The Muppet Show: Season One

There may be no greater touchstone among the childhood entertainments of Generation X than The Muppet Show, which introduced a whole new crop of kiddies to the comedic possibilities of vaudeville and "variety" while celebrating a gang of wildly different creatures who didn't simply work together but also created their own unique family dynamic. Our parents had Carol Burnett and Sonny & Cher--we had the Swedish Chef, Gonzo the Great, and the snide asides of Waldorf and Statler. I don't think it's too much of an overstatement to say that this one gloriously silly, often profound show had a greater effect on the group character of my generation than any other single influence. Not all the characters had been fully realized when the series debuted in 1976--Miss Piggy, in particular, feels rather unformed--but the self-referential and self-deprecating attitude is already in full swing in these wonderfully frantic 24 episodes, as well as the sweet sadness of many of the Muppets, including Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear. The guest list is a who's who of '70s pop culture--Connie Stevens, Joel Grey, Jim Nabors, Rita Moreno, Florence Henderson, Sandy Duncan, Paul Williams, Harvey Korman--but we kids didn't know that at the time. We just knew the theme song by heart and couldn't wait for each new episode. Presented with a beautiful-looking transfer, DVD extras on this four-disc set include pop-up trivia tracks on all episodes, the hilarious original pitch reel, a gag reel, and the series' original pilot. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (M. Johanson)