The Muppet Show, guest-starring Joel Grey, Rowlf and Miss Piggy in ‘Sherlock Holmes and the case of the missing clues’, music includes ‘Cabaret’, ‘Comedy Tonight’, ‘Razzle Dazzle’ and ‘Pachalafaka’
The Muppet Show, episode 1.3, originally aired May 18, 1976, guest starring Joel Grey
The third episode of The Muppet Show begins with a hodgepodge of Muppet characters (including the explosive Crazy Harry, a personal favorite) performing Comedy Tonight. There’s actually a fair number of musical acts, such as Joel Grey (and a host of Muppets) singing Wilkommen, and towards the end performed Razzle Dazzle to cheer up a depressed Gonzo the great. Other songs include a favorite nonsense song, Pachalafaka, and a hilarious comedy sketch with Rowlf and Miss Piggy, parodying Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes and the case of the missing clues.
The final number has Joel Grey trying to cheer up the Great Gonzo, after his act has again fallen flat. Joel tries to give him some advice on performance and sings Razzle Dazzle.
This episode’s running gag is Fozzie’s new act, jokes on any subject, which he quickly drives the other Muppets to distraction. Oddly enough, he actually gets his comeuppance on his perpetual hecklers, Statler and Waldorf, by successfully coming up with a joke on ‘amoeba’ “Two amoeba’s go into a bar, and when they come out, the one says to the other, ‘Is that the sun or the moon?’ The other answers, ‘How would I know? I’m not from around here.'”
Funny quotes from The Muppet Show — Joel Grey
Kermit the Frog: It’s The Muppet Show with tonight’s guest star: Mr. Joel Grey.
Kermit the Frog: Our show tonight will feature some stuff that looks like this.
Fozzie: In our house, we use paper plates, and every night after dinner, my wife erases the dishes.
Kermit the Frog: Welcome. And what a show we have for you tonight. How would you like to see 4000 woodpeckers performing an aerial ballet, while 87 gorillas and 2 dozen elephants do “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”? Well, forget it, because instead, we’ve got Joel Grey as a guest star, which in a way is like having all the excitement of everything I mentioned without having to clean up afterward. But right now let’s get things rolling on The Muppet Show where we have “Comedy Tonight”.
Fozzie Bear: Hiya, Kermit.
Kermit the Frog: Oh, hi there, Fozzie. Hey, listen, you better go and get ready. Go in the dressing room and get ready, would you?
Fozzie Bear: Dressing room? I had a dressing room so small, all the mice were hunchbacked.
Kermit the Frog: Please, Fozzie, No jokes right now. I’m a tired frog.
Fozzie Bear: Tired frog? I knew a frog who got so tired he fell asleep during his nap.
Kermit the Frog: Fozzie, what is this?
Fozzie Bear: Oh, see, it’s my new act. See, it’s Jokes on Any Subject. You tell the subject, and the bear does the joke on it. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
Kermit the Frog: Oh, Fozzie, please!
Fozzie Bear: Please, take my wife! Please!
Kermit the Frog: Fozzie, why don’t you just go in the dressing room and get ready.
Fozzie Bear: Dressing room? I had a dressing room so small — ¦
Kermit the Frog: I heard it.
Fozzie Bear: Well what do you think about the act, Frog?
Kermit the Frog: Well, Fozzie, it’s got possibilities. Why don’t you work on it? Alone.
Fozzie Bear: Alone? Alone? This bear was left alone!
Waldorf: The show’s speeding along very quickly this evening.
Statler: Oh yes, someone must have told them it’s harder to hit a moving target.