A gladiator-garbed Sylvester Stallone singing Gershwin? Gilda Radner performing a Gilbert & Sullivan duet with a giant carrot? A prima donna pig dressed as Marie Antoinette belting out “Stayin' Alive”? These are some of the delights to be found among the 24 episodes of The Muppet Show's 1978-79 third season, which also features a number of show-business-legend guests, including Danny Kaye, Pearl Bailey, Harry Belafonte, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Loretta Lynn, and Liberace. Much of the fun lies in watching established stars spoof their personas. Raquel Welch gamely sends up her sexpot image in a dressing room exchange with stage manager Scooter, who reassures her, “On this show, you don't have to dress up in any of those scanty, revealing costumes,” before adding, “Not unless you really want to,” after which a chorus of male Muppet admirers pop in to plead, “Oh, please want to!” And a satanic-garbed Alice Cooper tries to buy Kermit and Miss Piggy's souls. Although exceedingly silly and subversively funny in the various ways that it toys with variety show conventions, The Muppet Show is actually a grand introduction for young viewers to American standards (if slightly skewed: such as a Samurai version of “Oklahoma,” or “Lullaby of Broadway” sung by Arctic pigs), as well as entertainers from a wide array of genres. DVD extras include the rarely-seen 1970 black and white special “The Muppets on Puppets,” a behind-the-scenes featurette on the puppeteers, and vintage Purina dog food commercials from the early 1960s featuring an early incarnation of Rowlf the dog. Highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)
The Muppet Show: Season Three
Walt Disney, 4 discs, 612 min., not rated, DVD: $39.99 Volume 23, Issue 5
The Muppet Show: Season Three
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