Episode 123: Kaye Ballard

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The Muppet Show
Guest Starring	Kaye Ballard
Production Dates	November 23-26, 1976
Home Video	Season One

Tired of the "embarrassingly square" theme song, bass player Floyd Pepper informs Kermit that he and the band are quitting. Kermit says their conductor Nigel will write a new theme, but Floyd refuses: "He wrote the first one, man." Floyd performs his idea for a new theme, a dreadful Zappa-esque piece called "Fugue for Frog." Kermit won't use it, so the band leaves. The closing theme is performed solo by Rowlf on the piano.

Contents 1 Songs/Sketches 2 Notes 3 Cast 4 Performers 5 Edits

Songs/Sketches

• The Country Trio performs "In the Summertime."
• Kaye dances and sings a duet, "Oh Babe What Would You Say," with the giant blue monster Thog.
• Muppet News Flash
• At the Dance
• UK Spot: "Life Gets Teejus Don't It"
• Talk Spot
• A Monster Gets a Haircut
• The Vendaface machine turns a hideous woman into a beautiful woman, and then gives another woman the hideous woman's features.
• Kaye and Miss Piggy battle to upstage each other as the Muppet orchestra plays "One Note Samba."

Notes

• This is the only episode of the season to have a completely different ending than the canned footage of the Muppet orchestra playing the end, keeping with the theme of Floyd and the band being on strike as seen in the closing. Here, Rowlf is playing a piano version of the end theme while Nigel watches him. Also, this is the first episode where someone other than Statler and Waldorf have the closing joke, which in this case is Rowlf complaining about the theme.

• This is also the first episode with two separate final shots: one of Rowlf embarrassingly finishing the closing while Nigel bows, and another that cuts backstage, showing the band as they were for "Fugue for Frog" while Kermit sits on the railing waving.

Cast

Muppets:

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Floyd Pepper, Jim Henson Muppet, Frank Oz Muppet, Jerry Nelson Muppet, Zoot, Trumpet Girl, Animal, Thog, Nigel, The Newsman, Janice, George the Janitor, Mildred Huxtetter, Shouting Lady, Herman, Paul, Vendaface, Whatnots

Background Muppets:

Dr. Teeth, Hilda, Rover Joe, Zelda Rose, Scooter, Gonzo, Pigs, Sexy Muppet, Rat

Performers

Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Waldorf, The Newsman, Rover Joe, and Jim Henson Muppet

Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Animal, Scraggly Woman, Fozzie Bear, Frank Oz Muppet, George the Janitor, and Mildred

Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper, Thog, Jerry Nelson Muppet, Paul, Barber's Customer, Shouting Lady, Herman, and Vendaface

Richard Hunt as Statler

Dave Goelz as Zoot

John Lovelady as Nigel and Barber

Eren Ozker as Trumpet Girl, Janice, and Plain Woman

Edits

• CTS: The UK spot Life Gets Teejus is cut.

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