from the library. Yep, the first three episodes ever of the Muppet Show, one of my favorite shows as a kid.I'm not sure I ever saw it before syndication because I remember it being on every night at 6:30 (or 7?). I watched after dinner, with my father on the couch. So I was excited to show it to the kids. So excited that I sang the theme song and danced around the kitchen for them.
But how weird is this: they don't know any Muppets. Kermit doesn't appear on Sesame Street anymore.
And how weird is the show? The first three guest stars were Juliet Prowse, Connie Stevens and Joel Grey. I had a sudden flashback to the episode where Mark Hamill appears as Luke Skywalker -- especially memorable to me because he was the first guest star that I recognized.
The whole concept of the show -- the Muppets as character actors creating a show (just like SCTV, really) -- is brilliant. The individual acts vary in quality but here's something worth noting: the very first act, after the introduction to the very first show? Manum manum.
They clearly knew they had a hit with that one. Final verdict (after watching the Prowse episode):
Me: What a great show!
Austin: I didn't like it (although he did say of Manum manum, "Hey, we saw them in New York!")
Mari: It was funny!
2 comments:
I love the Muppet Show. Sandy was a little offended when someone at work once compared her to Janice. But there are worse puppets to be compared to.
It's funny how some things that you loved when you were exposed to them in your formative years stick with you. In 30 years Austin & Mari will get excited to show their kids old Spongebob or Jimmy Neutron episodes--to their kids' complete bewilderment. I was Tivo-ing re-runs of Pee-Wee's Playhouse for the kids until they told me they thought it was boring.
Sigh.
This just underscores how amazing it is that Star Wars really resonates across generations (Episodes IV-VI, anyway).
so funny that you were showing the kids the muppet show. for some reason i've been referencing the muppet show to foster and harrison more than a few times as of late (and no, it's not because of the janice reference, thanks for sharing baldwin ;-) ) yet they both stare at me blankly. foster has now moved up to eye rolling, and stating in a most annoyed voice, "uh, sandy we told you we don't know what that is!" so sad really. i'm going to see if we can bump the show's first season to the head of our netflix queue.
It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight!
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