companies). The final shot always consisted of Zoot playing a low blast on his saxophone as the ATV logo emerged from his saxophone. Outside the UK, distributor ITC Entertainment (part of the same company as ATV) would use its logo, with only the first season internationally acknowledging both, with the orchestra shot for ATV and Zoot for ITC. After Jim Henson Productions acquired full rights to The Muppet Show, the Zoot shot would remain but adjusted, either adjusting the Zoot shot or using a new shot altogether with the logo of the time. (Sometimes Zoot's shots would be replaced with the Jim Henson Company logo instead.)
| Image | As seen in | Year | Notes |
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The Muppet Show Season 1 | 1976-1977 | The original international version with the ITC logo in the center. With ATV acknowledged in the orchestra shot, a "for" was attached to the ITC part, with ATV controlling production and ITC distribution. A german version of this shot had the ZDF logo over a black background. Surprisingly, the english version remains intact on disc one and the Peter Ustinov episode on disc four of the german DVD release of Season One. |
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The Muppet Show Season 2 | 1977-1978 | This season features a new ITC shot, stating the show as "From" them and as ITC as "An ATV Company", with no further ATV logo in the orchestra shot. On episode 221, the ITC logo is also superimposed over the orchestra shot. |
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The Muppet Show Seasons 1-2 | 1976-1978 | ATV UK Version |
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The Muppet Show Seasons 3-5 | 1978-1979 | New shot featuring a blue Zoot puppet. This shot was also used on fifth season episodes, instead of a different shot with the new Zoot puppet. On episode 302, the ITC logo is also superimposed over the orchestra shot. |
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The Muppet Show Seasons 3-5 | 1978-1981 | ATV UK Version |
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The Muppet Show Season 3 | 1978 | Closing shot for Episode 308: Loretta Lynn |
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The Muppet Show | Mid-1980s | The popular 1980s ending, featuring Zoot playing the note, then looking startled as the Henson Associates logo plastered on a spinning white bubble flew out of the sax. The bubble then disappeared and the logo made its way onto the center of the screen, with addition from the audience's applause. There were several different variations of this logo. For example, "Ha!" was sometimes replaced with "HIT!" (Henson International Television). Also, during reruns of first and second season episodes, Zoot was seen without his hat. However, all versions used the same Zoot puppet. Although this shot now remains extinct, it's most likely still be shown at the end of several Muppet Show episodes that are viewed at the Paley Center for Media. |
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Video compilations of The Muppet Show from Playhouse Video | 1985 | Unlike the other ending shots, this one uses the Zoot and Rowlf shot from the Season 5 opening with a copyright notice at the bottom. |
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The Muppet Show | 1990s | The Sax and Violence ending, featuring a shot of Zoot playing the note, then nodding twice as seen in the number from Episode 102: Connie Stevens. Outside a copyright prior to the Jim Henson Productions logo, no other logos are used in this version. This shot was also used after the ending credits of the It's the Muppets VHS releases and The Very Best of the Muppet Show DVD volumes in the UK. (On some reruns, the audience can be heard applauding, like the previous logo.) A version without the copyright stamp also exists at the end of the Harry Belafonte episode on the third volume of the Best of the Muppet Show VHS and DVD series. |
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Best of the Muppet Show | 2002 | Same shot from the 1980s without the bubble. In this version, we fade out after Zoot looks into his saxophone. This was shown at the end of the first two episodes, after a closing shot of the orchestra from the first season's closing. On the third volume at the end of episode 314, it was replaced with the Sax & Violence closing shot, due to the episode having an alternate ending. |
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The Muppet Show: Season One - Season Three | 2005-2008 | This version features the 1980s shot with the Muppets Holding Company LLC at the bottom of the screen. As we fade out, the LLC is still shown for about 2 or 3 seconds before it disappears. Although the first two box sets featured a shot of a hatless Zoot, it was also shown on the Season Three DVD at the end of episodes 303, 304, 305, 309, and 312, while the rest of the episodes carried a shot of Zoot with his hat. This shot also plastered the "alternate" shots on episodes 308, 314, and 321, making the endings somewhat confusing. |
| Alternate Endings | Image | As seen in | Year | Notes |
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The Muppet Show Episode 123 | 1976 | The original ending shot for the Kaye Ballard episode. |
Videos
<videogallery> Video:The Muppet Show - ITC Closing Credits (1976)|Season 1 closing credits with the ITC Zoot shot at the end Video:The Muppet Show - ATV Closing Credits (1977)|Season 2 closing credits in the UK with the ATV Zoot shot at the end Video:The Muppet Show - ATV Closing Credits (1979)|Season 4 closing credits in the UK with the ATV Zoot shot at the end Video:The Muppet Show - ATV Closing Credits (1980)|Season 5 closing credits in the UK with the ATV Zoot shot at the end Video:The Muppet Show - 1980s Zoot Ending with HIT Logo (Seasons 1 and 2)|1980s Zoot ending with the "hit!" bubble logo from seasons 1 and 2 Video:The Muppet Show - 1980s HIT Zoot Ending with HIT Logo (Seasons 3-5)|1980s Zoot ending with the "hit!" bubble logo from seasons 3 through 5 </videogallery>