Sesame Street debuts on Netflix
Sesame Street Season 56 has premiered on Netflix and PBS. Let us know your thoughts on the anticipated season.
Jim Henson Idea Man
Remember the life. Honor the legacy. Inspire your soul. The new Jim Henson documentary "Idea Man" is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
Back to the Rock Season 2
Fraggle Rock Back to the Rock Season 2 has premiered on AppleTV+. Watch the anticipated new season and let us know your thoughts.
Bear arrives on Disney+ The beloved series has been off the air for the past 15 years. Now all four seasons are finally available for a whole new generation.
Sam and Friends Book Read our review of the long-awaited book, "Sam and Friends - The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show" by Muppet Historian Craig Shemin.
You know... Methinks the fears of not getting this countdown list finished were founded in some sort of truth.
*Outside...
Protest Marchers: What do we want?
More Muppet Countdown!
Protest Marchers: When do we want it?
Now!
*Random Muppet leading the protestors: You hear that? You get here and post the next ten Muppets on the countdown list or we'll...... We'll let Big Mean Carl eat the wittle pwanny foo-foo cakes!
Big Mean Carl: Wittle pwanny foo-foo cakes! Yum-yum!
*shakes fist at protestors* It's not easy to find a time when both Lisa and I don't have anything to do and are both online. And right now is NOT one of those times... yeesh. Protestors these days...
... Protestor Muppet: We're not buying it! You and that half are practically linked to each other on MSN. OK boys, let Carl at 'em.
Big Mean Carl: Thaaank you! *Devours wittle pwanny foo-foo cakes with audible yelps of pwanny pweading to have time to post the next list.
So, yeah, we're actually back! Enjoy this next installment!
30. Bunsen and Beaker (The Muppet Show) L - ...I think I was just thinking about those two earlier today. Or maybe it was yesterday. I don't remember.
P - Oh were you?
L - I think so. I honestly don't remember anymore. Anyway- MEEP!
P - Nice. Anyway, it's about this section of the countdown where we start to see that a lot of the best Muppets come in pairs.
L - Oh they do. Bunsen and Beaker work alright separately, but they're so much better together... And honestly, when I hear "Bunsen," I think "Beaker," and vice versa, which makes my Chemistry class a lot more confusing.
P - Hehe, I know the feeling. And it would be karmically irresponsible of me not to mention at this point that I won The MuppetCast Muppet impression contest with my Bunsen impression.
L - Mazel tov! A well deserved success, as well as a well earned success, and yes I am referring to thousands upon thousands of votes from... <Ahem> Suffice to say that lots of people, myself included, voted early and voted often.
P - Oh indeed. Which, in hindsight, would've been a lot easier if Bunsen would've invented something to move the voting along faster.
L - ...Um... easier, yes... if it actually... y'know... worked? Without destroying computers...
P - Or Beaker.
L - You've gotta wonder why Beaker sticks with Bunsen sometims. He must've signed a really binding contract at some point...
P - I think he has some sort of shock collar.
L - He doesn't need a collar; he gets plenty of shocks.
P - Well yes, but it would also explain why his hair is like that.
L - Oh, his hair could be attributed to any number of Bunsen's inventions, I'm sure.
P - Same with the voice.
L - Yeah. Poor guy.
P - Have you ever wondered if Beaker likes the attention?
L - ...Huh... I guess I haven't, but... that could explain it, I guess.
P - Well I don't honestly think he likes it... but maybe. Also, maybe Beaker owes Bunsen his life or soemthing. Couldn't you see them both being involved in the mob?
L - ...I can't say I've ever thought of it, but... maybe if they got into it by accident or somehow... I personally see Johnny Fiama as more of the mob type, I guess.
P - Well me too. I was just making conversation.
L - Oh, okay. Well, so long as we're making conversation- you know what I really like about Bunsen?
P - What's that? His lack of pupils?
L - Well, that too, but... besides that.
P - What?
L - How many of his inventions have actually WORKED?
P - The invention to make Beaker "meep" constantly.
L - ...Okay, so that's one. And the invisibility spray in the rubber ducky worked. But my point is that the vast majority of his inventions are flawed, or just don't work at all, and yet he just keeps on inventing... er... trying to invent, anyway.
P - Hehe, he does. Non-stop. Just ask Beaker.
P - Not that you'd be able to understand him... but that's the point.
L - Yup. It's so much easier to write his dialogue than to understand it.
P - I would assume.
L - Well, like- Those readers who aren't into fanfic, I apologize, I'm busting into fanfic-writer mode- But I could have him say, "Me mee mo MEE me mo!" And I would know what he was saying, but if I read the same thing in someone else's story, I would have no clue.
P - Hehe, sometimes I just write him willy-nilly, without even knowing what I want him to be saying.
L - Oh I do that too sometimes, but it's so much more fun to give him real dialogue behind the meeps.
P - Meep mo mee meep.
L - Mee mo. MEEP!
P - And that about says it all.
L - Yup. 29. Junior Gorg (Fraggle Rock) P - Look Ma! I got a Fwaggle!
L - It's funny how a guy to whom humans are knee-high can just be so... adorable.
P - Knee-high? Dang. ...But I'd still hug him.
L - If given the chance, I definitely would. Such a good-hearted, well-meaning, lonely sort of guy.
P - Mostly lonely. I mean, his only friend is a radish!
L - Poor guy. He's so... innocent, too, in a naive sort of way. I mean, the Genie of the Bushel Basket said that he would die after his next sneeze, and then he sneezes, therefore, he honestly believes that he's dead. It's sad, but it's so cute.
P - Hehehe, I love that episode so much. Richard really pulled out all the stops with Junior.
L - Absolutely. Who performed Junior's body, though? Any idea?
P - Stall while I jump on Muppet Wiki.
L - Stall, stall, um... We haven't talked about our sponsors in a while... Although, to be honest, we've lost touch with some of them, what with the delay between postings... But I digress. Wait, that's the point; I'm stalling. ...I confused myself. Anyway, um... Junior's awesome, always trying to do something right... Not always succeeding... Which is kind of like Bunsen and Beaker, and- actually it's kind of like most Muppets, always doing stuff they don't succeed in... Did you find anything yet?
P - Yeah, I've had it for like three minutes. I just wanted to see how you would stall.
L - ...<Headslap>
P - *ahem* Anyway folks. Rob Millis performed Junior's body in seasons 1-4 and some dude with a long last name in Season 5. Fun fact, Rob Millis also performed Mokey's pet plant Lanford.
L - ...Some dude with a long last name? You're not gonna give him any more credit than that?
P - Well I haven't seen Season 5 yet.
L - What does that have to do with it?
P - I don't want to give him too much credit if he doesn't deserve it!
L - ...Right. Well, Rob Millis did a terrific job, and I'm sure the guy with the long last name did a terrific job, too.
P - Frank Meschkuleit if you must know.
L - Oh, good, now he gets his rightful credit.
P - Let's just hope he didn't want leftful credit.
L - Or sidewaysful... Have we done this yet in the countdown?
P - Yes, I remember having to copy it in.
L - Ah. Well then, we probably don't need to repeat it.
P - Probably not. Shall we go on then?
L - I think we shall. 28. Janice (The Muppet Show) P - Oh, like, rully, I, like, ohhhh, love Janice. Fer sure, rully. L - Fer sure! She's got, like, rully, some of the greatest lines...
P - And, like, a great gig going with Floyd, rully.
L - Totally. And like, she rully grooves on her lead guitar, fer sure, and she's like, RULLY versatile with what instrument she plays...
P - Ohhh, like righteously rully. But, like, you've gotta wonder if her rully funny lines were, like, ad-libbed by Richard.
L - Oh, totally. Like, I rully think her line about the beach in Great Muppet Caper was like, rully ad-libbed, and it's like, totally classic now.
P - Oh feeeeeer sure. And I'm, like, soooo happy that Richard took Janice over from, like, Erin Ozker and all, ya know?
L - Rully. She's like, a totally different girl because of it, fer sure.
P - Like, thank goodness.
L - Fer sure.
P - *ahem* So what else can we say about Janice?
L - She plays lead guitar, tamborine, violin, and um...
P - Didn't she play the trombone at one point?
L - YES! Trombone. And she sings.
P - Like a rockin' robin.
L - Tweet, tweet, tweet!
P - Hehehe. Love that song.
L - Oh me too. Um... And she wasn't always with Floyd. She seemed to be with Zoot the first season of The Muppet Show.
P - Well yes, but that was Erin Ozker's hand in the mix.
L - Quite. OH! She plays harp, too! Or at least, she has one to tune.
P - Hahaha! Yes! Miracle worker that girl.
L - Fer sure. ...Sorry, character-talk gets addictive.
P - Well we spent Camilla's entire section clucking.
L - Was that just for Camilla, or for chickens in general?
P - I think it was just for chickens. But whatever.
L - No, no, we haven't gotten to Gonzo yet.
P - I knew you were gonna say that. ...Which character were we on?
L - ...Um... Janice.
P - Fer sure. Moving on?
L - Rully. 27. Floyd Pepper (The Muppet Show) L - The hippest of the hip! P - And now... the hippest of the hip... the kittiest of the kitty cats... Sgt. Floyd Pepper! L - He's got a room for life at the home for the chronically groovy.
P - And a mustache to rival Mario's!
L - He's not technically the band leader, but he's really the voice of the band.
P - Oh yes. And what a voice, eh? That laugh!
L - I LOVE his laugh. And his walk. And his EYES! They BLINK! P - YES! And the hat! I love his hat. L - I just can't get past the eyes. They BLINK! They CLOSE! It is SUCH a rare thing among Muppets to have eyes that actually CLOSE! It's very exciting.
P - And I'd argue that it's Floyd's best feature. Just to have him blink real slow at something he finds totally un-hip... awesome.
L - Totally awesome. Oh- I think I might've mentioned it in that paper I keep quoting! Hang on, lemme check.
P - *shakes head* While she's gone, I'd like to say that Floyd is my favorite of Jerry Nelson's characters. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Lisa.
L - Thank you. In the paper, I wrote: "Such eye mechanisms help to develop many characters, as they provide an essential ingredient in puppetry: movement. For example, the self-described "chronically groovy" bass guitar player Sgt. Floyd Pepper originally had mere sunglasses for eyes, but the sarcastic element of his character worked better when his shades were replaced with tube-like eyes that could blink, or remain closed while he laughed."
P - Ces't manu...something in French!
L - ...I have no clue what you just said, so I'm just going to smile and nod and hope it was a compliment.
P - Well that's what I was going for. Anyway, I'm sure most of us have heard John Kennedy's attempt at Floyd.
L - Probably.
P - Well, my opinion is that it's alright. It's a great voice, not terribly Floyd-y, but the laugh is right, and the voice is cool.
L - In my opinion, the accuracy of the actual character is more important than the accuracy of the voice, but then again, I'm not the best person to decide when a character voice is "accurate" or not, to say the least.
P - Hehehe. Well I'd agree with you there. And at the end of "The Man With the Bag" on the "Green and Red Christmas" CD, when Floyd said, "Alright, take five, Miss Fat-Back's on." I'm like... "BAM! That's Floyd."