The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
| The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years | |
|---|---|
| Genre |
Family film Television special |
| Created by | Henson Associates |
| Written by | Jerry Juhl |
| Directed by | Peter Harris |
| Starring |
Jim Henson Frank Oz Jerry Nelson Richard Hunt Dave Goelz Steve Whitmire Caroll Spinney |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jim Henson |
| Producer(s) |
Andrew Solt Diana Birkenfield |
| Editor(s) | Susan F. Walker Jim Milio Steve Muscarella Mark West |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | January 21, 1986 |
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years is a one-hour special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It was shot in Toronto, Ontario in 1985 and aired January 21, 1986 on CBS.
Various Muppets from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Sam and Friends, Uncle Traveling Matt and Sprocket the Dog from Fraggle Rock, and other Muppet-related characters host a banquet to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary by presenting a retrospective of their film and television appearances.
After a montage of various Muppet clips dating from 1955 to 1984, and overlaid with Ethel Merman singing "There's No Business Like Show Business", we find an elegant ballroom jam-packed with (as the announcer tells us) "all of Jim Henson's Muppets-except for those who couldn't make it".
Hosted by Fozzie Bear and featuring guest of honor Kermit the Frog, the program provides an overview of the Muppets's history and musical highlights. Kermit doesn't feel he deserves the cheesy words Fozzie uses to describe, but Fozzie insists, reminding Kermit that he was the one who began the Muppets's career. A clip from The Muppet Movie is shown, with Kermit getting the Muppets's their big break in Hollywood. A montage early appearances in the 1950s and early 1960s is then shown. These include clips from Sam and Friends, The Ed Sullivan Show, and commercials for Wilkins Coffee and La Choy. Kermit then mentions that Rowlf the Dog was "the first Muppet to have a regular spot on network television". A clip featuring Rowlf on The Jimmy Dean Show is shown. This is followed by a clip from The Ed Sullivan Show (with a clip from The Muppet Show replacing the actual sketch that Sullivan introduces), Kermit's 1975 appearance on Cher, and a clip Kermit's 1979 guest host appearance on The Tonight Show. Fozzie then introduces some of Kermit's old friends from Sam and Friends where Sam and Harry the Hipster are shown as Harry comments that Kermit is different from the last time he has seen him. When Kermit asks where Yorick is, Yorick appears next to him as he attempts to eat Kermit's arm.
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