Your Thoughts: The Muppet Show Season 3

[Drtooth]

The special features aren't as good as I'd hoped but having the entire season three episodes at last is worth it for any Muppet fan. My thoughts - wait till you find a good enough deal and then snatch it up!

Problem is, even they wanted to put more onto it, and couldn't. There were too many stumbling blocks due to copyrights. I can't remember all of it. I know a NASA call from Pigs in Space was cut, since NASA didn't want to give it to them, or they asked for more than could be offered. Same with another special that was to be on the DVD.

It would have been great to see more, but it would have been even better had these copyright road blacks didn't hamper any of it.

 

[Super Scooter]

Same thing for Cheryl Ladd's episode - the production code for her episode is 72, although her episode was one of the first to be recorded for that year.

Oh, and with regards to the strike...

The ITV blackout occurred in late summer/early fall 1979. Filming for the Muppet Movie began in early 1979.

Ah. Thanks. It just seemed kinda weird that they had such a long hiatus there.

One of the things I really enjoy about this season is seeing some of Steve Whitmire's early work with the Muppets. He was already very talented when he started, wasn't he? It's neat to hear all these voices and one-shot characters they gave him right off the bat. <---like Winky Pinkerton... oh, and all the rest of the penguins premiere this season! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

It's also kind of neat that each season has it's own sort of feel to it so far. The first season was very much gag oriented, the second season I think Jerry Juhl and the writing staff were trying to focus more on actually developing the characters more, and then in the third season it seems like they have liscence to do almost anything they want. I love it that they did alot of odd stuff in this season (like the train station, and not ending the final musical numbers until the end of the credits). So much fun!

And who else thinks that the guy behind the curtain that Kermit keeps talking to, but you never actually see is one of the greatest characters around? <---sounds kinda like Cookie.

 

[Erine81981]

And who else thinks that the guy behind the curtain that Kermit keeps talking to, but you never actually see is one of the greatest characters around? <---sounds kinda like Cookie.

You did know that's Frank Oz doing all those. I can picture a Muppet Monster being behind there helping Beau and Beaker setting up the scenery. But that is really funny to hear that voice.

Also i've found my favorite episode so far. It's the Train Station one just becuase it's differnt. I wished that they would have done some others in seasons 4 and 5. That's what i would loved to see.

Like them have it at some mall or maybe an old barn out near where maybe Piggy grew up or Annie Sue. That would of been funny to see but i'm glad i'm getting to see these for the first time.

 

[Super Scooter]

You did know that's Frank Oz doing all those. I can picture a Muppet Monster being behind there helping Beau and Beaker setting up the scenery. But that is really funny to hear that voice.

Yes, I know it's Frank. The character is just so funny!

"Are we ready back there?"
"Who wants to know?"

Classic!

 

[peyjenk]

Some random Peyton thoughts on the season 3 DVDs:

-The fuzzy cover is not exactly hideous, but is a good imitation of it.

-The Muppets sitting in the theatre seats picture is a cool idea, but has been done so much better so many times before. It is better than what I could have done, but the quality, lighting, and focus of each individual character is so different that it doesn't really pull together very well.

-Haven't watched the special features yet, but they sound great! (I'm saving them for last )

-Leo Sayer was one weird little guy.

-The menus are spectacular... much better than the previous season's menus (although I liked them, too!). Kermit and Piggy are consistently a great pairing. I also really like the way they use the TMS arches to frame each episode. Very classy, very Muppety.

-It is interesting to note how differently each celeb reacts to the Muppets. Kris Kristofferson could barely make it through "Help Me Make it Through the Night" and Rita Coolidge acted like she didn't know who or where she was, Roy Clark seems to be having the time of his life but is unsure of exactly what he's supposed to be doing, Marisa Berenson holds her own against Piggy, and James Coco seems like a Muppet himself.

 

[uppitymuppity]

Peyton - I love your observations about how the guest stars interact with the muppets. I thought Gildna Radner was a natural with them and Raquel Welch seemed very comfortable as well - she was practically naked dancing with a giant spider and somehow made it look easy.

 

[peyjenk]

Yes, Gilda and Raquel are great, too. You can kind of see a trend: throughout the series, the comedians and actors usually do very well and the singers and dancers tend to be a little more wooden. Of course, there are exceptions. I think that Bob Hope seems a little lost, while Linda Ronstadt acts like she's been doing Muppet stuff her whole career!

 

[minor muppetz]

I haven't bought it yet, because my birthday is in a few weeks and I can't think of very much else that I'll want (besides money). But the last two nights I have had dreams about epsiodes from this season. In the last two nights I had dreams about the first two shows of the season.

By the way, how mnay epsiodes feature that Frank Oz-voiced character who doens't appear on-screen? I know that he can be heard in the introduction for Octopuses Garden, and one of Raquel Welch's number,s but were there any others?

 

[RedPiggy]

One of the things I really enjoy about this season is seeing some of Steve Whitmire's early work with the Muppets. He was already very talented when he started, wasn't he? It's neat to hear all these voices and one-shot characters they gave him right off the bat. <---like Winky Pinkerton... oh, and all the rest of the penguins premiere this season! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

The amusing thing about his "premiere", IIRC, in the Liberace one, is in an interview (which I either saw or it was on one of those interviews on Muppet Central or somewhere), Steve thought he was going to get fired his first day on the job because that one little scene took hours upon hours.

 

[ploobis]

I was just watching Bobby Benson's Baby Band from the Elke Sommer episode and I was wondering, Do ya think they used real toy instruments in the recording studio to record the BBBB songs?

The music really sounds like it was played by toy instruments. I enjoy the BBBB music and I laugh at the same time. The idea of an all Baby Band playing classic Big Band songs is hilarious!