Cuparia

There are three standout episodes on this disc of The Muppet Show: Season One, starting with the first (114) with special guest star Sandy Duncan.

One of the funniest episodes features Phyllis Diller (118), which includes, among other things, Phyllis on saxophone…

A surprise patient for Dr. Bob…

And exploding apparel from Muppet Labs…

Perhaps tied for humor is the episode featuring Vincent Price.

Sadly, one of the sketches was cut from the DVD (Vincent Price and friends singing “You’ve Got a Friend”)…

And a Cuparia Muppet Show report would not be complete without a log of references to Ohio. On this disc, the reference occurs in the episode with special guest star Ben Vereen (117). Fozzie, upon discovering a trick box left backstage by Marvo the Magician, disregards Kermit’s warnings and enters it only to get trapped inside. Alas, Marvo cannot release him because he is in Toledo. Will Fozzie escape the box in time for his act?

On this disc of the first season of The Muppet Show, the best episode overall was easily the one featuring Peter Ustinov (112). He took an obvious delight in working with Muppets, and seemed to fit in rather well amongst them.

The single best sketch, however, was in the Lena Horne episode (111), and wasn’t even included in the U.S. broadcast. It was a UK Spot with Zoot and Rowlf performing the “Theme from Love Story (Where Do I Begin)” and it is simply beautiful. The saxophonist was Frank Reedy and the pianist was Derek Scott. Exquisite.

After too many years to mention (since the original airing?), I started watching The Muppet Show again. The episode (105) with guest star Rita Moreno is by far the best one on the disc (and judging from the fact that she won an Emmy for that appearance, I daresay it was the best of the season). It even featured her in a tango number!

View larger image

Of special interest to me were the two references to my home state of Ohio. In one segment, Kermit announces an act he discovered as he was waiting in a bus station in Toledo, Ohio: the notorious Marvin Suggs and his Muppaphone. In another segment that originally aired only in the U.K., The Country Trio performed the song “To Morrow” about a town in Ohio named Morrow.

The episode was genuinely hilarious, and Rita Moreno was spectacular.

I must remember to add Muppet Wiki to my Links page.
[Edit: Added.]