Breakthrough Guest Star on TMS?

[minor muppetz]

I mean, it's not the most syndicated show for nothing, right?

I don't think it's the most syndicated show at all. I mean, currently reruns aren't airing in the US, I've read that reruns were shown in canada a few years ago (I don't know if reruns are still being shown there). And I don't think reruns have been shown in syndication since the 1980s, only on cable channels such as TNT, Nickelodeon, and Odyssey.

 

[Winslow Leach]

I don't think it's the most syndicated show at all. I mean, currently reruns aren't airing in the US, I've read that reruns were shown in canada a few years ago (I don't know if reruns are still being shown there). And I don't think reruns have been shown in syndication since the 1980s, only on cable channels such as TNT, Nickelodeon, and Odyssey.

I've read that at the height of its popularity (late 70s/early 80s), TMS was the most syndicated TV show in the world.

 

[mikebennidict]

I think it depends on what 1 means by syndicated.


Syndication means a show is not offered on a network but shown on stations that are either not affiliated with any of the commerical network or is the case where I live in the Chicago area TMS was seen on our CBS affiliate though of course CBS didn't actually carry the show themselves.


As for it's reruns they might have not been seen as much since the show went out of production which is what 1 might mean by not being the most syndicated series.

 

[Ruahnna]

A couple of things. As an official old person on the boards (and you youngsters should be in BED ALREADY!), I actually watched TMS in "real time," watching the show unfold. I was a card-carrying member of The Muppet Show club, and I saw the movies and the show episodes as they aired. (Yes--you may envy me now....)

Lena Horne was the first "OMG" talent the muppets got on TMS, but keep in mind that many, many famous stars had already worked with Jim on SS and other things. One of the problems they encountered with guest talent was that the show was not filmed in California or New York. This is because American television stations were TOO STUPID to give Jim a shot on the regular, three-network tv of the time. So, guest stars had to not only be willing to FLY TO ENGLAND, where the show was filmed (May God Bless Lord Grade), but they had to be willing to do so for a show that was only 30 minutes. If they had filmed in Hollywood, they would have had more people interested and available, I'm sure, but I also go the impression that Jim picked people that he liked, that he thought would be interesting PEOPLE, not just interesting guest stars. By the time the first season was over, EVERYONE who was ANYONE was clamoring to get on a plane and fly to England to do ANYTHING JIM WANTED.
Hope that helps fill in a little.

 

[peyjenk]

That makes sense.

And yes, I do envy you for your old-school status.

 

[MrsPepper]

What I have heard over and over is that most of the big-name first season stars like Ethel Merman were other clients of Henson's agent; and that when Nureyev agreed to do season 2, that opened the door to other big stars asking to do the show instead of being asked.

A couple of things. As an official old person on the boards (and you youngsters should be in BED ALREADY!), I actually watched TMS in "real time," watching the show unfold. I was a card-carrying member of The Muppet Show club, and I saw the movies and the show episodes as they aired. (Yes--you may envy me now....)

Lena Horne was the first "OMG" talent the muppets got on TMS, but keep in mind that many, many famous stars had already worked with Jim on SS and other things. One of the problems they encountered with guest talent was that the show was not filmed in California or New York. This is because American television stations were TOO STUPID to give Jim a shot on the regular, three-network tv of the time. So, guest stars had to not only be willing to FLY TO ENGLAND, where the show was filmed (May God Bless Lord Grade), but they had to be willing to do so for a show that was only 30 minutes. If they had filmed in Hollywood, they would have had more people interested and available, I'm sure, but I also go the impression that Jim picked people that he liked, that he thought would be interesting PEOPLE, not just interesting guest stars. By the time the first season was over, EVERYONE who was ANYONE was clamoring to get on a plane and fly to England to do ANYTHING JIM WANTED.
Hope that helps fill in a little.

Thank you peyjenk and Ruhanna, that is exactly what I wanted to know.

Also Ruhanna, you bring up the fact that is was syndicated in the US.

I've read that at the height of its popularity (late 70s/early 80s), TMS was the most syndicated TV show in the world.

As for it's reruns they might have not been seen as much since the show went out of production which is what 1 might mean by not being the most syndicated series.

It certainly isn't the most syndicated anymore, but I'm pretty sure at one point it was in the Guiness book for the one show syndicated in the most countries, it was something like 110 or 115 countries.

I don't think it's the most syndicated show at all. I mean, currently reruns aren't airing in the US, I've read that reruns were shown in canada a few years ago (I don't know if reruns are still being shown there). And I don't think reruns have been shown in syndication since the 1980s, only on cable channels such as TNT, Nickelodeon, and Odyssey.

I didn't mean currently, I meant at one point in time it was syndicated in the most countries. And in Canada, cable channel CTS used to show reruns but they haven't in a year or two; I don't know if other channels or other areas of the country have aired it or not.