The Secret Life of a Background Character

[muppetlover123]

wayne wanda? uncle deadly thog?

 

[Misskermie]

I think I cried because of the poor unrecognized characters! Wah!

Oh, and the story was good too. LOL

 

[Hubert]

wayne wanda? uncle deadly thog?

Like I said, though Rowlf, Link, and Scooter will be the three narrators, Wayne, Wanda, Uncle Deadly and Thog are all planned for roles in the story, as is some others as well.

 

[Misskermie]

Like I said, though Rowlf, Link, and Scooter will be the three narrators, Wayne, Wanda, Uncle Deadly and Thog are all planned for roles in the story, as is some others as well.

You mean I get to see Hilda? YaaaaaaaaaaaY!

 

[Hubert]

You mean I get to see Hilda? YaaaaaaaaaaaY!

Well, Hilda isn't in the story currently, but now that you say it, I think I can make a few changes to the later chapters and fit her in quite nicely.

 

[Hubert]

I'll post more of the story now. I think I'm going to post more of the story every Sunday and every Wednesdayish (It'll probably take me until Thursday sometimes to get around to posting). So stay tuned for more on Wednesday or Thursday. But until then, here is Chapter 2.1:

Chapter 2.1: Rowlf the Dog (by Hubert with some dialogue written by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns)​

​

“Evenin’. Rowlf, Rowlf the dog. Sit yourself down,” I said as the little green guy approached me.
“Kermit, Kermit the frog,” he said.
“Pleased to meet you.” I played a few notes on my piano. “I’m no Heifetz, but I get by.”
“That was very nice.” I could tell right there this Kermit was a pretty good guy. I could sense there was something wrong.
“Broken heart, right?” I asked.
“Does it show?”
“Listen, when you’ve been ticklin’ the ivories as long as I have you’ve seen a star for every drop of rain, a shattered dream for every falling star.”
“Exactly. She just walked out on me,” he said.
“Typical. That’s why I live alone.”
“You do, huh?”
“You bet. I finish work, I go home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take myself for a walk and go to bed.”
“Nice and simple,” he responded. I could tell in the slightest way he kind of admired me.
“Stay away from women. That’s my motto,” I told him.
“But I can’t,” he said.
“Neither can I. That’s my trouble.”

And it was in that way that I first met Kermit the Frog. Sort of. (Dictaphones weren’t invented yet, but you get the idea) That was my life at that point as I had described it to Kermit. I’d finish my work, go home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take myself for a walk and go to bed. Simple life. However, I tagged along with Kermit and company anyhow. I’m sure glad I did.

The first thing I did with the Muppets was co-star in some commercials with Purina Dog Chow, with another dog named Baskerville. That was in the early 60s. That was fun, but my big break came with something much less Muppety: The Jimmy Dean Show. Which speaking of, I should probably start making breakfast. But anyway, I appeared on The Jimmy Dean Show in the 60s, becoming a regular cast member. Me and Jimmy did some sort of sketch every episode. It was a lot of fun. It was the first time ever I really got to have a big role on something.

In 1976, the Muppets finally got a big TV show, The Muppet Show. Since I had the most piano-playing experience on the show, I was given the job of pianist. I did a lot in that job, between coming up with songs for my own sketches and playing in the orchestra every episode. On top of all that, I had a role in a recurring sketch, Veterinarian’s Hospital, where Miss Piggy, Janice, and I, in a hospital setting, made all kinds of jokes and puns. As I mentioned in my introduction, I had a big and busy role on the show, unlike the background characters. I figured that, after my simple life, they probably had a simple life, and sometimes wished I did again. However, I loved my job, and wasn’t going to give it up.

I was prominently featured in the movies we made, I played the role of myself in The Muppet Movie, where we tried to recreate how the Muppets came together, somewhat successfully. 1981’s The Great Muppet Caper came a smaller, yet still important role for me. I played a resident of the Happiness Hotel, then played an important part in stopping Nicky Holliday, even though I didn’t have a blowtorch. I played countless other roles in the 80s, narrating Dog City, playing a magician, and singing with John Denver included. Since the 60s my stardom had never faded away, but it would. Soon. Very Soon.​

​

 

[CensoredAlso]

And of course, I had never been one. After all, my uncle owned the theater

Lol, nice.

 

[Fragglemuppet]

Wow, this is terrific so far! I've always liked Rowlf, but lately I've grown to love him even more.
Scooter has always been one of my favorites!
Link I never cared for too much, but 2 out of 3 ain't bad!
I love Rowlf's line about needing to make breakfast. I love that kind of brief call back to the present from reminiscences!

Can't wait to read more!

 

[Hubert]

I must apologize for neglecting this fic for a while. I'll try to keep posting regularly. I know it's small, but here's the next part:

Chapter 2.2: Link Hogthrob

I was hired after the first season of the Muppet Show, all because I happened to walk in during the firing of Wayne and Wanda. (You can read more about this in LinkiePie<3’s fanfic, It Was Me.) I was hired to be the wonderful, smart, and brave captain of Pigs In Space. It was an extremely fun role to play, and it gave me by big break in acting.

However, my role on the Muppet Show was not limited to just Pigs In Space. I did many other things on the show. I talked to trees, rhymed, did a song with Lesley Ann Warren, rode a motorcycle, and played a viking. Starting in the third season I also played the police chief in Bear on Patrol, co-starring with Fozzie.

Other than the Muppet Show, I did some other things with the Muppets. Though I didn’t have a major role in The Muppet Movie, if you can find me in the big finale, I do look quite stunning. In the Muppets Go to the Movies, I played Gummo, one of the 3 musketeers, along with Scooter and Gonzo. In my career, I also played a member of Congress, remembered the Alamo, and attended a wedding. (I was voted best dressed at the reception.) I also went to Fozzie’s mother’s house, and told her about how I co-starred in a sketch with her son.

Soon after this, I had a minor career scare, which I well discuss a bit later on. Do remember though, I did recover from it. They don’t publish stories with unhappy endings, do they?​

 

[Hubert]

Sorry for the long delay, here's the next part. Sorry it's kinda short and boring, next chapter things will begin heating up.

Chapter 2.3: Scooter

There are two stories going around about how I got started with the Muppets. One is that I was the road manager for the Electric Mayhem, and when they met Kermit, so did I. The other is that I just sort of popped in to get a job, because my uncle said I could, and after all, he owned theater. I’m not going to debunk either rumor, as that would really do a damper on our publicity.

But regardless of how it happened, I ended up as the go-fer on the Muppet Show. I had a lot of fun doing this job. I’d go fer coffee, or go fer sandwiches, or go fer anything you need. But in addition to this, I did a lot of other things on the show. I did do some performing in sketches, and even do larger things, such as playing a large role in our production of Robin Hood. I sometimes had to do much more than my job required, such as host on occasion when Kermit was for some reason missing. I also did some other off-duty jobs in my free time on the set, such as running a superhero correspondence course and being hired by Miss Piggy on multiple occasions.

After the Muppet Show ended, I still had a variety of roles, playing myself in the Muppet Movie, a resident of the Happiness Hotel, one of the three musketeers, and even a scarecrow. I had a lot of fun with all of the new experiences in these roles, and if I didn’t get a role, my uncle would have something to say about it. But soon, even my uncle was not able to redeem me from the secret life of a background character.