MuppetWatch

110: Harvey Korman & Huckleberry Finn

Today we’ve got a guest who doesn’t sing at all on The Muppet Show but sings quite a bit in his movie. The star is four time Emmy winner Harvey Korman, and the movie is 1974’s Huckleberry Finn, from the unlikely team of the Sherman Brothers and a two-time Planet of the Apes director! Topics of discussion include Fozzie Bear’s finest hour, the still confounding talking houses, the equally confounding Muppet Show production order, sex versus violence on the nineteenth century stage, different pronunciations of Maurice, and con artists pretending to be Romanovs or Bourbons.
Further resources
ABC Network - The Harvey Korman Show (Complete Broadcast, 4/11/1978)
The Dentist from The Carol Burnett Show
The Family: Sorry! from The Carol Burnett Show
Gazoo’s Antimatter Arrival in Bedrock
Harvey Korman and Brenda Vaccaro Win Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress
Harvey Korman - Television Academy Interviews
It’s Hedley! - Mel Brooks - American Masters
“Now go do that voodoo that you do so well”
The Nutt House (1989) Ep. 1 “Pilot”

109: Charles Aznavour & Shoot the Piano Player

Today on MuppetWatch, we do Sam the Eagle proud and get cultured, because our special guest is French national treasure and entertainer of the century Charles Aznavour, and our film is French New Wave legend Francois Truffaut’s second ever film, Shoot the Piano Player.
Topics of discussion include whether or not Hilda is accessory to attempted murder, how drag is approached in a maybe-not-great way, the redemption of Scooter, Jack Klugman’s vocal prowess, and parallels to Hitchcock and Hamlet.
Further resources:
Charles Aznavour dies, age 94 by Tony Cross
Charles Aznavour: ‘I wanted to break every taboo’ by Angelique Chrisafis
Charles Aznavour - Les plaisirs demodes (Audio Officiel)
The Odd Couple - Tony Randall & Jack Klugman - The Inch Worm
Quantum Leap - “The Inch Worm”
Why Charles Aznavour’s Global Fame Never Reached American Shores by Franz Nicolay

108: Paul Williams & Phantom of the Paradise (with Dallin Agatone)

Thursday… today is Thursday… and this is a momentous occasion in Muppet history: their first collaboration with legendary songwriter, singer, and actor Paul Williams! Then, we and our returning guest host Dallin discuss his role in the initially-misunderstood tragedy-slash-funhouse mirror history of popular music, Phantom of the Paradise.
Topics of discussion include songs about love songs, Bunsen’s odd position among the Muppets, how terrifying it would be to work at Rainforest Cafe while high, who the ultimate Muppets antagonist should be, Rick Baker’s post-Planet of the Apes filmography, and the unfortunate ongoing relevance of movies about exploitation in the music industry.
Check out Dallin’s short film’s IndieGoGo here!
Further resources:
Daft Punk Wins Album of the Year - GRAMMYS
“New documentary pays tribute to loyal Winnipeg fans of Phantom of the Paradise, a 'wild gem of a film'” by Kelsey Mohammed
Paul Williams Arrives Straight From Filming Battle for the Planet of the Apes - Johnny Carson
Paul Williams: Still Alive Trailer
Paul Williams - The Hell of It - The Brady Bunch Variety Hour
The Swan Archives - Genesis and Financing

107: Florence Henderson & The Love Boat

Miss Piggy is one of the Muppets’ breakout stars, so it’s surprising but welcome that this is the first episode to center around her, her love for Kermit, and her struggles in a world that only sees her as a piece of meat. Then we move on to the 1970s television classic that made special guest Florence Henderson a star and is still airing in reruns to this day: The Love Boat. Obviously. What else could we be talking about?
Topics of discussion include our new favorite Muppet Wiki hyperlink, which Star Trek ship Kermit and Miss Piggy are most like, the surprising parallels between The Love Boat: The Movie and Mildred Pierce, and of course, The Paul Lynde Halloween Special.
Further resources:
1984 Wesson Oil commercial featuring Florence Henderson
"Amish Paradise"
Bathtubs Over Broadway Official Trailer
Florence Henderson - I Have to Tell You (1954)
Indy 500 2011 - God Bless America
Life is Not a Stage by Florence Henderson and Joel Brokaw
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

106: Jim Nabors & Cannonball Run II

Live from the Benny Vandergast Memorial Theatre, the Muppets are joined by TV’s Gomer Pyle, Jim Nabors, and Scooter, a new recruit, except for the episodes he already appeared in. Then we watch Cannonball Run II, a movie that we didn’t hate quite as much as it hates us. Jim Nabors, we apologize.
Topics of discussion include new Muppet lore, the career trajectory of Rowlf, the erosion of the all-around performer, why you shouldn’t always let your friendships direct your career choices, the possible Bowfingering of Frank Sinatra, and an accidentally-relevant anecdote about the making of Master of Disguise.
Further resources:
Carol Burnett & Jim Nabors: Medley of Broadway Tunes (1967)
‘It wasn’t a facade’: Friends, fans remember Jim Nabors’ talent, wit and folksy charm by HawaiiNewsNow staff
Jim Nabors’ Last “Back Home Again in Indiana” 2014
Jim Nabors, TV’s Gomer Pyle, Dies at 87 by Miriam Di Nunzio
MST3K Invention Exchange: Rat Pack Chess Set
Siskel & Ebert / Cannonball Run II / 1984

105: Rita Moreno & West Side Story

In the first episode of The Muppet Show that we would call great, we're joined by jacqueline-of-all-trades and third-ever EGOT Rita Moreno. Then, we discuss West Side Story, which looms large over Moreno's career - but due to an entirely unplanned mixup, one of us watched the 1961 film and the other watched the 2021 film.
Topics of discussion include whether Miss Piggy's competitiveness is solely gender-based, whether Marvin Suggs is too sadistic, the source of the EGOT acronym, and how a remake can have a point.
Further resources:
The Electric Company - Director’s Sketch - Good Night
How Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story Finally Solved the Problem of “I Feel Pretty” by Charles McNulty
How West Side Story’s Anybodys Went From Tomboy to Trans Character by Isaac Butler
Mainly on Directing: Gypsy, West Side Story, and Other Musicals by Arthur Laurents
Rita Moreno Winning Best Supporting Actress - 34th Oscars (1962)
Rita Moreno Wins Outstanding Lead Actress, Single Appearance, Drama or Comedy (1978)
Rita Moreno Wins Tony (1975)
Steven Spielberg Wanted to Cut “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story by A. A. Cristi
West Side Story stars Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno open up about Anita’s attempted sexual assault by Maureen Lee Lenker

104: Ruth Buzzi & Freaky Friday

Today’s special guest is Laugh-In favorite Ruth Buzzi, but will she and the Muppets be able to withstand the terror of MechaKermit? Then we watch the 1976 film Freaky Friday, which is much stranger than either of us expected. The title probably should have warned us.
Topics of discussion include a plethora of recurring sketches that feel like filler, frustrated housewives in popular culture, John Astin’s unfortunate resemblance to William F. Buckley, and droopy basset hounds.
Further resources:
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - 10 Things I Hate About You
Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - Drop Dead Gorgeous
Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: “Jack Klugman”
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
Gump - "Weird Al" Yankovic
The Lost Saucer opening
Sesame Street: “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”

103: Joel Grey & Cabaret (with Dallin Agatone)

Today on MuppetWatch, the podcast is joined by friend and filmmaker Dallin Agatone to discuss Tony and Oscar winner Joel Grey! Then we discuss the film that won Grey his Oscar, Cabaret, and find our opinions split.
Topics of discussion include waiters at the Hotel for Dogs, the personality shift of Sam Eagle, being an underdog versus just being pitiful, cutting edge 70s video technology, and how literally we are meant to take the Kit Kat Klub as representative of Weimar Germany.
Further resources:
Broadway Legend Joel Grey Opens Up About His Sexuality by Liz McNeil
“Cabaret - 1967 Tony Awards"
Divine Decadence: Fascism, Female Spectacle, and the Makings of Sally Bowles by Linda Mizejewski
“Joel Grey Wins Supporting Actor — 1973 Oscars”
Master of Ceremonies by Joel Grey and Rebecca Paley
“The Real Sally Bowles” - The Berliner

102: Connie Stevens & Rock-A-Bye Baby

Tonight on MuppetWatch, our special guest is singer-actress Connie Stevens, and the show undergoes more growing pains. Then we take a trip back to 1958, with the Frank Tashlin-directed Jerry Lewis-starring semi-remake of The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, Rock-A-Bye Baby.
Topics of discussion include Muppet skin versus fur, the Electric Mayhem still having yet to perform as a group, unfortunate color schemes for evening gowns, the FTA tour, and how much emotional suffering for Fozzie Bear is too much emotional suffering?
Further resources:
Baywatching: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
Connie Stevens - Official Web-site
F.T.A. - Official Re-Release Trailer
Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard Zoglin
“Jerry Lewis’ Costars Speak Out: “He Grabbed Me. He Began to Fondle Me. I Was Dumbstruck”” by Julie Miller, Amy Ziering, and Kirby Dick
“Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)” with Edd Byrnes on The Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show
Laughing Hysterically: American Screen Comedy of the 1950s by Ed Sikov
Mulholland Drive: “Sixteen Reasons”
Tashlinesque: The Hollywood Comedies of Frank Tashlin by Ethan de Seife

101: Juliet Prowse & G.I. Blues

Tonight on MuppetWatch, we’re joined by dancer Juliet Prowse in the first episode of The Muppet Show produced and all of its awkward growing pains. Then, we watch G.I. Blues (1960), where Prowse plays love interest to Elvis Presley in his first film out of the army.
Topics of discussion include Space Mutiny-esque Elvis names, the troubling implications of a Muppet version of yourself, StarKid musicals that haven’t aged well, the career of Arnold Drake, and At the Dance: Yea or Nay?
Further resources:
Championship Ballroom Dancing (1987)
Circus of the Stars (1987)
Dancer-Actress Juliet Prowse Dies at 59
“I watched every Elvis movie and all I went was insane”
In Darkest Hollywood: Cinema and Apartheid (1993) part 1 and part 2
”Mahna Mahna” on The Ed Sullivan Show
Obituary: Juliet Prowse