The Muppet Show
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
The Muppet Show is a television program featuring a cast of Muppets which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from 1976 to 1981. The show stars Kermit the Frog, who was also a regular on Sesame Street. Whereas Kermit was a happy, perky and somewhat avuncular character on Sesame Street, here he is trying to keep control of the varied, outrageous, kinetic Muppet characters (and his temper), as well as keep the human guest stars happy and secure. The television show depicted a vaudeville- or music hall-style song-and-dance variety show, as well as the backstage antics involved in putting the show on.
The show was known for outrageous, physical (slapstick), sometimes absurdist comedy, and particularly for using its puppet characters to create humorous parodies. Each show also featured a human star; after the show became popular, many celebrities were eager to perform with the Muppets on television and in film. The guests included Diana Ross, Harry Belafonte, Elton John, Christopher Reeve, Johnny Cash, Twiggy, Sandy Duncan, Julie Andrews, Joan Baez, Steve Martin, Florence Henderson, Paul Williams, Rich Little, characters from Star Wars, Mummenschanz, Ethel Merman, Paul Simon, John Denver, John Cleese, Judy Collins, Gene Kelly, Alice Cooper, and exactly one-hundred others.
Muppet performers over the course of the show include Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Kathy Mullen, Eren Ozker, and John Lovelady. Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns were two of the show writers.
