The Best of the Muppet Show

The Muppet Show offered viewers entertainment that no other comedy-variety show could match. Where else could one see Star Wars icon C3PO dance the old soft shoe, Gene Kelly tap-dance with a frog, or Raquel Welch duet with a pig? Viewers will happily revisit the memories with two new volumes featuring three episodes each from this "most sensational, inspirational, celebrational" show. In the first volume, with shows guest-starring Mark Hamill, Paul Simon and Raquel Welch, the "Farce" is with Hamill, who self-deprecatingly proves that as a singer, impressionist, and dancer, he makes a great Jedi knight. Worth the price of this disc is a dressing room exchange between Raquel Welch and stage manager Scooter, who reassures her, "On this show, you don't have to dress up in any of those scanty, revealing costumes," only to add, "Not unless you really want to," after which a chorus of male Muppet admirers pop in to plead, "Oh, please want to!" The second volume boasts the incomparable trio of Elton John, Julie Andrews and Gene Kelly. Each seems to be having a grand time, either spoofing their personas (John's signature flashy wardrobes inspire the Muppets to follow suit), or simply performing with the beloved original Muppet characters (Andrews performs a song she wrote for Kermit, "When You Were a Tadpole"). The Kelly episode is a "s'wonderful, s'marvelous" introduction to the legendary song-and-dance man, who sings a medley of standards that, after much prodding from the Muppet cast, includes a dreamy version of "Singin' in the Rain." Like The Ed Sullivan Show of yore, The Muppet Show exposed a new generation to show business legends, and it's nice to see--in the words of the Paul Simon song--that's it's still crazy after all these years. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)