"It's time to raise the curtain on The Muppet Show tonight." - The Muppet Show theme
The Best of The Muppet Show featuring Bob Hope, Dom DeLuise, and George Burns 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.
Throughout its five year run from 1976-81, The Muppet Show attracted a stellar roster of guests. This edition of The Best of The Muppet Show throws the spotlight on comedic legends of Hollywood. And Dom DeLuise.
First up is George Burns. His episode begins with a fun Miss Piggy-led production number to the tune "Cuanto le gusta." Burns then performs "The Train Back Home" with Rowlf while exchanging several jokes older than the comedian and the dog put together. Of course this is Burns' specialty, and he does it to charming perfection. Next up is a group of four singers who perform "Chattanooga Choo Choo" from a rather ill-advised position on a railroad track. An especially silly episode of "Veterinarian's Hospital" follows, this one featuring many so-bad-they're-funny telephone jokes. Fozzie (inexplicably dressed as one of the Village People) then performs a somewhat entertaining but forgettable song. Gonzo joins Burns in his dressing room for a brief tete-a-tete before the show segues into a musical number with Miss Piggy and Kermit singing the Jerome Kern standard "I Won't Dance." Keeping with the theme of "everything old is new again," the next sketch - featuring a monster who breaks apart and eats an indestructible electronic device - was previously performed by Jim Henson on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show. Burns ends the show with a medley of songs performed in his inimitable sung/spoken style. Miss Piggy, Rowlf, Gonzo, Scooter, and several of the stranger Muppets join Burns for this amusing segment.
With his ever-present stogie and his sharp, grandfatherly persona, Burns proves to be a perfect match for the Muppets. Although there are no standout moments in this episode, it is still solid, fun entertainment. Plus, any chance to become reacquainted with Burns should be relished.
Burt Reynolds sidekick Dom DeLuise is the guest on this collection's second episode. Miss Piggy again takes center stage for the first number as she leads the audience in a sing-along. The audience seems too responsive, mostly because Miss Piggy has paid them off in an attempt to impress Kermit and gain a better contract. DeLuise explores the planet Koozebane in a funny skit that plays like a game of Whack-a-Mole in reverse. In Deluise's dressing room, the rotund star exchanges insults with Miss Piggy. Miss Piggy receives ovations from the audience during "Veterinarian's Hospital" as her plan to win Kermit continues. Two musical performances follow, one featuring a country song performed by a hippie duo, and another featuring Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem. DeLuise then leads a telethon to raise money for helpless monsters. It soon becomes apparent, though, that these monsters are not so helpless. Miss Piggy is disappointed to learn that her plans for a new contract have backfired, but DeLuise consoles her with the song "We Got Us."
This episode is not one of the series' strongest. DeLuise is a capable performer, but the monster benefit skit, for example, is often too frenetic without being funny.
Bob Hope, old ski nose himself, joins the Muppets for the final episode on this disc. For the show's opening number, Miss Piggy and the rest of the pig gang perform an entertaining calypso number. The episode's recurring theme is that Hope - "The Busiest Man in Show Business" - has so many other engagements that he is forced to run in and out of the theatre. Because of this, Hope is late for his first entrance. (As Brian Henson explains in his introduction to this episode, Hope was indeed so busy that he was only able to film a few interstitial scenes and one musical number.) In the next number, a forestful of cuddly critters attempt to hide from a posse of toothless hunters ("I wounded me the biggest cement truck you ever saw!"). After another brief interlude with Hope, the Swedish Chef attempts to prepare pressed duck...using an iron and a live duck. The Muppet gang then sits in front of a fireplace to sing a gentle medley of folk songs. In a report from Muppet Labs, hapless Beaker runs afoul of an automatic waste receptacle with an insatiable appetite. For the show's final number, Hope performs "Don't Fence Me In" while astride a wisecracking horse. The life-sized horse puppet is very amusing, and Hope's effortless interaction with it make this number a true classic.
Hope's wry wit and impeccable timing help to make up for the fact that his presence in this episode basically amounts to an extended cameo. He is, as always, a joy to watch.
As with the other releases in this series, the three episodes are included on a single DVD which is housed in a white keepcase. Viewers can play all episodes from the main menu or choose individual episodes.
