The Muppet Showis always a good comfort watch, whether you’ve seen each episode just once or maybe dozens of times. Each and every episode ofThe Muppet Showis a joy and a classic, so please don’t really consider this list a “best of” anything. We all have our favorites, and they are all of them valid. If it’s been a while since you sat down and had a nice marathon with Kermit and the gang, though, hopefully, this list can help you find a good place to dive back in. These episodes were chosen based on a wide variety of criteria, from great guest stars to amazing musical numbers to especially entertaining backstage shenanigans. These episodes are also pretty representative of the entire original series run, proving thatThe Muppet Shownever lagged over its five seasons in delivering laughs.
So, turn off your inner Statler & Waldorf (we all have them), and enjoy!
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9. Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy(Season 2, Episode 7)
Any episode that opens with an entirely chicken-performed musical number deserves a spot on this list.Edgar Bergen(the great American ventriloquist and father to Candice, herself an excellent host ofThe Muppet Show) was an indelible influence onJim Hensonand the Muppets. Alongside his sidekick Charlie McCarthy, it’s a blast to watch Bergen’s vaudeville sensibilities play against the weirder stylings of the Muppets. To be a Muppet fan is to be an appreciator of incredible puppetry alongside gorgeously written jokes, and this episode has both in spades.
8. Vincent Price(Season 1, Episode 19)
“Let the scariness begin,” proclaims Kermit at the top of this episode. The Muppets do spooky so well. Long beforeMuppets Haunted Mansion, Kermit and company were hospitable hosts to some of entertainment’s most beloved ghouls. When horror legendVincent Priceis introduced during the theme song with a horde of Muppet monsters surrounding him, you know you’re in for a good, terrifying time. Episode highlights include a silly and spooky rendition of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”
7. Lola Falana (Season 4, Episode 11)
Disney+ carries all 5 seasons of the show, so now you can get caught up on potentially forgotten gems of later seasons like this episode starring singing-dancing-acting triple threat,Lola Falana. Lola’s first number involves an iconic sparkly dress and a performance of “He’s The Greatest Dancer” alongside several Muppet dancers. This episode also contains one of the most beautiful backstage stories. Gonzo the Great is leaving the Muppets to become a movie star in Bombay. It’s a familiar artist’s journey of saying goodbyes and dealing with regrets, culminating in Gonzo’s heartbreaking mid-episode rendition of “My Way.”
6. Julie Andrews (Season 2, Episode 17)
This episode begins withJulie Andrewsand the Muppets doing “The Lonely Goatherd” together, and it’s just bangers all the way down. A backstage mystery for Kermit and Scooter to solve regarding how a non-puppet cow made its way into the theatre? Excellent. Gonzo playing the bagpipes on a flagpole only to be thwarted by a hungry beaver? Fabulous. Julie Andrews singingasong she wrote for Kermit? Perfect. No notes.
5. Cast ofStar Wars(Season 4, Episode 17)
“You’renota song and dance droid.” This episode is weirder than you remember and that’s what makes it great. Luke Skywalker, C-3P0, and R2-D2 bust through the dressing room wall, confused as anyone to find themselves on “a comedy variety show planet.” At one point, Luke runs into the scene, blaster drawn, shouting, “Remember Alderaan!” This episode is early proof of the wackier depths contained byMark Hamill, especially once he starts pulling performer double duty as both LukeandLuke’s identical cousin… Mark Hamill. The sight of Mark Hamill, clad in an argyle sweater vest, gargling Gershwin alongside an argyle gargoyle is always a pure delight.
4. Rita Moreno(Season 1, Episode 5)
Is there a better guest star and Muppet dynamic duo than the powerhouse of EGOT-holderRita Morenoand drumming phenomenon Animal? Bathed in sultry red lighting, Moreno and the Electric Mayhem launch into a rendition of “Fever,” only to be continuously derailed by Animal’s increasingly distracting drum riffs. Will it all end in some goofy physical violence? Would it beThe Muppet Showif it didn’t?
3. Alice Cooper(Season 3, Episode 7)
One of the Muppets’ greatest secret weapons is a well-deployed Sam the Eagle tirade. Midway through an episode that starts with a fog-laden, Dracula-costumed performance ofAlice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare,” Sam breaks into the rock star’s dressing room to let him know exactly how he feels. “Freakos, one. Civilization, zero,” Sam laments after Cooper thanks him for his opinion. This episode also confirms that Alice Cooper is an actual servant of Lucifer, and that’s a good, spooky time for everyone.
2. Elton John (Season 2, Episode 14)
“Eat your heart out, Kiki,” indeed! Purely wardrobe-wise, has there ever been a human better fit to join the Muppets thanSir Elton John? Performing alongside the Electric Mayhem as well as literal crocodiles, John’s iconic feathered costume for “Crocodile Rock” is a marvel to behold. Has Miss Piggy ever looked happier than having a co-star who finally shared her sartorial elegance? Piggy and John’s duet of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is an episode highlight for sure. In addition to all the Elton-fabulousness, this episode also finds time for a great Swedish Chef segment.
1. Harry Belafonte(Season 3, Episode 14)
When it comes to recommending great episodes ofThe Muppet Show, who would be better to trust than Jim Henson himself? Henson considered this episode to be among the best work in the series.Harry Belafonte’s effortless cool is a wonderful contrast to the goofy earnestness of the Muppet performers. In addition to performing his hit “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” albeit with frequent interruptions from Fozzie, Belafonte insisted on doing something “worthwhile” with his appearance. The final number of the episode is “Turn the World Around,” performed by Belafonte alongside specially designed and researched puppets meant to resemble African tribal masks. This performance was so beloved by Henson that Belafonte would reprise the song at Henson’s 1990 memorial service.
The Muppet Show is currently streaming on Disney+.
