Episode 204: Pierce Brosnan

Muppets Tonight
Air Date	October 12, 1997
Written by	Dick Blasucci, Paul Flaherty, Darin Henry, Jim Lewis, Kirk Thatcher and Patric Verrone
Director	Gary Halvorson

Pierce Brosnan is depressed over the fact that he isn't as debonair as his James Bond character, but he finally gets a chance to prove himself when the Crustacean Liberation Army attempts to take the Muppet Studios hostage and only he can save them.

Skit Highlights

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)"
The Dancing Grandmas
The Spy in the Casino Sketch / "Whatever Lola Wants"
Bay of Pigswatch
Swift Wits
At the Bar - Knight School
Pierce juggles with Andy and Randy Pig
"Rock Lobster" sung by the Rock Lobsters
"A cheap knockoff of a James Bond song" sung by Johnny Fiama

Trivia

When Brosnan performed the fire eating trick at the end of the episode, he ended-up burning his mouth.^[1]

“

The former James Bond studied the circus art at theatre school in his youth just because he thought the class would help him meet attractive women and he was thrilled when Tv bosses suggested he show off his party trick during one of the Muppets' final Tv variety shows.

He says, "I did The Muppets... after I did the first James Bond movie, and they said, 'We'd like you to be on the show. Do you sing or dance?' and I said, 'No, but I used to do a fire eating act...' and so we incorporated this into the show... I blew fire."

The rehearsal went well but then a prop master suggested he try the scene again with a different fuel, and Brosnan was left with a scorched mouth.

The actor recalls, "I did the take but it was like rocket fuel and it came right back into my mouth... It's on YouTube I think, and you see this blue flame and it just goes right back into my mouth."

”

This episode was shot as part of the first season (production number 113), but was not aired until the second.
As part of a long history of words as music cues on the show, whenever someone refers to Istanbul and Constantinople, several rats pop up and sing the rather obvious song.

Performers

Bill Barretta - Pepe, Johnny Fiama, Bobo, Clueless Morgan, David Hoggselhoff, Ernst Stavros Grouper (Blowfish), Snookie Blyer, Big Mean Carl, Zippity Zap

Kevin Clash - Clifford, Arthur Modell, Polly Lobster

Dave Goelz - Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Randy Pig, Waldorf, Lobster

Brian Henson - Seymour, Sal Manilla, Nigel, KMUP camera man

Jerry Nelson - Statler, Dr. Strangepork, Rock Lobster, Penguin

Frank Oz - Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear

Steve Whitmire - Kermit the Frog, Beaker, Andy Pig, Rizzo the Rat

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph - Spamela Hamderson

Alice Dinnean-Vernon

Thom Fountain

John Kennedy - Female Rock Lobster

Bruce Lanoil

Len Levitt