Favourite episode of the Muppet Show?

[Thijs]

Hmm, that`s a hard one.
I really love those weirds episodes, the railwaystation episode (can`t remember the guest star, it was a country singer), and the `audition episode` with Steve Martin.
Other faves are Rita Moreno, John Cleese (because of John Cleese) and Dom de luise.

 

[SillyRed]

The Impossible Dream segment with John Cleese was funny!!! It mad e me laugh, too!

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Paul Williams, the template for the rest of the series (think about it). And I just like it. Other favorites are Vincent Price, Joel Grey, Ben Vereen.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[Gonzo]

One of my favorite is the Senor Wences episode--just because the Muppets did a Puppet Show, and I thought it was funny.

Quinnnnnnnnnnnn

 

[frogboy4]

Elton John. To see Scooter so excited and Miss Piggy sing "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" with Elton and the Mayhem get into the action in "Crocodile Rock" was fantastic. Probably some of the best music ever performed on the Muppet Show.

 

[camilla]

Originally posted by EmmyMik
I *love* the Paul Simon episode. I just love Paul's music, and it was this episode that actually "introduced" me to his music (if you don't count the time when I was little when I would be watching tv with my parents and the "Call Me Al" music video would pop up. My Dad would make fun of my Mom for saying that Paul was cute. Funny how I can remember that).


Oh that was so funny . I watched it last night. Would be good to do an updated one.
By the way what year was Call Me Al was it pre that episode??

Camilla

 

[ScottMonster]

I can only name ONE??

Here's one that immediately comes to mind:

One featured a musical number with Kermit as a patient in a hospital bed. It starts with Kermit, being visited by a doctor who is just leaving as he tells Kermit to get some rest. As soon as the doctor leaves, this funky music starts to play and a number of 'whatnot' muppets appear seemingly from nowhere and start singing some song I'm still not familiar with -- something about a "lima bean and coconut drink"... ...or something
like that. And as they sing they gradually start to change into these weird looking creatures that just get weirder and weirder and weirder...and all these vines and plant life start growing around the room untill it totally resembles a jungle and needless to say Kermit is getting more and more freaked out untill he finally screams out in fright and the doc comes back in to ask if Kermit is alright and of course the room has now completely returned to normal and the creatures are gone. The doctor then tells Kermit to call him if he needs anything before leaving again. Kermit heaves a sigh of relief, thinking of course he dreamt the whole thing and of course all the weird creatures jump back up from under his bed and laugh in his face and Kermit freaks and pulls the covers over his head.

That's one among many, though. I'm sure I'll remember others as the day goes on.

 

[SillyRed]

It's a Harry Nillson song, It's the same song Fred Schnider of the B-52's also covered, but making it sound like a punk song.

 

[Chilly Down]

Scott: The "Lime in the Coconut" number that you described was in the Kenny Rogers episode. It was also featured in several of the compilation videos.

Camilla: The Muppet Show was in the late '70s, and "Call Me Al" wasn't recorded till the mid-80's.

Gorgon Heap: Wow. A fan of the first-season episodes, are we?

Someone (sorry, I forgot who): The episode set in the train station was the Loretta Lynn episode.

I really like the Star Wars episode since I'm a Star Wars fan too...but seeing it now that I'm older, there are some dry spots in it. Still a lot of fun, but there are a few episodes that are more consistent throughout. My personal favorite is the Linda Rondstadt episode. Great music; a strong, funny plotline that affects the whole show (a jealous Piggy locks Kermit in a chest to keep him away from Linda); Linda looks great (in the days before her unfortunate weight troubles; and when Linda sings "When I grow too old to dream, I'll have you to remember..." (a clip used in the 30-year celebration) I can't help but think of Jim and cry. Beautiful.

Plus, when Kermit is missing, the Swedish Chef does the introduction. How can you beat that? ("Leenda Roonstaat! Yayyyyy!")

In fact, in general, I find that the 5th season episodes are stronger than the rest of the episodes. The backstage plot sreally push the episodes forward and affect the onstage action a lot more. In earlier episodes, the backstage plot would be kind of removed from the rest of the show, or else be surprisingly abandoned altogether. The writing started to move towards more plot-driven shows in later seasons (Linda Lavin, Phyllis George, Liza Minelli, etc.), and in Season 5 they really hit the mark almost all the time (Gene Kelly, Marty Feldman, Brooke Shields, Hal Linden, etc.). It's kind of a shame that Jim pulled the plug on the show when he did...he seemed to think they were all out of ideas. IMHO, they had just really hit their stride.

I'm somewhat relieved. I hadn't seen TMS in ages until I started getting the Time-Life stuff , so I thought I was rather ignorant of what the best episodes were. But I've seen most of the episodes that people have mentioned here. Whew! Can anyone else recommend any more episodes that aren't on the Time-Life list?

 

[Janice & Mokey's Man]

Welp, one o' my favorites is the Lynda Carter episode.

First of all you have the openin' number, Janice's (unsurpassable) rendition of "I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends".

And of course the goofballs backstage gettin' into the whole "super hero" thing, a frequent fan fave that is rully entertainin'---and even Piggy with "WonderPig", lol.

Now we know that some guest stars were wonderful with the Muppets, and some were pretty uncomfortable with 'em. IMO, Lynda Carter was one of the best guest stars, if not THE best,in terms of Muppet chemistry.

Her true interaction with the Muppets is astounding. She is so warm and natural, she seems to feel right at home with 'em. She can be kiddin' and sly (Newsman, Sam Eagle), nice and friendly (Kermit), and she's even able to laugh at "herself" as Piggy does "WonderPig".

I just can't go on enough about how NATURAL she is with the Muppets.

It's like she'd grown up with 'em in her house.