Over the past few months, the Tough Pigs staff has been reviewing every episode of the second season of The Muppet Show, on or around the 40th anniversary of each episode’s US premiere date. It’s been a challenge to keep coming up with things to say about the same TV show, but somehow we’ve managed to do it, perhaps because none of us will ever shut up about Muppets.
Now that the whole season is behind us, we’ve gathered a bunch of our Muppet Show reviewers together to share our thoughts on Season 2, including how the show got better, most memorable songs, and Rich Little being terrible. Here we go!
How do you think season 2 compares to season 1?
Matthew Soberman: If Season 1 planted the seed of The Muppet Show, then Season 2 is the show sprouting. We’re not at full bloom just yet, but the adjustments made are starting to make the show into what fans best remember. The guest stars are more prestigious, the sketches are more ambitious, and the Muppet performers know their characters well by this point. Everything’s starting to click.
Joe Hennes: Season 1 is a bit of a mess. So many ideas, but the gel wasn’t quite there yet. Season 2 finally found a good mix of onstage and backstage, more clear character choices, and guest stars who don’t act like they’re only around as a favor.
Julia Gaskill: Like most shows, Season 1 has a tendency to be a bit shakier than the later seasons, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I think Season 1 of The Muppet Show, while not perfect, allowed for a lot of experimenting, helping the showrunners find out what did and didn’t work. Because of this, Season 2 feels so much more solid and smooth; a season that definitely has begun to find its footing.
Ryan Roe: The difference between Seasons 1 and 2 is the biggest difference between seasons. Folks with fond memories of The Muppet Show from childhood might be surprised to find that season 1 doesn’t really look like the show they remember. But in Season 2, it becomes that show.
Anthony Strand: You know, Ryan, I remember worrying about that back when season 1 came out DVD. Did some people buy S1 and think “Boy, this show is a lot worse than I remember?” If so, they missed out on a gem, because S2 is top-notch.
What was your favorite change from season 1 to season 2? Maybe it’s a new character, a new sketch…
Matthew Soberman: Beaker and Pigs in Space both premiered in Season 2, and those are so ingrained in the Muppet fan consciousness that I can’t imagine the Muppets without them.
Joe Hennes: Fozzie Bear grew up a bit. He’s less pathetic, and more hilariously pathetic.
Julia Gaskill: This will surprise no one, but the improvements to Gonzo between season 1 and season 2 are immense and necessary, putting him on track to become everyone’s favorite, lovable weirdo.
Ryan Roe: The character design changes went a long way toward endearing the characters to us, I think. The more refined Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Fozzie, especially are much more appealing and therefore more lovable. Those Muppet Workshoppers really knew what they were doing!
Anthony Strand: Is it a cheat to say “the type of guest stars?” Season one featured many excellent performers – obviously people like Lena Horne and Rita Moreno are nothing to sneeze at – but the Muppets are a comedy act, and in season 2 they embraced that in the guest star choices. It’s basically a who’s who of legendary comic actors who were alive and working in 1977. George Burns, Steve Martin, Cloris Leachman, John Cleese, Milton Berle, Madeline Kahn, Zero Mostel – it’s an embarrassment of riches. I’m afraid Bruce Forsyth and Avery Schreiber just can’t measure up.
Were there any changes you wish they hadn’t made?
Matthew Soberman: I’m not unhappy with the adjustments in the season, but I do wish that the Muppets embraced their weird side more often. More absurd stuff, like the Talking Houses. I like it when the creative staff takes risks. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but when it does, it’s fabulous.
Joe Hennes: What happened to the Talking Houses? THE PUBLIC DEMANDS MORE TALKING HOUSES.
Julia Gaskill: I wish they had kept Hilda on. Yes, the character perhaps wasn’t the most interesting, but they easily could have made some minor changes to her character and also found a new puppeteer to take over after Eren left the show. (Also:I refuse to agree, even jokingly, that Talking Houses should have been kept. Good. Riddance.)
Ryan Roe: I was gonna say Hilda too! They could have tweaked the puppet design a little like they did with some of the others. It would have been nice with Louise Gold joining the cast, to have a female character performed by a female puppeteer. And it would explain where everyone’s getting their costumes. As it is, there’s no wardrobe person anywhere!
Anthony Strand: I have a big soft spot for George the Janitor. I always wish we’d seen the story where he finally gets mad enough to quit, and then gets replaced by Beauregard (a character who doesn’t exist yet in season 2, of course).
What’s your favorite episode of season 2?
Matthew Soberman: When we were picking episodes to review for this season, I made a beeline directly for the John Cleese episode. It’s not only my favorite episode of Season 2, it’s in my top five favorite Muppet Show episodes, period. Cleese manages to meld the Monty Python and Muppet styles of humor beautifully, making for a very silly episode, indeed.
Joe Hennes: The Steve Martin episode comes close, but loses a little bit of steam due to the fact that it’s such a different format from the rest of the series. The John Cleese episode, however, is near perfection. I love how much Cleese wants to be anywhere but the Muppet Theater, and he’s just so brilliant at showing his anger and disdain.
Julia Gaskill: It’s so cliche and expected, but the John Cleese episode is the stand out of the entire season and deserves all the credit it receives. That said, I also have a special spot in my heart for the Madeline Kahn episode.
Ryan Roe: Yeah, it’s John Cleese. In addition to the brilliant conceit of a guest star who hates being on the show, there are some fun segments like the Koozebanian Spooble!
Anthony Strand: I’ll be the one dissenting voice – my favorite is Elton John. He sings four of his classic hits and they all sound gorgeous, plus other highlights like Sam the Eagle’s disgust over Mozart’s wardrobe. And it has my all-time favorite UK sketch, “Any Old Iron.”
Which episode just didn’t hold up for you?
Matthew Soberman: I think I’d have to pick the Teresa Brewer episode just because the backstage story is just a stream of fat jokes aimed at Miss Piggy, and frankly, if there’s one Muppet trope I’d love to get rid of, it’s the fat jokes. In an age of expanded body positivity, this one doesn’t hold up at all.
Joe Hennes: As much as I love Judy Collins as a human being, I really dislike her Muppet Show episode. She obviously thinks she’s on Sesame Street, and the show suddenly forgets that it’s supposed to appeal to adults too.
Julia Gaskill: The Teresa Brewer episode is littered with fatphobic jokes, making it cringeworthy at best. Even in saying that the episode is a product of its time, it’s still not enjoyable to sit through.
Ryan Roe: I keep double-checking the episode synopses, and every time I think I’ve identified a weak one, I realize it has one or two genuinely great sketches or songs. The storyline in the Teresa Brewer episode definitely isn’t funny, but even that show has Dr. Teeth singing “Cheese Cake.”
Anthony Strand: I had the misfortune of reviewing the Rich Little episode for Tough Pigs. It’s the worst.
Pick a song, any song. Talk about it!
Matthew Soberman: “Just One Person.” I mean, come on. It’s so emotional and effective here. Granted, it would be even more impactful in later, sadder instances, but it still works so well here. I know it was written for Snoopy! The Musical, but sorry, Snoopy, this song now belongs to the Muppets.
Joe Hennes: I know this goes against Anthony’s opinion in his review, but I can’t stand Milton Berle’s rendition of “The Entertainer”. He comes across as smug, boring, and talentless all at the same time (he’s a triple threat!). When Miss Piggy does her version later in the same episode, it’s almost as if she feels it necessary to come on stage and fix what Berle broke, and it’s fantastic.
Julia Gaskill: Gonzo sings “The Wishing Song” in the Madeline Kahn episode, and it breaks my heart every time. The lyrics and melody are simple enough, but with Goelz and Kahn giving such great performances it works so well. Watching Gonzo in the first verse seem so alone and then bounce back in the end to embrace who he is always gets me.
Ryan Roe: When guest stars have fun on the show, we have fun watching them. And Lou Rawls is clearly having a great time singing “Bye Bye Blackbird.” I dig the Electric Mayhem’s crazy scatting, too.
Anthony Strand: In “Take a Little One Step,” Bernadette Peters might be having the most fun of any guest star in the history of The Muppet Show. She’s teaching the full-body monsters how to dance, and her face is positively gleeful through the entire number. Also, it starts with her walking right up to the camera and doing a “just wait” motion with her hand, because she wants us to know that it’s gonna be amazing.
What’s your single favorite sketch, storyline, or backstage scene from season 2?
Matthew Soberman: I think my all-time favorite sketch would have to be the closing number from the Cleese episode. I can’t think of a better sketch to define the Muppet sense of humor. The payoff is wonderfully inventive. I don’t want to ruin the surprise here in the off-chance that someone reading this hasn’t seen the episode yet, but it’s one worth seeking out.
Joe Hennes: The world may never again see anything as brilliant as “The Fears of Zero” from the Zero Mostel episode. It’s smart, funny, scary, and horrifying all at once. Mostel gives an amazing performance, and we’re offered a brief look into his (and writer Jerry Juhl’s) psyche.
Julia Gaskill: Cliche and expected again, but I can’t not admit that the John Cleese closing number is my favorite moment on the entire run of The Muppet Show.
Ryan Roe: I’ve always loved “The Ant and the Grasshopper” from the Bernadette Peters episode, in which Sam the Eagle attempts to tell the traditional fable, but it gets away from him. The sketch has the always-reliable “everything’s goes comedically wrong” structure, but it’s even funnier because it’s the uptight Sam.
Anthony Strand: “Sweet Gingerbread Man,” babies!
How about least favorites?
Matthew Soberman: I’ve never been a fan of the “Sheppard’s Institute of Animal Protection” sketch from the Dom DeLuise episode. It’s just way too repetitive for my taste.
Joe Hennes: Pretty much anything with Rich Little. He’s just embarrassing.
Julia Gaskill: See my entire review of the Teresa Brewer episode. Namely the backstage segment when Piggy steps on a scale and it breaks. I mean… really???
Ryan Roe: I’ll never understand “Send in the Clowns” from the Judy Collins episode. Are we supposed to be laughing at the clowns in background? Is it supposed to be poignant? What’s going on?!
Anthony Strand: I’ll get more specific than Joe – Rich Little’s unbearable Muppet impressions.
Which guest stars worked the best (or not-so-best) with the Muppets this time around?
Matthew Soberman: I think those who worked primarily in comedy had the best chemistry with the Muppets this season. Cleese, Steve Martin, Peter Sellers, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, and Cloris Leachman stick out in my mind particularly. (It also helped their individual styles worked with the underdog attitude of the Muppets).
Joe Hennes: This really is a killer season filled with amazing guest stars. The worst of which is definitely Rich Little, who craps out some half-assed impressions that are barely recognizable, obviously expecting fanfare due to his self-proclaimed celebrity.
Julia Gaskill: The best guest stars are always the ones who seem to be having the most fun, and for me this season I’d give it to John Cleese, Zero Mostel, Elton John, Madeline Kahn, Bernadette Peters, and Rudolf Nureyev.
Ryan Roe: You know who’s great that we don’t talk about enough? Julie Andrews. I had completely forgotten about her Talk Spot, in which various people and things keep flying across the stage. I had completely forgotten about it, but it’s a joy watching a guest star who’s great at playing along joining in a ridiculous sketch like this. And she has nice chemistry with Kermit when she sings a song that I guess is about her being in love with him.
Anthony Strand: I’m gonna pick one – Zero Mostel. He’s on fire in that episode, mocking Sam the Eagle and reciting the “Fears of Zero” piece. But most impressively, he takes “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” – a number that could have been a drag – and turns it into one of the highlights of the season just through his sheer energy.
Was there anything that surprised you? Maybe it’s a joke you didn’t see coming, or a sketch you had completely forgotten about…
Matthew Soberman: I had honestly forgotten how angry Kermit gets at Mickey Moose and Ronald Duck. It’s kind of surprising that Kermit gets that infuriated at a dumb joke.
Joe Hennes: So, Peter Sellers in the massage parlor sketch… he’s kind of a Nazi, isn’t he?
Julia Gaskill: I had forgotten how well the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” sketch works. In my mind that song is just plain creepy and too offsetting to interact with, but The Muppet Show doesn’t try to hide the creep factor – it embraces it, which honestly is the only way that song works.
Ryan Roe: In my memory, the in-show version of Jaye P. Morgan got increasingly cranky over the course of her episode, not unlike John Cleese. But in fact, after a humiliating opening number, she seems to be enjoying herself. Isn’t that surprising?
Anthony Strand: The last time I watched the Madeline Kahn episode, “The Wishing Song” made me cry actual tears. I didn’t see that coming, but maybe I should have.
Okay, one more thing. Final thoughts on the season?
Matthew Soberman: So… battle royale for who gets to review the Harry Belafonte episode?
Joe Hennes: The Muppets really hit their stride off the bat with the second season. If only another Muppet series got a second season to find their footing too…
Julia Gaskill: I love every season of TMS, but it’s hard to deny that there’s definite growth and improvement in the transition from season 1 to 2. (Also, I call dibs on the Gilda Radner episode??)
Ryan Roe: This is a good TV show! I hope they do another season!
Anthony Strand: There’s this scene in the George Burns episode where he and Gonzo hang out in the dressing room. On paper, there isn’t much to to – they trade dumb jokes and roll their eyes at each other, mostly. But on the screen, it’s magic. George Burns and Dave Goelz are both so into it, and it plays like a meeting of two giants. That’s what’s so amazing about The Muppet Show in a nutshell – even the mundane becomes gorgeous and hilarious. It’s a special show and we’re lucky to have it.
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