Episode 207: Edgar Bergen

The Muppet Show
Guest	Edgar Bergen
Production	July 12-15, 1977
Premiere	UK: November 11, 1977 NYC: October 10, 1977
Releases	Season Two Best of the Muppet Show
(TRANSCRIPT)

Inspired by Edgar and his dummies, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, Fozzie tries his hand at a ventriloquism act. Unfortunately, he doesn't really understand the principle behind the act, and expects his dummy to talk on his own.

Songs/Sketches

• "Baby Face"
• "Consider Yourself"
• Muppet News Flash
• Gonzo's Act: Gonzo wrestles a brick.
• Pigs in Space: Miss Piggy's Important Job
• UK Spot: "Show Me a Rose"
• Fozzie's Comedy Act: Chuckie the ventriloquist's dummy.
• "Time in a Bottle"
• "Down at Papa Joe's"
• Edgar, Charlie and Miss Piggy

Notes

• Louise Gold is now a full-time performer starting with this episode, though she'll still be uncredited until the next season. Her voice can be heard during the song "Consider Yourself".

• The shot of the chickens in the audience following the opening number was previously used after Gonzo's dancing chicken act in episode 204. In fact, because of this, it appears that T.R. Rooster is both on stage and in the audience at the same time.

Episode

Picture	Description
	Cold Open: When Scooter calls for guest star Edgar Bergen, he is comforting Charlie McCarthy who cannot believe his eyes when he meets the Blue Frackle. The Blue Frackle cannot believe his eyes either when he meets "a stick of wood that talks."
	"The Muppet Show Theme": Gonzo's trumpet fires off a gun shot, kicking him back out of frame.
	T.R. the Rooster conducts a chicken choir, who cluck out "Baby Face."
	Backstage, Kermit the Frog is confronted by the singing chickens who are having issues with their dressing room. Kermit assures them that he will look into building a coop out back. Anything to avoid the chickens' union. Kermit meets Charlie McCarthy for the first time, who proves that he can be difficult and trying (he can also be difficult without trying). Fozzie, Gonzo, Scooter, Janice, Uncle Deadly, the Chickens, the Pigs and the Monsters then join Kermit in welcoming Edgar and Charlie to the family by singing "Consider Yourself." Charlie : Bergen, this is not a television show, this is a zoo!
	Muppet News Flash: The Newsman reports on an embarrassing situation in which the Muppet Newsman went on camera without his pants.
	Gonzo's stunts: A blindfolded Gonzo wrestles a brick... and loses.
	Kermit is trying to get the next sketch onstage, but Fozzie interrupts him to ask for supplies for his act. Impressed with Edgar Bergen's ability to get screams of laughter with Charlie McCarthy, Fozzie has decided to do his own ventriloquist act. Kermit: "There he goes! the dummy, and his dummy."
	Pigs in Space: The Swinetrek is on the verge of a hideous catastrophe! Dr. Julius Strangepork determines that the only one with the skills to pull them out of this is First Mate Miss Piggy. Only she can operate the independent heating/unifying element across the horizontal, equalizing plane. That is, iron laundry.
	UK Spot: Rowlf the Dog sings the Groucho Marx song "Show Me a Rose."
	Fozzie stops by Edgar's dressing room to get advice for his act and to meet Mortimer Snerd. Mortimer questions whether or not he's even there. He wasn't there the day before, and he rarely travels, so he probably isn't.
	Fozzie's Comedy Acts: Fozzie tries to perform with Chuckie, but the dummy won't cooperate. Fozzie gets desperate, begging Chuckie to say something. Finally, Kermit has to come out to explain to Fozzie what ventriloquism is. Once Fozzie understands, he performs his act, "Chuckie, who was that lady I saw you with last night? (muffled; as Chuckie) That was no lady, that was my wife." When Fozzie leaves the stage, Chuckie comes to life to explain, "Actually, I spent the night alone."
	A scientist sings "Time in a Bottle," gradually growing younger as he creates different potions. Finally, at the end, he explodes, returning him to his original age.
	Chickens play "Down at Papa Joe's" on the piano. Statler and Waldorf hate the act until they are threatened by the Giant Chicken.
	Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy are on for their act. Charlie explains that he has enjoyed himself on the show, as there isn't much else to enjoy. Charlie takes turns insulting the various Muppets, all because he's lonesome and misses the companionship of a gorgeous female. Enter Miss Piggy. When Charlie offends her too, she tries to hit him with a karate chop, but she hurts her hand on the solid oak.
	At the closing, Charlie is afraid to go back onstage if Piggy's still there. Kermit assures him that there's nobody onstage but a frog. Charlie then tries to explain to Kermit what they used to do to frogs in biology class.

Edits

• When aired on Nickelodeon, Gonzo's brick wrestling act was cut, as was the Statler & Waldorf comment after the chickens' piano-playing act.

Gallery

rehearsal

Cast

Muppets:

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Blue Frackle, Uncle Deadly, The Newsman, Link Hogthrob, Giant Chicken, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Chucky, The Scientist, T.R. the Rooster, Chickens

Background Muppets:

Miss Kitty, Luncheon Counter Monster, Frackles, Koozebanian Phoob, Janice, Pigs

Performers

Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Waldorf, The Newsman, Link Hogthrob and the Scientist

Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and Chickens

Jerry Nelson as Chucky, Blue Frackle, Uncle Deadly, Dr. Strangepork, the Announcer and Chickens

Richard Hunt as Scooter, Statler, Pig Crew Member and Chickens

Dave Goelz as Gonzo

Louise Gold as others (uncredited)

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