We are saddened to learn that television host, interviewer, and broadcasting giant Larry King has passed away. Over the roughly 50,000 interviews throughout his career, he has spoken with a multitude of actors, politicians, writers, and beyond. So it isn’t incredibly surprising to learn that King has crossed paths with the Muppets on several occasions.
In 1993, Larry King invited Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy (as well as Frank Oz and Cheryl Henson) on his show Larry King Live to promote the classic coffee table book “The Works”. The interview is a delight to watch, as Larry King seems to show genuine joy at speaking to puppets rather than Presidents for the moment.
In 1996, Larry King made a cameo appearance in an episode of Muppets Tonight, attempting entry into the studio, only to be blocked by security bear Bobo. In the scene, King attempts to prove his value by claiming to be on televisions in 220 countries. Bobo, however, disproves this with his knowledge that there are only 191 countries. Bear beats king.
In 1994, Larry King invited the Muppets back to his show, this time with Johnny Fiama and Sal. They enjoyed a chat about the holidays and the Muppets Tonight phenomenon.
Larry also made a few appearances on Sesame Street, including this fun one where he interviews the letter W:
Lastly, while Larry King isn’t directly involved, he did provide an extremely fun and unique opportunity for the Muppets. In 1994, Kermit the Frog donned King’s trademark suspenders and took a turn guest hosting an episode of Larry King Live (for April Fools Day, of course). You can watch the entire episode below, which is fun as heck.
With such a varied career with so many notable feathers in his cap, it’s great to see Larry King take pride in his work with the Muppets, and to see how he gave back as well. We’re proud to include him among those celebrities who’ve crossed paths with the Henson worlds, and we’ll miss him for it.
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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
