The Lone Ranger
From Muppet Wiki
The Lone Ranger is a character who originated on the radio in the 1930s and went on to become one of the most iconic fictional cowboys. The Lone Ranger, a masked man who was the sole survivor of an ambush on his Texas Ranger troop, rides the range with a cloud of dust, his faithful Indian companion Tonto, silver bullets, and a hearty "Hi, ho, Silver!" to his trusty steed. The program debuted on Detroit station WXYZ in January 1933 and remained on the air until 1956. Its theme song, the strains of the "William Tell Overture," would become forever identified with the Lone Ranger, following him into movies, TV, and commercials.
The Ranger's adventures were black and white morality plays, thrilling but with unusually fastidious habits and a minimum of bloodshed and mayhem. The radio series, though broadcast regionally, gained national interest and, as other individual stations picked up the program, led to the formation of the Mutual Broadcasting System. The Lone Ranger was soon adapted for comic books, film serials, and a television series, as well as inspiring countless parodies and becoming an iconic symbol of the idealized Old West, a sterling knight amongst the sagebrush. As such, the Ranger has been the target of spoofs and joking asides, including several in the Muppet universe.
References
- In Hey Cinderella!, when preparing for the costume ball, the Fairy Godmother pulls out a black mask which a nice man on a horse gave to her. He also tried to give her his faithful Indian companion.
- The song "You Don't Mess Around with Jim," performed by the Country Trio in The Perry Como Winter Show, notes that "you don't tear the mask off that old Lone Ranger."
- The story "Hopalong Herbert Out West," included in The Sesame Street ABC Storybook, has a masked horse surprising Herbert Birdsfoot by riding him and shouting "Hi, ho, Herbert! Away!"
- A sixth season Muppet Babies episode is titled "The Green Ranger." Baby Kermit adopts that identity in a fantasy when his favorite show, The Range Rider, is canceled. However, the Range Rider bears a stronger resemblance to the likes of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry than to the famous masked man.
- In "Elmo's World: Birds," the Bird Channel announcer mentions The Loon Ranger.
