The Best (& Worst) of The Muppet Show!

The most sensational, Muppettational series of all time began streaming today on Disney+, of course that could only be The Muppet Show!

All 5 season are finally available but beware, out of 120 episodes there are a few clunkers. 

The Elke Sommer, Doug Henning, Chris Langham, and the Glenda Jackson episodes come to mind, but even they have some great songs and sketches.

Below are the highs and lows of the 5 worst episodes.  

Elke Sommer:

Low: "Row Row Row" 

High:

Bobby Benson's Baby Band -  "Pennsylvania 6-5000": 

 

Low/High: "Animal Crackers in My Soup"

It's starts of low - and the Muppets know it, and finally turns Elke into a bizarre Muppet human hybrid. that's just too bizarre not be a high. 

Doug Henning: 

Low: pretty much anything with the guest star.

High: The running Gag of Fozzie's magic act

 

Glenda Jackson:

Low: the subplot of Jackson being a pirate captain and taking over The Muppet Theatre. - the blue screen effect is overs used and just doesn't work. Looking back it looks like a low-budget version of Muppet Treasure Island.

 

High: Gonzo singing "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues"

 

Chris Langham: (Update - Not on Disney+)

Low: pretty much anything with Langham

 

High: "Friendship"

To be fair Chris Langham was a writer on the show and filled in for scheduled guest Richard Pryor after he became unavailable at the last minute.

Now that the worst is out of the way, let's look at the 10 best episodes. 

Vincent Price:

Price may seem like an odd choice for a guest, but the horror actor fits right in. 

John Cleese:

Cleese was instrumental in writing his episode and the running gag that he doesn't actually want to be there is hilarious.

 

Rita Moreno:

There's a reason she won an Emmy for her appearance

Mac Davis:

There's too much to like in this episode from Davis perming "It's Hard to Be Humble", a show-stopping "I Believe in Music", and "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" add a subplot of menacing Beakers and this is The Muppet Show firing on all cylinders.

Elton John: 

This episode is overflowing with incredible permeances from start to finish. It's one of, if not the only, episode to feature 4 musical acts by the guest stat and you still don't want it to end. 

Roy Clark: 

Clark brings so much to his episode but a highlight for sure is multipart "Rocky Top":

Paul Simon:

There's a reason the entire episode features only music by Simon. The "50 ways to leave your lover" running gag is one of the series' best. 

Brian Henson recalled that "Scarborough Fair" was at the time the most complex staging of a sequence on the series.

Alice Cooper:

Like the Vincent Price episode Alice Cooper's episode bring a darker element to the show including Alice trying to buy the Muppets' souls! and it's all all balanced out with Robin singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

 

Steve Martin:

Unlike some episode where subplots and gimmicks don't work, the plot of Martin's episode is genius. The show's been cancelled - and without telling Steve, who then performs his acts for the Muppets

Harry Belafonte:

While this best of list was in no particular order, the Harry Belafonte episode is something special. 

From the TV debut of "Day-O (Banana Boat Song)", to the emotional "Earth Song" that brings the house down and won't even stop for the closing theme. The Harry Belafonte episode is clearly exceptional.

   

The Muppet Show is now streaming on Disney+.

Best and Worst "Stuff" of 2016!

We all know 2016 was a dumpster fire of a year.

We lost David Bowie, Prince, David Smyrl (Mr. Handford), George Martin, Florence Henderson, Gene Wilder, "Toots" Thielemans, Morley Safer, and Alan Rickman.

Puppet Up closed it's Las Vegas run early, and both The Muppets (2015) and No, YOU Shut Up! were cancelled.

There were a few bright spots such as The Electric Mayhem's live concert, various Muppet appearances - including Fozzie on @midnight, Sesame Street photobombing the Tonight Show w/ Jimmy Fallon, The Muppets opening Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (including Miss Piggy latter saving Tony Bennet), Fraggle Rock's return to HBO, and the debut of a new Henson series Splash and Bubbles. Other treats include Matt Vogel's great behind the scenes of Sesame Street web series "Below The Frame", the return of Pigs in Space, and Sonia Manzano receiving a Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award Emmy.

We even got to visit the debut of the Strong Museum's Henson collection. 

However, as our primary focus here is to talk Muppet "stuff" (that's we call ourselves Muppet Stuff) as our last post of 2016, we look back at the best (and worst) Henson related items released this year. 

The Worst:

Kate Spade's Miss Piggy collection

Over priced and not very attractive are not how you honor the world most famous and fashionable pig. I mean $98 for a key chain? Come on. 

Kermit Hair Bow

On the other end of the fashion spectrum was IntenCITY's line of Disney inspired fashions. While there were some really nice items for other Disney franchise, unfortunately their only Muppet related item looks like it was made by elementary school kids forced to make them during their lunch break. Cute, cheap, yet uninspiring. 

"Chase" Kira with closed mouth Fizzgig Pop!

A chase, or variant figure usually has something special about it - recolored, a different outfit, etc. but what Funko did for this chase was pretty lazy. It's just Fizzgig, but with a closed mouth. Not only that, the very thing that makes the figure different is hidden begins the "chase" sticker!

"The Best of Fraggle Rock"

Enjoy The Ride Records limited edition vinyl of The Best of Fraggle Rock. Should have been really special. There were 7 different vinyl colors made - each representing a different character, but each record had the same image of the Fraggles on the front and Trash Heap on the B side.

As we originally noted "It would have been a lot nicer and made the color choices more apparent if the different characters they represented were on the flip side, especially since Sprocket is only seen in the gatefold map."

The Best:

Up Late with Miss Piggy Mug

As only one of two official items released from the now cancelled The Muppets, we felt that it deserved a place on the list. Here's hoping Diamond Select follows it up with some Rowl's Tavern coasters or pint glasses someday. 

Jim Henson's Labyrinth Artist Tribute & Labyrinth Tales (tie)

Seeing the many different artistic styles take on the world of Labyrinth and it's many characters is very inspiring. There are many gorgeous, funny, and brilliant images to found. With the continuation of Achia's Storyletter anthology comics, I could see Labyrinth becoming their next ongoing anthology project. 

Labyrinth Pop! Ludo

With many great Labyrinth Pop! figures released by Funko this year we thought it best to include Ludo who rarely gets the merch treatment and as a large 6" figure too.

Blue Yip Yip Martian Puppet

This Sesame Place exclusive was the perfect example of what their limited release "Classic Character Collection" should be - a fan favorite we don't see much of anymore that's realet represented in merchandise. Add to the fact that this is a puppet and not just a stuffed animal gives it much more interactive and has a great play-ability factor. Here's hoping the Pink one isn't too far behind!

Dark Crystal hoodie

While Zen Monkey Studios made some outstanding shirts and pins featuring characters from Labyrinth and Fraggle Rock, there Dark Crystal hoodie was a standout. Not only does is feature a gorgeous image of Kira, Jen, Fizzgig, Ursol, Aughra, and the Chamberlain on the back, the front features the crystal being broken into shards. Brilliant design, excellent execution. 

Dark Crystal ReAction Figure - Aughra

Funko did an amazing job bringing the long wanted, and until now never produced, line of Dark Crystal action figures to the market. While initially going to make straight replicas of Kenner's unproduced figures, instead they went above and beyond to give them a timeless yet fully sculpted look. The detail in Aughra is stunning, I just wish they used better glue on the packages. 

Labyrinth: A Visual History

Insight Editions put together another great coffee table book filled with never before seen photos and stories from the making of the film. The book even features many interactive reproductions placed throughout, giving it the feel that you stumbled upon it in the Henson workshop. I have high hopes for their Dark Crystal book scheduled for next year. And who knows if it also does well, maybe we'll get the Fraggle Rock book they planned to release last year!

Animal Action figure

This year saw Diamond Select Toys bring the Muppets back to the action figure world since Palisades Toys folded a decade ago. Thanks to a certain frogboy in San Fransico, series 1 was great, but series 2 really brought out the heavy hitters. Their Animal figure not only looked fantastic, but the inclusion of his drumset in both in the more expensive comic store version and the mass release (Toys R US, Barnes & Noble, etc) version was unexpected and needs to be recognized for a job well doe. If only the drumset fit together better and was able to stand on it's on without glue, tape, or puddy. 

Dark Crystal ReAction Figure - Ursol

Another greatly sculpted figure was Funko's Ursol the mystic figure. The detail that is seen in his body and jacket makes it an amazing piece of art. And in a better package then the rest of the regular line!


Which bring us to the our pick for the #1 release this year:
Statler and Waldorf Action Figure

Ever since Palisades released their Statler and Waldorf figures and their amazing Muppet Theater backstage playset, fans have been wanting their theater box. Diamond Select heard our pleas and not only released the box, but was able to included with both figures. It fits together perfectly and and is a must have for any serious Muppet fan. Not even the fact that the they're switched on the back cover or that the box was sadly not included in the mass release version could keep it from our #1 spot. 

Honorable Mentions:
Labyrinth game by River Horse, Diamond Select's Muppet Minimates, Jim Henson's Storyteller: Dragons, and Labyrinth's 30th Anniversary comic. 

There's more great Muppet stuff to look forward to in 2017.
Let us know if your favorite made the list or what you think we over looked this year.