Why didn't Jerry Nelson have a regular character on the Muppet Show?

[Gorgon Heap]

Did Jerry do Thog, who I think would qualify as a semi-regular, throughout the entire run fo TMS, or just the first season?

Whole run, although I know Thog was at times performed by others when he didn't have a speaking role. Steve Whitmire played him in the Loretta Swit episode, and apparently Jim played him in the number with Bernadette Peters (plus Dave was Timmy Monster and Louise was Sweetums).

Thog wasn't much of a regular, IMO unfortunately. Outside of the opening credits, he only appeared in 7 episodes:

#8 Paul Williams: onstage bit with Paul and monsters and in the goodnights
#10 Harvey Korman: Harvey's first act
#23 Kaye Ballard: Kaye's first number, "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?"
#36 Bernadette Peters: Bernadette's first number, "Take Little One-Step"
#55 Alice Cooper: UK Spot "Once a Year Day" and closing number "School's Out"
#60 James Coco: cameo in closing number "Short People"
#98 Loretta Swit: Loretta's first number, "I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet"

If it were up to me, he'd have been used more often (hence why I use him so much in my fanfics). I would hope that if the Muppets ever re-entered the variety format they'd rebuild him, as a counterpart to Sweetums. The only monsters who've been seen in the last decade were Sweetums and DogLion, who are the same size, height, tone (earth colors) and texture (both shaggy, both made from the same material, sheepskin). Sweetums and Thog only appeared together on TMS on three occasions (outside of the credits) but it seems they're often thought of as a kind of pair. I think that works b/c the two are naturally contrasting.

End rant transmission.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I have to say that Jerry is the man, I mean I always did kinda wonder why he didn't have a really big mail characters on the Muppet Show, but I would stop thinking about it when I think about all the great minor characters on the Muppet Show, not to mention Gobo and the other Fraggle Rock characters he did, plus not to mention the Count. But I have to say, that Jerry is one of my all time favorite Muppet performs (along with the main five Muppet Show, Henson, Oz, Hunt, Nelson, Golez.).

Wow, you managed to align "characters on the muppet show" perfectly. (although, the quote doesnt show it)

I will have to agree with you though

 

[minor muppetz]

Whole run, although I know Thog was at times performed by others when he didn't have a speaking role. Steve Whitmire played him in the Loretta Swit episode, and apparently Jim played him in the number with Bernadette Peters (plus Dave was Timmy Monster and Louise was Sweetums).

I have read an interview with Steve Whitmire where he said that he performed Thog in the School's Out number as well as I Feel the Earth Move.

It is a bit odd that Sweetums and Thog weren't a regular duo, considering Jerry Nelson performed Thog and Richard Hunt performed Sweetums, and those two performers performed a lot of duo characters. In the Julie Andrews episode, Gonzo mentioned that these two characters were playing badmitton together, but they weren't acctually seen playing. Thog didn;t even appear in the closing number of that episode. I wonder if Thog was ever mentioned by name in any other episode.

 

[puppetise]

Jerry and his daughter Christine made a cameo appearance in The Great Muppet Caper (passing Kermit in the park; Christine: "Look dad a bear" Jerry: "No Christine, that's a frog. Bears where hats".) Jim Henson allowed Christine to make a cameo along with her father in a Muppet movie because her dream was always to become a movie star. Sadly, she passed away before being able to see her big-screen debut in 1981.

Wow thats sad but im glad she is forever imortalised in a muppet movie jim did a awsom thing for a special girl