Customer Reviews

The Muppet Show - Season Three

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"My six-year-old loves the jokes, and runs around the house singing the songs!"

In line at Best Buy, that's what the mom behind me was saying this morning, still half in disbelief that she was buying yet another season of these 30-year-old TV programs. And to me, that one sentence sums it all up. "The Muppet Show" offers comedy that appeals to all ages -- most episodes include MuppetLabs, Pigs in Space, Swedish Chef or other recurring skits -- as well as wonderful old ditties and show tunes that are themselves often staged with a sly sense of humor.

This third season is perhaps the best of all. Digitally remastered like those on the earlier Season One and Season Two sets, these 24 shows from 1978-1979 are the Muppets at their peak. Hosts include a broad range of personalities, from rocker Alice Cooper to Irish comedian Spike Milligan.

And good news for music lovers: unlike Season Two, this set includes its song lyrics in its captioning!

Here's the complete line-up:

EPISODE 1: Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. Nothing dated here except the blow-dried hair of Kristofferson, who can't keep a straight face as he serenades Miss Piggy with "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Coolidge sings "We're All Alone." When Sam the Eagle adds commentary to Rowlf's "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go," his insights include "This shows us that there was indeed a time when frogs went 'woo.'" Fozzie and Rowlf do a rousing version of "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)."

EPISODE 2: Leo Sayer. Has Kermit got a new girlfriend? Piggy thinks so, after starlet pig Annie Sue shows up. Meanwhile, the very-70s Sayer boogies down with a human-sized peacock as he sings "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." Other songs: "The Show Must Go On," "When I Need You."

EPISODE 3: Roy Clark. With silk shirts and very wide lapels, the country star declares he feels like he's "back on the farm." Ah, the 70s. Songs include the bouncy "Sally Was a Good Ol' Girl" and the oh-so-serious "Yesterday When I Was Young." In skits, the Swedish Chef gets attacked by a pile of living dough, while the Pigs in Space helplessly bounce up and down after Dr. Strangepork fixes the Swinetrek with toaster parts.

EPISODE 4: Gilda Radner. Terrific! A 7-foot-tall talking carrot (with an attitude!) joins Radner in a medley of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General" and other selections from "The Pirates of Penzance." Stuck to Beaker with MuppetLabs super glue, Radner attempts "Tap Your Troubles Away" from "Mack & Mabel." Muppet numbers include a terrific version of "Lullaby of Broadway." Confusing the word "Muppets" with "muffins," Emily Litella opens the show.

EPISODE 5: Pearl Bailey. The host does a great job with "In the Good Old Summertime" and a medley of show tunes including "Hello, Dolly!," "Anything You Can Do" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." In skits, Dr. Honeydew invents Edible Paperclips, while the Pigs in Space turn into food when their Swinetrek passes through a field of Snacko Waves.

EPISODE 6: Jean Stapleton. Annie Sue leads the pigs in the rowdy 1917 Brazilian classic "Tico-Tico no Fubá" ("tico tico tico clock!") and joins Rowlf for the 19th-century ditty "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow." Best known as Edith from "All in the Family," the host sings "I'm Just Wild About Harry," joins Fozzie for Irving Berlin's 1914 standard, "Play a Simple Melody" and shocks Sam with the news that the Swedish Chef doesn't speak real Swedish.

EPISODE 7: Alice Cooper. Cheesy effects, silly makeup and bad lip-synching mar the host's supposedly serious productions of "Welcome to My Nightmare," "You and Me" and "School's Out." The worst show of the season.

EPISODE 8: Loretta Lynn. One of the few Muppet Shows that doesn't take place in the regular theater, this country-music show is set in a train station. Songs include "You're Lookin' at Country" (Loretta with Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers) and "Sentimental Journey" (Gonzo).

EPISODE 9: Liberace. Chaos reigns when Gonzo tries to get his tap-dancing chickens into a Liberace spectacular. Also included: a Swedish Chef sketch that turns into an episode of Pigs in Space.

EPISODE 10: Marisa Berenson. The Swedish Chef makes the wedding cake as Miss Piggy and Kermit head to the altar. Of course things don't work out. A 1960s model turned actress ("Cabaret," "Barry Lyndon"), Berenson sings two songs.

EPISODE 11: Raquel Welch. Miss Piggy and Welch don identical low-cut gowns to perform "I Am Woman." Also features a good Swedish Chef skit about chicken in a basket.

EPISODE 12: James Coco. Not that memorable. The highlight: Coco sings Randy Newman's "Short People" with a group of tiny Muppets.

EPISODE 13: Helen Reddy. Miss Piggy sings "Stayin' Alive." Reddy and Kermit perform "You and Me Against the World." Reddy and Sopwith the Camel do "We'll Sing in the Sunshine."

EPISODE 14: Harry Belafonte. Of course there's "Day-O" (with a pig chorus), but Belafonte also performs a wonderful African song, "Turn the World Around," accompanied by Muppets wearing African masks.

EPISODE 15: Lesley Ann Warren. The Great Gonzo rides his motorcycle up a ramp into Statler and Waldorf's theater box. Warren performs a "Beasty and the Beaut" ballet with Doglion. Miss Piggy takes over the Swinetrek.

EPISODE 16: Danny Kaye. Some strange sights: The Swedish Chef with a human partner (Kaye, who refers to the chef as "Tom") and Statler and Waldorf out of their box (disgusted with the show, they head out to the back alley).

EPISODE 17: Spike Milligan. Note my byline and you'll understand why I love this one. It includes a group performance of "It's a Small World" on a set that bears a remarkable resemblance to a certain Disney attraction.

EPISODE 18: Leslie Uggams. A great guest appearance from Big Bird from Sesame Street. In one skit, it's love at first sight for Gonzo when Big Bird wanders onstage. "Wow! Perfection incarnate!" the chicken lover exclaims as he spots the giant feathered fellow. "Statuesque, yet still poultry in every sense!" There's also a funny MuppetLabs skit about fireproof paper.

EPISODE 19: Elke Sommer. One of the weaker episodes, this is another one that just doesn't age well. The one-time sex symbol performs "Animal Crackers in My Soup" and, dressed as Cleopatra, "Row, Row, Row."

EPISODE 20: Sylvester Stallone. Again not my favorite, but there is one memorable skit: in a gladiator sketch, Stallone and a full-size lion perform "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."

EPISODE 21: Roger Miller. Lots of music. Penguins on the Mayflower sing "Alabamy Bound," Miller joins some watermelons for "In the Summertime," Miller and a Whatnots trio do "Hat," Muppets in a pub perform "Down at the Old Bull and Bush," Rowlf plays "Pop Goes the Weasel" (and turns into a chicken) and Miller joins some Muppet chickens for a medley of "You Had a Do Wacka Do," "Dang Me," "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died" and "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd."

EPISODE 22: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. A herd of cows goes mad for Fozzie's cow jokes in this cowboy-themed episode (Fozzie: "You cows are an udder delight!). Prairie dogs sing "Blue Skies," Roy and Dale perform "Skyball Paint," "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and a medley of "Hazy Mountains," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Happy Trails."

EPISODE 23: Lynn Redgrave. Veering away from the variety-show format, this episode is a 25-minute Muppet production of "Robin Hood," with Kermit as Robin, Redgrave as Maid Marian, Fozzie as Little John and Gonzo as the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Town Crier declares "Five o'clock and all's well! Except that Maid Marian has been kidnapped, the Sheriff's up to no good, that dog is stealing the cheese, Kermit's mad at Piggy, and it's really only 4:30."

EPISODE 24: Cheryl Ladd. Skits include Miss Piggy and Ladd trashing their dressing room as they sing "I Enjoy Being a Girl." In "Pigs in Space," Dr. Strangepork invents a pill that makes pigs invisible.

Bonus features include "The Muppets on Puppets," a 60-minute documentary from 1968. Jim Henson, Rowlf the Dog and Muppet design chief Don Sahlin demonstrate how to build and operate a hand puppet and review the various types of puppets as well as the history of the art and its use of special effects. The DVD set also includes a new featurette, "The Making of The Muppets."

As before, the menu screens are live-action. On one, Miss Piggy advises you to "only watch the scenes with me. Trust me, some of the other stuff is just plain weird!"

On the front of the box, Fozzie's fur is not only very orange (more so than indicated on the image above), it's fuzzy.

Episode Listing:
* Kris Kristofferson & 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 Sommer
* Sylvester Stallone
* Roger Miller
* Roy Rogers & Dale Evans
* Lynn Redgrave
* Cheryl Ladd

"The Muppet Show - Season Three" DVD Features:
* 24 episodes of "The Muppet Show" - The complete third season with digitally restored picture and sound!
* Muppets on Puppets
In June of 1968, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Juhl and Don Sahlin traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania to tape a program about puppetry at the studios of public television station WITF-TV. This show, "Muppets on Puppets" aired on NET (National Educational Television - the precursor to PBS) in most areas in 1970. This rarely seen one-hour program, hosted by Jim Henson and Rowlf the Dog, is a unique opportunity to see the creators of the Muppets in their early days as puppeteers.

* "A Frog Is Born" - An all-new featurette exploring the origins of Kermit the Frog and his relationship with creator, Jim Henson.
* A Company of Players
An intimate look behind the scenes with the puppeteers. This original featurette includes all-new interviews with Martin Baker, Bill Barretta, Kevin Clash, Bonnie Erickson, Karen Falk, Michael K. Frith, Amy van Gilder, Dave Goelz, Jane Gootnick, Jerry Juhl, Brian Henson, Kathy Mullen, and Steve Whitmire.

* Muppet Commercials
Rowlf the Dog made his television debut in these rare commercials produced for Purina Dog Chow between 1962 and 1963. Rowlf went on to become a national star on "The Jimmy Dean Show" (1963-1966) before settling into his role as the resident piano-playing hound dog on "The Muppet Show". His sidekick in these spots, Baskerville, also was occasionally seen on "The Muppet Show" as well. Four original commercials are presented here
Live-Video Menus
Each disc features fun interactive menus hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.
The opening screen shows Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy in front of The Muppet Show logo from the beginning of each episode just as it looks when Kermit appears out of the O with the words season 3 added . Episode selection shows the Muppet Theater stage with 3 lit up arches with each episode in each arch. The Muppet audience looks on. The Set Up menu shows Miss Piggy inside her dressing room and the bonus features menu shows The Muppet Theater Backstage Right.

Same reaction to this one as the other sets; I had forgotten over the years what a fantastic program this was. Stellar guests stars, family-style humor, and creativity that is rarely seen today. This 3rd Season set is no exception. Standout guest stars include Gilda Radner, Pearl Bailey, Jean Stapleton, Loretta Lynn, Liberace (!), Raquel Welch, Helen Reddy, Sylvester Stallone, Danny Kaye, Harry Belafonte, Lesley Ann Warren, Lynn Redgrave, Roy & Dale, Cheryl Ladd, and more. Unlike other variety shows, these guest stars genuinely seem to be having a ball and enjoying themselves. Cheryl Ladd's episode turned out to be one of my favorites; known mainly for "Charlie's Angels," she shows plenty of talent in singing & dancing (even more so than the somewhat stiff Raquel Welch). Her karate duet with Miss Piggy ("I Enjoy Being A Girl") is adorable. Jean Stapleton shows that she can carry a tune better than her famous character Edith Bunker; Gilda Radner also has a pleasing musical voice.

The Bonus Features are fantastic; "Muppets on Puppets" is a one-hour black & white TV show from 1968 that is a VERY behind the scenes look at puppets/muppets; the different types, how to make them work, how to create them, and even a "behind the wall" look at Jim Henson & Frank Oz performing. Adults will really enjoy this; warning for parents who don't want children know how the "magic" happens, you may want to skip over this extra. Interesting to see Henson's flat-line persona in contrast to his extremely creative handling/vocals for the muppets.

"A Company of Players" is a present day featurette that also goes behind the scenes; VERY cool to learn about how Miss Piggy came to be (especially the "why" behind her infamous karate chops!) and the way that Frank Oz & Jim Henson worked together (likened to any famous comedy duo). The happy camaraderie in front of the camera also existed behind the scenes.

The Purina Dog Chow commercials are black and white featuring Rowlf the Dog & Baskerville; they are truly funny (still!). What they lack in picture quality, they make up for in fun. Sure is refreshing to see a simple commercial that can sell the message.

Overall picture/sound quality on this set is high; many older shows shot on videotape have not held up over the years; this one IS an exception. Good color and image detail (you can even see the wood grain on the set doors), and the sound is pleasing also.

For families, children, and Muppet fans, this set is a must-have!

Growing up Muppet-style wasn't a choice, it was mandatory! From corny jokes and wild band members (Animal was my favorite), to grumpy old men booing in the balcony and listening to singing, dancing, and the acting talent of the day, The Muppet Show still holds nostalgic sway for those of us who grew up watching Jim Henson's puppeted cadre. Season three started off with a bang as singer Rita Coolridge graced the show with her amazing voice and actor Kris Kristofferson decided to rough-up a few of the cast. The show really got blazing, though, during episode four when Gilda Radner took a liking to Kermit, much to the chagrin (and karate chop) of Miss Piggy. But the Muppet brigade took a stunning jolt in episode seven when Alice Cooper was the guest star. Playing with the Muppet band, Alice took the show to a whole new level, showing U.S. audiences that puppets can be topical (and controversial?). It was then that The Muppet Show really started to take wing. Actors, musicians, and many other Hollywood talents began showing up in season three. From the voluptuous Rachel Welch and exceptionally talented Harry Bellafonte, to muscle man Sly Stallone and blonde bombshell Cheryl Ladd, the show gained notoriety from new quarters.

The amazing thing about The Muppet Show is that kids and adults can both enjoy it, but on totally different levels. Kids will probably like the physical comedy (watching Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker blow up the lab, or having a dog operate in an episode of Animal Hospital, "A show that has gone to the dogs.") while adults will be amazed at the interspecies attractions between the likes of Kermit and Miss Piggy, or Gonzo (whatever he is) and his chickens (note the plural there; was he a polygamist?)

No mention of The Muppet Show would be complete without noting the supporting cast. Two favorites tend to be Waldorf and Statler, the old hecklers that are perched in the balcony and heave insults and boos at the cast. My other personal favorite is Sam the Eagle (so overly-pompous).

Digitally remastered just like seasons one and two, the sound and visual qualities on most HD TVs is quite nice but still iffy in places. If you don't have an HDTV, you'll probably still enjoy it, but I'd recommend seeing it in all its digitally intended glory.

This latest release has some interesting packaging that I should mention. The cover-image of Fozzie actually has a soft texture that resembles his fur. Animal packaging? And there are some cool extra features, too:

"Muppets on Puppets" is a sixty-minute feature. Hosted by Jim Henson, it looks at the early formation of the Muppets. A rare feature that appeared first in 1969. Great Muppet history for those that want to be "in-the-know."

"A Company of Players" is a behind the scenes look at the puppeteers. The fascinating work of master puppeteers comes to light. For those that don't want the magic spoiled, you might want to pass on this one.

"Muppets Commercials" are a couple of Purina Dog Chow commercials that are hysterically funny.

A Trailer for Disney's upcoming release "Wall-E" and an advertisement for the new 2-Disc and Blu-Ray editions of "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

The Muppet Show ran for five years (1976 through 1980) and here in season three they were hitting an incredibly smooth stride. All the cast, crew, and guests appeared relaxed and to have enjoyed themselves immensely. The Alice Cooper episode is a must see, at the very least. Unfortunately there is no Blu-Ray disc release of any of the series, but I have a feeling they're coming. And if they don't come out in the near future, I'm gonna send out Miss Piggy to find out why. Hear that Sony?

The producers of DVDs really should show on the box whether the DVD is closed captioned for the hearing impaired, and whether it has captions in other languages. The first Muppet DVD captioned dialogue but alas, not the songs. The second and third are closed captioned. This is incredibly important for the deaf and hearing impaired. I erroneously posted here that the DVD was not captioned because there was no symbol of it on the box. My son checked it out and indeed it is fully captioned!! Perhaps Amazon would be so kind as to add CC somewhere in its listing of this product. As Fozzy Bear might say, "Zowie!"

This is the season the show finally hit it's stride. The episode with Harry Belefonte was nominated for an Emmy Award (r); Henson and Oz seem to get the best from the visiting talent, including dancing and singing from Raquel Welch (who'd've thought); and the maturing of the Muppet supporting characters, especially Miss Piggy and Gonzo. The production numbers are more imaginative, the jokes are a little more contemporary, the talent more A list.

This is the Muppets DVD I've been waiting all along for. This one features the episode guest starring Roger Miller, who was a fairly forgetable country singer. But the running gag of this particular episode is probably the best one that was ever done on the Muppets. Through most of the episode, the Muppets contract something called Cluckitis and one by one sneeze and turn into chickens. Kermit is one of the last to transform, but he is definitely the funniest looking chicken of the lot. In the end, the only ones who aren't chickens are Gonzo (it would be hard to make him look any sillier) and Statler and Waldorf (who turn into DOGS!)
Also on this volume are perhaps the two most legendary country singers in history, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

I have all 3 avalible seasons in special edition and can't wait for 4 and 5! Although I miss the pop up Muppetisms from season 1 having the behind the scenes footage makes up for it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing like the Muppet Show.

If you remember when the first show came out you'll want this. Each episode contains something you've never seen before, a sketch that was only aired in the UK version. That's right, there were 2 different versions of each episode, the US version would have one musical number while the UK version would have a completely different one. The sound and picture is clear and if you look close you might spot the very rare top of the head or mysterious third arm coming in to frame.

For those new to the Muppets this is a treat. These are the origonal Muppeteers, the late Jim Henson and Richard Hunt and the pretty much retired Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmere round out the key cast along with Louise Gold and perhaps even a young Brian Henson throwing penguins.

Don't worry about letting young viewers watch, this is true family friendly entertainment. On the season 3 set you even get a rare and wonderful look at how puppets work. This should spark many a curious mind and get many new Muppeteers off and running. Some of their performers, Richard Hunt and Bill Baretta to name a few, started off as fans and became members of the family.

Season 3 of the Muppet Show is one I have been waiting for a long time. Most of these episodes are one I haven't seen, and I enjoying watching them for the first time. I love the Harry Belafonte episode more that ever before.

A few things make me rate this set 4 out of 5 stars.

First, as others have noticed, no Muppet Morsels. The First season DVD was awesome because it gave some behind the scenes information that Muppet fans really want to know about. And I thought that since it was in the first season it would continue through the rest of the series. Sadly, it's missing in Seasons 2 AND 3.

Second, the 10 minute mini-documentary "Company of Players" is just too short! It looked like there was a lot of footage taken from the old Muppet performers in interviews, and I could easily see that this could have stretched out at least an hour. Again, Muppet fans want to see and hear what it was like during the zany times on the show.

And thirdly - and this is technical issue - It seems that on my copy of the DVD, that the second disk was authored incorrectly. Anytime I go the "Episode Selection" screen and choose Helen Reddy's episode, Alice Cooper's starts instead. The only way I could watch the Helen Reddy episode is to "Play All" and skip all the scenes until her episode started.

Overall, this season of the Muppet is the best in video and audio quality, and is definitely worth picking up. If a few things could be added, this would have been a 5 star pick.

But because of the aforementioned concerns, I give it 4 out 5 stars.

there might not be commentaries but at least put in the muppet morsels again. the past two seasons on dvd have had everything you want except for the morsels. there's alot of guests i still don't know anything about or even more muppets, jokes and gags i wanna more about. bring this feature back and these dvds get nothing but 5 stars.