Muppet Labs
From Muppet Wiki
Muppet Labs, where the future is being made today, is the site of scientific enquiry, technological breakthroughs, and sundry explosions on The Muppet Show. Headed by Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, the lab premiered in episode 108 and lasted all five seasons. During the first season, Bunsen worked alone. Beginning in season two, the good doctor acquired an assistant-cum-guinea pig, the hapless Beaker.
In each installment, Dr. Honeydew would present his latest scientific breakthrough, inventions which ranged from the gorilla detector to the Automatic Wastebasket. In the great Muppet tradition, the majority of these devices backfired, proving hazardous to all and sundry. In later episodes, such as episode 506, Muppet Labs and its inventions played a key role in the backstage plot.
For the first two seasons, the lab set consisted of computers and a desk against a plain background. In the third season, the set was changed to more closely resemble an office, with a wall clock (which was square in the third season, and circular after that) and a city backdrop. Most but not all of these later sketches began with a shot of the clock as the camera zoomed back to reveal the rest of the set.
Following the end of The Muppet Show, Muppet Labs still remained the premiere research laboratory of the Muppet universe, with new discoveries occurring on The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. The lab also plays a key role in Muppet*Vision 3D.
In Muppets from Space, Muppet Labs is headquartered in the basement of the Muppet Boarding House.
In merchandise, The Comic Muppet Book featured a "Muppet Labs" sketch, in which Bunsen tests out his Laugh-O-Matic, which makes the wearer laugh. The Muppets: On with the Show! featured a Muppet Labs level. The first Muppet playset released by Palisades Toys was a Muppet Labs Playset. The preview issue of The Muppet Show Comic Book featured a Muppet Labs sketch.
In 2007, Disney's "Living Characters Initiative" project launched the Muppet Mobile Lab, a theme park exhibit touring Disney's California Adventure and other Disney parks.
Contents |
Sketches
The Muppet Show Season 1 | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | All-Purpose Tenderizer | | Dr. Bunsen Honeydew displays the all-purpose tenderizer, which can make anything softer. He demonstrates by tenderizing a dish, a ladle, then he finds out that someone used the all-purpose tenderizer on the table. |
 | Robot Politician | | Dr. Honeydew shows off the robot politician (played by Peter Ustinov), who can become any kind of government ruler. The robot eventually overheats and explodes. |
 | Gorilla Detector | | Dr. Honeydew shows off his latest invention, a gorilla detector, which is devised to sound a warning whenever a gorilla approaches. During the demonstration, a gorilla arrives (a performer in a gorilla suit, rather than a puppet) and proceeds to smash the equipment. Dr. Honeydew steadfastly refuses to believe that the creature is a gorilla, however, since the detector hasn't gone off. The gorilla then attacks Bunsen, and the alarm finally goes off, albeit far too late. |
 | Exploding Clothes | | Dr. Honeydew shows off the latest in scientific apparel: exploding hats, exploding earmuffs, and exploding neckties.
|
The Muppet Show Season 2 | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
 | Magnetic Carrots | | Dr. Honeydew invents magnetic carrots, which attract steel rabbits
|
 | Bunsonium | | Bunsen shows off a liquid called "Bunsonium", which he and Beaker haven't been able to figure out what it does. They already know that it doesn't remove paint, it isn't a good glue, and causes unusual side effects when used as a shampoo (to which Beaker briefly pulls his hair off to show). Bunsen has Beaker drink it, and Beaker's head goes flat. |
 | Nuclear Shaver | | Beaker is supposed to try out the nuclear shaver, but is forced to wear a lead helmet which is so heavy his head goes down into his shirt. |
 | Hair-Growing Tonic | | Dr. Honeydew invents a new hair tonic. Despite his baldness, the good doctor naturally tests the elixir on Beaker, whose own hair flies off as a result. Bunsen then considers renaming the tonic "Hair-Raising Tonic". |
 | Teleporter | | Dr. Honeydew presents his teleporter, which can transport people from one location to another. This makes Kermit furious, so Bunsen transports him away. Meanwhile, the scientist attempts to retrieve Beaker, previously teleported to the jungles of Africa, and inadvertently brings back a friend, Quongo the Wild Mountain Gorilla in his debut. Bunsen sends them both back to Africa and tries to bring back just Beaker, but he only succeeds in bringing back Quongo and Kermit. |
 | Automatic Wastebasket | | Dr. Honeydew's newest invention, the Automatic Wastebasket, is efficient as a waste disposal unit, but has an insatiable hunger. |
 | Electric Nose Warmer | | Beaker tests out an electric nose warmer, which is a little too hot.
|
The Muppet Show Season 3 | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
 | Elevator Shoes | | Dr. Honeydew has good news for short, stubby people... like Beaker. He has invented elevator shoes, which increase the wearer's height. He pulls the lever, making Beaker grow (and revealing that Beaker wears striped socks).
|
 | Super Adhesive | | Gilda Radner volunteers to assist Bunsen and Beaker with the super glue that Dr. Honeydew invented. However, Gilda accidentally squirts glue all over, causing everybody to be stuck. |
| | Edible Paperclips | | Beaker enjoys eating edible paper clips...until his nose falls off. |
 | Shrinking Pills | | Bunsen shows off his new shrinking pills. Beaker eats too many and shrinks very small. |
 | Germ Enlarger | | Dr. Honeydew invents a solution that can make a small germ bigger, thereby making the microscope obsolete. But when Beaker tosses their microscope away, Bunsen threatens to dock his salary. This is soon forgotten once the Germ is enlarged, however, as it quickly engulfs Beaker, much to Bunsen's amusement. |
 | Fireproof Paper | | Despite what Bunsen claims, fireproof paper immediately ignites when Beaker lights it. However, his flammable water works fine.
|
The Muppet Show Season 4 | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
 | Banana Sharpener | | Bunsen creates a device which sharpens bananas, allowing them to be easily stored by sticking them in a wall (preferably with the attached slingshot). |
 | Luggage Compressor | | Dr. Honeydew invents a machine that can compress any type of travel baggage. |
 | Milking Machine | | Dr. Honeydew invents a milking machine which ends up changing Beaker's hair. |
 | Pet Converter | | Dr. Honeydew shows off an invention that can turn anything into a pet. The sketch features a look at Gaffer without her eye patch.
|
The Muppet Show Season 5 | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
 | Alchemy Machine | | Dr. Honeydew has invented a machine that can turn gold into cottage cheese. For the demonstration, Beaker has taken a gold bar from backstage, which security guard Bruno attempts to retrieve. The precious metal has already been converted into cottage cheese, however, so the guard chases after Beaker. |
 | Electric Sledgehammer | | The electric sledgehammer pounds Bunsen and Beaker instead of the nail. It then escapes from Muppet Labs, roaming about on a very long extension cord. |
 | Copying Machine | | Dr. Honeydew is sad because Beaker is missing, but he presents his latest invention, a copying machine. The nervous Beaker had fallen into the machine, and the lab assistant is duplicated as a result. In a running gag throughout the episode, the Muppet Theater is gradually overrun by Beaker clones.
|
The Jim Henson Hour | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
 | Exercise Shoes | | Dr. Honeydew has invented shoes that can help people to exercise while at work. Beaker wears the shoes and exercises his way to the ceiling, but then Bunsen says that the shoes automatically stop at the sound of a bell.
|
Muppets Tonight | |||
| Picture | Theme | Episode | Description |
 | Micro Shrink-o-Matic Machine | | In an attempt to emulate guest star Rick Moranis, Dr. Honeydew invents his own shrinking machine which only shrinks Beaker's head. |
 | Mood Meals | | Bunsen has developed snacks that release endorphins to the brain. A biscotti makes one incredibly nice, while a chimichanga makes them extremely evil. |
 | Robot Abraham Lincoln | | Dr. Honeydew invents a robotic version of Abraham Lincoln, which runs amuck. |
Muppets.com | |||
| Picture | Title | Description | |
 | Why... This... Takes... So...Long. | Dr. Honeydew gives hint on how to stop online delays. | |
 | A Keyboard Tutorial | Dr. Honeydew explains some keyboard shortcuts. | |
 | Meep-meep-meep...Disney.com | Dr. Honeydew explains some of the new features on Disney.com | |
 | The World Wide Waiting Game | Dr. Honeydew and Beaker showcase some games you can play while waiting on a slow Internet connection. | |
