The Best Episodes Written By Jim Henson

Episode Rankings

1. #1 Fan Favorite
   

   7.7/10(6 votes)

   #1 - Rita Moreno

   S1:E29/12/1976

   Fozzie Bear becomes embroiled in a running gag involving the backstage phone. Throughout the episode, Rita parodies her combative image. She battles with several Muppets, including Miss Piggy, a Full-Bodied Muppet, and Animal, who's backing her on drums in her closing number, "Fever."

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson
2. 

   7.5/10(2 votes)

   #2 - Sylvester Stallone

   S3:E142/9/1979

   Sketches/Songs: ""Hawaiian War Chant"", ""Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"", ""Lady Be Good"", ""The William Tell Overture"", ""Veterinarian's Hospital"", Fozzie's Act, ""Bird in a Gilded Cage""

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson
3. 

   6.6/10(5 votes)

   #3 - The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence

   S0:E23/19/1975

   In this half-hour variety special, the Muppets parody the proliferation of sex and violence on television. Nigel, Sam the Eagle, and hippie guitarist Floyd prepare for a Pageant based on the Seven Deadly Sins.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson
4. 

   6.5/10(6 votes)

   #4 - Joel Grey

   S1:E19/5/1976

   Fozzie works on a new act -- jokes on any subject -- and drives everyone crazy. Finally, he gets on stage and asks for any word. Statler and Waldorf call his bluff by yelling out: "Amoeba!"

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson
5. 

   6.3/10(3 votes)

   #5 - Peter Ustinov

   S1:E810/24/1976

   Kermit becomes jealous when Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Hilda and Scooter rave about Peter Ustinov. At the end, Peter admits that he's jealous of Kermit; he's always wanted to be a frog.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Writer:Jim Henson
6. 

   6.3/10(3 votes)

   #6 - Raquel Welch with Phoebe Snow and John Sebastian

   S1:E184/24/1976

   Live from New York, It's...Chevy Chase Sketches include-- "Get to the fall Chevy!", Purina Rat Chow, Joseph Franklin's 10-letter Metric Alphabet, "The Claudine Longet Ski Invitational", "One Flew Over The Hornest Nest", Chevy tries to convince Raquel to take off her shirt, Baba Wawa, Bisexual Moment, The Muppets are finished on SNL.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson
7. 

   5.7/10(3 votes)

   #7 - Juliet Prowse

   S1:E191/16/1977

   Muppy, the favorite pet of The Muppet Theatre owner J. P. Grosse, becomes a prima donna when Kermit reluctantly allows him to do a musical number with Scooter. Muppy even gets his own dressing room and star billing, but Kermit draws the line when the dog asks to change the show's title to The Muppy Show. When Muppy locks himself in his dressing room and refuses to perform, Scooter does the number with Fozzie instead.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Writer:Jim Henson
8. 

   5.7/10(3 votes)

   #8 - Charles Aznavour

   S1:E1311/28/1976

   When he's unable to get a spot on the show, Gonzo asks Scooter to be his manager. Scooter advises Gonzo to do a rock act, banging on a large rock with a mallet. Later, Gonzo tries his hand at female impersonation, wearing a dress and a blonde wig. Scooter gives up managing when Gonzo eats his contract.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Writer:Jim Henson
9. 

   5.0/10(2 votes)

   #9 - Lena Horne

   S1:E910/31/1976

   Kermit cuts Miss Piggy's scheduled song so she won't look foolish following Lena Horne. He tells her that "there are singers and there are singers," making her think that he doesn't want her to show up Lena.

   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson

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   Director:N/A

   Writer:Jim Henson
10. 

    5.0/10(2 votes)

    #10 - Connie Stevens

    S1:E234/16/1977

    When Fozzie overhears Hilda, Kermit, and Scooter talking about getting rid of "that bear," he thinks they're talking about him, only to find out later it's actually Gonzo's teddy bear that everyone is badmouthing.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
11. 

    5.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Diana Ross

    S4:E244/4/1980

    The show's audience members are getting horrified at everyone on stage except Diana Ross.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
12. 

    4.5/10(2 votes)

    #12 - Jim Nabors

    S1:E49/26/1976

    A young kid named Scooter applies for a job as a go-fer. When Kermit remarks that he doesn't even look like a gopher, Scooter explains that he'll go-fer coffee, he'll go-fer sandwiches, he'll go-fer anything. Kermit says he doesn't have the money to hire him, until Scooter mentions that his uncle owns the theater.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
13. 

    4.5/10(2 votes)

    #13 - Sandy Duncan

    S1:E39/19/1976

    Fozzie performs Gags Beasley's famous "banana sketch," which everyone has heard of except Kermit. When Kermit asks Sandy and Fozzie to tell him what it is, they laugh too hard to explain it.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
14. 

    4.5/10(2 votes)

    #14 - Ruth Buzzi

    S1:E510/3/1976

    Scooter's uncle sends a mechanical, wind-up TV show host, an exact duplicate of Kermit. The robot harasses Kermit and flirts with Miss Piggy.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
15. 

    4.5/10(2 votes)

    #15 - Avery Schreiber

    S1:E1512/12/1976

    To make Kermit jealous, Miss Piggy instructs Scooter to tell him that Avery is in love with her. Kermit finds out that it's all a trick, and Piggy karate-chops everybody.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
16. 

    4.5/10(2 votes)

    #16 - Ethel Merman

    S1:E224/9/1977

    Fozzie's agent, Irving Bizarre, negotiates Fozzie's contract with Kermit. Kermit ends up offering Fozzie ten times as much money; unfortunately, Fozzie made nothing before. "Yeah, and don't forget," Irving says, "I get ten percent of that."

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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17. 

    4.5/10(2 votes)

    #17 - Vincent Price

    S1:E244/23/1977

    In honor of guest star Vincent Price, the show is filled with monsters, ghosts, bats, vampires and spooky situations. A three-headed monster auditions for the show: "We sing!" "No, we dance!" "No, we tell jokes!"

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
18. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #18 - Twiggy

    S1:E1612/19/1976

    Kermit is skeptical when everyone backstage is terrorized by "the Phantom of the Muppet Show." There turns out to be one, though -- Uncle Deadly, a monster-actor who performed in the theater years ago. After being panned by the critics, he vowed never to perform there again, and not to let anyone else perform either. He warns the Muppets, "Leave or be doomed!"

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
19. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #19 - Paul Williams

    S1:E610/10/1976

    Scooter talks Fozzie into doing "the telephone pole bit," and Fozzie practices dutifully until he finds out what the bit is: Fozzie dresses up as a public telephone, and Scooter asks what his name is. "Mike Oznowiczki," Fozzie says, and Scooter exclaims, "Oh, so you're the telephone Pole!"

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
20. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #20 - Florence Henderson

    S1:E710/17/1976

    The Muppet Theatre is plagued by a variety of pig-related problems, both onstage and off. First, The Bouncing Borsalino Brothers flub their act and crash through the stage floor. Backstage, Miss Piggy throws herself at an uninterested Kermit and then jealously interrupts his onstage Talk Spot, physically threatening guest star Florence Henderson, whom she thinks is horning in on her frog. The feud continues in the Panel Discussion as Florence throws pig slurs around.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
21. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #21 - Harvey Korman

    S1:E1011/7/1976

    Embarrassed about being the "token person" on the show, Harvey is dressed up as a giant chicken.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
22. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #22 - Candice Bergen

    S1:E1111/14/1976

    Fozzie brings a series of deliveries to Kermit, pestering the frog with lousy gags.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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23. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #23 - Ben Vereen

    S1:E1211/21/1976

    Fozzie gets stuck in a magician's trick cabinet. The cabinet is dragged onstage so that he can perform his act -- and at the end of the act, two pig stagehands tip the box over so he can take a bow. Crazy Harry, who makes frequent appearances (and frequent explosions) during the show, blows up the cage before the end of the show so that Fozzie can escape.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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24. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #24 - Phyllis Diller

    S1:E1412/5/1976

    Aging wardrobe woman Hilda puts on a wig and makeup to try to make herself look younger. She is spotlighted in a backstage plot for the first and last time.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson
25. 

    4.0/10(2 votes)

    #25 - Valerie Harper

    S1:E171/2/1977

    This is one of only a few Muppet Show episodes that open the show after the theme song with some kind of offstage scene. There's also a couple of scenes with the guest star in her dressing room conversing with Muppets instead of onstage in the Talk Spot. In last week's "At The Dance", Boppity danced in drag with another monster. This week Boppity appears as normal but his partner is in drag. In both instances, he ends up headless.

    Director:N/A

    Writer:Jim Henson

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    Writer:Jim Henson