Thanks, Alex. I did flip through the episode guide, but it still doesn't explain anything. I can understand it if Floyd was just trying to change the theme, and Kermit wouldn't have it. But the way everyone is talking here, the band LEFT FOREVER at the end of the episode, with Kermit waving goodbye and everything -- and then they were back the next week. Am I the only one who finds that strange?
I know they had other "hiccups" in the continuity, but at least I knew the reasons behind them. Scooter was introduced in the Jim Nabors episode because it occurred to them after they already started production that they should have an "introductory" episode. However, by most accounts the Jim Nabors episode is really not all that good. So they filmed a few more episodes without Scooter altogether, so that one of THOSE could be the first episode. (Not sure how many. Anyone?) In the end, it didn't matter, because it turned out they had no control over the airing order, anyway.
Thanks for the Mahna Mahna information. In case anyone is interested, here's a complete list of taping dates (if not airing dates, as those varied from region to region anyway). Pay no attention to the asterisks; that was done for my own purposes, to keep track of which episodes I have on tape.
Muppet Show Taping Dates
(according to production files)
Celebrity Date (week of)
Connie Stevens #2 Jan 19 - 21,30, Feb. 1,1976
Juliet Prowse #1 Jan 29 - 31, Feb.1, 1976 *
Joel Grey #3 May 18 - 20, 1976
Ruth Buzzi #4 May 25 - 27, 1976
Harvey Korman #10 May 27, 1976
Rita Moreno #5 June 3, 1976 *
Jim Nabors #6 June 8, 1976
Florence Henderson #7 June 15,16, 1976
Paul Williams #8 June 22 - 24, 1976
Charles Aznavour #9 June 29 - July 1, 1976
Lena Horne #11 July13 - 15, 1976
Peter Ustinov #12 July 20 - 22, 1976
Bruce Forsyth #13 July 27 - 28, Aug. 5, 1976
Sandy Duncan #14 August 3 - 5, 1976
Candy Bergen #15 August 10 - 11, 1976
Avery Schreiber #16 September 28, 1976
Ben Vereen #17 October 4 - 7, 1976
Phyllis Diller #18 October 11 - 14, 1976
Vincent Price #19 October 19 - 21, 1976 *
Valerie Harper #20 October 26- 28, 1976
Twiggy #21 November 9 - 11, 1976
Ethel Merman #22 November 16 - 18, 1976
Kaye Ballard #23 November 23 - 26, 1976
Mummenschanz #24 November 23 - 26, 1976 *
Year 2
Don Knotts #25 May 23 - 25, 1977 *
Zero Mostel #26 May 31 - June 2, 1977
Milton Berle #27 June 9 -11, 1977
Rich Little #28 June 14 - 16, 1977
Judy Collins #29 June 21-23, October 19,1977
Nancy Walker #30 June 28 - 30, 1977
Teresa Brewer #46 July 12, 1977
Edgar Bergen #31 July 12 -15, 1977 *
Steve Martin #32 July 19 - 21, 1977 *
Madeline Kahn #33 July 26 - 28, 1977 *
George Burns #34 August 2 - 5, 1977 *
Dom Deluise #35 August 9 - 11, 1977 *
John Cleese #47 August 9 - 11, 1977 *
Bernadette Peters #36 August 16 - 18, 1977
Rudi Nureyev #37 October 18 - 21, 1977 *
Elton John #38 October 25 - 27, 1977 *
Lou Rawls #39 November 1 - 4, 1977
Cleo Lane #40 November 8 - 10, 1977
Bob Hope #45 November 22, 1977 *
Julie Andrews #41 November 23 - 25, 1977 *
Jaye P. Morgan #42 November 29 - Dec. 2, 1977
Peter Sellers #43 December 6 - 9, 1977 *
Cloris Leachman #48 December 6 - 9, 1977
Petula Clark #44 December 13 - 16, 1977
Year 3
Kris Kristoferson/ Rita Coolidge #49 February 14 -16, 1978
Leo Sayer #50 February 21-23, 1978
Roy Clark #51 Feb. 28 - Mar. 02, 1978
Gilda Radner #52 March 7 - 9, 1978 *
Pearl Bailey #53 March 14 - 16, 1978 *
Jean Stapleton #54 March 21 - 23, 1978
Alice Cooper #55 March 28 - 30, 1978 *
Loretta Lynn #56 April 4 - 7, 1978 *
Liberace #57 April 11 - 13, 1978 *
Marisa Berensen #58 April 18 - 20, 1978
Racquel Welch #59 April 25 - 27, 1978 *
James Coco #60 May 2 -5, 1978
Cheryl Ladd #72 May 9 - 12, 1978
Helen Reddy #61 May 9 - 12, 1978
Harry Belafonte #62 November 8 -10, 1978 *
Lesley Ann Warren #63 November 14 -16, 1978
Danny Kaye # 64 November 21 - 23, 1978 *
Spike Milligan #65 December 12 -14, 1978
Leslie Uggams #66 December 5 - 7, 12, 1978
Elke Sommer #67 December 12 - 14, 1978
Sylvester Stallone #68 January 9 - 11, 1979 *
Roger Miller #69 January 16 - 18, 1979
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans #70 January 23 - 25, 1979 *
Lynn Redgrave #71 January 30 - February 1, 1979
Year 4
John Denver #73 April 24 - 26, 1979 *
Crystal Gale #74 May 1 - 4, 1979
Shields & Yarnell #75 May 8 - 11, 1979
Dyan Cannon #76 May 15 - 17, 1979
Victor Borge #77 May 22 - 24, 1979
Linda Lavin #78 May 29 - 31, 1979 *
Dudley Moore #79 June 12 - 14, 1979 *
Arlo Guthrie #80 June 19 - 21, 1979
Beverly Sills #81 June 26 - 28, 1979 *
Kenny Rogers #82 July 3 - 5, 1979 *
Lola Falana #83 July 10 - 12, 1979 *
Phyllis George #84 July 17 - 19, 1979 *
Dizzy Gillespie #85 July 24, October 29 - November 1, 1979
Liza Minelli #86 July 30 - August 2, 1979 *
Anne Murray # 87 January 8 - 11, 1980
Jonathan Winters #88 January 15 -18, 1980 *
Mark Hamill # 89 January 15 - 18, 1980 *
Christopher Reeve #90 January 22 - 25, 1980 *
Lynda Carter #91 January 29 - 31, 1980 *
Andy Williams #94 January 29 - February 1, 1980
Doug Henning #93 February 4 - 8, 1980
Carol Channing #92 February 11 - 16, 1980
Alan Arkin #95 February 11 - 16, 1980
Diana Ross #96 February 18 - 22, 1980
Year 5
Loretta Swit #98 March 10 - 13, 1980
Joan Baez #99 March 17 - 20, 1980
Shirley Bassey #100 March 24 - 27, 1980
James Coburn #101 April 1 - 3, 1980 *
Brooke Shields #102 April 7 - 10, 1980 *
Glenda Jackson #103 April 21 - 24, 1980
Senor Wences #104 April 28 - May 2, 1980 *
Roger Moore April 29 - May 2, 1980 *
Jean Pierre Rampal #106 May 12 - 15, 1980
Paul Simon #107 May 19 - 23, 1980 *
Linda Ronstadt #119 May 27 - 30, 1980 *
Tony Randall #109 June 3 - 5, 1980 *
Mac Davis #110 June 16 -19, 1980 *
Carol Burnett #111 June 23 - 27, 1980 *
Melissa Manchester #108 July 1 - 4, 1980
Gladys Knight #112 July 3 -7, 1980
Hal Linden #113 July 8 - 10, 1980 *
Marty Feldman #114 July 14 - 17, 1980 *
Wally Boag #116 July 28 - 31, August 1, 1980
Debbie Harry #105 August 4 - 6, 1980
Chris Langham #115 August 5 - 8, 1980
Johnny Cash #117 August 11- 15, 1980 *
Buddy Rich #118 August 11 - 15, 1980
Gene Kelly #97 August 19 - 21, 1980 *