"It's time to put on makeup." - The Muppet Show theme
The Best of The Muppet Show with Mark Hamill, Paul Simon, and Raquel Welch DVD Review
By Jonathan Boudreaux
For more information on the background of The Muppet Show, please read the review of The Best of The Muppet Show with Elton John, Julie Andrews, and Gene Kelly.
The first of the three episodes in this Muppet "best of" release features Star Wars' Mark Hamill (playing both himself and his "cousin" Luke Skywalker), prissy robot C3P0, and, in the words of Kermit, their "little garbage can friend" R2D2. Luke and pals charge onto the Muppet set in search of their missing cohort Chewbacca. The Muppet gang is so excited by their stellar visitors that they immediately drop their original guest host - Angus McGonagle, the Gargling Argyle Gargoyle.
After the usual Muppets silliness of rams and sheep singing doo-wop ("Rama Lama Ding Dong," natch), Skywalker informs Kermit that he does not plan on doing an act for the show, but that he will gladly introduce Kermit to Mark Hamill. Hamill then launches into a gargling duet with McGonagle. The next production number tells the tale of three adventurous fishies and their trip to the sea. Scooter leads a low-key performance of "Six String Orchestra." Skywalker and the droids then hijack the Swine Trek to continue their search for Chewbacca. With Miss Piggy masquerading as Princess Leia, they meet the dreaded Derth Nader (Gonzo, in a funny visual gag) and are forced to land on the planet Koozebane. Derth Nader threatens to kill the gang, but Skywalker calls for his secret weapon - Chewbacca. The entire cast sings "You are my Lucky Star" and "When you Wish Upon a Star" as the Wookie and the droids perform in a dance break. While this episode will mostly appeal to Star Wars nerds, the ending is sublimely ridiculous.
Paul Simon is the special guest on the next show. Simon, who wrote all of the songs featured in the show, is an inspired choice. Even though his music gives the impression that he is an overly serious person, judging from his appearance here and on Saturday Night Live this seriousness hides a sense of humor. At a Renaissance fair, Simon performs "Scarborough Fair." This number also features Miss Piggy as a "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" girl. The Muppets' house band takes over to sing "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." Simon returns to perform "It's Been a Long Day." Inspired by the guest star, Gonzo decides to become a singer/songwriter. Having no talent, though, he simply steals the music from "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" and adds his own strange lyrics. "Baby Driver" is given a truly bizarre treatment by Bobby Benson and his All Baby Band as they drive around in a motorized perambulator. Simon closes the show with "Love Me Like a Rock."
Rounding out what is perhaps the strangest mix of performers ever, Raquel Welch is the final guest. For her first number, Welch performs a disco tune while dancing with a giant spider, all while wearing a spangly take on her One Million Years B.C. getup. Fozzie makes a valiant - but failed - effort at assertiveness training before Gonzo leads an unconventional musical number about unconventionality. Kermit interviews Marvin Suggs and his Muppaphone - several round, pompom-esque Muppets that function as a xylophone. A sultry Welch restores Fozzie's confidence when she sings ballad to him. In a funny throwaway bit, the Swedish Chef demonstrates how to make Chicken in a Basket - using a live chicken and a basketball hoop. Finally, a jealous Miss Piggy invades Welch's performance of "I'm a Woman." This episode is surprisingly strong, with Welch exuding warmth and displaying an easy rapport with the Muppets.
These three episodes are included on a single DVD which is housed in a white keepcase. The opening menu allows the viewer to play all episodes or to choose individual episodes. Choosing an individual episode leads to a needlessly complicated scene selection screen.
