Muppet Show, The [TV Show] (DVD)

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I'm sure that my opinions have been colored by sentimentality, but the strongest episodes are ones that feature those old hams, along with the Elton John, Bernadette Peters, and Peter Sellers segments. In fact, both Peters and Sellers received an Emmy nomination for their work, as did writer Peter Harris for the John episode ("Crocodile Rock"? You bet!). An episode featuring ballet impresario Rudolph Nureyev dancing "Swine Lake" with Miss Piggy is also pretty unforgettable.

The half-hour show combined fresh routines each week with running gags. The famous opening song remained unchanged, with Gonzo then trying to blow a trumpet with varying disastrous results-a gag that was used in the old "Mickey Mouse Club" with Donald Duck, and even in the opening of "The Simpsons." This season's ballroom dance routine will seem like a more elegant variation of the old "Laugh-In" go-go dance sequence, which has brief stoppages to feature two-line jokes, mostly puns. This season's running "soap operas"--yet another framework for jokes--are "Veterinarian Hospital," featuring Miss Piggy as a nurse, and the "Star Trek" take-off, "Pigs in Space." It's all corny, silly, slapstick fun, with equal measures of bad jokes or puns and physical comedy.

Video:
The picture quality is pretty decent, given the time perioid (1977-78). There's a little graininess, which you'd expect, and the kind of slightly faded color that seems to have plagued a number of '70s shows. But the emphasis is on "slight" here. It's really not that bad--just noticeable. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1.

Audio:
Nothing fancy here. Just a Dolby Digital Mono that does the job. At least it's not muffled or flat-sounding, as is sometimes the case.

Extras:
A nice surprise here. Fans of the show are treated to three bonus features, the best of which is a pre-"Muppets Show" Valentine's Day special which aired on January 30, 1974. It's a rare artifact that's presented here for the first time on home video. Fans of music videos will get a kick out of "Keep Fishin'," by Weezer and The Muppets in a battle of the bands. It'll be a kid favorite. The last of the extras is "The Muppets on The Muppets," one of those in-character interviews with the gang. Personally, I'd rather they interviewed the Muppeteers.

Bottom Line:
If you were thinking of only adding one season of "The Muppet Show" to your family video collection, this might be the season. Besides that Emmy to recommend it, there are a number of strong guest appearances.

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