The Muppet Show is thirty years old at this point, but outside of the dated
costumes and hairstyles of its guest stars the entertainment is still as
enjoyable today as then. If youre unfamiliar with The Muppet Show, each episode
takes place in the Muppet Theater and features as much commotion and comedy
backstage as it does for the onstage variety show numbers. Each episode features
a celebrity guest star and although they are all late seventies celebrities of
course, there are a wide variety of guests from music to film and TV. Guests in
Season Three include such diverse personalities as Alice Cooper and Liberace,
and its great to see performers such as Gilda Radner appear to be truly
enjoying themselves on the show. Classic Muppet skits such as Pigs in Space,
Muppet Labs, and the Swedish Chef make numerous appearances throughout Season
Three as well. With 24 total episodes, theres plenty of entertainment to be had
here.
While some of the jokes are aimed at adults, for the most part the entertainment
is geared towards children. They may not recognize any of the celebrities
appearing in the shows, but theyll like the numerous musical numbers and the
wild antics of the Muppets themselves. The bonus features are geared for adults,
though, and include a documentary on the puppeteers behind the Muppets, a look
at the origins of Kermit, and some old commercials that featured Muppet
characters. All of these will probably appeal to the forty-somethings that
watched The Muppet Show as kids.
