Jim Henson was one of a kind. From his work on Sesame Street to the Muppet Show and the movies, nobody can ever replace him. He is definitely missed. R.I.P.
I felt profound sadness when he passed. i was 16 in faraway singapore and i only knew him as the muppets' creator, nothing more. The sadness at the loss only increased over time after i learned more about him.
I thought it was the greatest thing that he had the ability to get celebrities to be on the show, and that they would even do it. That was so cool to me.
Jim was extremely humble as well, and in his final appearance on Letterman he was so sick he should have went to the hospital buyt in his words "he didn't wanna bother anyone"m
What I loved about the show was that the celebrities never saw themselves as too big to appear on the show even though it was a great show in of itself.
I saw Alice Cooper a few weeks ago in concert. I wore my Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem shirt, because that episode with him was my favorite. Throughout the concert, I was tapped on the shoulder by two different people who then in turn showed me THEIR Muppet Shirt. We definitely have not forgotten the impact that episode had on our childhoods!
That is awesome. I just saw Alice for the first time in Sept 2017. I wore my Partridge Family shirt and got a bunch of compliments. Gotta love Alice fans.
When my oldest son was 2 years old (he is now 23), we found a VHS copy of The Muppet Show at a garage sale. It contained only two episodes, but I bought it for him instantly as the two episodes were hosted by Vincent Price and Alice Cooper. He has been a HUGE fan of both Price and Cooper ever since...and of course a fan of The Muppets! In fact, he still has that VHS tape.
It is very apparent that Vincent Price was absolutely delighted to perform with Muppets. Fine actor with delicious talent for dark comedy could be wholesome and real nice which was very much how he was in reality. Peter Sellers' "there was me, but I had it surgically removed" is surprisingly deep and sincere statement from actor who was all about characters he did.
Sellers was an infamous ladies man...married four times, once to blonde bombshell Britt Ekland, he was romantically linked to Liza Minelli, Carole Mallory, Mia Farrow, and Princess Margaret, just to name a few...
@@colleenross8752 Now I know. Dr. Strange is also one of most pointless superheroes in setting filled with such characters and their villainous counterparts.
Danny Kay may've been a very likeable guy but I think the episode with him is a rather weak one... ...and I always preferred the Charles Aznavour version of 'Inchworm', by a mile!
You seem to be missing two very lovely and incredibly talented ladies from this list, making it very much incomplete... Debbie Harry and Lynda Carter, of course should have made this list. Debbie's duet with Kermit singing Rainbow Connection was amazing and Lynda's super hero themed episode featuring the muppets trying to gain superpowers, plus her amazing singing abilities, was also absolutely amazing and great fun! Both had amazing charm on the show.
David Tennant, Kylie Minogue, and Peter Davison got to do it when the Muppets took the O2. Both Davison and Tennant also reprised their roles as The Doctor.
I remember dying from laughter when Elton John was featured by crocodiles to do Crocodile Rock. By the way, Danny Kaye belongs here, him with the Swedish chef had me in tears as well
The one bit I’ll always remember is the cold opening with Paul Simon when the muppets are having trouble getting a lever to work. Paul comes in fixes it and when asked how he did it he replied that he knew “50 ways to love your lever”.
I used to manage a bar and we all watched the Muppet Show. When I moved back home I made my mother watch it. She first thought I was nuts until she watched it and ended up laughing so hard she cried. Became a family tradition.
John Denver was a legend even producing a Christmas Special for the Muppets. Surprised he only made an honorable mention. Not one single person on this list sold more records than he did in the decade of the 1970’s, one of them a Muppets Record!
@@thecocktailian2091Easy. Alice Cooper and Buddy Rich. I would also put the Roger Moore episode in the top 10… who knew James Bond could pull off a comedy show?
MaggieTrudeau Almost every church of today is more interested in there membership and donations and not your immortal spirit. Take a gander at the Gospel of Thomas.
I thought Alice Cooper was the best, but I didn't expect him to be the #1. Thank you so much! He was very interactive with the Muppets, and didn't come off as feeling silly. He really comes off as part of the cast and not someone who feels out of place. Also, the Muppet Show doesn't go against his persona, as he was someone who did horror, but he also had fun with it. Groucho Marx went to one of Alice Cooper's shows, and while others were gasping, Marx went, "hmm... it's good Vaudeville."
I'm glad that Harry Belafonte made his way into the honorable mentions. In my opinion his was the best Muppet Show performance. Also, don't forget Roger Moore.
Ehhhhhh, I think his appearance would’ve upset parents. Freddie Mercury lived a very.... interesting life. He was gay, which was UNBELIEVABLE back when he would’ve been on the show. He also made rebellious music that most parents considered inappropriate, so they wouldn’t have wanted their kids to see him as a good person. He also made other poor life choices in the eyes of parents, and seeing as most people on the show were probably supposed to be seen as role models, Freddie Mercury Probably wouldn’t have been a good choice.
A. Cunningham well even if he was _BI_ and not _GAY,_ back in the day when nobody knew much about homosexuality, parents wouldn’t really know the difference.
The Linda Ronstadt episode remains our favorite. Great story, great sets and that voice recorded Live. T'was a very special episode for Jim Henson as well. His son said he had a deep crush on Linda as did Kermit.
Two excellent music numbers still stick with me after all these years. Mac Davis sitting on a giant fishhook “under water” singing “Baby, Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” with fish and sea creatures all around, and my absolute favorite, Linda Ronstadt in a white camisole and bloomers walking through a swamp singing “Blue Bayou” backed up by a chorus of peeper frogs. I adore that song, and the staging was so perfect.
Greatest scene in the whole series was when Bernadette Peters sang "If One Person" to Kermit's nephew Robin, who was feeling underappreciated. It was such a classic moment that the song was sung by all the muppets at Jim Henson's memorial service.
OMG I cry EVERY TIME I watch the clip from the show, their special "The Muppets Remember Jim Henson", and from his memorial service! I have been a fan of Bernadette Peters since childhood, and her guest starring episode is easily one of my favorites! She brings emotionality to the song and her vocals are a treat! I would love to see her live one day!
She appeared with a number of greatest hits in the muppets ‘I Whistle a Happy Tune” including ‘The Lonely Goatherd’ reprise by Julie Andrews taken from the Sound of Music’.
@@JimgordonwestABC brought it back in 2015. The producers changed the formula and made it more “adult.” Needless to say, it didn’t catch on and was not renewed after 17 episodes.
Sorry, but Paul Williams deserves to be on this list...iconic song writer and writer of some of the most memorable Muppets songs done..and it was a great episode as well.
As an adult, the only way I could get my fill of the Muppets was to watch Sesame Street. I actually wrote a couple of letters to Jim Henson when his office was located in NYC suggesting that he should have an adult Muppet show. I never missed an episode of the Muppet Show, it was always great fun and lots of laughter. Rest In Peace Jim Henson. He brought so much joy and happiness to millions...
There were a number of attempts to reincarnate some form of the Muppets on TV, but, as with all but their first movie, they flopped. They are rudderless without Jim Henson.
@@skaizun As a matter of fact, Prince hosted on one of those Muppet reinventions. It was called "Muppets Tonight". Michelle Pfeiffer even did a show herself.
MIlton Berle was my favorite guest on the show. The way he sang "The Entertainer" put a tear in my eye. Then Miss Piggy's version ripped it out. I have to add that Ethel Merman's "There's No Business Like Show Business" was equally touching.
DudleyMoore,Peter Sellers,LeoSayers,Rachel Welch, DionneWarick,Harry Belafonte and John Denver, John Cleese!Liberace Would Have Been Perfect 🥰💞👌👍😀😄On"TheMuppetShow"&TheRatPack!Too!
What a fantastic show. TV at it's greatest. My parents were still learning English but we all watched the show together. It sorta defined the greatness of America to me as a kid.
@@zargonthemagnificent330 Get someone else to pay for it - great. And yes - the American networks were too shallow to support it, but credit where credit is due to BOTH nationalities.
They did a wonderful Christmas album together. A dear friend gave us the cassette of it and we used to listen to it every Christmas and every long road trip. John Denver and the Muppets singing 'Silent Night' still gives me the warm fuzzies and a tear in my eye.
Anyone remember when Victor Borge appeared? I believe it was the first appearance of the Beethoven statuette as well. So many wonderful guests, choosing a top ten is a monumental task.
Harry Belafonte needs to be here not just as an HM. He and Henson were very close friends for a long time and "Turn the World Around" is probably one of the best musical segments in the show's history. He also preformed it again at Henson's Memorial service.
The closing number is, apparently, the most important part of the episode. It’s a song called Turn the World Around. Years later, Harry did a reprise of the song at Jim’s memorial service.
My favorite episode was the one with Gilda Radner. She told Kermit she wanted to perform a particular number from "The Pirates of Penzance", and wanted to do it with a 7-foot tall parrot. Kermit misunderstood and instead hired A 7-foot tall CARROT. Then, Dr. Bunson Honeydew invented some kind of super glue, and after Gilda got it on herself, she did the closing number with her hand stuck to her forehead.
On come on Debbie Harry and Kermit singing The Rainbow Connection pure unforgettable classic. Even Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga years later got to sing with Kermit. But Debbie and Kermit duet was a one off magical performance.
I was thinking that they were solely focusing on the first muppet show before they brought it back to TV. Prince was missing from that list probably because he was a guest on the second version.
The Steve Martin episode is based on Kermit canceling the show to do auditions for new talent. Steve is upset and basically decides to audition. So the whole show is him performing just for the rest of the muppets.Thus no laugh track just real laughs. Some of the improve lines back and forth between them are top tier stuff. The Milton Berle episode is also incredible. Just for him and Statler and Waldorf going toe to toe.
as a devoted fan of the Muppet Show, I feel these 4 guests were greatly missed from the list: Peter Ustinov, Danny Kaye, Diana Ross, and of course, Carol Burnett.
I remember most of these, but especially the Alice Cooper show. I was really young, but old enough to understand who Alice Cooper was and I couldn't believe they would bring him onto a children's variety show like The Muppets. It was an inspired choice, because somehow they blended his persona into the show perfectly.
It worked because most of Alice's horror was tongue-in-cheek, and he was a comedian at heart. You couldn't have done the same with an artist like Black Sabbath.
The crime is not mentioning Gilda Radnor or the Carol Burnett episodes. Gilda's goes from the class of singing an operetta number to the whole cast getting glued together. And Carol Burnett's episode was emmey nominated for how well it was done.
This was the greatest show of its time it had the greatest Guests on this if you were on the list you were made it does not matter if you 1 or 100 the fact that the celebrities were happy to appear on because they got public recognition that further their careers .
Jim Henson was one of a kind. From his work on Sesame Street to the Muppet Show and the movies, nobody can ever replace him. He is definitely missed. R.I.P.
I watched these when they first were shown. Our entire family (13) would go to our grandparents every sunday, swim away the afternoon in the lake and settle down to watch the Muppets and the Disney Show. This brings back some really great memories.
I wish the Christmas special, which had some of the best music ever, still played every year on television, it hasn't been seen by most people in years.
The muppet show & Jim Henson are one the greatest tv shows series ever 🥲! They made families & children happy all the time (laughing every episode they had on.). I miss it greatly 🥺! All involved in the show were geniuses and great at what they were doing!
As a tremendous lover of all things Henson and a huge Star Wars geek, 10-year-old Me went nuts when Luke, Threepio and Artoo came crashing through the wall of the dressing room to reveal that they were the special guests that week. A super-fond childhood memory.
Liberace was accused of biting the head off of a dove, he’s swore, “I’ve never even touched 1 dove, now I mighta had a cockatoo!” Tip your waitresses and drive safe
"Richard Wintle' According to what I heard him himself say on an interview, , he threw the (live) chicken into the audience who just tore the chicken apart.
It's too bad that John Lennon was never on the show, apparently he really liked watching The Muppet Show with his son Sean. But yeah, that Alice Cooper episode deserves to be #1.
He probably would have wanted to do his own version of rainbow connection. That's the kind of song he'd have definitely vibed with based on his prior work.
So many truly talented and famous people were on this show, folks who didnt need the exposure. I heard Stallone asked to be on it, because his son wanted to see him there. And I can't believe Bob Hope was on. Loved Rudolf Nureyev when he danced "Swine Lake"
I would have had Rudolf Noreyev on there for performing 'Swine Lake' with Miss Piggy. Yet it is so hard to choose. What made the show great was how many big names did appear.
I remember that episode. The whole family would head out to my grandparents every Sunday, my grandfather would turn on the Muppets and all of us would settle down to watch it.
Rudolph Nureyev's episode was possibly the most important episode in Muppet History! Before that episode Jim Henson was relying on favors earned in the entertainment industry to get guest stars, Rudolph was the first person to request to become a guest star. Simply because he wanted to dance with Miss Piggy! That wasn't able to happen but he DID perform a very memorable Ballet with a Giant Pig. After which he has a musical number with Miss Piggy, in a steam room. And yes, she was throwing herself at him, literally! After Nureyev, stars started requesting appearances on the Muppet Show.
Vincent Price is my all time favorite performers , weather old time radio or Halloween specials holds a special place in my heart and puts me in a beautiful place
He used to be on a local program called The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. He come to the station, do his lines for the season in one go then leave again. He was one of my favourite parts of it.
+ZECTCustomUnit A) I'm a fan of both Henson and Disney. B) I'm not pissed at the Mouse because Muppet Treasure Island, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Vision 3D, and The Muppets Go to Disney World. One bad show and suddenly everyone loses their mind. Does no one remember Muppets Tonight? Or Bear in the Big Blue House for that matter? Heaven forbid they make one bad show.
"Ghost riders in the sky" by Johnny Cash on the Muppet Show was always a favorite of mine. Looks at the lyrics and realize this was supposed to be a kid's show. You'd NEVER see anything like that again!
Vincent Price proved his comical talents on other occasions as well, for example in the unforgettable The Raven (1963), along such other greats as Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Hazel Court, and a very young... Jack Nicholson!
I surprised Danny Kaye isn't on the list. The scene where he sings Inchworm to the inchworm Muppet is brilliant. Also Milton Berle when he's heckeled by Statler and Waldorf is great. The ones with Bob Hope and George Burns are also wonderful.
That list is PERFECT! ANY CELEBRITY THAT MATTERED, back then WAS on the MUPPET SHOW! Way back before the internet. Yep, the good old days. When TALENT was EXPECTED. AND REQUIRED. Not like today.
Finished watching Idea Man on Disney+ about Jim Henson and it brought back so many wonderful memories from my childhood of watching The Muppet Show and growing up on his stuff. It also brought back the tears when he died. At 53 I still remember all the great stuff he did in the late 70s through the late 90s. His death was a loss to all of us, but his joy and innocence lives on in the shows he created and the joy and laughter he brought to generations of kids and adults.
The video forgot to mention that the Star Wars episode ended with everyone singing "When You Wish Upon a Star", foreshadowing Disney's acquisition of both franchises.
It's a shame we don't get more of this kind of entertainment. Everyone could sit down and laugh at this stuff no matter how old you are. BTW - Bob Hope and Roy Rogers should have made the list, at least honorable mentions.
❤❤❤ more than this top ten, i believed that the muppets gave all these stars a moment of their childhood they will never forget, inlcuding mine when i first lay eyes on this show way back in the 80s where fortunately our father bought us our first black and white tv, this clip is so nostalgic...thank you muppets, thank you sir jim...rest in peace and Godbless...
Thank you so much for sharing this. Reminds me to still do good but not to take ourselves too seriously in this world. God bless you for compiling such a beautiful collection of memories from Patrick
I loved Bob Hope singing "Don't Fence Me In". And I agree with your top 10, although there were so many great performances. And of course Statler and Waldorf make the show!
Jim Henson was one of a kind. From his work on Sesame Street to the Muppet Show and the movies, nobody can ever replace him. He is definitely missed. R.I.P.
I felt profound sadness when he passed. i was 16 in faraway singapore and i only knew him as the muppets' creator, nothing more. The sadness at the loss only increased over time after i learned more about him.
I thought it was the greatest thing that he had the ability to get celebrities to be on the show, and that they would even do it. That was so cool to me.
A very creative man. RIP
It was so sad he left us so young. I can only imagine what other beautifully creative things he would have provided to all of us. 🥹
Jim was extremely humble as well, and in his final appearance on Letterman he was so sick he should have went to the hospital buyt in his words "he didn't wanna bother anyone"m
Steve Martin was our substitute art teacher when I was in 4th grade. The next year we started seeing him on tv and it was a total mind freak.
DavesWorld was he funny?
That is AWESOME
Wow, amazing
When did you find out
I'm so jealous. He's my favorite wild and crazy guy!
What I loved about the show was that the celebrities never saw themselves as too big to appear on the show even though it was a great show in of itself.
I saw Alice Cooper a few weeks ago in concert. I wore my Doctor Teeth and the Electric Mayhem shirt, because that episode with him was my favorite. Throughout the concert, I was tapped on the shoulder by two different people who then in turn showed me THEIR Muppet Shirt. We definitely have not forgotten the impact that episode had on our childhoods!
That is awesome. I just saw Alice for the first time in Sept 2017. I wore my Partridge Family shirt and got a bunch of compliments. Gotta love Alice fans.
Saw him once in Tulsa...planning to meet him in person in a few weeks in OKC. Unfortunately I don't have a Muppet Shirt! :(
I love that story!
And where’s my shirt?
Alice cooper fans, unite!!!!
Got to meet the man himself! Cool dude!
When my oldest son was 2 years old (he is now 23), we found a VHS copy of The Muppet Show at a garage sale. It contained only two episodes, but I bought it for him instantly as the two episodes were hosted by Vincent Price and Alice Cooper. He has been a HUGE fan of both Price and Cooper ever since...and of course a fan of The Muppets! In fact, he still has that VHS tape.
I don't know how you boil it down to a top 10. There were so many incredible guests from all walks of life on the Muppets.
It is very apparent that Vincent Price was absolutely delighted to perform with Muppets. Fine actor with delicious talent for dark comedy could be wholesome and real nice which was very much how he was in reality. Peter Sellers' "there was me, but I had it surgically removed" is surprisingly deep and sincere statement from actor who was all about characters he did.
Even Kermit was creeped out by Sellers' statement!
I remember when he appeared on F Troop. One of the funniest episodes ever.
Sellers was an infamous ladies man...married four times, once to blonde bombshell Britt Ekland, he was romantically linked to Liza Minelli, Carole Mallory, Mia Farrow, and Princess Margaret, just to name a few...
Did you know Vincent was a main inspiration for the character of Doctor Strange.
@@colleenross8752 Now I know. Dr. Strange is also one of most pointless superheroes in setting filled with such characters and their villainous counterparts.
Danny Kaye and his version of "Inchworm" has always been one of my most favorite, touching, sweet Muppet moments.
Oh gosh that made me cry!
Danny Kay may've been a very likeable guy but I think the episode with him is a rather weak one...
...and I always preferred the Charles Aznavour version of 'Inchworm', by a mile!
Definitely!
@@DerEchteBold Danny Kaye was the first to sing "Inchworm" in the Hans Christian Andersen movie.
@@laurahubbard6906
So what?!
I know that but the version he did on the Muppets still wasn't very good compared to the other one.
You seem to be missing two very lovely and incredibly talented ladies from this list, making it very much incomplete... Debbie Harry and Lynda Carter, of course should have made this list. Debbie's duet with Kermit singing Rainbow Connection was amazing and Lynda's super hero themed episode featuring the muppets trying to gain superpowers, plus her amazing singing abilities, was also absolutely amazing and great fun! Both had amazing charm on the show.
I agree. Lynda should have DEFINITELY been in the Top Ten.
(And what about Zero Mostel?)
Shouldn't be too hard for the list to be 20
I totally 💯 agree!!! Debbie and Kermit’s duet on Rainbow 🌈 still brings a tear to my eye to this day… 😢 💞
David Tennant, Kylie Minogue, and Peter Davison got to do it when the Muppets took the O2. Both Davison and Tennant also reprised their roles as The Doctor.
I remember dying from laughter when Elton John was featured by crocodiles to do Crocodile Rock.
By the way, Danny Kaye belongs here, him with the Swedish chef had me in tears as well
Danny Kaye
That was fantastic! Plus his little dialogue with Statler and Waldorf.
There were crocodiles? I was distracted by that outfit
I cannot hear that song on the radio without thinking of it.
I vaguely remember his episode, but I just wanted to say, anything he was in, made it better!!!
The one bit I’ll always remember is the cold opening with Paul Simon when the muppets are having trouble getting a lever to work. Paul comes in fixes it and when asked how he did it he replied that he knew “50 ways to love your lever”.
Classic!
So are we gonna just forget the fact Kenny rogers was left out or?-
I used to manage a bar and we all watched the Muppet Show. When I moved back home I made my mother watch it. She first thought I was nuts until she watched it and ended up laughing so hard she cried. Became a family tradition.
Dude if I found a bar that showed this instead of sports, I'd go there every day.
Rita Moreno's episode was absolutely incredible. It's still one of my favorites.
That performance of "Fever" she did with Animal leaves me in stitches every time I see it :)
I found Debbie Harry's performance here on UA-cam and think she should have topped the list.
Pity they did not do it justice here
El mío también! 😂❤
10. You
9. Cant
8. Rank
7. Them
6. Since
5. They’re
4. All
3. Pretty
2. Good
1. Elton John
Edit: how tf did this get 3rd highest lmao
Steve Martin.
Okay, I'm wrong. Love them all. John Cleese?
Milton Berle
MoonmakersDaughter its a joke lmao
You missed the "Sir"
John Denver was a legend even producing a Christmas Special for the Muppets. Surprised he only made an honorable mention. Not one single person on this list sold more records than he did in the decade of the 1970’s, one of them a Muppets Record!
I agree. Xmas doesn’t officially start in our family until I play his Christmas with the Muppets CD.
agreed.
And he also did Rocky Mountain Holiday with the Muppets!❤
Who are you going to boot from the list?
@@thecocktailian2091Easy. Alice Cooper and Buddy Rich. I would also put the Roger Moore episode in the top 10… who knew James Bond could pull off a comedy show?
My church youth group told us to stop watching the muppets after the alice cooper episode. Instead, i quit going to church. Some things are sacred.
MaggieTrudeau Almost every church of today is more interested in there membership and donations and not your immortal spirit. Take a gander at the Gospel of Thomas.
Jim Henson's dedication to his religion is why he died of something a trip to any hospital would have saved him from.
What's Ironic is that Alice Cooper is a Christian.
@@brianjankowski4419 I mean, Satan is a Christian. Be hard for him to fight Jesus if he didn't believe he was the son of God.
@@brianjankowski4419 Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. X
I thought Alice Cooper was the best, but I didn't expect him to be the #1. Thank you so much! He was very interactive with the Muppets, and didn't come off as feeling silly. He really comes off as part of the cast and not someone who feels out of place. Also, the Muppet Show doesn't go against his persona, as he was someone who did horror, but he also had fun with it. Groucho Marx went to one of Alice Cooper's shows, and while others were gasping, Marx went, "hmm... it's good Vaudeville."
He and Groucho were actually close friends, and he spent a lot of time watching movies with the fellow.
My husband and I always enjoyed the Muppet Show. Entertainment of the first order. A shame there are no more shows like this.
I'm glad that Harry Belafonte made his way into the honorable mentions. In my opinion his was the best Muppet Show performance. Also, don't forget Roger Moore.
Agreed!
@@simonetincher5833 Harry Belafonte sang at Jim Henson’s funeral.
The Banana song was one of the best peformances
@@alerey4363 that and the Turn the World Around medley finale was godly
Where is the part when Harry Belafonte had an honorable mention?
I really wish Freddie Mercury made an appearance on the show he would've been brilliant!
Can you believe David Bowie turned down a guest spot on the show, despite later agreeing to do Labyrinth?
Ehhhhhh, I think his appearance would’ve upset parents. Freddie Mercury lived a very.... interesting life.
He was gay, which was UNBELIEVABLE back when he would’ve been on the show.
He also made rebellious music that most parents considered inappropriate, so they wouldn’t have wanted their kids to see him as a good person.
He also made other poor life choices in the eyes of parents, and seeing as most people on the show were probably supposed to be seen as role models, Freddie Mercury Probably wouldn’t have been a good choice.
@@Stereo6400 Freddie was bi.
A. Cunningham well even if he was _BI_ and not _GAY,_ back in the day when nobody knew much about homosexuality, parents wouldn’t really know the difference.
FyreForce 1600 Not much different to Elton John.
The Linda Ronstadt episode remains our favorite. Great story, great sets and that voice recorded Live. T'was a very special episode for Jim Henson as well. His son said he had a deep crush on Linda as did Kermit.
Carol Burnett should have been on the list. They got an emmy for her episode
I remember that one, it was hilarious particularly how she had to compete with Gonzo's dance contest.
Unbelievable that the queen of variety shows herself wasn't even an honorable mention! Redo the damn list.
Yes. Skipping her was like doing a list of great action movies and leaving out Die Hard.
Two excellent music numbers still stick with me after all these years. Mac Davis sitting on a giant fishhook “under water” singing “Baby, Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” with fish and sea creatures all around, and my absolute favorite, Linda Ronstadt in a white camisole and bloomers walking through a swamp singing “Blue Bayou” backed up by a chorus of peeper frogs. I adore that song, and the staging was so perfect.
Greatest scene in the whole series was when Bernadette Peters sang "If One Person" to Kermit's nephew Robin, who was feeling underappreciated. It was such a classic moment that the song was sung by all the muppets at Jim Henson's memorial service.
OMG I cry EVERY TIME I watch the clip from the show, their special "The Muppets Remember Jim Henson", and from his memorial service!
I have been a fan of Bernadette Peters since childhood, and her guest starring episode is easily one of my favorites! She brings emotionality to the song and her vocals are a treat! I would love to see her live one day!
"These monsters aren't ours."
"I know; they're MINE."
That could very well have been a Vincent Price line too!
I love to see the wonderful Julie Andrews with the Muppets! Such fun, and what a glorious voice! She is a treasure!
And I Sir. She is divine. I love her to pieces.
She appeared with a number of greatest hits in the muppets ‘I Whistle a Happy Tune” including ‘The Lonely Goatherd’ reprise by Julie Andrews taken from the Sound of Music’.
If only Dick van Dyke accompanied her, all we'd need are the Sherman Brothers to write the songs.
Anyone else wish The Muppet Show was still going? I sure do.
ME!
@CaptainCretaceous91 Before the writers and actor's strike there was a new Muppet series in (I think) production that was about Dr Teeth and his band
I do, but somehow I think they would fail.
Yes and I'm in my 50s
@@JimgordonwestABC brought it back in 2015. The producers changed the formula and made it more “adult.” Needless to say, it didn’t catch on and was not renewed after 17 episodes.
It's a shame there are no more good shows like this anymore
Sorry, but Paul Williams deserves to be on this list...iconic song writer and writer of some of the most memorable Muppets songs done..and it was a great episode as well.
Absolutely!
FUCK YEAH!! (At least, Alice is on the list, so I won't say "Fuck WatchMojo.com" yet.)
Hell, yeah, if only for Old Fashioned Love Song.
I agree and he was made an honorary muppet
Absolutely! Paul wrote Rainbow Connection and was best friends and neighbour of Jim Henson.
As an adult, the only way I could get my fill of the Muppets was to watch Sesame Street. I actually wrote a couple of letters to Jim Henson when his office was located in NYC suggesting that he should have an adult Muppet show. I never missed an episode of the Muppet Show, it was always great fun and lots of laughter. Rest In Peace Jim Henson. He brought so much joy and happiness to millions...
The entire UK watched the Muppets on a Sunday night!
I'd still be watching them if they were on TV today. One of the best ever shows that was on. They shoulda never stoped.🙁
"migzi52" It would have jumped the shark.
There were a number of attempts to reincarnate some form of the Muppets on TV, but, as with all but their first movie, they flopped. They are rudderless without Jim Henson.
@@skaizun As a matter of fact, Prince hosted on one of those Muppet reinventions. It was called "Muppets Tonight". Michelle Pfeiffer even did a show herself.
MIlton Berle was my favorite guest on the show. The way he sang "The Entertainer" put a tear in my eye. Then Miss Piggy's version ripped it out.
I have to add that Ethel Merman's "There's No Business Like Show Business" was equally touching.
Thos people knew "show business"
Milton’s episode was also the first one that featured my favorite sketch.
Pigs in Space!
DudleyMoore,Peter Sellers,LeoSayers,Rachel Welch, DionneWarick,Harry Belafonte and John Denver, John Cleese!Liberace Would Have Been Perfect 🥰💞👌👍😀😄On"TheMuppetShow"&TheRatPack!Too!
What a fantastic show. TV at it's greatest. My parents were still learning English but we all watched the show together. It sorta defined the greatness of America to me as a kid.
And yet the show was essentially a British one, being made and produced in the UK.
I remember the good days I was born in 1969 Edit:It was the 70s and Elton John was so big and tv was way better I miss it.
@@zargonthemagnificent330 Around a group of American performers...
@@HC-cb4yp ...with British money.
@@zargonthemagnificent330 Get someone else to pay for it - great. And yes - the American networks were too shallow to support it, but credit where credit is due to BOTH nationalities.
JOHN DENVER. The warmest musical episode...he and The Muppets were musically in sync together.
I wish he was actually in the top ten :(
They did a wonderful Christmas album together. A dear friend gave us the cassette of it and we used to listen to it every Christmas and every long road trip. John Denver and the Muppets singing 'Silent Night' still gives me the warm fuzzies and a tear in my eye.
He did so much with the Muppets, he should have had a life-time achievement award!
@@charliebender8794 I hear ya. Done so very well. Jim Henson and John Denver...a silent bit of teamwork.
Anyone remember when Victor Borge appeared? I believe it was the first appearance of the Beethoven statuette as well.
So many wonderful guests, choosing a top ten is a monumental task.
I do! Beverly Sills was great as well!
Harry Belafonte needs to be here not just as an HM. He and Henson were very close friends for a long time and "Turn the World Around" is probably one of the best musical segments in the show's history. He also preformed it again at Henson's Memorial service.
John Denver and the Muppets A Christmas Together was a fantastic show!
The Harry Belafante episode was the best one overall. Every sketch was great and his Banana Boat song sketch always makes me laugh.
The closing number is, apparently, the most important part of the episode. It’s a song called Turn the World Around. Years later, Harry did a reprise of the song at Jim’s memorial service.
@@bensherlock1328 Yes I loved that song and I looked for it for years on CD and could never find it for that reason.
sadly he just passed way this past april....
My favorite episode was the one with Gilda Radner. She told Kermit she wanted to perform a particular number from "The Pirates of Penzance", and wanted to do it with a 7-foot tall parrot. Kermit misunderstood and instead hired A 7-foot tall CARROT.
Then, Dr. Bunson Honeydew invented some kind of super glue, and after Gilda got it on herself, she did the closing number with her hand stuck to her forehead.
that was a great episode
gilda was a special lady
@@johnholmes8919 Roseanne Roseannadanna!
You've missed Debbie Harry (BLONDIE) she has to be one of the greatest to be on there
@@briabba123 What controversy?
Miss Applebe swore she said the f word
I just Said The Same Above. Along With Sandra Bullock's "Psychiatrist's Office" Sketch.
I Said The Same, Above. Debbie Harry's "Rainbow Connection" Duet AND Sandra Bullock's Psychiatrist's Office Sketch BOTH deserve to be on the List.
@@frankhogan7541
This is only about the original Muppet-Show, Sandra Bullock was never there of course, she was 17 when it ended.
On come on Debbie Harry and Kermit singing The Rainbow Connection pure unforgettable classic. Even Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga years later got to sing with Kermit. But Debbie and Kermit duet was a one off magical performance.
I totally agree!! How could that episode not even make the list??? Best episode EVER!!
Yeah Debbie's episode is tied for my favourite with Lynda Carter's for the same reasons!
I was thinking that they were solely focusing on the first muppet show before they brought it back to TV. Prince was missing from that list probably because he was a guest on the second version.
Elton has such a wholesome energy with the muppets
I feel so.lucky to have been a kid while this was on TV
No Roger Moore?? His version of "If I Could Talk to the Animals " is absolutely hilarious and totally brilliant.
I concur. His idea of having this utterly gentle finale to play against type - subverted by they gentle animals trying to kill him. Priceless.
It wasn't the Animals trying to kill him, Scooter accidentally recruited some spies for the episode!
My favorite guest star was Debora Harry of the band Blondie. She fit in so well with the show.
Her and Kermit singing Rainbow Connection was my best memory of the show.
As long as Vincent Price and Alice Cooper was on the list I say you got t right.
You're satisfied, then. Though, I don't know if there's really a 'wrong' answer for this list.
Photobunce
Likewise.
It was Alice Cooper's guest appearance on the Muppet Show that got me into the Monster of Rock.
...and Peter Sellers!
yesss i so remeber tje Alice Cooper skit
Just the 70's shows what about the 80's and 90's versions
The Star Wars episode was my favorite. It shows just how underrated Mark Hamill is as an actor.
The pause for the villain to appear, who turned out to be Gonzo, was one of my favorite moments from the show.
When he did the musical number you realized how talented he was.
@@johngallagher72 the musical number is also a bit prophetic. Careful what you wish for.
@@legokiller3579 In more than one ways. At the time, Disney didn't own the Muppets either, so that was really creepy how accurate that was
The Steve Martin episode is based on Kermit canceling the show to do auditions for new talent. Steve is upset and basically decides to audition. So the whole show is him performing just for the rest of the muppets.Thus no laugh track just real laughs. Some of the improve lines back and forth between them are top tier stuff. The Milton Berle episode is also incredible. Just for him and Statler and Waldorf going toe to toe.
as a devoted fan of the Muppet Show, I feel these 4 guests were greatly missed from the list: Peter Ustinov, Danny Kaye, Diana Ross, and of course, Carol Burnett.
I would add Liberace to that list as well
Zero Mostel!
Carol Burnett was brilliant
That Peter Sellers episode is one of my favorites. "Cigarettes, whiskey, and wild, wild women!"
Mine too!
I remember most of these, but especially the Alice Cooper show. I was really young, but old enough to understand who Alice Cooper was and I couldn't believe they would bring him onto a children's variety show like The Muppets. It was an inspired choice, because somehow they blended his persona into the show perfectly.
It worked because most of Alice's horror was tongue-in-cheek, and he was a comedian at heart. You couldn't have done the same with an artist like Black Sabbath.
He was initially reluctant because he wanted to keep the Alice persona. He agreed when he found out Vincent Price had been a guest star.
The crime is not mentioning Gilda Radnor or the Carol Burnett episodes. Gilda's goes from the class of singing an operetta number to the whole cast getting glued together. And Carol Burnett's episode was emmey nominated for how well it was done.
YES!!!! Gilda's episode was great. She got stuck to Beaker when a super glue from Muppet Labs exploded? You're right!
To be fair it’s not an easy list to make
The problrm with this list is obvious - ten is not enough. Perhaps the top 100 might be closer to what is needed.
This was the greatest show of its time it had the greatest Guests on this if you were on the list you were made it does not matter if you 1 or 100 the fact that the celebrities were happy to appear on because they got public recognition that further their careers .
WOO HOO!!! I'M 100😜🤣🤘👋✌❣
Jim Henson was one of a kind. From his work on Sesame Street to the Muppet Show and the movies, nobody can ever replace him. He is definitely missed. R.I.P.
pixiehellasweet hbd!!
Or top 20?
I watched these when they first were shown. Our entire family (13) would go to our grandparents every sunday, swim away the afternoon in the lake and settle down to watch the Muppets and the Disney Show. This brings back some really great memories.
8:50- Oh, I'd hate to imagine Piggy's reaction, when she finds out that Luke and Leia are actually siblings!
She'd murder the script writer.
Luke you kissed your sister!!!!!
🤣🤣🤣👏👏👍
John Denver should have been number one as he hosted The Muppet Show more than anyone AND created one of the best Christmas albums of all time.
John Denver and Jim Henson were clearly kindred spirits. I definitely think Denver belongs in the top ten.
He should have been the permanent co-host
Thats right!
I wish the Christmas special, which had some of the best music ever, still played every year on television, it hasn't been seen by most people in years.
The muppet show & Jim Henson are one the greatest tv shows series ever
🥲! They made families & children happy all the time (laughing every episode they had on.). I miss it greatly 🥺! All involved in the show were geniuses and great at what they were doing!
Harry belafonte was personally a top 10 favorite of mine. This was an amazing version of turn the world around
Linda Ronstadt should be included. The Shoop Shoop song and Blue Bayou with the muppets were as good as it gets.
quoted for truth bro
The version of Blue Bayou was great as well!
As a tremendous lover of all things Henson and a huge Star Wars geek, 10-year-old Me went nuts when Luke, Threepio and Artoo came crashing through the wall of the dressing room to reveal that they were the special guests that week. A super-fond childhood memory.
Once and for all - Alice Cooper never beheaded a live chicken on stage. A few minutes of research would turn this up.
Liberace was accused of biting the head off of a dove, he’s swore, “I’ve never even touched 1 dove, now I mighta had a cockatoo!” Tip your waitresses and drive safe
"Richard Wintle' According to what I heard him himself say on an interview, , he threw the (live) chicken into the audience who just tore the chicken apart.
Someone threw a chicken on stage and Alice threw it back in crowd they tore it apart throwing parts of it back on stage.
Yeah I thought that false news mention was weak.
The only thing Alice Cooper ever beheaded on stage was himself.
It's too bad that John Lennon was never on the show, apparently he really liked watching The Muppet Show with his son Sean. But yeah, that Alice Cooper episode deserves to be #1.
Nonsense.
Even though none of Beatles stared on the show, a lot of their songs were still performed.
He probably would have wanted to do his own version of rainbow connection. That's the kind of song he'd have definitely vibed with based on his prior work.
So many truly talented and famous people were on this show, folks who didnt need the exposure. I heard Stallone asked to be on it, because his son wanted to see him there. And I can't believe Bob Hope was on. Loved Rudolf Nureyev when he danced "Swine Lake"
I would have had Rudolf Noreyev on there for performing 'Swine Lake' with Miss Piggy. Yet it is so hard to choose. What made the show great was how many big names did appear.
I remember that episode. The whole family would head out to my grandparents every Sunday, my grandfather would turn on the Muppets and all of us would settle down to watch it.
Rudolph Nureyev's episode was possibly the most important episode in Muppet History! Before that episode Jim Henson was relying on favors earned in the entertainment industry to get guest stars, Rudolph was the first person to request to become a guest star. Simply because he wanted to dance with Miss Piggy! That wasn't able to happen but he DID perform a very memorable Ballet with a Giant Pig. After which he has a musical number with Miss Piggy, in a steam room. And yes, she was throwing herself at him, literally!
After Nureyev, stars started requesting appearances on the Muppet Show.
Vincent Price is my all time favorite performers , weather old time radio or Halloween specials holds a special place in my heart and puts me in a beautiful place
He used to be on a local program called The Hilarious House of Frightenstein. He come to the station, do his lines for the season in one go then leave again. He was one of my favourite parts of it.
on radio as Simon Templer. the Saint
Thanks for this great video!!! I grew up watching it and it brings back memories of my childhood!!!! Thanks again and God bless you all today 🙏 Shalom
Glad you enjoyed it
Aw man, this show was a comedy goldmine!
+ZECTCustomUnit A) I'm a fan of both Henson and Disney. B) I'm not pissed at the Mouse because Muppet Treasure Island, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Vision 3D, and The Muppets Go to Disney World. One bad show and suddenly everyone loses their mind. Does no one remember Muppets Tonight? Or Bear in the Big Blue House for that matter? Heaven forbid they make one bad show.
Hell yeah it was!
You can say that, again!
Rryyyjgschiecbufeuc
"Ghost riders in the sky" by Johnny Cash on the Muppet Show was always a favorite of mine. Looks at the lyrics and realize this was supposed to be a kid's show. You'd NEVER see anything like that again!
Today the Confederate flag in his segment would be gone.
@@azmike3572 so True !!!
Just Like the 15 minute Warning ⚠️ on the Beginning of Blazing Saddles ☹ Now...
Elton John's visit to the Muppets was unforgettable.
Throughout the entire list I kept saying if Alice Cooper isn't #1 this list is bullshit.... You guys nailed it! Good job.
Sir Elton John should be in the first place!! come on he did CROCODILE ROCK!!
I totally agree. His appearance is most memorable, I think.
Never had me a better time and I guess I never will....
Totally agree
WITH MUPPET CROCODILES!!!!!
Great number, all time Muppet classic!
Vincent Price proved his comical talents on other occasions as well, for example in the unforgettable The Raven (1963), along such other greats as Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, Hazel Court, and a very young... Jack Nicholson!
Such a great show. I’d forgotten how many awesome guests they had on.
Loved all of the Muppet shows. My favorites were Elton John and Alice Cooper
My favorite was Vincent Price.
It was a great honour for these stars to have the privilidge of appearing on the muppets.
Muppets are all I watched when I was little still love it
What about Danny Kaye?
His skit with the Swedish Chef is exceedingly funny.
Lynda Carter was one of my favorites back in the day. I absolutely adore her rendition of Rubber Band Man.
I gotta give it to her. But she can't compare to the Spinners.
She is so beautiful
I surprised Danny Kaye isn't on the list. The scene where he sings Inchworm to the inchworm Muppet is brilliant. Also Milton Berle when he's heckeled by Statler and Waldorf is great. The ones with Bob Hope and George Burns are also wonderful.
Rusty Wolfe I cry over that episode nowadays
I hope Prince is on the list Muppets tonight was awesome miss the 90s.
I'm gutted Prince wasnt on there
I was thinking the same!
Thank you. Thats possibly the sweetest Top 10 WatchMojo has done. I'm sitting here with a warm fuzzy feeling and a smile on my face.
I'm surprised that George Burns, Edgar Bergan, Lynda Carter, Christopher Reeves, and Pearl Bailey weren't on this list!
It's only a 10 list, make it a 50.
Anabel Canas ... Who is Christopher Reeves?
@@JW...-oj5iw the opposite of Christopher Walken
mr leedles ... Hoped she would explain it, so I could ask who Edgar Bergan is.
@@JW...-oj5iw massively popular actor who played Superman in all the movies. Icon of that era. It's just Reeve though, no s
I always remember the episode with Linda Ronstadt singing the Shoop Shoop song.
"Buj Moose" "It is in his kiss" ?
That list is PERFECT!
ANY CELEBRITY THAT MATTERED, back then WAS on the MUPPET SHOW!
Way back before the internet.
Yep, the good old days.
When TALENT was EXPECTED.
AND REQUIRED.
Not like today.
Debbie Harry doing a duet with Kermit on the Rainbow Connection is the greatest Muppets moment in history!
I was a big fan of the George Burns episode. "Gonzo fiddles as George Burns." "Didn't wanna do it."
Yeah...and Milton Berle
Best show ever. Never a bad episode. Hilarious for children and adults.
Linda Ronstadt was a great host; I'd like to see that episode again.
You can find parts of it on UA-cam...
Dudley Moore, Carol Burnett, and Carol Channing were some of my favorites.
Finished watching Idea Man on Disney+ about Jim Henson and it brought back so many wonderful memories from my childhood of watching The Muppet Show and growing up on his stuff. It also brought back the tears when he died. At 53 I still remember all the great stuff he did in the late 70s through the late 90s. His death was a loss to all of us, but his joy and innocence lives on in the shows he created and the joy and laughter he brought to generations of kids and adults.
The video forgot to mention that the Star Wars episode ended with everyone singing "When You Wish Upon a Star", foreshadowing Disney's acquisition of both franchises.
Maybe, the Video did not feel like advertising, for Disney, freely.
Maybe that is because it would not happen until decades later, and that the so-called foreshadowing is nothing but a theory.
Mind blown!
Maybe that's because Disney effectively ruined both of them.
And this episode is still light years ahead of TLJ
It's a shame we don't get more of this kind of entertainment. Everyone could sit down and laugh at this stuff no matter how old you are. BTW - Bob Hope and Roy Rogers should have made the list, at least honorable mentions.
❤❤❤ more than this top ten, i believed that the muppets gave all these stars a moment of their childhood they will never forget, inlcuding mine when i first lay eyes on this show way back in the 80s where fortunately our father bought us our first black and white tv, this clip is so nostalgic...thank you muppets, thank you sir jim...rest in peace and Godbless...
Dudley Moore was great on the Muppets!!! I wish that Rowan Atkinson was a guest star on that show.
I'm Surprised Sandra Bullock's "Pyschiatrists Office" Sketch is NOT On This List or Debbie Harry's "Rainbow Connection" Duet with Kermit.
This is from the original Muppet Show (1976-1981...based on a pilot from 1974). Sandra Bullock appeared on Muppets Tonight ('96-'98)
Or what about "it's not easy being green"
Thank you so much for sharing this. Reminds me to still do good but not to take ourselves too seriously in this world. God bless you for compiling such a beautiful collection of memories from Patrick
You left out Raquel Welch!? Animal's reaction to her made it a stand-out episode, all by itself.
They left out PRINCE
Raquel Welch starred 3 Musketeers!
@@leannenelson8013 Prince wasn't on The Muppet Show. He was on Muppets Tonight.
Everyone has their favorites, for me it'll always be Elton John, Vincent Price and Peter Sellers
PRINCE
Chris LeFebvre Prince was on Muppets Tonight.
I'm age of 68 , my day was'nt very happy , but i saw the " MUPPET SHOW " and they maked me happy again just like about 45 years ago !
I loved Bob Hope singing "Don't Fence Me In". And I agree with your top 10, although there were so many great performances. And of course Statler and Waldorf make the show!
Statler: "The legend of Shakespeare will never die!" Waldorf: "But it sure took a wounding tonight!"