Muppets Tonight facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muppets Tonight
Clifford, host of Muppets Tonight
Genre	Comedy
Created by	Jim Henson Productions
Directed by	Greg V. Fera Brian Henson Tom Trbovich Gary Halvorson
Starring	Dave Goelz Brian Henson Jerry Nelson Steve Whitmire Kevin Clash Bill Barretta Frank Oz Leslie Carrara-Rudolph
Composer(s)	Richard Gibbs
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	22 (list of episodes)
Production
Production location(s)	Hollywood Center Studios Hollywood, California
Running time	22–24 minutes
Production company(s)	Jim Henson Productions
Distributor	Buena Vista Television
Release
Original network	ABC Disney Channel
Original release	March 8, 1996 (1996-03-08) – February 8, 1998 (1998-02-08)

Muppets Tonight is a fun American TV show. It mixes live actors with puppets, especially the famous The Muppets. This show was made by The Jim Henson Company. It was a bit like The Muppet Show, but instead of a theater, it took place in a busy TV studio.

Unlike the original Muppet Show, Muppets Tonight often had many guest stars. There was usually one main celebrity, but others would pop in for quick appearances. For example, in the Garth Brooks episode, Leonard Nimoy made a surprise visit.

The show first aired on ABC from March to July 1996. Later, Disney Channel showed reruns from 1997 to 2000.

What the Show Was Like

Muppets Tonight was set up as a variety and talk show on a TV channel called KMUP. Clifford was the host. The show followed a similar style to The Muppet Show. It had many different skits, often featuring the human guest star. At the same time, something funny or crazy would always be happening backstage!

Meet the Muppets

Muppets You Might Know

Here are some Muppets who were already famous and appeared on Muppets Tonight:

• Clifford (played by Kevin Clash) – He hosted the show because no one else wanted the job!
• Kermit the Frog (played by Steve Whitmire) – He was the producer of the show.
• Animal (played by Frank Oz) – The wild drummer.
• Beauregard (played by Dave Goelz) – The Janitor at KMUP.
• Bean Bunny (played by Steve Whitmire) – A small, cute bunny.
• Behemoth (played by Bill Barretta) – Ernst Stavros Grouper's helper.
• Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (played by Dave Goelz) – The scientist from Muppet Labs, showing off his inventions.
• Beaker (played by Steve Whitmire) – Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's nervous assistant.
• Dr. Julius Strangepork (played by Jerry Nelson) – He appeared in a "Bay of Pigswatch" skit.
• Clueless Morgan (played by Bill Barretta) – A goat from Muppet Treasure Island. He owned a bar with Polly Lobster.
• The Elvises (played by Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson, and Bill Barretta) – A group of Muppets who looked like Elvis Presley. They starred in "Great Moments in Elvis History."
• Eugene (played by Steve Whitmire) – A mink who helped Nigel.
• George the Janitor (played by Steve Whitmire) – Another Janitor at KMUP.
• Gonzo the Great (played by Dave Goelz) – He performed his amazing stunts on the show.
• Fozzie Bear (played by Frank Oz) – The comedian bear.
• J.P. Grosse (played by Kevin Clash) – The owner of the Muppet Theater, who sometimes appeared as a crew member.
• Miss Piggy (played by Frank Oz) – The fabulous diva.
• Mulch (played by Kevin Clash) – Dr. Phil van Neuter's assistant.
• Polly Lobster (played by Kevin Clash) – A lobster from Muppet Treasure Island. He owned a bar with Clueless Morgan.
• Rizzo the Rat (played by Steve Whitmire) – The Production assistant for the show.
• Rowlf the Dog (played by Bill Barretta) – He played the piano in some acts.
• Sam the Eagle (played by Frank Oz) – He hosted "The Eagle's Nest."
• Andy and Randy Pig (played by Steve Whitmire and Dave Goelz) – Miss Piggy's silly nephews.
• Statler and Waldorf (played by Jerry Nelson and Dave Goelz) – The two old hecklers, watching the show from different places.
• Sweetums (played by John Henson) – The big, furry monster.

New Muppets Introduced

Some new Muppets were created for Muppets Tonight. A few of them, like Pepe the Prawn, became very popular and appeared in later Muppet shows!

• A. Ligator (played by Jerry Nelson) – A pink vulture who was the show's announcer.
• Barbershop Cactus Quartet – Four cacti who sang together.
• Big Mean Carl (played by Bill Barretta) – A shaggy green monster who loved to eat things (and other Muppets!).
• Bill the Bubble Guy (played by Dave Goelz) – A blue Muppet who could make bubbles from his head.
• Bobo the Bear (played by Bill Barretta) – A bear who worked as a security guard.
• Captain Pighead (played by Steve Whitmire) – A pig who was the captain in "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine."
• Craniac (played by Kevin Clash) – An alien with a brain for a head, a crew member on the Swinetrek.
• Cue Card Monster (played by Bill Barretta) – A small green monster who held up cue cards.
• Darci (played by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) – She was in "The Real World Muppets" segments.
• David Hoggselhoff (played by Bill Barretta) – A pig who starred in "Bay of Pigswatch," a spoof of David Hasselhoff.
• Dr. Pain (played by Dave Goelz) – A doctor on "E-I-E-I-O R."
• Dr. Phil van Neuter (played by Brian Henson) – A mad scientist who hosted "Tales from the Vet."
• Ernst Stavros Grouper (played by Bill Barretta) – An eyepatch-wearing grouper who became the new boss of the TV studio.
• Floor Manager (played by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) – The unnamed floor manager of K-MUP.
• Gary Cahuenga (played by Dave Goelz) – A ventriloquist's dummy with his own mind.
• Head of the Network (played by Jerry Nelson) – Clifford's boss at K-MUP.
• Howard Tubman (played by Bill Barretta) – A rich, food-loving pig in "The Tubmans of Porksmith."
  • Carter (played by Kevin Clash) – Howard Tubman's old butler.
• Johnny Fiama (played by Bill Barretta) – A singer in the style of the Rat Pack.
• Jowls (played by Jerry Nelson) – A wrinkly-faced man who led the Muppets Tonight Band.
• Larry – A crew member at K-MUP.
• Mr. Poodlepants (played by Steve Whitmire) – An unusual character with a strange fashion sense.
• Muppets Tonight Writers – Three monkeys who wrote for the show.
• Nigel (played by Brian Henson) – A green monster who was the stressed-out director of the show.
• Pepé the King Prawn (played by Bill Barretta) – A king prawn who worked as an elevator operator and cook. He often worked with Seymour and spoke with a Spanish accent.
• Pokey – A monster who made unnamed appearances.
• Sal Minella (played by Brian Henson) – A chimpanzee who was Johnny Fiama's helper and bodyguard.
• Seymour (played by Brian Henson) – An elephant who worked as an elevator operator and cook. He often worked with Pepe.
• Snookie Blyer (played by Bill Barretta) – The host of the game show "Swift Wits."
• Snorty (played by Dave Goelz) – A pig in the "Pigs in Space: Deep Dish Nine" segments, a spoof of Scotty from Star Trek.
• Spamela Hamderson (played by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) – A pig who was a spoof of Pamela Anderson. She starred in "Bay Of Pigswatch."
• Thor (played by Brian Henson) – The God of Thunder, shown doing everyday tasks.
• Zippity Zap (played by Bill Barretta) – A frog who was one of the crew members.
• Female Rock Lobster (played by John Kennedy) – Appeared in episode 14.
• Fairyland Police Chief (played by Allan Trautman) – Appeared in several episodes.

Regular Skits

Here are some of the funny segments that appeared often on Muppets Tonight:

• Bay of Pigswatch – A funny take on the TV show Baywatch. It starred David Hoggselhoff and Spamela Hamderson as lifeguards.
• Carl the Big Mean... – Skits where Big Mean Carl would do an act, but it usually ended with him eating someone or something!
• E-I-E-I-O R – A parody of the hospital show ER. Fozzie Bear worked at a hospital where doctors and patients shared jokes.
• Great Moments in Elvis History – Famous historical moments were acted out by Muppets who looked like Elvis Presley.
• Pigs In Space: Deep Dish Nine – A sequel to the classic "Pigs in Space" skit. Miss Piggy was on a new spaceship with a different crew. It was a spoof of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• Screen Tests – These showed Muppets trying out for movies that featured the guest stars.
• Tales from the Vet – A parody of Tales from the Crypt. Dr. Phil van Neuter told scary stories about animals.
• The Eagle's Nest – Sam the Eagle talked about important topics, often with Andy and Randy Pig as his guests.
• The Johnny Fiama Show – A talk show hosted by the singer Johnny Fiama.
• NYPD Green – A spoof of NYPD Blue, where Kermit played a detective.
• The Real World Muppets – A parody of The Real World. It showed Clifford, Rizzo the Rat, Bobo the Bear, Bill the Bubble Guy, and Darci living together.
• Thor: God of Thunder – Showed Thor doing everyday tasks, like trying to get a library card.
• UK Spots – These were special segments shown in the United Kingdom version of the show.
  • Fairyland PD – Clifford and Bobo the Bear were detectives solving mysteries based on nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
  • Mr. Callahan – This skit showed a bar from the point of view of a regular customer, Mr. Callahan.
  • Swift Wits – A game show hosted by Snookie Blyer. Contestants had to guess a word quickly to stop Big Mean Carl from eating an adorable animal.
  • The Tubmans of Porksmith – Followed the funny adventures of a rich, food-loving pig named Howard Tubman and his butler Carter.

Show History

Muppets Tonight aired from 1996 to 1998. There were 22 episodes made. ABC first ordered 13 episodes, but only aired 10 of them. Then, the Disney Channel bought the show. They ordered 8 more episodes and aired them along with the 3 episodes ABC didn't show. One of the new episodes was a "best of" show, showing clips from earlier episodes.

In the United Kingdom, only the first 13 episodes were shown. BBC1 aired the first 11 episodes in late 1996. The last two were shown in December 1996. Sky One also repeated the series until 1999.

In Ireland, the show was broadcast on TG4 and was even dubbed into Irish Gaelic.

In Canada, the show first aired on CBC, then moved to Family Channel.

Episodes

Season 1 (1996)

Season 2 (1997–98)

Who Made the Show Happen

• Executive Producers: Brian Henson and Dick Blasucci
• The Muppet Performers: Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Brian Henson, Jerry Nelson, Steve Whitmire, Bill Barretta, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Frank Oz, Bruce Lanoil, Allan Trautman, John Kennedy, John Henson, and many more talented puppeteers.
• Directors: Greg V. Fera, Gary Halvorson, Brian Henson, Tom Trbovich
• Writers: Jennifer Barrow, Dick Blasucci, Paul Flaherty, Darin Henry, Bernie Keating, Jim Lewis, Dan McGrath, Kirk R. Thatcher, Patric M. Verrone
• Musical Director: Richard Gibbs
• Costume Designer: Polly Smith
• Executive Consultant: Frank Oz
• Made by: Jim Henson Productions