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At the end of The Muppet Show's closing theme, the final shot always featured Zoot playing a low blast on his saxophone. This came from the need by the original British producer, Associated TeleVision, to broadcast its logo at the beginning and end of every show in order to distinguish its shows from those by others which aired on Independent Television in the United Kingdom. Outside the UK, distributor ITC Entertainment (part of the same company as ATV) would use its logo, with only the first season internationally acknowledging both, with the orchestra shot for ATV and Zoot for ITC.
After Jim Henson Productions acquired full rights to The Muppet Show, the Zoot shot would sometimes be replaced by new footage or simply have logos altered. In some cases, the shot would be cut entirely with the closing sax note heard over the Jim Henson Company logo.
| Image | As seen in / Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
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The Muppet Show Season 1 (1976-1977) |
The original international version with the ATV credit over the orchestra shot followed by the ITC logo in the center. A German version of this shot had the ZDF logo against a black background. |
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The Muppet Show Season 2 (1977-1978) |
On several episodes (including episodes 214 and 221), the ITC logo is also superimposed over the orchestra shot. |
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The Muppet Show Seasons 1-2 (1976-1978) |
The original ATV version for UK broadcasts. |
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The Muppet Show Seasons 3-5 (1978-1981) |
New shot featuring a blue Zoot puppet. On episode 302, the ITC logo is also superimposed over the orchestra shot. Certain episodes of season 5 feature "An ACC Company" (instead of "An ATV Company") under the ITC logo. |
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The Muppet Show Seasons 3-5 (1978-1981) |
The original ATV version for UK broadcasts. |
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The Muppet Show (Mid-1980s) |
The 1980s ending, featuring Zoot playing the note, then looking startled as the Henson International Television logo ("hit!"), appearing on a bubble, flew out of the sax. There were several different versions of this ending, with season 1 and 2 episodes using only one version of Zoot without his hat. However, different shots of Zoot with his hat were filmed for seasons 3-5, with one being used for TV broadcasts and two only appearing on the show's DVD releases. This ending was used on reruns of The Muppet Show on BBC from 1986 to 1987, as well as broadcasts in Russia. |
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The Muppet Revue (1985) |
The video uses the Zoot and Rowlf shot from the Season 5 opening. |
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The Muppet Show (1988-1992) |
On TNT airings, the 1980s ending shot was used, except a logo-less bubble would fly out of the sax, then the screen dissolve to the 1989 Jim Henson Productions animated "Kermit hand" logo variants. |
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The Muppet Show (1994 - ) |
The Sax and Violence ending, featuring a shot of Zoot playing the note, then nodding twice as seen in the number from Episode 102: Connie Stevens. This ending was used after the ending credits of the It's the Muppets! VHS releases, reruns of The Muppet Show on Nickelodeon, international broadcasts, and on various other home video releases. |
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Best of the Muppet Show (2002) |
The 1980s ending with the logo bubble removed. The first two episodes featured on each volume use the same ending shot of Zoot wearing his hat, which is slightly different from the version previously used on TV. On volume 3, at the end of episode 314, it was replaced with a blank version of the Sax & Violence closing shot. A third version of the 1980s ending (along with the season 1 "hatless" variant) was used on The Muppet Show: Season One to Season Three DVD releases, as well as on Disney+. |
Alternate Endings[]
| Image | As seen in / Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
  |
Episode 123 (1976) |
The original ending shot for the Kaye Ballard episode. In this version, Rowlf plays the final piano chord (the correct note, as opposed to the normal closing theme) and looks at the camera nervously, while Nigel bows. |
 |
Episode 123 (1976) |
The replacement ending shot for the Kaye Ballard episode. In this version, the band is shown backstage with Kermit sitting on the railway, waving. On Disney+, the original ATV shot of Rowlf finishing the theme remains unaltered, but cuts to the replacement shot as he plays the final note. Similar, alternate footage of the band backstage was used on The Disney Channel and on Dutch television. This is an outtake from "Fugue For Frog," which may have been intended as an episode promo. |
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Episode 308 (1978) |
Zoot playing off-key at the train station from the Loretta Lynn episode. |
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Episode 314 (1978) |
The final note is played not by Zoot, but onstage by the "Spirit" African Mask. |
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Episode 321 (1979) |
With the entire orchestra afflicted with cluckitis, Zoot in chicken form plays the final note. |
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Episode 407 (1979) |
In this version the end theme is played by M.A.M.M.A. Animal slams into M.A.M.M.A. and faints as it plays the final note. |