Two years of painful waiting has finally produced Season 2 of "The Muppet Show" on DVD. Compiliation of season one was apparently fraught with copyright squabbles, resulting in some missed segments and shows of varied length. Happily, all shows on this set run to approximately the same length and show no signs of slicing and dicing. And that's good, because The Muppets became stars (well, quasi-stars, they were puppets) during this season and were able to attract bigger names. In contrast to season one, anyone alive in 1977-78 would recognize 95% of the names listed on the box: Elton John, Bob Hope, George Burns, Julie Andrews, Steve Martin, Peter Sellers, Petula Clark, and on and on. Anyone who wasn't there will probably wonder how a bunch of fancy talking oven mitts ever caught on with the public. Those who were there know why. Season 2 solidified the cast: Kermit as undisputed front runner (he plays marginal roles in the pilots), Miss Piggy as the pig infused with unrequited love, Fozzy as the cheesy comedian, Statler and Waldorf as the curmudgeon critics, Gonzo as the frustrated artist. The indefatigable "Pigs in Space" also made its debut. Season two ends up being worth the wait. It even has a fuzzy cover.
The show's formula remained vaudevillian with songs, skits, and stars. Ghosts of the Marx Brothers loom in the background. Puns and slapstick abound. Even international artistic sensations such as Rudolph Nureyev drop all pretensions. Nureyev dances with a large pig. He sings, dressed only in a towel, "Baby, it's cold outside" with an aroused Miss Piggy. She tries to abscond with the towel. The guy definitely had a sense of humor. When Steve Martin appeared, the show was canceled. Instead they held auditions for new acts. Martin plays his famous "wild and crazy guy" (sans obscenities) to its hammy limits. He has to compete with the brilliant "ribbit" song duet, who do moving renditions of "Old Man Ribbit" and "Way Down Upon the Swami Ribbit." A hard act to beat, for sure. Elton John fits right in with chickens in leather, large feathery creatures and singing crocodiles providing accompaniment. Judy Collins does an amazing rendition of "There was an Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly." Julie Andrews, still in robust voice, reprises her Sound of Music days with Muppetry. Peter Sellers delivers the usual hilarious and disturbing performance. He squawks to Kermit "There is no me I do not exist. There used to be a me but I had it surgically removed." And of course John Cleese steals the entire show. Even Muppets can't compete.
Season one included the show's pilot, and this set includes a sort of a pilot. In 1974 "The Muppets Valentine Special" aired with guest Mia Farrow. It was a test run. The formula wasn't exactly perfected yet, though an it presents an interesting look at the formation of the Muppets. Ernie and Bert even appear. But don't blink. This experiment remains a far cry from the hit show that debuted a few years later. By 1981 the Muppets were so big that Jim Henson pulled the TV show for larger bait, namely more movies. But in the late 1970s the Muppets reigned on television. Season 2 showcases their imminent rise and shows once and for all that there was entertainment before CG.
Now how long before Season 3?