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Review by Ray DeRousse

SHOW:

DVD:

JIM HENSON, FRANK OZ, and the rest of the brilliant puppeteers at The Henson Company created something truly unique and wonderful with the long-running THE MUPPET SHOW. This seventies American television show, which ran from 1976 to 1981, mixed amazingly quippy and intelligent dialogue with slapstick visual fun that entertained a broad audience. While Sesame Street is often cited as the flashpoint of Muppetry and modern puppetry techniques, THE MUPPET SHOW refined it into a seamless and endlessly creative entertainment enterprise.

Each episode of the series contained a “special guest star” that served as a human counterpoint to all of the felt and fuzz on display. Sometimes these guests might actually be special - people like LORETTA LYNN or ROY ROGERS - and sometimes they might be ELKE SOMMERS. Regardless of the size of the star, THE MUPPET SHOW provides us with a look over the tail end of a strange decade in popular culture.

Season Three of the series entails 24 episodes. Here are the names of the guests from this season, in chronological order:

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON AND RITA COOLIDGE

LEO SAYER

ROY CLARK

GILDA RADNER

PEARL BAILEY

JEAN STAPLETON

ALICE COOPER

LORETTA LYNN

LIBERACE

MARISA BERENSON

RAQUEL WELCH

JAMES COCO

HELEN REDDY

HARRY BELAFONTE

LESLEY ANN WARREN

DANNY KAYE

SPIKE MILLIGAN

LESLIE UGGAMS

ELKE SOMMERS

SYLVESTER STALLONE

ROGER MILLER

ROY ROGERS

CHERYL LADD

As you can see, there are some impressive names among that list. Some of my favorite episodes here involve some of the more specifically seventies celebrities: seeing GILDA RADNER in her prime, witnessing the odd force of piano-tickling nature known as LIBERACE, and watching SLY STALLONE milk his ROCKY fame nearly two years after the success of the film (without cable and the internet, movie crazes took much longer … and lasted much longer as well). Some of it is painful to watch; KERMIT declares that Cheryl Ladd is one of the greatest actresses in the entertainment world with a straight face that can only be accomplished with expert manipulation and a glorified sock puppet.

In watching these episodes, I was surprised at how little each guest star actually appears on-camera to “perform.” Only the most accomplished musical performers get more than one small segment per show; LIBERACE, in fact, plays an entire concert during the last half of his episode. Others with less musical talent - like STALLONE, who can barely tackle simple English sentences - are relegated to simple production numbers to mask their inabilities.

While there is a definite whiff of seventies-era schlock and production value, the Muppets themselves live on, immortal and timeless. In terms of character and interplay, the show was hitting its peak during this season. No matter how bad or inconsequential the guest, the Muppets manage to bring smiles to everyone with their seemingly-effortless whimsy and delightful banter.

What a shame that something like this is not on television today. Given the cynicism running rampant across the pop landscape, I doubt very much that it could ever happen again. Pretty damn sad.

EXTRAS

There are very few extras here, but what is included is excellent.

MUPPETS ON PUPPETS - An extraordinary find, this television special was filmed in the late sixties and has managed to survive. It stars JIM HENSON, who discusses puppetry with the help of several early Muppets including Rolf and a prototype Kermit. It is truly magical to watch these masters bring these puppets to life, especially knowing what the future would bring as their talents blossomed further. Any fan of the Muppets must have this.

A COMPANY OF PLAYERS - A behind-the-scenes look at the making of THE MUPPET SHOW. Anyone who has ever watched the show has wondered how they did it; this documentary not only shows that, but also some rare glimpes into the terrific time they had creating the scripts together. The Henson Company in the seventies might have been one of the last great creative spaces in the entertainment industry, and one that is sorely missed today.

OVERALL

If you love the Muppets, or if your kids love them, then this is another essential collection. It is filled to the brim with song, dance, and rapid-fire jokes that everyone will love. With these bonus features, this collection is a must have.

A bonus clip from this wonderful set is below…