Tag: #TheMuppets70

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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.

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Recommended music: Coldplay – The Scientist

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.

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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. 😄

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Recommended music: The Muppet Show Episode 318: Gonzo’s Song

Checking in this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Camilla!

While chickens and other unnamed background animals had already been a staple of Muppet productions for years, Camilla the Chicken officially made her debut when name-checked during The Muppet Show episode 305 in 1978. Later in the season, it was revealed that Gonzo had declared Camilla as the love of his life, yet would often mistake her for other similar-looking chickens.

While the specific chicken, Camilla, only appeared in eight episodes of the Muppet Show, she soon began appearing the Muppet films and dozens of other Muppet productions over the years.

Camilla was included twice in the Palisades Muppet toy line, first arriving in wave 5, appropriately packed in with a tuxedoed Gonzo. The figure has minimal articulation for her neck and legs, but I’m not sure what else you would want there. Also, Camilla was the only pack-in to receive a “Mega Muppet” release from Palisades, which reuses the same sculpt, but done as a “2-up” or double the original figures size.

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Additional music: Mister Chicken – Por ti volaré

Recommended music: The Muppet Show Episode 419: Janice “A Little Help from My Friends”

Just in time for dinner, this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Janice!

Janice made her debut in the second Muppet Show pilot “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence” back in March of 1975. She became a major Muppet player during the five year run of The Muppet Show, not only as a part of the recurring Veterinarian’s Hospital sketch (as Nurse Janice), but mostly as the lead guitar player in The Electric Mayhem house band, appearing in 86 of the 120 episodes.

In later seasons of the show, Janice is seen as a part of the orchestra playing a trombone or trumpet. Besides the guitar, you can also see her playing tambourine from time to time.

Puppeteer Richard Hunt took over for performing Janice during season two, which not only led to the character being left-handed but also was the beginning of Janice’s signature Valley-girl voice and attitude. Her name is likely a nod to singer Janis Joplin, and the design of her face (specifically the oversized mouth) is meant to resemble Mick Jagger.

For the Palisades toy line, Janice finally arrived in wave 5 to complete the Electric Mayhem lineup. The standard version appeared in a pink top, with a brown hat, and came with a white guitar and brown amp. The chase version (seen here) came in a pink top, green hat, brown guitar, and green amp. Both versions also included a tambourine and base, but unlike the Floyd figure, neither had a cord to connect the electric guitar to the included amplifier.

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Recommended video: The Muppet Show Episode 510 Rockin’ Robin sketch

Recommended music: The Muppet Show Episode 306: Jean Stapleton – “I’m Just Wild About Harry” 

Coming in hot this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Here’s a Muppet character you’ve seen many times who always ends the scene with the bang. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Crazy Harry!

Harry made his debut in the 1974 Muppet Show pilot “The Muppets Valentine Show.” He was originally called Crazy Donald. This name referred to Don Sahlin, the Muppet builder who created the Muppets’ special effects explosions at the time. For his appearance in the next pilot, “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence,” the name was changed to Crazy Harry

The character appeared in more than 20 episodes of The Muppet Show during its run and dozens of other Muppet productions since. He is known for popping up when any character makes the smallest mention of anything explosion-related, repeats what was stated as a question, and then sets off an explosion himself. In 2007, Muppets writer Jim Lewis was asked why Harry was seen less frequently. He replied, “A combination of things. First, Jerry Nelson performs Crazy Harry, and his availability is one factor. Second, Crazy Harry is always punctuation, so the scene has to fit his personality and his unique talent for blowing things up. And third, unofficially, I find that in a post-9/11 world, blowing stuff up—even in foolish fun—isn’t as funny as it once was. But again, that’s my personal opinion.”

In the Palisades toy line, Harry made his debut in series 2 and was the only Crazy Harry toy available until being included in Disney’s Vinylmation line. The figure came well armed with two sticks of dynamite, a barrel of gun powder, a bomb, and a spring-loaded plunger. The cannon here was borrowed from another line but fits perfectly for the season two sketch where the Great Gonzo attempts to catch a cannonball with Harry as his assistant.

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Recommended video: The Muppet Show Episode 223 Gonzo & Crazy Harry Sketch

On this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Here’s a character you’ve likely seen a few times. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Robin the Frog!

In March 1969, a one-hour TV special called “Tales from Muppetland—Hey Cinderella!” debuted on the Canadian network CBC. The program was later broadcast in the USA, debuting on ABC in April 1970. A year later, another Tales from Muppetland special aired, “The Frog Prince.”

This special was narrated by Kermit the Frog and featured the first appearance of a human prince who turned into an unnamed Muppet frog. Fast forward five years to the 8th episode of The Muppet Show, and the tiny frog returns and is named Robin.

Robin made a couple more appearances during the first season of The Muppet Show including singing a A.A. Milne’s “Halfway Down the Stairs,” which also appeared on the first Muppet Show vinyl record in 1977. In season two of The Muppet Show, Robin was established as Kermit’s nephew and has appeared in dozens of Muppet productions since.

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Recommended video: Robin the Frog – Over the Rainbow

Lastly, this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! Here’s a character you’ve seen many times, but you may really only remember from one particular sketch. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Link Hogthrob!

While Link was first seen as part of the expanded cast during The Muppet Show Theme from the beginning of The Muppet Show season two onward, his speaking debut was on Episode 203 (Milton Berle) where he was featured as the captain of the Swinetrek on the reoccurring Pigs in Space sketch.

Unlike his resident scientist pig, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Link was featured in dozens of sketches over the last four seasons of the show, on top of the dozens of Pigs in Space bits. The character and voice were usually a play on a stereotypical male bravado, but I have to think Captain Kirk was also an inspiration for at least the Pigs in Space segments.

In the Palisades toy line, Link made his debut with series 4 along with Dr. Julius Strangepork. This seemed like a risky choice to me at the time, considering the First Mate Piggy included with the Pigs in Space Playset didn’t come out until wave six. The figure is a pretty excellent likeness of the character in a shiny purple suit with a silver cape. Accessories include a ray gun, a ‘Starhog’ magazine, and a miniature model of the Swinetrek ship.

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Recommended video: The Muppet Show Episode 307 Pigs in Space Sketch

For this #SomethingElseSunday, we’re still celebrating 70 years of the Muppets! You surely recognize this drummer and know his name. From the Palisades Toys Muppets line, it’s Animal!

Animal (with The Electric Mayhem band) made his debut on The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, which aired FIFTY YEARS AGO this month! In Animal’s first appearance, he was so wild that he was chained up when in-between musical acts. While his chains have been visible from time to time throughout Animal’s history, he has broken free of just being a freaky part of the band and is now used nearly as much as any character in the Muppets roster.

Unlike the rest of the Electric Mayhem, Animal’s popularity garnered his inclusion in the animated Muppet Babies series. Also, for the 1998 Winter Olympics, Animal was the mascot of the U.S. snowboarding team.

In the Palisades toy line, Animal made his debut with series 2 when included in the Electric Mayhem Playset. The figure is pretty unique as it is the only one in the line (besides the much larger Sweetums figure) with movable parts on his face featuring an articulated jaw. For Animal fans unable to pick up the playset, he was also available as a retailer and convention exclusive in a handful of different shirt styles.

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Recommended video: Animal Compilation