Nigel questions.

[golden teeth]

Question 1: Was Nigel in Muppets Tonight and if so, who was he performed by?

Question 2: Why is Nigel no longer credited after season 1 on imdb? Didn't he appear in some episodes after season 1?(I remember one where he was wistling with Floyd or Zoot...I don't remember it all that well.)

 

[minor muppetz]

Question 1: Was Nigel in Muppets Tonight and if so, who was he performed by?

There was a new character named Nigel, who was the director and looked like Droop. Nigel The Conductor never appeared on Muppets Tonight.

Question 2: Why is Nigel no longer credited after season 1 on imdb? Didn't he appear in some episodes after season 1?(I remember one where he was wistling with Floyd or Zoot...I don't remember it all that well.)[/QUOTE]

He was occassionally seen after season one, but he didn't have any lines and didn't have a regular performer. John Lovelady was his performer during the first season (though Jim Henson performed him in Sex And Violence and the Connie Stevens episode), and after John Lovelady left (after the first season) Nigel made occassional appearances as a silent character. It probably only lists him as being from the first season because that's when John Lovelady performed him.

Some of Nigels post-first season appearances include:
George Burns: appears with cast in closing number.
Rudolph Nureya: appears in closing number.
Jaye P. Morgan: whistling while Floyd plays bass.
Danny Kaye: appears backstage before Danny and Miss Piggys number and with cast in closing number.
Gilda Radner: conducts the orchestra in the closing number.
Christopher Reeve: whistles backstage in u.k spot.
Shirly bassey: conducts the orchestra in u.k. spot.
Roger Moore:conducts the orchestra in u.k. spot.

I think there might be more post-season 1 episodes that he appeared in. I think theres a thread somewhere that lists all of his appearances.

 

[golden teeth]

Well, I think its kind of wierd that they did that to Nigel. he was all over Sex and Violence, but only appeared with a speaking role in 4 episodes in season 1. I just found that a bit wierd.

 

[Saironi]

I remember him conversing with Zoot then threatening to replace him in "Connie Stevens", pouting on how Floyd disliked the theme song then snapping at Rowlf to continue playing the end theme, but when was the fourth time?

 

[golden teeth]

The pouting at Floyd and snapping at Rowlf were in the same episode.

The second time was in the Twiggy episode when he asks her something.

Third was the one mentioned above.

Fourth was in Mummenschantz when they had the Library musical where Miss Piggy coughed, Fozzie tapped, Hilda swished her papers and Nigel chewed gum. Its a clear "speaking" role.

 

[Saironi]

I also remember Sam telling him "Don't you start whistling" when Floyd, Janice, and Bo annoyed him with "Sam's Song". That struck me as strange. In "Sex and Violence", Sam seemed to have total respect where Nigel was concerened.

 

[David French]

Strictly speaking Nigel appears in at least 119 episodes of The Muppet Show, usuallu conducting the house band during the opening and closing themes (Is he there in the Loretta Lynn episode?)

 

[Gonzo14]

Nigel also can be seen in the theatre in The Muppet Movie

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder why John Lovelady took over the role from Jim Henson. Jim henson performed him in the secodn episode, which was shot as a pilot, so maybe Jim Henson was going to perform him but then decided not to, possibly either because he disliked the character, so that John Lovelady could have another character, because he often performed Rowlf when Nigel appeared, or some other reason.

It is odd that, after the second episode, Nigel didn't talk again untill really late in the season. I have noticed that in all of Nigel's major speaking scenes where he's performed by John Lovelady, Jim Henson was busy performing other characters (Kermit and Rowlf).

It is weird that Nigel wasn't more involved backstage. He was the shows conductor, so it would have made sense for him to be involved in major storylines every once in awhile. Maybe he could have complained about working conditions, or worked on a certain number, or prepared for a big musical number, or perhaps helped Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, or anybody else with their act. He also should have been in some discussion panels and At The dance segments.

I often consider him to be John Loveladys main character, yet as a performers main character he didn't do much (though the same could be said about Kathy Mullens main character, Gaffer, or Steve Whitmires main character, Rizzo, in his early appearances). John Lovelady should have had some major backstage involvement. The other first season performers had at least one main character.

 

[Xerus]

I also remember in the Star Wars episode, when Scooter sang, "Six String Orchestra", Nigel was playing a horn along with Zoot and some other horn players. It looked like Nigel went from a conductor to an orchestra member in that scene.

And I liked in SAM'S SONG when Sam saw Nigel whistling, Sam went, "There is a THING whistling!" Like Sam had never seen Nigel before, especially when they worked on Sex and Violence together.