Original air date: September 21, 1978
Exactly 40 years ago today, the third season of The Muppet Show premiered on US television. And you know what that means – the third season of our Muppet Show reviews begins right here, right now!
American Muppet fans began this season with the Helen Reddy episode. And it’s an episode with a lot of great ideas, few of which needed the guest star. For 90% of the show, Helen Reddy could’ve just stayed in her dressing room.
I don’t mean to insult Reddy – I think she’s incredibly talented, and she’s a great sport whenever she’s on screen. But half of her scenes are pretty forgettable, mainly because they’re overshadowed by the rest of the chaos going on in the Muppet Theater.
A big part of that chaos is thanks to Beauregard, who makes his grand debut in this episode. It seems that Kermit hired a new janitor, since their old janitor George hasn’t been seen backstage with mop-in-hand since season 1 (he made a few appearances in season 2, but only in sketches and never actually cleaning anything). So as you can imagine, the place is probably pretty filthy.
Of course, Beauregard being Beauregard, he introduces a series of mishaps including greased floors, shoes nailed the floor, and giant piles of sand. He also introduces his southern accent? Which, thankfully, doesn’t last very much longer.
Another element that brought a little “wow factor” is the Muppet Theater’s recording studio. Helen Reddy sings “Blue” with Rowlf and the Electric Mayhem. It’s a great looking set, and it’s a fantastic idea for getting the guest star to sing a song without worrying about too much plot or gags. So it’s surprising that this is the only appearance of the set, which we presume was bricked up after Kermit realized that a live stage show has no need for a recording studio.
There are lots of other great moments that distract us from enjoying Helen Reddy, like a hilarious dance number where Fozzie Bear keeps slipping on a greased stage while his backup dancers are completely unaffected. And there’s a wonderful UK spot with Rowlf playing piano while his bust of Beethoven falls asleep. I also enjoyed “Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport”, which featured a bouncing kangaroo being tied up by some bouncing Australians, a bouncing tree, and a bouncing windmill.
Helen Reddy does have one fantastic (and memorable) number, in which she sings “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine” while dancing with Sopwith the Camel. The choreography is especially impressive when you remember that Sopwith is performed by two performers who can barely see anything. It was so good, the canned audience even gave them a round of applause mid-song!
It’s a bit of a shame that Reddy doesn’t get more of a spotlight in her own Muppet Show episode. Maybe if she shared as much screentime with the A-plot’s Beauregard as she did with the dancing camel? But at least she had the pleasure of being the star of another memorable episode of The Muppet Show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwsvsd3uVZ4
Best Joke: While hurriedly planning a desert-themed closing number (due to all the sand Beauregard dumped on stage), Kermit calls for a camel, tents, and palm trees. Fozzie rushes in saying “You’re lucky, I just happened to have a palm tree here” in a perfectly-delivered ad-lib, cementing Frank Oz as one of the funniest people alive.
Lamest Joke: French pig: Sacré Bleu!
Kermit: What does that mean?
French pig: Sacred blue?
Me: Ugh.
MVM (Most Valuable Muppet): Beauregard knocks it out of the park in his first appearance. Way to go, you big dummy!
Most Classic Moment: Not only is this a highlight of the episode, but it’s one of the best moments in Muppet Show history. Animal and the Swedish Chef enter Helen Reddy’s dressing room to warble their way through “Happy birthday”. When she tells them it’s not her birthday, they switch to “Jingle Bells”. It’s so delightfully bizarre, and I love it.
Should-Be-Classic Moment: The opening number stars the pigs as Marie Antoinette and the French aristocracy at the court of Versailles singing the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive”. Not only is it a great history joke and it’s hilarious to see French royals dancing to a disco song, but it ends with the dramatic irony of a guillotine in the background! Why doesn’t this go viral at least once per year?
First Appearance Of…: Beyond Beauregard, we’ve got a few first timers! Gladys the cafeteria lady makes a brief appearance (even though this was her last appearance filmed). Also, one of my favorites, the Muppet Theater stagehand, who is a gruff voice (performed by Frank Oz) that calls out from behind the curtain, usually to tell Kermit that they’re not ready yet. Is it possible for an unseen character to have an “appearance”? Who am I to say?
Coolest Puppetry Effect: During the opening theme, Statler and Waldorf find chickens in their box, which they promptly kick out. Within about two seconds, the chickens go from being hand puppets to projectiles.
Missed Opportunity: Helen Reddy doesn’t sing her signature song “I Am Woman”, presumably with Miss Piggy. Still, her song choices for this episode act as subtle homages to two Muppet-related songwriters. “Blue” was written by Joe Raposo, and “You and Me Against the World” was written by Paul Williams!
Adultiest Content: I’ve got two, in two different categories of “adult”. During the recording studio scene, Floyd has what seems to be a can of Fosters beer in front of him, presumably because Helen Reddy is Australian. And over in Vet’s Hospital, Nurse Piggy has her fishnet-clad leg on the table while Dr. Bob ogles them through opera glasses.
One More Thing…: Here’s a fun fact that you’ll never use! One of the sound engineers in the recording studio was named for The Muppet Show‘s sound engineer Roger Knight. They even looped his voice for the character’s single line!
Okay, One More Thing…: That blue backup singer is legitimately one of the most terrifying Muppets ever built.
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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
