Original air date: September 28, 1978
I am not ashamed to admit it, but I’m hooked on bluegrass. And there’s a very good chance that I have Roy Clark to blame.
I really, really love the Roy Clark episode. He’s not the most charismatic guest star, or the funniest, or the most talented. But damn, is he having fun. That’s most apparent during the opening number when five Roy Clarks team up to sing “Rocky Top”.
In what looks like the Brady Bunch opening, four split-screened Roys (with a fifth joining in front near the end of the number) each play a different instrument with different degrees of difficulty. He’s obviously a natural at the banjo, he looks concentrated while playing the mandolin, nervous with the electric guitar, and mesmerized by the fiddle. By the time he breaks out the trumpet, we’re left wondering if there’s anything he can’t do. Even though the four notes the trumpet blares out are warbly and off-key, it’s impressive nonetheless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgeW6pc-y5o
Later in the episode, during a Talk Spot, Kermit asks him how many instruments he can play. “One out of five, if I’m lucky.” Yep, the math checks out.
In any case, “Rocky Top” sounds amazing. It’s fun and upbeat, and it’s surprisingly funny considering there are no actual jokes. Heck, nobody even sings in the song until The Roy Clark Five harmonize for one final chorus. It’s everything I love about music, and there’s a very good chance that I heard this song at an impressionable point in my life, and it sent me on the long path to bluegrass obsession.
It’s obvious that Clark is having a blast with the Muppets, but he’s also completely in his element: telling bad jokes, mugging to the camera, and showing off his musical skills. It’s almost as if this episode of The Muppet Show acted as a crossover with Hee Haw (which, as many variety show aficionados may know, was hosted by Roy Clark and was “packaged” by Jim Henson’s agent Bernie Brillstein, who also coined the title).
Speaking of Hee Haw, Kermit announces at the start of the episode, The Muppet Show is going country. Unfortunately, Fozzie (hilariously) misunderstands and thinks everyone is going to the country. He sends the stagehands ahead, so now Kermit forces him to do their job or else he’ll be fired.
Panicked Fozzie is the best Fozzie.
At first, it’s not so bad. Fozzie observes, “What could go wrong? The stage is set, the star has arrived, the audience is happy, the theater’s on fire. THE THEATER’S ON FIRE??”
Yes, the Muppet Theater is on fire. For an entire episode. That right there is classic Muppet gold.
In a brilliant move, we never actually see the fire, just the smoke. The blaze is left to our imaginations, as well as its size and the reason it started. It’s also way cheaper to put a little smoke on screen than to create a controlled burn.
Of course, the theater isn’t the only thing that’s burning. Fozzie Bear is burning… out. (Sorry.) The guy is ablaze with frustration. (Sorry again.) Kermit’s put on the heat (sorry), which sparked (sorry) his fear of his career going up in smoke (sorry).
What I mean to say – without all the puns – is that the fire doesn’t create the chaos we see on screen, but Fozzie does. And as captivating a burning inferno can be, watching Fozzie spin out of control is even better.
It’s too bad the fire plot doesn’t cross over with the country music motif. It’ll be another year before the Muppets tackle “The Devil Went Down to Georgia“, which could’ve bridged that gap nicely. Oh well.
All in all, this episode is carried by two wonderful performances: Roy Clark and Fozzie Bear, both of whom bring something completely different to the table. And isn’t that what The Muppet Show is really about? All these different elements coming together to make something perfect. Or to set it on fire. Either way, it’s hard to look away.
Best Joke: It’s not quite a joke, but during the firemen’s song, Fozzie runs across the stage to save a chicken from an unseen fire-related crisis. As he carries it to safety, he says “Are you proud of yourselves? You made this chicken a nervous wreck.” What a great line.
Lamest Joke: Kermit brings ducks on stage, Roy says “Do you have any soup to go with these quackers?” Don’t worry, Kermit calls him out on the bad joke. Roy follows-up, “Do you know what kind of joke we call that in Virginia?” “Bad?”
MVM (Most Valuable Muppet): Without a doubt, it’s Fozzie Bear. And not just because he assumes the awesome role of command, but every line of his delivery is hysterical, right down to the hand motions. Next time you watch this one, keep an eye on Fozzie’s hands as he explains why the crew has been sent away. Frank Oz is the funniest performer alive.
Most Classic Moment: Pigs in Space, where Strangepork uses pop-up toaster parts to fix the control panel, and the Swinetrek crew pops up and down through the seats on the bridge. Even more classic is when other characters (including Camilla, Beaker, the male Koozebanian, Luncheon Counter Monster, the Witch Doctor, Chopped Liver, and Statler) start popping in and out. Even classic-er is Gonzo’s deadpan line, “I’m not supposed to be here, right?”
First Appearance Of…: The Witch Doctor will make his official debut in the Gilda Radner episode later this season, but for now, he’s just some guy who popped up unexpectedly on the Swinetrek.
Coolest Puppetry Effect: Gonzo’s big act in this episode is yodeling while riding on an motorized pogo stick. He starts bouncing, slips out of frame for a fraction of a second, and then whips back in with Gonzo holding on for dear life as the pogo stick pogos out of control.
Musical Highlight: Have I talked enough about how great “Rocky Top” is? Okay, so I’ll focus on “I Don’t Want to Set the World On Fire”, which has some wonderful harmonies by the singing firemen. It makes you wonder why barbershop quartets didn’t branch out of the barbershops and into firehouses.
Missed Opportunity: Roy Clark doesn’t even mention the theater fire (except by holding up a smoking fiddle during the goodbyes). I would’ve liked to have seen Fozzie try to keep the guest star safe, or for Roy to join in on Fozzie’s desperation to misdirect Kermit. I’m always slightly disappointed when the guest star doesn’t get to join in on the A-plot fun.
One More Thing…: In one scene, Fozzie puts together a bucket brigade, with several characters passing buckets of water to help douse the fire. It must have been intentional that all three characters – Link Hogthrob, The Swedish Chef, and Rowlf the Dog – are all Jim Henson characters. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence, and those were the only live-hand puppets available (since arm rod puppets wouldn’t be able to grasp a bucket).
Okay, One More Thing…: When Fozzie calls the fire department, they send a stream of water through the phone and into Fozzie’s face. The last time he talked to the fire department over the phone, they just sent more smoke.
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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
