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The Muppet Show
Alan Arkin01
Guest Alan Arkin
Production February 11-16, 1980
Premiere UK: March 7, 1980
NYC: March 24, 1980[1]

(TRANSCRIPT)

Alan accidentally drinks Bunsen Honeydew's Jekyll-and-Hyde potion, and turns into a rampaging monster. He runs amuck, as the ultra-cute Bun-Bun Brothers sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah." When Kermit catches Alan in a net, he turns back into himself. Soon, Kermit takes a sip of the potion himself.

Songs/Sketches[]

Notes[]

  • This episode was nominated for two Emmy Awards: Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, and Outstanding Individual Achievement: Creative Technical Crafts.

Episode[]

Picture Description
Arkin01
Cold Open: Scooter knocks on Alan Arkin's dressing room door to ask him if he got the milkshake he ordered. Alan says that The Swedish Chef is working on it, as he turns to find the Chef jubilantly shaking a cow.
Arkin02

Gonzo open 420
"The Muppet Show Theme": Beauregard mops Rowlf's piano keys while he's still playing it.

Gonzo's trumpet mimics a typewriter.

Arkin03
The Devil and Johnny play "The Devil Went Down to Georgia".
Arkin04
Kermit compliments the Devil, telling him he was good. The Devil is offended, insisting that he's not supposed to be good.
Arkin05
The Bun-Bun Brothers ask to do a number, but Kermit says that if he lets Singing Rabbits go on, the Dancing Carrots will cancel.
Arkin06
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew attempts to take a glass of bicarbonate of soda up to Alan Arkin's dressing room when he bumps into Beaker carrying an identical glass filled with Ultra Power Jekyll-Hyde Potion. Floyd, reading a copy of Variety in the background, looks on as the two switch their glasses. Floyd: "This could be a very different kind of show tonight."
Arkin07
Bunsen brings the potion to Alan in his dressing room; Alan drinks it thinking that it's the bicarbonate, and proceeds to transform into a monster and trashes the room.
Arkin09
Kermit introduces Alan for the next number, but Scooter warns that he might not want to do that right now as he's changed. Kermit: "Well, of course he's changed. He had to put on his costume for this number."
Arkin08
On stage, the Bun Bun Brothers sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" on a set of green fields and trees with a rainbow backdrop. Alan, in his monster form, storms into the number violently tearing the set apart and brutally beating the bunnies. One bunny tries to hide in Statler and Waldorf's box, but they toss the bunny back.
Arkin10
After the number, Kermit has a group of pigs waiting in the wings to capture their guest star before he causes any more trouble. Just as they secure him with rope, Alan Arkin comes out of his monster form, confused. Oblivious to events, he's ready to do his number, but Kermit had to cancel it. Alan retreats to his dressing room weeping.
Arkin11
Kermit believes the horror has ended, but Bunsen assures him that it comes and it goes, just as Alan reemerges on another rampage.
420 rhythm
Fozzie blunders through "I Got Rhythm", until Rowlf changes the song to "I Don't Got Rhythm".
Pigsinspace420
Pigs in Space: The Swinetrek is in distress as the ship has developed a tilt. First Mate Piggy offers to help at Link Hogthrob's station. As she moves to the center of the room, the ship corrects itself. After moving back to her seat, Dr. Julius Strangepork has figured out that she's the cause. Link eventually catches on and proceeds to make fat jokes at his first mate's expense. Piggy gets the last laugh as she uses the blunder to her advantage by sliding her crewmates toward her for a beating.
Arkin13
UK Spot: an angel sings "You're No Good" to her old boyfriend, The Devil.
Arkin14
Fozzie's Comedy Act: Fozzie tells a joke which Waldorf actually finds pretty funny, "What do you get when you cross the Atlantic with the Titanic? Halfway!" Statler is not amused as he claims to be a survivor of the Titanic: "It wasn't funny then and it wasn't funny now." Waldorf jokes that Statler still has the dress he wore to get on the lifeboat.
Arkin15
Intending to dispose of it, Bunsen leaves a glass of Ultra Powerful Jekyll-Hyde Potion on Kermit's desk just as he's announced to be on stage for Muppet Labs. Kermit, feeling kind of thirsty, drinks the entire glass from a straw, unaware of its contents.
Arkin16
Predictably, he turns into a raging monster chasing away the Bun Bun Brothers, having previously promised to protect them from Alan Arkin.
Arkin17
Alan walks down the stairs from his dressing room to speak to Kermit about the closing number. Not realizing anything is wrong at first, Alan can't grasp why Kermit would be annoyed with him, stating that he thought his number would be something to really grab the audience. Kermit bites him on the wrist, wrestling him to the ground twice.
Arkin18
An old lady is singing "Let Me Go, Lover" as she's wrapped by a snake until Monster Kermit interrupts the act.
Arkin19
Having chased the old lady off the stage, Kermit wraps himself in the stage curtain and emerges as himself. Scooter assures him that Alan has been his old, lovable self for at least a few minutes and Kermit introduces the guest star for the finale.
Arkin20
Backed by The Electric Mayhem, Alan sings "Pig Shuffle", his own composition about the life of a pig. The lyrics are less than glorifying, and enrage an onlooking Miss Piggy who storms the stage, ending the number with a karate chop. However, the blow causes Arkin to turn back into a monster, scaring Miss Piggy off the stage.
Arkin21
As Kermit thanks Alan Arkin for being on the show, Bunsen warns them that the Bun Bun Brothers drank the Jekyll-Hyde potion just as they rush the trio as ferocious bunnies. Chaos ensues as Arkin attempts to fend off the bunnies with several karate chops.
Arkin22
Statler: You think that Jekyll-Hyde stuff is expensive?

Waldorf: No, my wife has a whole glass of it every morning!

Cast[]

Muppets:

Kermit the Frog, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Bun-Bun Brothers, Beaker, Scooter, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Rowlf the Dog, Floyd Pepper,The Devil, Animal, Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf, Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Dr. Teeth, Johnny, Beauregard

Background Muppets:

Janice, Zoot, Slim Wilson, Zeke, Lubbock Lou, Demons, Squirrel, Snake, Pigs

Performers[]

Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Link Hogthrob, Swedish Chef, Waldorf, Bun-Bun Brother and Old Man Singer
Frank Oz as Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal and Bun-Bun Brother
Jerry Nelson as Dr. Julius Strangepork, the Devil, Floyd Pepper, Bun-Bun Brother and the Announcer
Richard Hunt as Scooter, Beaker, Statler, Bun-Bun Brother and Angel
Dave Goelz as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beauregard, Johnny, and Bun-Bun Brother
Steve Whitmire as Bun-Bun Brother
Louise Gold as Lead Angel and Old Lady
Kathy Mullen as Angel

Gallery[]

Sources[]

  1. The New York Times TV listings, Mar 24, 1980


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