Muppeturgy: A "The Muppet Show" Rewatch Podcast

We’re flouting convention this week to talk about Jean-Pierre Rampal with very special guest star Tara Ariano! Brush up your French and your flute and join us! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/jean-pierre-rampal

One way or another we’re gonna scout out the Debbie Harry episode of The Muppet Show with our very special guest star, Louie Pearlman! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/debbie-harry

If you wanna hear us do our thing, pull our string! If ‘s-all right with you, we’re here to talk about the old-school ventriloquism of Señor Wences (and the even older school bunraku of Bruce Schwartz). The Muppets are all in on the action, putting on a puppet show of their own (nobody tell them) that may or may not involve demonic possession and a horny Pinocchio (stories matter). https://muppetu...

Ahoy there! Yo ho ho! Shiver me timbers! Uh…pieces of eight! It’s a pirate-themed episode, 15 years before Muppet Treasure Island, starring another British legend, Glenda Jackson! And our own very special guest star, Movin’ Right Along’s Anthony Strand! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/glenda-jackson

We go down several rabbit holes as we discuss the Brooke Shields and the Muppets’ production of Alice in Wonderland. But then, we do that every episode! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/brooke-shields

Stories matter…which is why we’re a little confused that The Muppet Show is telling this one. But we’re here to talk about the good (Animal trying to meditate, percussive octopodes), the bad (overly sexualized birds), and the ugly (welcome back, overt racism!). (James Coburn wasn’t in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly but you try making an In Like Flint reference about this episode.) https://muppetur...

We’ve got our goldfingers (WAH WAH WAH WAH WAAAAAHHH) all over the Shirley Bassey episode this week, with very special guest star David Beukema! Does the Barnyard Boogie turn into gold, or cottage cheese? What are the physics of these Koozebanians? Does it really rain pennies from heaven? How DO they make gold bars? And where do you buy your cheese? All this and more awaits you in the vault! https...

Will the circle be unbroken on the Joan Baez episode, or will we sing an honest lullaby about accents and other questionable choices? You’ll be smarter than the critters if you listen and find out! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/joan-baez Support Christie's album! https://muppeturgy.com/kickstarter

If you watched MASH alda time like we did as kids, you’ll love the Loretta Swit episode! It made the earth move under our feet even though we were side by side (by side) and there ain’t nobody here but us chickens when Kermit tried to fire Piggy. And what would we do without our guest star and fantastic Miss Piggy expert, Peter Savieri? https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/loreta-swit

Leave it to us to drop an episode about the end of the world 2 days after Election Day. But don't worry! When the seven of lumps is in the ascendency with the beginning of the drowning refrigerator, it means Muppeturgy is back for season 5! We're not here to talk about politics (well, Ronald Reagan may catch some strays but it wouldn't be the first time), we're here to talk about Gene Kelly's butt...

When Diana Ross smiles at us, we go to Rio! We’re holding up little cards to rate this episode — and the whole season — this week. Did season 4 give us a love hangover, or leave us deep in our (whoa whoa whoa) feelings? We’re taking a post-season break so this will be the last time we saw him for a while. Reach out and touch that subscribe button to make sure you don’t miss our triumphant return....

We learned a lot about Alan Arkin — and ourselves — this week, as very special guest star Chris Feil joined us to talk Jekyll & Hyde, potentially racist bunnies, devils going down to Georgia and letting people go, and Fozzie’s relationship to rhythm. Plus rearranging fat jokes on the Titanic. You’re no good if you don’t listen. (CW: Discussion of racist tropes such as minstrelsy.) https:/...

Where do we begin? Ideally not here but it’s what we’ve got. This is a weird one, where Andy Williams’ face is waxier than the Muppet cheese and his joke delivery is cheesier than…also the Muppet cheese. It’s also our second week in a row with a Cronenbergian nightmare. But there’s also a puppy, and Frank Oz and Jim Henson remain very good at their jobs. Join us for this love story, won’t you? htt...

Do you believe in magic? How about poofy 70s hair and giant mustaches? Sparkly pink overalls? Cronenbergian nightmares? Rabbis? You will after the Doug Henning episode! The master of illusion (and a question mark) joins the Muppets for some tricks and some schtick, and Fozzie tries to get in on the act with Tribble-esque results. We get in on Norma Rae, All That Jazz, Bugs Bunny, tissue puppetry,...

Ay ay ay it’s the Carol Channing episode! It will have you asking why it’s so cold in here, can a pig really have big feet (or wear high heels), if diamonds really are a girl’s best friend, and when did I have dead fish? Say hello, Dolly, and don’t forget to check out the website to lay those peepers and them there eyes on this week’s GIFs. Jeepers! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/carol-channing

Hey y’all, prepare yourselves for the Lynda Carter episode of The Muppet Show! It has everything! Wonder Women, Wonder Pigs, Rubberband Men, giant chickens, cannibal tiki idols, backwards alligators, Whiffenpoofs in sheep’s clothing, failed skiffle outfits, and orange colored skies. Plus digressions into The Apple, postcard ads, very early HBO, and John Denver shooting puppies with a BB gun. Grab...

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s the Christopher Reeve episode of The Muppet Show! WATCH his effortless charm! HEAR our hosts talk about Reeve-inspired sexual awakenings…some of them just this week! BRUSH up your Shakespeare! FLY east of the sun and west of the moon! TURN BACK TIME…but not with Somewhere in Time! Anyway…Christopher Reeve: Good at his job. https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/christopher-r...

It is a dark time for Muppeturgy. Mid episodes like Anne Murray, Phyllis George, and the sinister Jonathan Winters have taken a toll on the brave hosts. During the battle, Disney+ managed to serve up a not-so-secret episode starring Mark Hamill and the stars of Star Wars, a cast with enough charm to destroy an entire planet. Joined by the often mentioned, never before heard Todd Brian Backus, our...

Very special guest star Danny Lavery joins us to discuss a truly cursed episode of The Muppet Show, plus Mork & Mindy, racist tropes, surprise heterosexuality in the monoculture, and lions, tigers and aliens (oh my!) https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/jonathan-winters

We could blame Canada for this episode, but that would suggest they did something wrong, rather than give us the delightful Anne Murray (a Canadian working in the American idiom). Though a “middle of the middle” episode may suit the beigeness of Ms. Murray’s catalog a little too well, she’s a game guest star and everyone seems happy as a dodo to have her there. We also have a game guest star, the...

And the winner is…Phyllis George! For the rest of us it’s a tie at best. We’re joined by Joe Reid to talk award shows, sportscasting, Miss America, and when a clip show isn’t a clip show. https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/phyllis-george

We’ve made no secret about being Liza Minnelli fans and now the episode is finally here! Were we right to look forward to it all these weeks, or will we drink ourselves half blind over losing our love? It’s a quiet thing, but don’t worry, everything’s coming up roses and it’s gonna be a great day. With our very special guest star, Matt Baume! https://muppeturgy.com/episodes/liza-minnelli

It’s a jazzy good time of an episode, despite a guest star who appeared to only show up for half of it. But he has fun and so did we! We’ll talk about extremely glamorous fish, baffling Arabian numbers, bullfrog’s cheeks (that’s a myth! a myth!), the canonically important appearance of Waldorf’s wife Astoria, and the sadly less canonically important appearance of the Mayhem’s bongo player. https:/...

Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...no, wait, that’s not right. I mean it is technically right but...you know what I mean. It’s Lola Falana! She does some disco! Chickens cluck Meredith Wilson and Rodgers & Hammerstein! Gonzo is sad because he’s leaving the show! In some ways it feels like they tailored this episode directly to our interests. In other ways...not so much. We’ll get into it,...

The oil crisis invades the Muppet Theater! It’s…not great! But Kenny Rogers is pretty great. (And is not Kenny Loggins, in case you were confused about that, which is crazy why would anyone be confused about that?) He knows when to hold ‘em, knows when to fold ‘em, knows when to walk away, and knows when to run, but we debate whether the puppets in the famous Gambler number are creepy, brilliant,...