I’ll be up front and profess my love and adoration for Jim Henson’s Muppets. The love goes way back to the days when I was a TV-obsessed munchkin where Kermit, Fozzie and the gang were akin to a security blanket, Kraft Dinner with a splash of ketchup or a sunny afternoon of making sandcastles. So I may be more than a little biased looking at the DVD release of The Muppet Show: the Complete Second Season.
Originally airing in 1977-78, season two of The Muppet Show saw the puppet variety format honed and perfected. The first season was something of a feeling out period as the writers and performers sought to figure out their characters and their relationships. The format was there from the start) bring in a guest celebrity, put together a collection of vaudevillian skits and musical numbers and top it off with puppet mayhem) but there were times where some things worked and others were downright awkward. Season two saw the characters and relationships click: Fozzie is loveable and insecure, Miss. Piggy is a control-freaked frog-lover and Kermit is the calm-headed ringmaster.
As The Muppet Show went from an experiment to a phenomenon, the star level of the guests rose as well. Sure, the likes of Juliet Prowse, Ruth Buzzi and Lena Horne are talented but they really don’t compare to the lasting legends that came on board in the second season such as Julie Andrews, Bob Hope, Lou Rawls and Steve Martin. Or Elton John, Charlie McCarthy and Peter Sellers.
When I was a kid, what drew me to the Muppets was the hilarious chaos that ran threw each and every episode. Like most every variety show, there’s the skits that keep reoccurring like the Swedish Chef and Pigs in Space where the overall purpose is much the same but the jokes keep piling on and on. Even at a young age I knew the Muppets were puppets, not living beings, but they still felt so real. Not far into season two, it’s clear that the rhythm is established and everyone involved has found comfort in their roles. Like a blanket. Or KD and ketchup. Or sandcastles on a sunny afternoon.
The Muppet Show: The Complete Second Season DVD Review
All 24 episodes have been kept intact and include the additional skits that were originally in the UK airings. They’ve been remastered and look very clean. As far as bonus features, the Complete Second Season includes the first ever releasing of the 1974 pilot The Muppets Valentine Special. Kermit is the only Season Two regular left from this often awkward special co-starring Mia Farrow. “The Muppets on the Muppets” is a collection of new interviews with the Muppets interviewing each other. Finally, there’s the recent Weezer music video “Keep Fishin'” in which the Muppets starred.
