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•10/24 - The Muppets Take Manhattan 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with Frank Oz Commentary •10/1 - Supersize Count von Count •10/01 - Sesame Street Action Figures Wave 1: Ernie with Rubber Duckie, Bert with Bernice, Count von Count, Yip Yip Martians •9/1 - Fraggle Rock Action Figures Wave 1: Gobo, Red, Traveling Matt, Architect and Cotterpin, Flange |
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EPISODE NOTES Two interesting observations about Scooter's debut. His entrance is in conflict with the Muppet Movie which shows him being the Electric Mayhem's road manager and Muppet Babies where he grows up with the other characters. While some fans lose sleep over this, this is hardly a serious contradiction as we're reminded throughout the Muppet Movie that it is just a movie, one with an alternate "history" (indeed if the films were to be taken at face value, they all contradict each other) and the Muppet Babies is also to be thought of as "just a cartoon" BASED ON the characters. The babies' Muppetized debut in Muppets Take Manhattan was part of a dream sequence. (But then there's the home movies of the Muppet Babies the Muppets watch in Muppet Family Christmas, Scooter included, but don't lose your head pondering this). This is episode 6, and Scooter's already appeared in episodes 1, 2, and 4! The first two episodes were shot before the rest as "pilots" so obviously the writers thought once the character was established that it would be fun to explain Scooter's entry. If it helps, think of this as somewhat of a "flashback" episode. A number of early episodes didn't include Scooter in them so they could be aired before this one as to not cause confusion. (Indeed, in some markets the Scooter-less Rita Moreno episode was the debut, but in others the Jim Nabors show was the second to air after the Sandy Duncan one which included Scooter. Since the Muppet Show was in syndication, meaning that episodes might air in different orders in each market, the writers probably didn't worry too much about this. Annie Sue's "debut" episode in season 3 also aired after the audience had seen her, and was also done after the character had been used. The original name for Miss Piggy was Miss Piggy Lee. This idea was quickly scrapped though the first Muppet Show Annual refers to her as such as well as a few articles around the time. The Talk Spot in this episode is the only time in the series where Piggy is addressed as "Piggy Lee". |
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THE MUPPET PERFORMERS Frank Oz (Animal, George, Mildred, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Sam) Jerry Nelson (house, Screaming Girl, Indian, Baskerville, whatnot) Richard Hunt (Statler, Scooter, Wayne, chicken) Dave Goelz (Zoot, Gonzo), Eren Ozker (Hilda, Wanda, girl dancer, Janice) John Lovelady (house, Danceros, headless dancer), Jim Henson (Kermit, Dr. Teeth, Waldorf, Newsman, Rowlf) EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Jim Henson PRODUCED BY Jack Burns WRITTEN BY Jack Burns, Marc London, Jim Henson, & Jerry Juhl DIRECTED BY Peter Harris PUPPETS BY Bonnie Erickson & Caroly Wilcox, Mari Kaestle, Dave Goelz, Rollin Krewson, Faz Fazakas, Larry Jameson SPECIAL PUPPETS BY Don Sahlin ART DIRECTOR: Paul Dean MUPPET COSTUME DESIGNER: Bonnie Erickson MUPPET CREATIVE CONSULTANTS: Frank Oz, Mike Frith ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY Jack Parnell MUSICAL ASSOCIATE: Derek Scott COSTUMES BY Kaye Conry-Halley LIGHTING DIRECTOR: Phil Hawkes ASSISTANT TO PRODUCERS: Sue Taylor MUSIC CONSULTANT: Larry Grossman THEME MUSIC BY Sam Pottle AUDIO: Roger Knight MAKE-UP BY Shirley Muslin SENIOR VIDEO ENGINEER: John Willmont SENIOR CAMERAMAN: Bill Brown VISION MIXER: Carole Legg SENIOR FLOOR MANAGER: Richard Holloway FLOOR MANAGER: Martin Baker STAGE MANAGER: Alani Gray VIDEO TAPE EDITOR: John Hawkins EXECUTIVE PRODUCER FOR HENSON ASSOCIATES, INC: David Lazer |
Jim Nabors - Episode 6
Taping
Dates: Week of June 8, 1976
Original Airdates: September 27, 1976 (New York) and October
2, 1976 (LA)
DVD Release: Buena
Vista Home Video, 2005
GENERIC INTRO: KERMIT
Brian Henson: "Hi, I'm Brian Henson. How do you explain the success of The Muppet Show? Well there were certainly a lot of important factors: like the guest stars, the outrageous Muppet characters and some perfectly absurd stories and sketches."
"But at the center of all of it was Kermit. Kermit was my father. My father first made Kermit out of a coat that belonged to my grandmother and through the years Kermit changed a little bit, looked a little bit different. and eventually became the Kermit that we all know. But what's wonderful about Kermit is he's the glue that holds all of these crazy zany characters together. Here it is, The Muppet Show."
Fozzie's joke: "My cousin is so thin he paints his head gold and rents himself out as a flagpole."
STAGE CURTAIN
Kermit mentions the show is done at the Benny Vendergast Memorial Theater; since the Muppets owe everything (especially three months back rent) to Benny, Kermit presents Dr. Teeth with "Money"
OPENING NUMBER - "MONEY"
Dr. Teeth sings a "financially substantial" ode to the green stuff (the cash, not the frog!) while jamming at the piano. At the song's conclusion, Dr. Teeth pulls a handle and money comes pouring out of the organ a la a Las Vegas slot machine.
[This song was also performed during one of the Muppets' regular appearances in 1992 on Good Morning America during Income Tax Week as an IRS agent paid a visit to Fozzie.]
STATLER: They don't write the old songs anymore.
WALDORF: Nah, they only write new ones.
BACKSTAGE
A young kid named Scooter introduces himself to Kermit as his new go-fer (he'll go fer coffee and sandwiches). Kermit declines to hire a youngster with no experience, especially with no money in the budget. Couldn't he just "hop on" Dr. Teeth's piano? Then Scooter mentions his uncle owns the theater.
TALKING HOUSES
House 2: My wife's not feeling well... she's got the shingles.
STAGE CURTAIN
Kermit gives a real Muppet Show welcome to guest Jim Nabors.
MUSICAL NUMBER - "GONE WITH THE WIND"
As Jim sings, a windstorm blows down the set around him, the wig off the girl he sings too, and whips away his pants. (At least Jim still managed to finish the song, where lesser singers like Wayne & Wanda wouldn't have made it past the first few lines!)
WALDORF: That Jim Nabors is a real good sport, a real good singer.
STATLER: I used to live next door to him - he was a real good NABOR!
NEWSMAN
An interview with gas station attendant Billy Lee Boomer (Nabors), who was visited by inhabitants of a flying saucer. [The Newsman is starting to evolve; while he doesn't yet have glasses, his voice becomes more like the one we know today.]
BACKSTAGE
Scooter starts to play Talent Coordinator as he persuades Kermit to put on the Danceros, his uncle's favorite act.
STAGE CURTAIN
With "great pride and no little fear," Kermit brings on...
THE DANCEROS
A close up of two pairs of legs pan back to reveal a large Muppaphone-ish quadrupled who gets his legs all tangled up.
ONSTAGE
Jim encourages Animal to break a leg, not something one wants to tell Animal to do!
BACKSTAGE
Kermit unloads Scooter on George the janitor, who brags he's been with the theater. from the beginning and starts complaining about the new guy who bought it and ruined it. Once he realizes this kid is the owner's nephew, he quickly changes his tune.
GEORGE: What's a theater without problems?"
[Notice
that the headless Muppet walking off-stage is actually headed
in the wrong direction for the next number, At the Dance.]AT THE DANCE
Jokes include Rowlf's coming down with the Asian Flu; his doctor advised "take two fortune cookies and he'd call to call him in the morning".
UK
SKIT: MUSICAL NUMBER - "DOG EAT DOG"
Rowlf and Baskerville sing.
[Jim Henson originally voiced baskerville in the Purina Dog Food commercials from the 1960s.]
TALK SPOT
Miss Piggy joins in, flirting with Jim. The topic turns to astrological signs. (Kermit: "Hey listen, I'm a Tauris...I'm a bull frog.") Jim demonstrates how he lives up to the double-personality aspects of the Gemini since he talks kind of goofy but sings more operatic. Kermit doesn't seem to appreciate his singing as much as Piggy does.
BACKSTAGE
Fozzie complains to Kermit that the new kid keeps following him around giving him awful jokes for his act. The "terrible" jokes ("I stayed at a hotel so exclusive, room service had an unlisted number") manage to draw huge laughs out of the backstage crowd.
STAGE CURTAIN
Sam
introduces the world's "finest and most morally unobjectionable
singing team".
WAYNE & WANDA - "INDIAN LOVE CALL"
INDIAN: Hey Baby, you called?
STAGE CURTAIN
Kermit introduces "the man who thinks Elton John is a singing bathroom"...
FOZZIE'S COMEDY SPOT
After repeated heckling from Statler & Waldorf, Fozzie promises that if they don't laugh at his best joke, he'll never come out on stage again. After the two old man double up in laughter, Fozzie announces he lied - the joke was actually his worst! (Probably true; it's the cannibal "that-was-no-lady, that-was-my-lunch" joke!)
WALDORF: Why did we laugh at that terrible joke?
STATLER: Either we're getting soft or we're in the first stages of senility.
SKETCH
Jim
plays a night watchman at Benson's Bakery. Rowlf enters and
puts up his hens: a couple of chickens. Jim's thick Southern
accent keeps eliciting more misunderstanding, prompting Rowlf
to bring in more animals.
JIM: Don't move a hair! What's that?
ROWLF: That's the hare I'm not supposed to move.
BACKSTAGE
Scooter tells Fozzie he thinks the bear's the greatest comedian there ever was. Inspired, Fozzie recites his latest joke: "Let me tell you about my nearsighted cousin, he's so rich his car is fitted with a prescription windshield." Scooter doesn't quite get it. ("Okay, tell me about him!")
STAGE CURTAIN
Kermit brings on Jim Nabors.
CLOSING
NUMBER - "THANK GOD I'M A COUNTRY BOY"
Backed by the Gogolala Jamboree Jug-band, Jim sings on a farm set to appreciative barnyard animals. [Much enthusiastic dancing from Baskerville the Hound.]
STAGE CURTAIN
Jim tells Kermit how appreciative he was of Scooter, who picked up his coffee, his wardrobe, his accent... Kermit warns him to be careful of him picking up Jim's paycheck.
CLOSING THEME
WALDORF: Pay up, they made it through another one.
STATLER: Double or nothing, next week's show?
WALDORF: You're on.
Guide
Written by
D. W. McKim and Phillip Chapman
With
contributions from
Ryan Dillon, Jogchem Jalink, and Dave Ebersole
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