Original air date: November 29, 1979
How did the Muppet Show creators feel about winning an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series in 1978? Maybe they were thrilled beyond words. Or maybe they were happy, but a little disappointed that the show didn’t win in its other nominated categories. Or maybe their feelings were some nuanced combination of the two. That’s the impression I get from the episode guest-starring TV personality Phyllis George.
This is not an ordinary episode of The Muppet Show. In this episode, the Muppets present the first annual Muppet Awards, and all the nominees up for a Fred trophy are acts seen on previous episodes of the show. The episode never stops to catch its breath; everything that happens is either the presenting of an award, the performance of a nominated act, or discussion about the awards.
The variety format of The Muppet Show would have made it easy to air a clip show, but they never did, at least not as part of the series itself. This is the closest thing we got, with the awards show premise allowing the producers to celebrate their three-and-a-half years of brilliant work without resorting to showing pre-existing clips.
So instead of showing Marvin Suggs singing Best Song nominee “Yes, We Have No Bananas” from the Steve Martin episode, they have the Swedish Chef do a new, even more bonkers version of the song. Instead of showing an old “Pigs in Space” bit for the Best Sketch category, they have the Swinetrek crew argue over which of their sketches should have been nominated. (It gets pretty meta!) By highlighting their best ideas within a spoof of the Emmys or the Oscars, the writers can poke fun at the self-congratulatory nature of awards shows while also congratulating themselves. Ingenious!
Throughout the whole thing, Kermit complains about how dumb it is and how much he hates award shows. Is Kermit speaking for Jim Henson here? Is the whole purpose of this episode to point out how ridiculous awards shows are?
Maybe. And maybe Jim tried not to take nominations too seriously. But the final category is Best Performer, and the only nominees are Miss Piggy and Kermit, and when Kermit wins he drops all traces of skepticism and gives a genuinely excited acceptance speech. Maybe it’s okay to enjoy awards shows when they get it right.
And now I will hand out my own Fred Awards for this episode…
MVM (Most Valuable Muppet): Billy the Bear, who wins Funniest Comedy Performance by a Bear. He’s boisterous and obnoxious, and his victory leaves Fozzie hilariously flummoxed.
Best Joke: When the closing number, “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” reaches the line about a turkey that you know will fold, we cut to a room full of chickens singing along. And also a singing green pepper. That silliness on top of silliness is the kind of thing that makes us love the Muppets.
Lamest Joke: The UK Spot is a backstage bit with Lewis Kazagger interviewing the Zucchini Brothers after they’ve won Best Foreign Act. It quickly devolves into confusion when the other nominees rush in and attempt to steal the trophy, but rather than sublimely controlled comedy chaos, it comes across as just plain chaos. It doesn’t help that it’s all one continuous shot from the same angle so it’s sometimes hard to see what’s going on. Maybe they shot this in a hurry?
Classic Moment: Without question, it’s Scooter’s guest star song. To announce the nominees in the Best Guest Star category, Scooter sings the name of every guest star so far to the tune of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.” He even finds a rhyme for “Mummenschanz!” Sort of.
Most Dated Joke: When the cast of “Pigs in Space” is debating which sketch they should reenact for awards consideration, Dr. Strangepork suggests that all-time classic “Strangepork Takes Up Disco.”
Coolest Puppetry Effect: There’s a piece of very effective puppet blocking when Fozzie tells the audience this is a show that Kermit said couldn’t be done. The camera cuts to a shot of several Muppets standing in the wings, with Kermit perfectly framed behind them backstage. He’s the center of our focus but we don’t see more of the puppet than we’re supposed to. (His response to Fozzie: “Shouldn’t be done!”) Here, let me show you:
Musical Highlight: It’s always a pleasure to hear Rowlf sing “You and I and George.”
Missed Opportunity: Early on we hear Beakie declare that she’s been nominated for Best Unexplainable Creature, but we never see that award presented. I want to know who else was nominated!
Obscure Character Watch: Beakie’s pretty obscure!
Adultiest Content: Billy the Bear gives Fozzie a cigar. It’s an exploding one, though, so it’s fine for kids.
One More Thing…: This may be the only time it would be appropriate to refer to the guest star as the “guest host” of the episode. After a brief introduction, Kermit hands the rest of the show over to George, who announces the nominees and presents the awards. I’m definitely going to keep that in mind the next time I correct some schmuck who says The Muppet Show had a lot of great guest hosts.
Okay, One More Thing…: As the closing credits roll, Muppets keep handing Phyllis huge bouquets, which she struggles to hold in her arms. It’s a great gag that doesn’t draw attention to itself.
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by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
