September 5, 2021 • 7 mins
On this day in 1976, The Muppet Show, created by American puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson, made its world premiere on ITV stations throughout the United Kingdom.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Day in History Class is a production of I
Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class,
a show for those interested in the big and small
moments of history. My name is Gabe Luisier, and just
(00:20):
to put this on front street, I am a big
old nerd. I love cartoons and toys and variety shows
where puppets tell corny jokes. So be warned. I'm gonna
lean into that from time to time, and today is
one of those occasions. Yes, it's time to play the music,
it's time to light the lights, it's time to listen
(00:42):
to me geek out about the Muppet Show tonight. The
day was Sunday, September nineteen seventy six. The Muppet Show,
created by a American puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson, made
(01:03):
its world premiere on I t V stations throughout the
United Kingdom. Taking the form of a Vaudeville inspired variety
show complete with comedic sketches and musical performances, The show
introduced audiences to future pop culture icons like Kermit the Frog, Gonzo,
Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear, and the Sweetish Chef. Prior to
(01:26):
the show's debut, Henson had made two TV specials featuring
the Muppets characters for the American Broadcasting Company where ABC.
The first special, titled The Muppets Valentine Show, aired in
nineteen seventy four and featured sketches riffing on romance and
the idea of true love. The second special was an
(01:47):
edgi or affair and was given the tongue in cheek
title The Muppet Show Sex and Violence. It aired in
nineteen and used sketches based on the Seven Deadly Sins
is a way to parody the vulgarity of contemporary TV. However,
neither special was well received, prompting ABC and the other
(02:09):
American networks to pass on producing The Muppet Show as
a regular series. Undeterred, Henson took the project abroad to
British television. The show's success during its initial two weeks
on the air led US networks to rethink their decision,
and on September twenty the show began airing in syndication
(02:29):
on CBS stations. The first episode to air in the
UK featured guest host Joel Gray, an actor and singer
best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies
in both the Broadway and film productions of the musical Cabaret.
For the US premiere episode, the guest host was fellow
(02:49):
musical star Rita Moreno, who would go on to win
an Emmy for her appearance on the show. Each of
the one hundred and twenty episodes of The Muppet Shows
five season run featured a different celebrity host. To make
the most of their one and only appearance on the show,
guests would frequently request to appear in scenes with their
(03:10):
favorite Muppet ms Piggy was said to be the most requested,
but Animal, the drummer for the Muppets house Band, was
a close runner up. Some of the most memorable hosts
to grace the Muppet Theater include Julie Andrews, Johnny Cash,
Vincent Price, Bernadette Peters, Monty Python Star John Clice, and
(03:31):
Sir Elton john. Although the show's live act premise made
it seem like it was filmed before a full studio audience,
the lengthy production time for each sequence made that impossible
to preserve the illusion, though a laugh track was added.
Henson was not a fan of the convention, but conceded
that it did help the flow of the show. His
(03:53):
compromise was to occasionally poke fun at the laugh track,
like in season one when Kermit says that it's up
to the laugh track whether the show is funny or not.
The Muppet Show provided breakout roles for its zany cast
of characters, but for some of them, it wasn't their
first appearance. Two decades earlier, in nineteen fifty five, Jim
(04:15):
Henson created the Muppets for a five minute TV show
called Sam and Friends. It was aired twice a day
for six years on an NBC station in Washington, d C.
The show's star, Sam was a humanoid puppet who never
achieved lasting fame. But Kermit, a friend of Sam, was
a different story. Made from ping pong balls and an
(04:37):
old coat donated by Henson's mother, Kermit was not yet
a frog, but an abstract lizard like creature who lacked
his trademark flippers and pointy collar. When Sam and Friends
ceased production, Henson's Muppets began making regular appearances on The
Today Show and on late night talk shows like The
Ed Sullivan Show. In nineteen sixty nine, Kermit and a
(05:01):
group of new Muppets characters joined the first season cast
of a children's show called Sesame Street as a career move.
Working on the project seemed like a no brainer, yet
Henson was reluctant to take the job. Speaking to a
reporter that year, he explained his hesitation, saying, what I'm
against is people thinking that puppets are exclusively for children.
(05:25):
We've directed our work mostly towards adults, and historically puppets
have often been for adults. It's only fairly recently that
puppets have been pushed into strictly children's areas. As a
theater form, puppetry can do virtually anything. Thankfully, for fans
of Big Bird and Friends, the show's co creator Joan
(05:46):
Ganz Cooney was able to win over Jim Henson. She
pointed out that if Sesame Street did well, he'd be
able to leverage that success and secure funding for his
own projects. She told him, trust me, Jim, it's just
around the corner. You're not going to be stuck in
Little Kitty Entertainment. In time, Cooney was proven right. Less
(06:10):
than a decade after Sesame Street premiered, Henson was able
to launch his own, more subversive project, something we know
today as The Muppet Show. I'm Gabelusier and hopefully you
now know a little more about history today than you
did yesterday. If you'd like, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook,
(06:31):
and Instagram at t d I HC podcast and if
you have any comments or suggestions, or you want to
tell me your favorite muppet, let me know at this
Day at i heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler
May's for producing the show, and thank you for listening.
I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another Day
(06:51):
in History class. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio,
visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.
This Day in History Class is a production of I
Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class,
a show for those interested in the big and small
moments of history. My name is Gabe Luisier, and just
(00:20):
to put this on front street, I am a big
old nerd. I love cartoons and toys and variety shows
where puppets tell corny jokes. So be warned. I'm gonna
lean into that from time to time, and today is
one of those occasions. Yes, it's time to play the music,
it's time to light the lights, it's time to listen
(00:42):
to me geek out about the Muppet Show tonight. The
day was Sunday, September nineteen seventy six. The Muppet Show,
created by a American puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson, made
(01:03):
its world premiere on I t V stations throughout the
United Kingdom. Taking the form of a Vaudeville inspired variety
show complete with comedic sketches and musical performances, The show
introduced audiences to future pop culture icons like Kermit the Frog, Gonzo,
Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear, and the Sweetish Chef. Prior to
(01:26):
the show's debut, Henson had made two TV specials featuring
the Muppets characters for the American Broadcasting Company where ABC.
The first special, titled The Muppets Valentine Show, aired in
nineteen seventy four and featured sketches riffing on romance and
the idea of true love. The second special was an
(01:47):
edgi or affair and was given the tongue in cheek
title The Muppet Show Sex and Violence. It aired in
nineteen and used sketches based on the Seven Deadly Sins
is a way to parody the vulgarity of contemporary TV. However,
neither special was well received, prompting ABC and the other
(02:09):
American networks to pass on producing The Muppet Show as
a regular series. Undeterred, Henson took the project abroad to
British television. The show's success during its initial two weeks
on the air led US networks to rethink their decision,
and on September twenty the show began airing in syndication
(02:29):
on CBS stations. The first episode to air in the
UK featured guest host Joel Gray, an actor and singer
best known for his role as the Master of Ceremonies
in both the Broadway and film productions of the musical Cabaret.
For the US premiere episode, the guest host was fellow
(02:49):
musical star Rita Moreno, who would go on to win
an Emmy for her appearance on the show. Each of
the one hundred and twenty episodes of The Muppet Shows
five season run featured a different celebrity host. To make
the most of their one and only appearance on the show,
guests would frequently request to appear in scenes with their
(03:10):
favorite Muppet ms Piggy was said to be the most requested,
but Animal, the drummer for the Muppets house Band, was
a close runner up. Some of the most memorable hosts
to grace the Muppet Theater include Julie Andrews, Johnny Cash,
Vincent Price, Bernadette Peters, Monty Python Star John Clice, and
(03:31):
Sir Elton john. Although the show's live act premise made
it seem like it was filmed before a full studio audience,
the lengthy production time for each sequence made that impossible
to preserve the illusion, though a laugh track was added.
Henson was not a fan of the convention, but conceded
that it did help the flow of the show. His
(03:53):
compromise was to occasionally poke fun at the laugh track,
like in season one when Kermit says that it's up
to the laugh track whether the show is funny or not.
The Muppet Show provided breakout roles for its zany cast
of characters, but for some of them, it wasn't their
first appearance. Two decades earlier, in nineteen fifty five, Jim
(04:15):
Henson created the Muppets for a five minute TV show
called Sam and Friends. It was aired twice a day
for six years on an NBC station in Washington, d C.
The show's star, Sam was a humanoid puppet who never
achieved lasting fame. But Kermit, a friend of Sam, was
a different story. Made from ping pong balls and an
(04:37):
old coat donated by Henson's mother, Kermit was not yet
a frog, but an abstract lizard like creature who lacked
his trademark flippers and pointy collar. When Sam and Friends
ceased production, Henson's Muppets began making regular appearances on The
Today Show and on late night talk shows like The
Ed Sullivan Show. In nineteen sixty nine, Kermit and a
(05:01):
group of new Muppets characters joined the first season cast
of a children's show called Sesame Street as a career move.
Working on the project seemed like a no brainer, yet
Henson was reluctant to take the job. Speaking to a
reporter that year, he explained his hesitation, saying, what I'm
against is people thinking that puppets are exclusively for children.
(05:25):
We've directed our work mostly towards adults, and historically puppets
have often been for adults. It's only fairly recently that
puppets have been pushed into strictly children's areas. As a
theater form, puppetry can do virtually anything. Thankfully, for fans
of Big Bird and Friends, the show's co creator Joan
(05:46):
Ganz Cooney was able to win over Jim Henson. She
pointed out that if Sesame Street did well, he'd be
able to leverage that success and secure funding for his
own projects. She told him, trust me, Jim, it's just
around the corner. You're not going to be stuck in
Little Kitty Entertainment. In time, Cooney was proven right. Less
(06:10):
than a decade after Sesame Street premiered, Henson was able
to launch his own, more subversive project, something we know
today as The Muppet Show. I'm Gabelusier and hopefully you
now know a little more about history today than you
did yesterday. If you'd like, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook,
(06:31):
and Instagram at t d I HC podcast and if
you have any comments or suggestions, or you want to
tell me your favorite muppet, let me know at this
Day at i heart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler
May's for producing the show, and thank you for listening.
I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another Day
(06:51):
in History class. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio,
visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
listen to your favorite shows.
This Day in History Class News
Host
Gabe Luzier
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