Tai's Biograblog: November 2014

Note: I'm sorry I haven't posted something in a while! I've been really, really busy. I'm in the 4th grade now, so I get A LOT of homework! I'm now going to tell you my favorite episodes of the Muppet Show! I'm in to puppets and the Muppets now. Well, what are we waiting for. Let's go!!!
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These choices are based off the sketches of Season 1 of The Muppet Show. If there are multiple funny, beautiful, or just plain weird sketches on this a single show I will put them on this list. It was hard to choose from, but here they are:

1. Rita Moreno- Episode #5

Rita and Ms. Piggy heckling each other

This episode is not only excellent and funny, it also developed Animal's personality. It also marked the first episode with my all time favorite sketch on the Muppet Show, Veterinarian's Hospital. Rita Moreno did such a good job on the show that it won an Emmy award! That was a big achievement, especially it was on its 5th show. Some of the great acts on this show was Rita Moreno's opening act with a puppet man (inside there was a man who knew how to dance and do martial arts), who wrestled Rita, Swedish Chef's hilarious sketch with the Chef flipping pancakes (they never come down until the Chef shoots them with a gun!), The Country Trio (a parody of Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, & Frank Oz, three performers on the show) singing "To Morrow", Marvin Suggs & His Amazing Muppaphones (creatures who got hit with a mallet by Marvin) sing "Lady of Spain", Rita's talk spot, the Discussion Panel, Rita's closing number with Animal, and the running gag backstage with the telephone and Fozzie Bear.

2. Charles Aznavour- Episode #9

Charles Aznavour and Ms. Piggy

It's funny, the thing about this show that I like is not the guest star (He is a French singer/dancer who, in my opinion, very boring.). The reason I put this on my list is because of the sketches. This episode has great sketches, with a pretty good backstage plot with Gonzo the Great. Gonzo complains that his acts are not on the show as much. Kermit says that his acts aren't working and Gonzo protests. Kermit suggests that he gets a manager to guide his career. It's not the best plot, but it's pretty good. The great sketches include a hilarious opening number called "I Feel Pretty" (A beautiful women gets ready for her date by dressing up as a monster! Her date is the Beautiful Day Monster!), a silly musical number called "Does Your Chewing Lose Its Flavor On The Bedpost Overnight?", a very funny Discussion Panel with Gonzo ("Art and Culture!"), Sam the Eagle ("Peace and Courage!"), Hilda ("Pins and Needles!"), Kermit, the moderator, and Mildred Hockstadder (MA, BA, PHD, OBE, & RSVP) who talk about a question with lasting importance , "What is man's role in the Universe?". Good skits include "Inchworm", sung by Charles Aznavour.

3. Avery Schreiber- Episode # 16

Avery Schreiber and some crazy Muppet creatures

Ms. Piggy, man she's good in this fantastic episode with comedian Avery Schreiber. Ms. Piggy really gets to shine in this backstage plot, with Scooter helping her with her with her wacky scheme to win Kermit's heart-- jealousy. She told Scooter to tell Kermit ("Oooh! You want me to lie," says Scooter) that Avery Schreiber is in love with her. And it actually worked, though Scooter told Kermit that it was all a lie, so he got a karate chop from Ms. Piggy, and Avery said he couldn't even touch a pig, much less kiss one, so he got the second one for the evening. Great sketches include a battle of insults with The Monster of the Moors (Sweetums), and Sir Avery of Macho (Avery), with Kermit in his Sesame Street reporter clothes, a pantomime sketch with Avery and Fozzie, Fozzie being a painting and Avery the night guard, a funny Veterinarian's Hospital sketch, a comedy spot with Fozzie and Avery, and a alien scat song, sung by Avery to a bunch of Muppet creatures. And in the end, Kermit gets that third karate chop by Ms. Piggy! This was a great episode!!

Valerie Harper and Kermit the Frog

4. Valerie Harper- Episode # 20

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE MUPPET SHOOOWWW! Boom! We cut straight to backstage? Has that ever happened before in Season 1? No, it hasn't, so that is why I am putting it on this list. Not only that, there are some funny sketches on this show like when the Swedish Chef was decorating a Japanese chocolate cake. The cake says something in Japanese and the Chef gets out a translation book. The Chef realizes that the cake is very argumentative, so the Chef chops the cake in half! Ha-ha! Also, Rowlf's poem about butterflies! That is really funny because a giant butterfly tries to catch him in a net. But, I think the best thing about the sketches is the UK Spot, "Tit Willow", when Sam the Eagle (the bird) and Rowlf the Dog (the main singer and the piano player) sing a song about a little bird. All Sam has to say (boringly) is,"Willow, Tit Willow, Tit Willow." Rowlf instructs him when to say it, and in the end everyone laughs at him! ("Why are they laughing?"says Sam) But that's not all! Valerie Harper sang beautifully for her two numbers, her own song "Broadway Baby*", and her finale on the show, "Nobody Does it Like Me!" Oh, and the backstage plot (I like this show so much!!)! Statler (one of the two elder gentlemen in the balcony) wants to meet Ms. Harper so he could give her a African berry bush, which grows 3ft an hour, unless you water it, and then it grows more. It becomes a very bad problem backstage, the whole backstage is covered in it because George the Janitor watered it! It's very funny!!! This episode is one of my favorites!!!

* This is not verified, but it is one of the first lines that she sings.

5. Kaye Ballard- Episode #23

Kaye and Ms. Piggy competing

The next to last episode in Season 1, it is a great one! The backstage plot is fantastic, the Electric Mayhem wants to quit the Muppet Show because of its theme song! Floyd Pepper, a member of the band, explained to Kermit that they just couldn't take it anymore, they had to quit. Kermit liked duh- duh-duh- duh- di- duh- duh, duh- duh - du- di-duh, but the band said no. Kermit pleads them to write a theme song so they can stay, and the band agrees! They come up with "Fugue for Frog" a short, rock piece that sounds terrible to Kermit, so they must leave! It's funny, the next show they're back! Some of the awesome sketches on this show include the Country Trio singing "You Don't Want My Love", the UK Spot on the show, "Life Gets Teejus", a sketch in which a large hairy blob asks to get his hair cut, but he cuts it too short, so he lost a customer, a Vendaface sketch doing a facial makeover on some patients, and "One Note Samba", featuring tonight's guest star, Kaye Ballard, competing against that famous pig, Ms. Piggy in a battle of instruments, they see who can play better, which turns out to be Kaye. This is the last episode I am putting on this list, so I thank every website that helped me. I will list them below:

Websites that Helped Me:

Most notably, Muppet Central Guides,
a truly wonderful website that helped me tons!!

Here's the link: Muppet Central Guides- Season 1

Also, Youtube has ALL of the episodes on it, so I watched it and that is how I got all of my opinions! Here's the link to it: Youtube- The Muppet Show

Oh, and if you want to get it on DVD, try Amazon- The Muppet Show Season 1 DVD Set

Thank you! I hope you enjoy this!

Sincerely,

Tai Jackson

Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Successor of Tai's Biograblog-- The Jackson Kids Schoolhouse

My Favorite Episodes of the Muppet Show-- Season 1