I bought the set yesterday and I’ve watched the first disk. Although this show was made before I was born, I still find myself laughing a lot.
Such a great show. Now I just have to wait until Season 2 comes out.
I was in elementary school during the run of this show. Having been born the year Sesame Street premiered, and watching that all though toddler-dom I loved it when the Muppet show came about. It was like the characters from Sesame Street had grown up with me and now had a more “mature” show.
I loved it then just for the comfort of it, but as an adult I see so many things in it that probably went over my head as a kid.
Great show, no doubt about it.
Be sure to check out the original pilot on disc 4. If that’s what was shown to the networks, I can certainly understand why nobody here was interested and production moved across the pond.
Just bought it last night myself. Only had time to watch a bit of it, but I was gratified that my eight-year-old son enjoyed it as much as I’d hoped. And it is still a lot of fun, depite a few bits that haven’t aged that well. It occurs to me that TMS really was sort of the last gasp of variety TV shows – can’t think of anything that debuted after it that was successful in any sense. Of course, it’s as much a parody of them as it is an actual variety show, but just the selection of guest stars keeps it on the sincere side of the line, IMO.
I did have to listen to my son’s version of "Mahna Mahna" all through lunch today, however.
I think it was a pretty straightforward homage to Vaudeville-style shows, only with a certain self-deprecating humor that kind of keeps it in perspective.
I find this thread, now instead of sleep, I am compelled to go to netflix and add to my Q. 
Thank you
Years ago when Nickelodeon was running the Muppet Show daily, I got as many on tape as I could (it required waking up early, so it was tough).
I got about thirty episodes, which is a pretty good number, but I was surprised to see that out of all 24 episodes from season one I only have one of them (Ethel Merman).
So, when I go out and buy the DVD pretty much all of it will be fresh (yes, I’ve seen them all, but like 30 years ago!)
And just because he kinda looks like Kermit, I’ll use the “Stick Out Tounge” Smiley:
I don’t normally buy DVD sets, but this sounds wonderful.
Years ago I went to Disney World with my friends, we had to drag thier kids into the Muppet 3D movie at MGM. When I first walked into that theatre I felt like I was 7 years old again. It was magic, being IN the theatre.
It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…
The pitch reel is also pretty darn funny. From what I understand, Kermit had originally come onto the screen at the end of it asking “What the hell was that?” and Disney decided to snip the end on the dvd release.
I just watched the “Tomorrow” song with the Henson/Oz puppets last night…I love that song.
That’s funny, I loved the Muppet 3d movie for same reasons, I was first Gen Sesame street, I was on the younger end of the original viewing audience.
My Father loved the muppet show and actually insisted I watch with them in case any neighbors came over, (This was not a hardship, I really enjoyed the show)
My Daughter has never liked Sesmae street as it was dumbed down and Elmoized to play only to 3 year olds. So we had to drag her into the Muppet 3D.
She liked it, but not as much as my wife and I. (Our younger son did like Elmo Street and loved the M3D the best)
I add & then moved Disc 1 of 1st season to #1 on my Netflix queue.
:p<To introduce this boxed set, that’s what I’m here to do.
So it really makes me happy to introduce to you…
The Muppet Show on DVD!
It’s been years since I’ve seen The Muppet Show, but I decided to buy this set anyway. Darn it if it still isn’t a fun little program. Music, comedy, Muppets…Jim Henson and his crew were able to pull off a show that could be enjoyed by both adults and children. I’ve only looked at a couple full episodes and some bits and pieces of others, but I am entertained and pleased. Although some fans have pointed out that a few musical numbers here and there have been edited out due to rights issues, that’s a minor quibble to me, as the amazing thing is that Disney has been able to pay to keep practically everything intact- including a lot of great classic songs performed by Muppets.
I agree with Lute Skywatcher on the quality of the “Sex and Violence” pilot. Although it has a few interesting moments, if The Muppet Show had stayed that way, it probably wouldn’t have been as popular. As for the pitch reel, it’s a great example of how the Muppets are able to inject their unique brand of humor into whatever they show up in. (Based on the pitch reel, the incarnation of the show that Henson was trying to sell to CBS would have had Laugh-In’s George Schlatter as a co-producer. One wonders what this incarnation of The Muppet Show would have been like.)
This is a good year for the Muppets. In late September (28, to be exact- four days after Jim’s birthday), Jim and the Muppets will appear on US postage stamps in honor of Kermit’s 50th anniversary. Keep the fun, coming, guys! Oh, and be sure to visit the Muppets’ new website, too. (Warning: Flash-heavy)
One more thing I forgot to add: other than Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, and a few others, the entire cast of The Muppet Show was created specifically for this show, so it’s interesting to see how this now-famous comedy troupe, like most characters, evolved. Miss Piggy looks a little different (but still has her personality), and poor Bunsen Honeydew has to test his inventions on himself! (Beaker wouldn’t come along until the next season.)
Now I get the reference that is Gorgon Heap’s user name! He’s big and purple with a tendency to eat everything. The Muppet, I mean.
And yes, it’s a terrific set, although I wish the “select show” screens (or printed literature) had been expanded to list detailed info so that if you wanted to just see, say, the “Koozbane” skit* or the “Mahna-Mahna” song you could find it more quickly…
Also, what’s the deal with the songs that were first shown in the U.K. only? Were they later included in the US broadcasts, or are they included for the first time in this box set? And if the latter’s the case, does that mean there was a discrepancy in their running lengths that was made up for by commercials in the US?
- It’d be almost impossible to overstate my glee at seeing this skit again for the first time in a quarter-century. I had a vague memory of a hilarious bit about these absurd alien critters on another planet going through their noisy, exuberant mating rituals, with Kermit the Frog narrating it like Richard Attenborough or Marlin Perkins, but actually seeing it again… well, it’s almost as good as Koozbane sex!
British showings of the program only had one commercial break, so there was more time to fill than on the American broadcasts, which had two or three. (The show was produced and filmed in England.) To fill the extra time, British airings featured an extra song, usually a British standard. They have never appeared on a U.S. airing of the show as far as I know- this is their first appearance in the United States.
Here’s a link to a good site about the Muppet Show, with a description of each song and sketch in each of the first season’s 24 episodes. (Please note that this guide lists the complete episodes, and does not take into account the musical numbers that were removed from five episodes on the DVD due to rights issues.)
P.S. to The Scrivener: Haargy! Haargy! Gaalio!
[sub]Hoop! Hoop![/sub]
My set arrived on Thursday, and I finally settled in today to watch discs 1 & 2.
My thoughts so far:
I love having a whole lot of episodes never released before on DVD. The muppet morsels are awesome - heaps of fascinating bits and pieces - although much of it I already know (such as names and origins of monsters). The running count of Miss Piggy karate chops is priceless. I’m really glad that they included the original season 1 opening sequence rather than the modified season 2 ones that were on the Time Life DVDs and TV reruns.
What I don’t like - they’ve chopped bits out! I don’t know why - I’m assuming rights issues - the Jim Nabors episode in particular seems to have suffered.
Still 100% worth it and a great set.
The UK skits were included because in the UK, the show ran 2 minutes longer - I think because of regulations about the amount of advertising. Some of my favourite bits are UK skits, and a lot the material ended up on the cast albums. It was, more often that not a song. Even when watching without the Muppet morsel captioning, you can usually pick the UK skit because there is no reference to it elsewhere in teh show - it isn’t introduced, and you don’t see the performers off stage. Also, there is usually a brief fade to black before and after…
I’ll have to watch the other 2 discs before I pass my final verdict - and I am really looking forward to the extras on disc 4. Sex and Violence I expect to be a real highlight for a Muppet nut like myself.
Holy cow, I didn’t even know this was coming out.
Hmmm, let’s see… electric bill, Muppet DVDs… electric bill, Muppet DVDs… arrggg…
Kinda a catch-22. You pay the electric bill, you can’t watch the Muppet DVDs. You buy the DVDs, but because you didn’t pay the electric bill, you can’t watch them. Unless you could watch them at a friend’s house.
I used “catch-22” correctly, right?
Be advised that Sex & Violence is very strange. Pretty much the whole show is set backstage, which looks nothing like the backstage we’re used to. The host is a Muppet called “Nigel” and he looks like the Muppet Show conductor. Nigel plays off Sam the Eagle. The bits that aren’t set backstage go by quickly, as if someone is channel surfing during a commercial break. One channel has The Swedish Chef (with Japanese subtitles), he’ll be on screen building a sandwich then a minute later it’ll cut to the ballroom scene, after a minute of that we’re back to Chef and his sandwich is getting progressively weirder. Statler & Waldorf turn up a couple of times, watching TV in a rest home. Could they be the ones doing the channel surfing?
Got the 1st disc from Netflix on Friday. You can go into options and basically turn on a factoid or pop-up feature.
You were correct Nigel is the conductor. They decided it wasn’t a very good character and reduced its role.
My kids loved the shows. Both Kids loved Mnaa-Mnaa especially. We expect disc 2 by Thursday.
This was very cool. Thankyou RandMcnally for letting us know.