Recommended music: The Format – Does Your Cat Have A Mustache?
On this final #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Pops!
Pops is the mustachioed senior doorman who showed up in the final season of The Muppet Show. A few years later, he had a bigger part as the owner and manager of the Happiness Hotel in The Great Muppet Caper.
Pops made his action figure in the ninth and final wave of Palisades Toys’ Muppets line, which came out in fall 2004. By then, retailers weren’t as interested in the line or other Palisades Toys products. Although several exclusive Muppet figures were released to customers over the following year, the company filed for bankruptcy and announced its subsequent sale. This Pops figure is an excellent likeness of the character. While the budget didn’t allow for him to come with his trademark backstage desk from The Muppet Show, he came with his Happiness Hotel desk (a repaint of the Muppet Newsman desk), a basic stand, and new accessories like a bell, a check-in book, a desk lamp, a fly swatter, and Gaffer the Cat.
Recommended music: Sam Eagle – Chairman of the Board [Never filmed, but included on The Muppet Christmas Carol Soundtrack]
It’s #SomethingElseSunday, and we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Today, from the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Sam the Eagle!
Sam first appeared in the 1975 pilot, The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. He returned later that year for the first Muppet Meeting Films, which were created to add some laughs to long, dull meetings. Sam made his official Muppet Show debut in the third episode of season one and went on to be included in the opening theme for the last four seasons of the show, and 46 of the series’s 120 episodes. Thankfully, the physical Sam puppet got an update for season two, with less wild eyebrows and matching blue on his head and body, a look he’s kept for most of the past 50 years.
On The Muppet Show, Sam acted as the self-appointed censor and often introduced or moderated skits. As an American eagle, he sees it as his job to stand up for American morals and values. Often written to mock political ideals, Sam always plays the straight man and is usually shocked by the silly things that count as entertainment. Basically, he’s always appalled by classic Muppets humor. 😜
Following The Muppet Show, Sam Eagle has appeared in every Muppet film to date, as well as in many Muppet books, TV shows, and video games. Frank Oz played Sam Eagle until 2000. After Oz, Kevin Clash and Drew Massey took on the role for a few productions, and then Eric Jacobson became Sam in 2005 and still plays him today.
Sam first appeared in wave four of the Palisades Toys line as Sam Arrow from Muppet Treasure Island. The regular Sam Eagle figure was added in wave eight about a year later. The figure is well-detailed and has eleven points of articulation, though there is minimal wrist movement and no tail joint. Sam comes with a book on Standards and Practices, a copy of the U.S. Constitution, a lectern, and three different seal options for the front.
A “shifty-eyed” variant of the figure was also released with left-looking eyes. It included four alternative lectern seals and a different book. Overall, it’s a great release and a must-have for longtime Muppet fans.
Recommended music: Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side
On this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives, we’re celebrating 70 years of the Muppets and taking a look at the Palisades Toys Muppets Lew Zealand!
Lew Zealand first appeared in 1978, in episode 310 of The Muppet Show. In that episode, his wild boomerang fish-throwing act stopped Kermit from accidentally marrying Miss Piggy during her planned wedding sketch. Although originally intended for a single episode, the character’s popularity grew rapidly, leading to appearances in over two dozen subsequent episodes of The Muppet Show. Lew has remained a recurring character, frequently appearing in minor roles or cameos in nearly every Muppet film and project released since.
Palisades Toys released this ruffle-collared Lew Zealand figure in the third wave of their Muppet toy line. This was the final wave to focus solely on The Muppet Show, as the line soon ventured into covering other Muppet productions, such as films and Muppets Tonight. For accessories, Lew comes with his signature boomerang fish, a minnow bucket, a small-mouth bass, and a swordfish – just right for recreating the famous act from his season three debut.
Recommended music: Brooks & Dunn – Boot Scootin’ Boogie
On this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Scooter!
Scooter first appeared in 1976, just a few minutes into the very first episode of The Muppet Show. He sometimes joined the regular skits on stage, but his main role was as the stage manager or “gofer.” For example, he’d say, “I’ll go fer coffee; I’ll go fer sandwiches; I’ll go for anything you need, etc…” In the first season, there was a running joke about Scooter’s uncle owning the Muppet Theatre, but Scooter stuck around long after that joke ended, showing up in every episode during the show’s five seasons. Most episodes included a behind-the-scenes moment where Scooter would tell the guest star, “15 seconds to curtain.”
Like Kermit and Miss Piggy, it is hard to picture any Muppets production from the past 50 years without Scooter. He has been an active part of dozens of Muppets films, television shows, and other appearances in the decades since The Muppet Show. Richard Hunt performed the character from the beginning up through Muppet*Vision 3D in 1991. Following Hunt’s passing the following year, Scooter did actually go through an eight-year absence before returning for Muppets in Space. Several performers stepped in to provide the voice or puppetry for Scooter over the next decade, before David Rudman fully took on the role of performing from 2008 onward.
Scooter’s importance to the brand was reflected in the Palisades Toys line, which featured three unique releases and a few variants. The first figure of Scooter was included in the third wave in the line while the packaging (and Scooter’s jacket) were still celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show. While a headset and stage door were considered to be packed in with Scooter, later released with Rizzo and the actual Backstage Playset, Scooter did still come with a good amount of accessories. These include: a base, a box of Chinese food, a clipboard, a cupholder (with two to-go cups), a megaphone, a radio, and a skateboard. The figure looks great and is a must-have for fans of the character and his part in The Muppet Show.
It’s time to play the music with this #SomethingElseSunday post from the archives. Today, we’re celebrating 70 years of the Muppets and taking a look at the Palisades Toys Muppets Rowlf!
Rowlf the Dog debuted in Dog Chow commercials in 1962 and, by the following year, became the first Muppet to achieve nationwide recognition as a cast member on The Jimmy Dean Show. Performed exclusively by Jim Henson until 1990, Rowlf regularly appeared on The Muppet Show as the resident pianist and featured in recurring sketches such as “Veterinarian’s Hospital.”
Rowlf has contributed significantly to the music and humor of the Muppets over several decades. He was the first character featured in Muppet Studios’ year-long celebration of its 70th anniversary, which spotlights a different Muppet each week. Although I am behind since the celebration began last year, I intend to catch up at some point.
The sculpt for this Rowlf in a tuxedo figure was first shown with a White Tux Rowlf giveaway at Toy Fair 2002. About a year later, this version was released as part of the third wave of Palisades Toys figures. The tuxedo Rowlf was the only way to get the character on its own card. The regular version without clothes was made at the same time, but it was only available with the rare Backstage playset at the end of 2004.
This version included a baby grand piano, a bust of Beethoven for display, and a figure stand. I chose to pick up this figure loose, as I believe the upright piano and dollhouse candelabra better reflect Rowlf’s aesthetic in the Muppet Show’s “Rowlf at the Piano” segments.
Recommended music: Humanga Danga – Lima Bean Bunny Board
It’s time to spill the beans this #SomethingElseSunday, as we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Here’s a character you’ve likely seen a few times, but never really cared for. From the Diamond Select Toys Muppets Select line, it’s Bean Bunny!
In 1986, HBO aired a new TV special, “The Tale of the Bunny Picnic”. The program told the story of an overtly cute Bean Bunny, who naturally came from a family of bunnies, and helped to make peace with the farmer’s dog.
The character returned in 1989, appearing on 11 of the 12 episodes of NBC-based The Jim Henson Hour. The following year, NBC aired a special, ‘The Muppets at Walt Disney World’, which promoted the planned merger of the Muppets and the rest of The Jim Henson Company into The Walt Disney Company. Bean fits right in with established Muppet characters on the special, appearing at EPCOT Center with Scooter. A walk-around version of Bean, played by a cast member at Disney-MGM Studios, was part of two stage shows: ‘Here Come the Muppets’ and ‘Muppets On Location: Days of Swine and Roses’, which ran from 1990 until 1994.
Like Sweetums last week, Bean Bunny is undoubtedly most well-known for his role in the 1991 film attraction Muppet*Vision 3D, which ran for 34 years at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. In the attraction, Bean appears in the pre-show and main-show films and also as a physical puppet in a theater balcony, playing a critical role in the show.
With all these inclusions in the theme parks, it seemed Bean was meant to be a major player in Muppet productions going forward, but his role diminished after Jim Henson’s passing. Bean’s performer, Steve Whitmire, took over the role of Kermit the Frog around this time, and while Whitmire’s other character, Rizzo the Rat, had a bigger role in 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol, Bean only appeared in a few scenes. While Bean did show up on Muppets Tonight, Muppets from Space, the Muppet Babies reboot, and a few direct-to-DVD Muppet films, he was in a background role for these appearances as well.
Unfortunately, the Palisades Toys Muppet toy line ended before Bean was considered. Still, he finally showed up in action figure form outside of the theme parks in a couple of lines from Diamond Select Toys. When the first wave of figures in DST’s Muppets Select line debuted in 2016, Bean was packed in with Kermit the Frog. The figure was then included in the Backstage Deluxe Action Figure Box Set, which came with a half dozen repacked figures in 2023.
I typically don’t collect the DST Muppets line because of its scale and detail. However, Bean’s exclusion from the Palisades line made this purchase a necessity. His smaller size and lack of articulation are fine, as Bean will likely be relegated to a background character in my Muppet adventures as well. Also, just a heads up that you may need to apply some heat to the figure when you open him, as I immediately broke off the neck peg, which was stuck inside the head of this now hard-to-find figure.😣
Recommended music: Cher – That Old Black Magic (featuring Sweetums)
Sweet! This #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Here’s a character you’ve likely seen a few times, but depending on your age, will have an entirely different frame of reference for. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Sweetums!
The big, hairy ogre made his debut in the 1971 Tales from Muppetland TV special “The Frog Prince.” Performed by Richard Hunt, Sweetums’ next appearance came with other Muppet characters during a 1975 episode of the Cher variety show. Though not a main member of The Muppet Show cast, Sweetums had many memorable duets with guest stars during his 23 episodes of the series. He also appeared at the beginning of each show during The Muppet Show Theme for seasons 2-5.
Sweetums went on to play a larger part in The Muppet Movie and dozens of other Muppet productions over the years, but his most memorable appearance for millions of theme park guests was showing up in the 1991 Muppet*Vision 3D film attraction. The show ran for 14 years at Disney California Adventure and for 34 years at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Sweetums’ role in the show was unique, as all the other Muppet characters were limited to either the 3D film or a select number of audio-animatronics around the theater. Sweetums was played by a live park Cast Member in a full-sized costume holding a flashlight, accompanied by a voice recording from Richard Hunt, in his final performance in the role.
In the Palisades Toys line, Sweetums made his action figure debut in the fall of 2004 as an exclusive to the (now defunct) OMGCNFO.com website. The largest figure in the Palisades line, standing at over 10″ tall, Sweetums came with no accessories, but some collectors did receive a figure with two left feet. 😄 The figure does come with a great paint job and sculpt, as well as 19 points of articulation, including adjustable eyebrows.
A new version of Sweetums was planned for the Diamond Select Toys Muppets toy line. However, Diamond Comics filed for bankruptcy in January 2025. The subsequent shutdowns of Diamond Select Toys and Gentle Giant Ltd. in May mean that those DST products on pre-order are unlikely to ship. Though the assets were acquired by Ad Populum, the parent company of NECA Toys, I wouldn’t hold my breath for a DST Sweetums.
Recommended music: The Rainbow Connection (from The Muppet Movie)
On this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! This character is certainly the most famous creation of Jim Henson. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Kermit the Frog!
Kermit made his debut in 1955, decades before most other Muppet characters, appearing on a Washington, DC based news and variety show called Afternoon. The next year, Kermit was a regular on the same station, appearing in short skits on Sam and Friends. Even though the character was referred to as Kermit the Frog by the mid-1960s during appearances on The Tonight Show, this early version of the Kermit puppet wasn’t as distinctly frog-shaped. By the time the ‘Tales From Muppetland’ TV special covered The Frog Prince in 1971, Kermit was a full-fledged froggy and has retained this design ever since.
With Kermit being a staple of Jim Henson productions through the 1960s, it was no surprise that he was included in the launch of Sesame Street in 1969. By the following year, the character was deemed too commercial for Sesame Street, and he was briefly removed from the program. By season three, however, he returned to Sesame Street in more of a guest character type of role. In the five decades since, Kermit has starred in virtually every Muppet television project and film, on his way to becoming the spiritual symbol and physical logo of The Jim Henson Company.
This popularity continued into the Palisades Toys line, with Kermit having 15 unique releases, including The Rainbow Connection Kermit, seen here. While the figure’s articulation is limited to just the neck and shoulders, the sculpt and paint are excellent. Kermit also comes with a load of accessories, including his banjo, a framed photo, a log, a Muppet cabbage, Muppet eggplant, Muppet scallions, a sitting version of his nephew Robin, and an additional log for Robin. The included framed photo of a young boy is Cooper Perry, who inspired The Cooper Perry Foundation, as all proceeds from the figure went to the charity.
Strangely enough, this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Here’s a character you’ve likely seen a few times, but you likely only remember from one particular sketch. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Dr. Julius Strangepork!
The German-accented doctor made his debut on The Muppet Show during season two, specifically on Episode 203 (Milton Berle). As the resident scientist of the Swinetrek spaceship, he performed diagnostics and routine repair work during the recurring Pigs in Space sketches. 28 of the character’s 35 appearances on The Muppet Show were during Pigs in Space. This period was the high point for the character. By the time Muppets Tonight aired, he appeared in only one sketch.
While Pigs in Space was where the character got the most attention, he did appear in select other sketches and Muppets productions, though he only garnered silent cameos in the Muppet films. Strangepork was performed by Jerry Nelson from his 1977 debut up until Nelson’s passing in 2012. In 2016, Matt Vogel took up performing the character in an online Pigs in Space series, and in The Muppets Take the Bowl and The Muppets Take the O2 during the following years.
In the Palisades Toys line, Strangepork made his action figure debut, appearing in series 4 along with his Swinetrek captain, Link Hogthrob. This was a full two waves before First Mate Piggy and the Pigs in Space Playset were released. As always, the figure is an excellent likeness of the character in a metallic purple suit. His accessories include the Dissolvatron gun from The Muppet Show Episode 314 (Harry Belafonte) and the M.A.M.M.A. robot as seen in Episode 407 (Dudley Moore).
Recommended music: The Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
We’re full of charisma or “rizz” this #SomethingElseSunday, as we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Rizzo the Rat!
The most well-known rodent in the world of the Muppets, Rizzo, is a funny and friendly rat. While Rizzo didn’t make his first appearance on The Muppet Show until episode 418, he became a pretty regular character and showed up in 23 episodes over the final season and a half. Following The Muppet Show and a smaller part in The Great Muppet Caper, Rizzo had a much larger role in The Muppets Take Manhattan. The little rat has since been involved in nearly 100 different Muppet productions over the past 45 years, from movies to music to television and video games.
At the suggestion of Frank Oz, Rizzo’s name comes from Ratso Rizzo, who was the character played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. Steve Whitmire created the character of Rizzo and performed him from 1980 until he was let go in 2016. The character still does not appear to have been officially recast, so Rizzo has been much more of a background Muppet for the past decade outside of his inclusion in the newer Muppet Babies animated series.
In the Palisades Muppet toy line, Rizzo appeared in the fourth wave and was the smallest figure released in the entire line. Though the label shows “From: Muppets From Space,” the figure’s design also looks a lot like his appearance from Muppets Tonight. I believe he would have been the first Muppets Tonight-labeled figure in the line, but the idea was scrapped when there weren’t good reference photos for the Dancing Cheeses from the first episode, and the change was made to highlight the feature film instead.
Due to the small figure size, he came with a good amount of accessories, including a boxing glove on a spring, cheese, a hat, a headset, a slice of pizza with a box, rat poison, and a table. There was a chase version of the figure released that changed the color on a few of the accessories and a rare black jacket version given away at a Wizard World convention.
Recommended music: Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem – Can You Picture That?
Don’t turn in for the night just yet, as this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Dr. Teeth!
The lead singer, keyboard player, and leader of the Electric Mayhem, Dr. Teeth actually made his debut before the rest of the band. He first appeared on both The Mike Douglas Show and The Tonight Show just days before the second Muppet Show pilot, “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence” in March of 1975. Besides his role in The Electric Mayhem house band performing the theme for seasons 2-5, he was involved in sketches in each of the five seasons of The Muppet Show and appeared in 46 of the 120 episodes. Dr. Teeth has since been involved in nearly every avenue of Muppet productions over the past 45 years, from movies to music to television.
Teeth’s name may have come from never having a cavity, but really, he’s just a happy green guy with a large toothy grin. Jim Henson performed Dr. Teeth from 1975 until his passing in 1990, with another puppeteer working the hands for the keyboard. After Jim’s death, Dr. Teeth was largely unused or silent until 2005, when Bill Barretta took over the role.
In the Palisades Muppet toy line, Dr. Teeth appeared in the first wave to promote the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show. The standard version seen here came with a red and black striped shirt, pink hat, black keyboard, and a Muppet Show logo base.
Recommended music: Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – The Waiting
We’re feeling peppy this #SomethingElseSunday as we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Pepé the King Prawn!
Pepe first appeared in the second episode of Muppets Tonight, which premiered in March 1996. In a blink and you’ll miss it cameo, Pepe dances the mambo with the episode’s guest star, Garth Brooks. His frequent scene partner, Seymour the Elephant, also made his first appearance in this episode. However, they did not yet perform their shtick as singing elevator operators. Pepe ended up appearing in 14 of the series’s 22 episodes during its brief two-season run.
Despite his relatively late arrival to the Muppet franchise, Pepe has appeared in dozens of movies, TV series, specials, and other television and web appearances over the past 30 years.
For the Palisades Muppet toy line, Pepe appeared in the fifth wave as the first figure in the line from Muppets Tonight. Since I don’t have that version, I’m sharing this variant of the exclusive Vacation Pepe. This version came with a blue shirt, green diving wear, and a pink inner tube. He was only available at Media Play, Musicland, Sam Goody, and Suncoast, though I’m not sure how many of these retailers still exist. While he also comes with a beach chair and an elephant-shaped inner tube as a tribute to Seymour, my Pepe didn’t take the time to pack those before these unseen Disney vacation photos .😉
Me meee #MeeemeeeeMeeeMeemee me me’me meeee mememeemeee me meeee me mee Memeeee! [Translation: On this #SomethingElseSunday as we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets!] From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Beaker!
Usually seen playing the unlucky lab assistant to Muppet scientist Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker first appeared in 1977 during the second season of The Muppet Show. Beaker helped up the ante of the Muppet Labs sketches, as there was always a sense of danger and risk involved when Beaker was on screen.
Though he was named after a beaker found in a lab setting, Beaker was soon involved in sketches outside of Muppet Labs, later seen assisting Animal, Beauregard, Dr. Teeth, and even The Swedish Chef in humorous scenarios over the years. His popularity has boomed further in the age of the internet likely due to Beaker’s style of speech, AKA “Meep”. He doesn’t really speak English to viewers, and his voice just gives off a series of high-pitched “mee-mee” sounds.
For the Palisades Muppet toy line, the Beaker figure was exclusive to the Muppet Labs Playset. Besides the Beaker figure, the playset had a design that resembled the Muppet Labs as seen in the MuppetVision 3D theme park show instead of the sets from The Muppet Show, and also came with an experiment table, and a “gorilla detector,” which WAS from The Muppet Show episode 116 before Beaker joined the cast. Fortunately for Beaker fans, Palisades made more three more versions of the character in action figure form, but they were also exclusives in one way or another, available at a higher price point, and still not as good as the original version seen here.
The doctor is in on this #SomethingElseSunday as we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Dr. Bunsen Honeydew!
The resident scientist of all things Muppet, Honeydew first appeared in the eighth episode of The Muppet Show, which premiered in October 1976. During this initial Muppet Labs sketch, he showed his latest invention, which was able to make anything softer – the All-Purpose Tenderizer. This became standard fare as Honeydew was always eager to show off his latest inventions throughout the five-season run of the show. Besides appearing during the opening theme starting in season two, Honeydew appeared in over 50 episodes.
The following season, Honeydew received a lab assistant in the form of Beaker who would regularly be somehow harmed by the doctor’s inventions. While the name beaker seems obviously named after lab equipment, Bunsen is named after a scientific instrument known as a Bunsen burner. Also, the shade of his skin combined with the shape of his head, look too similar to a honeydew melon, for his surname to just be a coincidence.
For the Palisades Muppet toy line, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew appeared in the first wave when the line was just promoting the 25th anniversary of The Muppet Show. For accessories, Honeydew came with a logo base, a Muppet Labs book, and a Robot Rabbit, which appeared on episode 202 of the Muppet Show.
Recommended music: The Muppet Show Episode 209: Floyd Pepper – “New York State of Mind”
Finally, this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Sgt. Floyd Pepper!
The bass player of the Electric Mayhem, Floyd first appeared in the second Muppet Show pilot “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence” back in March of 1975. Besides his role in The Electric Mayhem house band, he was involved in humorous sketches in each of the five seasons of The Muppet Show and appeared in 85 of the 120 episodes.
Floyd’s last name and the overall look of his typical costume are a direct reference to the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album by the Beatles. Puppeteer Jerry Nelson said of Floyd: ““I always thought of Floyd as a character who had probably been a beatnik first, and then — just like real life — probably been a beatnik, and then he was into jazz and poetry, and then he probably went along with the chase into rock and roll, because he needed a job.”
In the Palisades Muppet toy line, Floyd appeared in wave 2, just after Dr. Teeth to add to the Electric Mayhem lineup. The standard version seen here came with a red shirt and red bass guitar, while the variant came with a blue shirt and white bass. Both versions came with a stand and cord to connect the guitar to an included amp. With Floyd’s puppeteer using their right hand to perform the body, he is naturally left-handed, which means it was pretty tricky to get him to hold his (now somewhat oversized) guitar like this, as I usually have him posed righty. 😄
Dale's Toys 